Who

Despite the drama, drugs, and depression, Blige has topped the R&B charts for years.

Backstory

A difficult childhood in Yonkers, an absent father, and a molestation incident at the age of five took a toll on young Mary: She dropped out of high school at 16 and first turned to drugs during her teen years. Blige was 18 when she used a karaoke machine to record an Anita Baker song; her stepfather passed the tape to Uptown Records CEO Andre Harrell and she was soon signed as a backup singer. Blige's big break came when she attracted the notice of a young Uptown label exec named Sean "Puffy" Combs, who worked with her to create her 1992 debut album, What's the 411? (The title was an homage to her former gig as a directory assistance operator.) She's since gone on to record eight multi-platinum-selling albums, including Share My World, No More Drama, The Breakthrough, and Growing Pains. Her music evolved along the way, from gangsta rap and ghetto angst into a more expansive, expressive sound.

Of note

Blige has gradually shed her tough-girl hip-hop posturing in favor of a classier R&B sound. Her gold doorknocker earrings have been replaced with diamond studs (and the Michael Kors gowns that go along with them). Fans and critics clearly enjoy this mellower, wiser Blige. When Blige's single "Be Without You" hit the charts in 2006, it stayed at No. 1 for 15 weeks, becoming the longest running No. 1 song on the R&B charts in history; she later picked up three Grammys for the album The Breakthrough. Following in the great historical tradition of singer-slash-actors, as of late Blige has been trying to make it in the non-music world, with occasional turns on TV, film, and stage. Her first real acting gig was a role opposite Q-Tip in 2001's Prison Song, and she appeared in the 2004 off-Broadway drama, The Exonerated (she also had brief appearances on Strong Medicine and The Ghost Whisperer). But her acting chops will really be put to the test when she plays jazz/soul icon Nina Simone in the upcoming MTV Films-produced biopic.

Vice

Early in her career, Blige dealt with drugs, alcohol addiction, and depression—and even contemplated suicide, she says. An ultimatum from her boyfriend, record exec Martin "Kendu" Isaacs, the 2001 death of singer Aaliyah, and a subsequent turn to God helped her ditch the drugs, drink, and drama.

Personal

Blige has said she was in several abusive relationships with men, including a protracted affair with Jodeci front man K-Ci. She eventually settled down with Isaacs (who Queen Latifah introduced her to) and in 2003 the two married. She's now a stepmother to his three kids.

Habitat

Blige splits her time between Saddle River, New Jersey and Los Angeles. In Jersey, she kicks back in a 18,250-square-foot mansion that she purchased for $12.3 million in 2008. On the West Coast, she recently signed a $30,000-per-month lease on an 8,000-square-foot home in the Hollywood Hills. The super-mod concrete, glass, and steel dwelling features 5 bedrooms, 8 1/2 baths, and a 55-foot swimming pool, complete with  a 75-foot waterfall.

No joke

Unsurprisingly, the self-described Queen of Hip Hop Soul is particular about the way she's treated by mere commoners. Her tour rider stipulates that the couches in her dressing room must be made of "fine fabric" (no leather), and that the 70-degree space be stocked with a bucket of Red Vines, Aveda candles (in one of three acceptable scents), two humidifiers, and a brand-new seat on the toilet, but "NO PORK OR DAIRY OF ANY KIND!"