The Queen of Hip-hop Soul Mary J. Blige is next up on the cover of ESSENCE magazine’s latest issue. In the June 2012 edition (which hits newstands on May 11th), the singer/actress gives advice about the importance of loving yourself before anyone else can and shared her personal experience with this tip:
“I was never really able to look at myself in the mirror until I began to hear God telling me I was beautiful. Suddenly, other people started telling me I was beautiful, too, because I had started believing it…” [SOURCE]
This is Mary J. Blige’s 12th ESSENCE magazine cover. Check out some behind-the-scenes footage from her photoshoot at Pier 59 Studios in New York City. Video clip is after the jump!
( PHOTO: Mathew Rolstone for Essence )
So glad she shed that ghetto image she started in the game with. Nice look!
That was over twenty years ago,she was a kid then. And, she will always be ghetto..That’s something she flaunt proudly. You can’t be the queen of HIP HOP & RNB without being street. Hey, it is what it is…
Oh wow Mary looks really good. Love her hair and the braided bun and love how she is not caked up with makeup. And Mary did a hell of a job with the National Anthem at the Kentucky Derby. She took the Star Spangle Banner to church honey. Mary has come a long way since 1992
Yes I got chills when Mary sung the National Anthem at the Derby and she looked like a true Southern Belle too. Just perfect
i will be picking up that issue! she’s BEAUTIFUL. LUV HER!
Mary looks great. Love the afrocentric piece around her neck and the bangles. She looks as though she is glowing, very fresh
Essence loves Mary and so do the Obama’s. Glad they finally gave her the guest editor’s spot.
Yay Mary can’t wait to see you at the Essence fest girl!!
Mary needs to release that National Anthem performance as a single. It was so passionate and soulful. Forget hip hop soul, Mary just became the queen of soul at the Kentucky Derby. I think I’ve watched it about 50 times already. LOL
I agree. Mary is one of the last true soul singers we have left and her national anthem rendition was just perfect raw soul no filters, no auto-tune, no lip synching just pure singing. It was great to watch and I love this cover too btw
I saw that national anthem performance @ the Derby on tv and yes she did that thang chile. Almost made me want to go out and buy a USA flag to put in my yard Lol.
I love this cover. Can’t wait to get mine. And yes her national anthem performance was damn near historic. The Kentucky derby even released a statement saying her performance was ranked among the top in this history of the Derby. Now thats major
MJB is a real true singer. I can’t deal with all the other pop tarts making bs music. This woman here is the TRUTH. BEAUTIFUL cover and I checked the national anthem performance on youtube and she totally slayed. Just raw soul. THank God for Mary
No one else needs to sing the national anthem except Mary J Blige. She just raised the bar on that song with her soulful rendition. It was just heavenly. Red is her color!!
Mary made me proud of my country
she did a great job at the kentucky derby. The media even called it “Flawless”. Mary is the Queen. I will be getting this issue of Essence
The entire setting at the Derby was perfect. Mary in red standing on that white balcany surrounded by red roses sanging her heart out. Truly touching. I think her version of the anthem has been the best in years. And I can’t wait to get my issue of Essence
Mary looks fab on this cover can’t wait to get it. LOL @ all the comments about her national anthem performance. I too thought it was superb. Listening to her sing with so much coviction and soul made me mad at the bullshit that other artist and radio force us to listen to. I agree Mary is the truth, the queen of R&B
Mary’s makeup and hair is PERFECT. Very appropriate and nothing looks forced. Kudos
I JUST WANT IT KNOWN THAT MARY TOUCHED MY SOUL WHEN SHE SANG THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. THE KENTUCKY DERBY WAS THE PERFECT BACK-DROP. IT WAS UNFILTERED SOULFUL BLISS AND I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT. AND YES I LOVE THIS ESSENCE COVER TOO
If’s Mary’s Cover of the National Anthem is as good as y’all are saying, then they will make it a single,like they did with Marvin Gaye and Whitney Houston.
I doubt they will make hers a single. Mary did hers without a backing track. She just freestyled it without music or anything and slayed!!!!!
Go Mary J, you look beautiful and happy; it shows. Keep doing your thing.