Quotes from Mary J. Blige

You can't get around pain and opposition, but you can try to be joyful in the trial, and thank yourself for the trial, and thank God for the strength to get through it.

I'm a child of God. God is my mommy, my daddy. That's the only thing that'll keep my head up. If I don't remember who I am in him, I'm done.

Cause I'm no better than you, you, or you. And I can't get on no throne and preach, 'cause I'm not God.

I've been praying to God to show me how to forgive myself. Because... maybe... that's the thing I've been searching for.

I don't know what kind of God the rest of y'all are serving, but the God I serve says, 'Mary, you need to be the hottest thing this year, and I'm gonna make sure you're doing that.'

When I was a kid, I needed to sing because it makes me feel good about myself. It makes me feel good, period.

I do consider myself part of black history.

Believe in yourself when nobody else does.

I had to learn how to trust my gut. Trust what I know to be right... not right, but not waver on who I am. Know who I am, know what I want, and know it. Not waver on it and be secure in that. And I still struggle with it. But I really... I can't be moved. You can't move me, and that all comes with loving myself, and I'm like my best buddy.

If you're not confident in yourself, you're going to waver. I've wavered, and I've lost.

I can go out raw with nothing, and my fans would still be happy, but I feel that I owe it to them to give them almost like a Broadway musical at this point in my life. I have to give them something more, so I do have to think of different ways to do it.

My first album is playful.

Once you climb to another level, you have to figure out how to sustain it.

I believe there should be no more drama, but it's everywhere you go. It's just about how you get out. You've gotta bob and weave because it's everywhere. How do I keep the drama low? It's about using your head.

You demand respect and you'll get it. First of all, you give respect.

The streets respect me because I kept it real with me. You gotta be real with yourself, and the streets recognize game.

Growing up, I was the preferred hairstylist for all of my friends.

Larry David makes me laugh.

I still get nervous about singing. I drink tea with honey and lemon before every concert. And I need to have scented candles in all of my hotel rooms.

When life is real, it's not going to be smooth.

For the first time in my life, I'm proud of myself

I don't want no drama in my life, even though we have a little bit, but no more letting people control you. That's drama, because then you become something that you're not.

Nowadays, with the state of the music business, for any artist, whether you're up-and-coming or you've been in it for awhile, you have to explore different revenues and different ways of expressing yourself.

I never do any album to beat it. I do it to extend it.