Share My World

Untitled

Share My World is the third studio album by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. Released on April 22, 1997 (see 1997 in music), it became Blige’s first album to top the Billboard 200 the week of its release, while remaining atop of the Billboard R&B Albums chart for four weeks. It was also Blige's first UK top 40 album, peaking inside the top 10.

The album spawned four hit singles, Love Is All We Need, Everything and I Can Love You, and Seven Days, alongside Missing You, which was only released in the United Kingdom. The album earned Blige her third (fourth overall) Grammy Award nomination, this time for Best R&B Album.

Background

Share My World marked several personal and professional changes in Blige’s life and career. Following the departure of Andre Harrell the year before, Blige defected Uptown Records for its parent label MCA. Meanwhile, she severed professional ties with long-time producer and mentor Sean “Puff” Combs shortly before the production of Share My World began. His absence was filled with a bevy of high profile producers, such as: Rodney Jerkins, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Babyface, Bryce Wilson, and R. Kelly. The end result produced an album that was less entrenched in the Hip hop soul of her first two albums, and replaced with a style that was more aligned with Contemporary R&B.

During the making and run of the My Life album, Blige had reportedly experienced clinical depression, while also battling drug and alcohol addiction, and enduring an often turbulent relationship with K-Ci Hailey—all of which heavily influenced the dark mood of that album. In 1996, however, Blige reportedly made a concerted effort to clean up her life, and subsequently found herself in more positive frame of mind while recording Share My World, which influenced the albums noticeably lighter mood.

In early 1998, Share My World won Blige an American Music Award for ‘Favorite Soul/R&B Album,’ and a nomination for ‘Favorite Female Soul/R&B Artist.’ She also garnered a Grammy Award nomination for a ‘Best R&B Album,’ a Soul Train Music Award nominations for ‘Best R&B/Soul Album,’ and won a Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for ‘R&B/Soul Album of the Year (Solo).’

Upon its initial release, the album contained a bonus disc at Best Buy stores reported to contain previously unreleased remixes.

Tracklisting

#	Title	Time
1.	Intro Writer(s): Poke, Tone, R. Nice Producer(s): Poke, Tone, and Rich Nice	1:21
2.	“I Can Love You” (Featuring Lil’ Kim) Writer(s): M. J. Blige, L. Blige-DaCosta, R. Jerkins, K. Jones, C. Brody, N. Myrick Producer(s): Rodney Jerkins	4:54
3.	“Love Is All We Need” (Featuring Nas) Writer(s): J. Harris, T. Lewis, M. Blige, R. James Producer(s): Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis	4:16
4.	“Round and Round” Writer(s): Poke, DJ Premier, S. Carter, M. Blige Producer(s): Poke and Tone; Co-produced by George “Golden Fingers” Pearson	4:27
5.	Share My World (Interlude) Producer(s): Poke, Tone, and Rich Nice	0:32
6.	“Share My World” Writer(s): M. Blige, R. Jerkins Producer(s): Rodney Jerkins	4:49
7.	“Seven Days” (featuring George Benson) Writer(s): M. Pendleton Producer(s): Malik Pendleton	5:09
8.	“It’s On” (Featuring R. Kelly) Writer(s): R. Kelly Producer(s): R. Kelly	4:44
9.	Thank You Lord (Interlude) Writer(s): K. Price, R. Jerkins Producer(s): Rodney Jerkins	0:45
10.	“Missing You” Writer(s): Babyface Producer(s): Babyface	4:19
11.	“Everything” Writer(s): J. Harris and T. Lewis Producer(s): Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis	4:55
12.	“Keep Your Head” Writer(s): M. Blige, L. Blige-DaCosta Producer(s): Poke, Tone, and George “Golden Fingers” Pearson	3:51
13.	“Can’t Get You Off My Mind” (featuring The LOX) Writer(s): M. Blige, R. Jerkins, J. Phillips, S. Jacobs, D. Styles Producer(s): Rodney Jerkins	4:45
14.	“Get to Know You Better” Writer(s): B. Wilson Producer(s): Bryce Wilson	4:34
15.	“Searching” (featuring Roy Ayers) Writer(s): M. Blige, L. Blige-DaCosta, X. DaCosta, R. Jerkins, F. Jerkins, R. Ayers Producer(s): Rodney Jerkins and Fred Jerkins	4:52
16.	“Our Love” Writer(s): C. Jackson, M. Yancy Producer(s): James Mtune	5:22
17.	“Not Gon’ Cry” Writer(s): Babyface Producer(s): Babyface	4:54

