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37 of 41 found the following review helpful:
 Mary J is my favorite but MCA is getting too greedy.... Feb 05, 2002
By J. Highsmith
OK, before I review this re release of "No More Drama", I would like to make a few points relating to this CD. 1) When you re release a CD, I thought you were supposed to keep all the songs from the initial release and then add bonus tracks. On the re release [...], they list the original 17 songs and then [...it] has the 4 new tracks as track numbers 18-21. This could be true but in music stores and retail outlets, Track #4 from the initial release, "Krazy Games" is replaced by the new track, "He Think I Don't Know". Track #7, the Rocwilder produced, "Keep It Movin'" is replaced by "Rainy Dayz" w/Ja Rule. Track #8, "Destiny" is left off of the re release and "Where I've Been" w/Eve is bumped up from #9 to be #8. "Beautiful Day" is bumped up from #10 to be #9 on the re release. "Dance For Me" which was #11 moves up to #10 and the P Diddy remix of "No More Drama" is now #11. The two negatives about this are 1) You are already asking the consumer to pay for the price of the CD again by re releasing "No More Drama" and 2) You are also penalizing the consumer by not allowing them to have all of the songs, including the newly added tracks, all on one CD. If you didn't buy the initial "No More Drama" and you buy the re release you won't have 3 songs that are on the original release but you will have the two new tracks and the two new remixes. This may not be important to everyone, but if you are a fan of music like I am then you will understand where I am coming from. "No More Drama" is a refreshing new sound from Mary J. Those of you that have listened to all of her CDs know the road that Mary J can take you down. Whether it was from the "My Life" CD or whether it was from songs like "The Love I Never Had", "Your Child" or "Not Lookin'" w/K- Ci, we all know Mary J can show us a depressing side of herself. With "No More Drama", she shows us a sense of positivity that we haven't seen from her in awhile, although she did show signs with "Share My World". This is completely evident by the Dr. Dre produced first single, "Family Affair". Although, Mary J does invent a new vocabulary laced with words like "hateration", "hollaratin'" and "perculatin'", her message still gets the point across. Leave all your drama and worries behind and have a good time. On the Neptunes produced, "Steal Away", Mary is joined by a falsetto styled, Pharrell Williams, for a nice collaboration. It sounds like an old school song from years ago. The 2nd single, "No More Drama" is one of the CD's better tracks. The Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced track uses a sample from the soap opera "The Young & The Restless" to create a good song for MJB. The new track "Rainy Dayz" featuring Ja Rule sounds as if it was a theme for 9/11 and all the tragic events that happened in NY and at the Pentagon. Ja Rule provides a rap and some harmonies to the song as well. Irv Gotti also did a good job with the production. The new slow song "He Think I Don't Know" falls in the same lines of a "Your Child" or a "Don't Waste Your Time" on the "Mary" CD. It's not groundbreaking material but fans of Mary J Blige will enjoy this song, especially if they like Mary J Blige slow songs as much as I do. P Diddy's remix to "No More Drama" is a nice track, in my opinion. The lyrics and beat are totally different from the original version and it's nice to hear Mary and P Diddy together again. Other standout tracks include, "Love", the Missy Elliott produced "Never Been", the inspirational "Where I've Been" w/Eve, "In The Meantime", and "Testimony". If you are a Mary J fan then you have heard this all before, but it is nice to see that Mary J can put her troubles behind and move on with her life. You can actually sense that just by listening to this CD.
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
This album is a must buy! ,August 29, 2001, Birmingham, Al Aug 29, 2001
By Jamaal
Mary's new album "No More Drama" says it all because I've been through a lot of drama the past 3 yrs. and it helped me a lot the song "Family Affair" is off the hzzook and slammin' on the charts, radio & video airwaves, and into the stores by my dawg Mighty Mighty DR.
So if you go through a lot of drama you gotta cop this disc and track # 17 "Testimony" which talks about herself having a lot of
bad days, depression, not enough love from people, loneliness, just aout the same as the slammin' Jimmy Jam-Terry Lewis produced title cut, it embodies the portion of the CBS television soap opera Y&R(Young & The Restless theme).
