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.

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.

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.

Mary returns with NO MORE DRAMA, her first album since 1999's multiplatinum release MARY. This is the second album in a trilogy that started with MARY. NO MORE DRAMA is a more upbeat, carefree and fun album. Mary wants you to dance, and to forget your problems. Witness the first single Family Affair, one of the hottest R&B/hip hop tracks of the year, produced by Dr. Dre. The album also features Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who have had most success with Janet Jackson. As well there are Neptunes, Missy, and many other producers. Dance For Me actually runs in a similar vein as Family Affair, forget your problems, be free, dance and have fun. Mary relates to her fans in songs like PMS and No More Drama. Where I've Been features Eve, one of the album's highlights. Overall, I couldn't tell you how good this album is. It is just as good as MARY, which I believed to be one of the best albums ever, if not is surpasses it in many ways. This album is fun to listen to, so get crunk, put it in the CD player before you go out to party, and just set your body free with the great beat pumpin.

Okay, here's the run-down of Mary's album. What's the 411?--breakthrough album. My Life--classic. Share My World--more or less something to tide us over until her next release. Mary--a near-classic.

Now, here she is with No More Drama. She may have left the drama behind, but it seems like the hits went away with it, leaving a mixed bag of an album.

Back when Mary first came out, she started the genre Hip-Hop Soul and was dubbed the Queen of it. But years done passed and there are so many women successfully doing this thing now (i.e., Sunshine Anderson). So with this album it seems like the Queen is influenced by the new-schoolers who were influenced by the old-school Mary J. Blige. In other words, Mary J. Blige sounds like a carbon copy of her own self.

This especially shows on her song, "Family Affair". Though it plays well in the clubs, when you sit and listen to it, it features some bad slanguage (like "holleration"), the most simplistic Dr. Dre beat ever made, and a loss of Mary's soulful singing. "Steal Away" is the kind of Neptunes song everybody thought they needed on their album, while the title track is an instance where the theme from "The Young & the Restless" is sampled yet again. And I don't know if the song "PMS" appeals to women because I'm a guy, but let's just say that a more subtle take on this subject would be better, like Angie Stone's "Time of the Month".

But there is good news on this album. "Never Been" featuring Missy Elliott is a good song that will take you back to her My Life days. "2U" is a soothing ballad where Mary sings well despite the lyrical shortcomings. Also, "Dance for Me" shows Mary doing her thang on a Sting sample.

The most innovative song is one that's not sung, which is her poem, "Forever No More". It practically redeems Mary of the few misses on this album and it outdoes any of the good songs on here. No More Drama may make you get crunk up on the dancery but Mary's seen better days.