Mary J. Blige Partners With Primary Wave

Mary J. Blige partnered with Primary Wave Music on her catalog, bringing both her compositions and recordings into the agreement.

The company will work with Blige’s team on marketing, branding, digital projects and music licensing opportunities, Billboard reported. The deal includes songs such as “Family Affair,” “Be Without You” and “I Can Love You.”

The available reports did not disclose a price or ownership percentage.

The partnership concerns a career that took shape at Uptown Records. Blige signed with Andre Harrell’s label in 1989 at age 18.

Her 1992 debut, What’s the 411?, put her voice over a mix of Hip-Hop and soul, with personal lyrics at the center. “You Remind Me” and “Real Love” were among its hits. Her official biography lists Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight among the singers who influenced her early on.

That musical history matters to the catalog beyond the record titles. Her second album, 1994’s My Life, drew from older soul while speaking to the sound of its own time. The Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry in 2025.

She wrote most of the lyrics, taking a larger role in shaping the album’s personal stories. Producer Charles “Chucky” Thompson helped build the sound around her.

Her catalog has remained part of her live work, too.

As AllHipHop previously reported, Blige announced her first Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM earlier this year. The original plan called for 10 performances, split between May and July.

She said she had long wanted to do that kind of show. The residency, which began in May, had been extended through 2027.