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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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No More Drama
by Mary J. Blige
The sixth album from Mary J. Blige features guest appearances from Lenny Kravitz, Eve, and Missy Elliott and production work from The Neptunes and Dr. Dre.
| LABEL: |
MCA |
| RELEASE DATE: |
28 August 2001 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
R&B, Pop |

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
100
E! Online
Injecting the album with plenty of soul, gospel and throwbacks to that old-school Motown sound, producers like the Neptunes, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and guests like Eve help round out what's possibly the best R&B album this year.

100
Entertainment Weekly
The multiproducer arrangements are expansive yet warm, and Blige's pushy rasp has never sounded better.

100
Spin Cycle
Pulling it all together is her beautifully rough voice, which has grown more precise without losing any of its raw, bluesy power.

80
Village Voice
This is Blige's most rhythmic album ever, and even the ballads that can drag r&b down here bristle with bumping beats.

80
Sonicnet
Because her samples are so shameless, so out in the open, what No More Drama sounds like in the end is Blige singing along to the radio: equal parts fan and artist.

80
All Music Guide
In 2001’s current crop of R&B singers, Blige’s voice is truly inimitable. It’s husky, strong, soulful and full of maturity. Make no mistake, though, this lady can still flow like no one’s business...

80
The Onion (A.V. Club)
In the past, that voice has conveyed untold worlds of pain and anguish, but on Blige's fifth studio album, No More Drama, it's put to good use mining the foreign terrain of happiness, contentment, and other emotions seemingly antithetical to the soul singer's tragedy-filled milieu.

80
Q Magazine
A record that occupies the exact mid-point between the ghetto sass of her Puff Daddy-produced debut and 1999's poised, soulful Mary. [Oct 2001, p.117]
70
New Musical Express
Blige's best yet...

70
Rolling Stone
At first, she sounds almost tepid in comparison to her older work, but this is music that grows in depth and feeling with each listen.

70
Launch.com
Other than "PMS," a misguided Lauryn Hill cop, the album also gets stronger as it plays, concluding with an impressive trio of songs that show off Blige's gospel roots.

20
New York Magazine
More than ever, Blige's harmonious state just isn't an interesting place to be: Songs like "Beautiful Day" and "Flying Away" express exuberance of the rainbows-and-flowers variety. Miserable, Blige can be penetrating and profound; happy, she comes off generic and bland.


The average user rating for this album is 9.3 (out of 10) based on 19 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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