Singles

#	Singles	Date
1.	“Love Is All We Need”	March 1997
2.	“I Can Love You”	July 1997
3.	“Everything”	September 1997
4.	“Missing You”	December 1997 (U.K. release)
5.	“Seven Days”	January 1998

Chart positions

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1997	The Billboard 200	1

Personnel

• Mary J. Blige - Executive Producer, Main Performer, Vocals (Background)
• Steve Stoute - Executive Producer
• Ivy Skoff - Production Coordination, Production Assistant
• Herb Powers - Mastering http://www.pmmastering.com

Mixing

• Angela Piva
• Bob "Bassy" Brackmann
• Dexter Simmons
• Fred Jerkins III
• Jon Gass
• Ken Lewis
• Malik Pendleton
• R. Kelly
• Richard Travali
• Stephen George
• Steve Hodge
• Tizone
• Tom Vercillo
• Tony Maserati
• Kyle Bess - Mixing Assistant
• Xavier Smith - Mixing Assistant

Programming

• Mr. Lee - Programming
• Randy Walker - MIDI Programming
• Stephen George - Programming

Vocals

• LaTonya Blige-DaCosta - Vocals (Background)
• Lil' Kim - Rap
• LOX - Rap
• Malik Pendleton - Vocal Arrangement, Vocals (Background)
• Mary Brown - Vocals (Background)
• Nas - Rap
• R. Kelly - Vocals, Vocals (Background)
• Rich Nice - Narrator
• Rodney Jerkins - Rap
• Shanice - Vocals (Background)

Instruments

• Basil Fearrington - Bass
• Darryl Brown - Bass
• Nathan East - Bass
• James Mussen - Drums
• One Drop Scott - Drum Programming
• Poke & Tone - Drum Programming
• Rodney Jerkins - Drum Arrangements, Drum Programming, Multi Instruments
• Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds - Drum Programming, Keyboards
• Abdulhameed Zuhri - Guitar
• Ed Moore - Guitar
• George Benson - Guitar
• Michael Jordan - Guitar
• Michael "Dino" Campbell - Guitar
• Mike Campbell - Guitar
• Ed Tree Moore - Guitar
• Mike Scott - Guitar
• George R. Pearson - Keyboards
• Josh Milan - Keyboards
• James Mtume - Keyboards
• Lafayette Carthon, Jr. - Keyboards
• Bryce Wilson - Keyboards
• Dunn Pearson, Jr. - Keyboards
• Bruce Wilson Keyboards
• Jimmy Jam - Multi Instruments
• Terry Lewis - Multi Instruments
• Malik Pendleton - Multi Instruments
• R. Kelly - Multi Instruments
• DJ Do It All - Scratching
• Gene Bianco - String Arrangements, String Conductor
• Roy Ayers - Vibraphone

Arrangers

• Jimmy Jam
• Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
• One Drop Scott
• Poke & Tone
• Rich Nice
• Rodney Jerkins
• Terry Lewis

Sequencing

• Bilal Allah
• David Radin
• Steve Stoute

Engineers

• Ben Garrison
• Brad Gilderman
• Chris Brickley
• Dexter Simmons
• Rick Behrens
• Stephen George
• Ken Lewis
• Richard Travali
• Tony Maserati
• Steve Hodge
• Tom Vercillo
• Kyle Bess - Assistant Engineer
• Ron Lowe - Assistant Engineer
• Jeff Lane - Assistant Engineer
• Appolon "Chap" Noel - Assistant Engineer
• Trey Fratt - Assistant Engineer
• Ed Tinley - Assistant Engineer
• Greg Thompson - Assistant Engineer