8 Things You May Not Know About Mary J. Blige

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Mary dropped out of high school in her junior year. She was 16 years old.

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Her first label was Uptown Records. And at the time she was signed (in 1989), she was the youngest and first female artist they ever had.

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Her album, What's The 411, got the name from Mary's past occupation. Before making it big, she was a 4-1-1- operator.

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So far in her career, Mary has released 13 studio albums. She's also made over 150 guest appearances on other albums and soundtracks.

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She wasn't always the big dog. At the beginning of her career, Mary was a backup singer until her 'Whats' The 411' album dropped.

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Music runs in her family - Mary's father was a Jazz musician. Her mother was a nurse.

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She had a perfume line. 'My Life' launched in 2010.

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She was discovered after covering an Anita Baker song - at 17, Mary covered "Caught Up In The Rapture," and it got the attention of execs at Uptown Records.