Neptunes are also on this album after producing for Busta Rhymes, Ray J. Ludacris, Usher, Mystikal, NERDZ, Babyface, and among others, the track "Steal Away" should be the next single cause it expresses how Mary wants to have the "real love" back again & last but not least the track entitled "Where I've Been" is so so crunk cause it talks about how she (mary) was bron and raised back in the day listening to Michael Jackson records all of the time which is produced by Ruff Ryders own Swizz Beatz, but there are a few mishaps but still this album is worth buying than Juvenile's "Project English".
Go ahead and cop this album cause Mary's back you want be dissapponted after all the other R&B singers and we must say that we can't forget about the late Aaliyah Dana Haughton.
Love Jamaal Da hey!
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
No More Drama for Mary, But Plenty for Us Mar 04, 2002
By doomsdayer520
I'm mostly a rock fan who merely dabbles in current R&B (though I do collect classic funk and soul). So I'm hardly an expert, but I do know when people are good at what they do, and I feel that Mary J. Blige is one of the strongest and most talented artists working in R&B today. What sets Mary above the crowd here is the lyrics, as she doesn't bother with the usual romance and good time stuff, and lays down the law with sheer emotion and insight. The running theme in this album is how Mary has moved beyond her personal demons and has a new intelligent and experienced outlook on life, as you can see in the very strong lyrics in "Destiny," "Where I've Been, " the poem "Forever No More," and others. But the great lyrics don't need to carry the album, as Mary has racked up the best producers to keep the music moving as well. Faves include the hard charging "Love," the extra funky and reggae-ish groove in "Dance with Me," and "No More Drama" which is definitely dramatic and features the theme from The Young and the Restless. This is universally great soul that has no trouble breaking out of its boundaries.
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
MARY J. BLIGE's most diverse effort so far Sep 01, 2001
By Desmond Chan
The legion of fans following Mary J. Blige knows that her album promises quality - and it's no exception to her 5th album, NO MORE DRAMA - and if anything it's in fact her most diverse and solid effort to root herself as the "queen of hip-hop soul". No longer is she mourning and griping over the loss of love, but she matures into different dimensions of her emotions and talks about life. NO MORE DRAMA produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis proves just how mesmerizing Ms. Blige is when handling emotive soulful rendition; "Keep it moving" is groovy with heavy beats to make you want to spin the dance floor, "Destiny" is painfully excruciating - a paean on one's fate; "PMS" with Lenny Kravitz breathes maturity and understated grief -"LOVE AFFAIR" produced by Dr. Dre is her hot single - and to the later part of the album, "2U" and "In the Meantime" shows her exuberance in soulful ballads - she ends with a poem FOREVER NO MORE that is surprisingly enlighthening - then sums it up with the mellow "TESTIMONY". "Where I've Been" with Eve and her collaboration with Missy Elliot in "NEVER BEEN" is wondrous.Anyone who listens to her knows that it is not her vocal range that enchant, but her sincerity towards her crooning. The glossy cover of Ms. Blige on NO MORE DRAMA is deceiving - her flamboyance does not do justification to the goods inside; she is an artiste who strives to be creative. Her much-missed soul and rapping is delightfully showcased; the poignancy and maturity is much appreciated. Fortunately, there are no dramatic changes in her honed singing skills - it proves that astute listners can trust vintage Mary J. Blige to deliver with NO MORE DRAMA. It's been long since we ever heard such an incredible feat in 2001.
26 of 33 found the following review helpful:
LISTEN TO MARY...SHE IS THE TRUTH Feb 07, 2002
Hey yall!!! I must tell you that this revised album is excellent in every way possible. Mary continues to give us her heartfelt soul on this collection of great songs. Also, she teams up with Ja Rule for a blazin new song (I predict another #1 hit for Mary). Also, the smooth as butta No More Drama remix featuring P. Diddy is a get up and be happy type jam. And I can't forget the powerful ballad: "He Think I Don't Know", which is classic Mary (yall know what I mean). OOOooooh yeah, also another future #1 hit is Dance For Me featuring Common. Just listen and you will know why. One thing I love about this album is the excellent PRODUCTION and SOUND QUALITY. Mary gives us her best on this album. And it shows. Go out and pick up this album and see what I am talking about.
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