What's the 411? - Mary J. Blige
What's the 411?

Mary J. Blige’s debut album, What’s the 411?, was created with a New Jack Swing formula, mixing soulful R&B vocals over hard-hitting hip-hop tracks in a style dubbed “Hip-Hop Soul,” with Mary being named the “Queen of Hip Hop Soul.” The album was executive produced by former Uptown Records intern Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, who helped guide the sound of the album, along with producers Tony Dofat, Dave “Jam” Hall, DeVante Swing, Mark Morales, and Mark C. Rooney. The album’s title came from Mary’s previous job as a 411 operator. She sang backup on Uptown Records artist Father MC’s hit single “I’ll Do 4 U” in 1990 before beginning work on her album. Her debut single “You Remind Me” featured two videos—one for her solo version and another for the remix version with rapper Greg Nice. “Real Love” was the album’s biggest hit single, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, while topping both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rhythmic charts as the single achieved gold status. “Reminisce,” “Love No Limit,” and Mary’s cover of Chaka Khan’s “Sweet Thing” were also released as singles. The album was very well-received, earning Mary two Soul Train Music Awards for Best New R&B Artist and Best R&B Album, Female in 1993. The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200 and topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart as the album reached triple platinum status. In December 1993, Blige released the What’s the 411? Remix album, which featured The Notorious B.I.G., Craig Mack, Heavy D, C.L. Smooth, and Greg Nice.
Distribution of songs on What's the 411? by producer