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.

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.

For me, Mary's initial release of 'No More Drama' was lacking something. And with this release, Mary took steps towards correcting what was wrong with the initial presssing of the album. Mary brought soul back into this release with the additions of a few songs, and also brought back the excitement which was otherwise missing on the first disc.

The standout (of the new tracks, and perhaps of the album as a whole) is the new track "He Think I Don't Know". THIS is the Mary that I love! The Mary who feels deep and bears a part of her soul to you. It's bluesy and soulful...we needed that! The addition of the ever popular Ja Rule on new track "Rainy Days" also proved to be another of the set's highlights. But as far as the uptempo numbers go, when you need a remix call on P Diddy! For the first time in seven years Mary and Diddy are working together, and it's hot!!! The "No More Drama" remix is nothing like the original, but it's a perfect collaboration for the artists.

In all, I'm still not that pleased with "No More Drama" but at least Mary gave us more to savor with the addition of these added tracks until her next studio release.

...and now that she's back with sample-happy P. Diddy, it's only gonna get worse. Her new track featuring the 3-month old 50 Cent "In Da Club" beat with the ubiquitous ranting of P. Diddy is an UTTER ATROCITY and a COMPLETE SHAME on her career.

This album tries to be deep, passionate, and uplifting, but her trademark rawness gets lost in OVERPRODUCTION and CLICHE lyrics. For example, "Rainy Days" could've been a great song WITHOUT Ja Rule and WITHOUT those annoying synthesizers and superfluous effects. Let's just hope that next time she teams up with some real songwriters and unselfish producers.

First of all,I LOVE MARY J. BLIGE!
She is a legend in modern terms.I mean no one gets realer or grittier than Mary! The word incredible is an understatement.
Mary's two masterpieces-all of her albums are above average-BUT
1994's "My Life" and especially 1999's "Mary" really show whose Queen showcases a woman who was looking for serenity but just couldn't grasp it.

So when Mary released "No More Drama",her fifth studio albums in
nine years,everyone finally thought that the Queen of Hip Hop Soul
finally found the happiness she so deserved.Well,Mary was getting things together BUT her material was unraveling.

"No More Drama"-the original issue-was very unsatisying.
There was so much filler on that album and undercooked songs that
I couldn't believe that Mary J. Blige-the Queen herself-would dare release such a half-done sounding album.Save for the emotional
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis produced title track,"Where I've Been"-
featuring Eve,and a couple more tracks(the brutally honest "PMS";"Steal Away";the overplayed "Family Affair"),"N.M.D." wasn't cutting it.

Happily in early '02,Mary and her label,MCA,decided to reissue
"N.M.D." "Yes",I thought.Finally we get the Mary that all we know and love.Not really,"NMD"'s reissue has the same
borderline tracks and to cover it up,her label added four new bonus tracks not added on the original issue(two unreleased songs
and two remixes of the original "NMD" tracks "No More Drama"
and "Keep It Movin'").

The two new tracks are very intesting."Rainy Days" featuring current radio darling Ja Rule,is the type of material that does nothing for Mary.It's obvious the folks at the label felt that
having a currently popular radio-friendly artist like Ja Rule
would make the song an unabased hit a la Ja's collabrations
with Jennifer Lopez("I'm Real","Ain't It Funny":both hit #1).
BUT hello!,Mary is not "J.Lo"!She is a true artist.Mary is a grade-A vocalist.She's almost on the save level of Aretha Franklin(if not already there),she needs songs that move.Not generic chart stabs like this.That may work for a heavily glossy
packaged "act" like Lopez but when it comes to Mary,you better do better than that!!

BUT "He Don't Think I Know"-the other unreleased new track-is more like it.A wistful,compassinate ballad that sounds like something that could've come from the "Mary" album.THIS is
the Mary we know and love.Why wasn't this on the original anyway?
I mean I know the album was supposed to be "No More Drama"
but if "Drama" sounds this good,then bring on the drama.

The two remixes are OK.Mary and her former muse,Puff/P. Diddy,
reunite on a remix of "No More Drama" and Common blesses a new mix of "Keep It Movin'".Not bad.

I'm a Mary fan.But hopefully the next album will be the Mary that
we all know and love.No more drama or not.