Mary J. Blige Partners With Primary Wave on Her Music Catalog
Primary Wave Music will work with the nine-time Grammy winner on her catalog of compositions and recordings, including “Family Affair” and “My Life.”
Primary Wave Music has partnered with Mary J. Blige on her music catalog. The company announced the deal on Monday.
The partnership covers Blige’s catalog compositions and recordings. Primary Wave will work with Blige and her team on marketing, branding, digital projects, and synchronization opportunities.
Synchronization is the business of placing songs in films, television shows, advertisements, and other media. It is one of the main ways an older catalog reaches new listeners.
“From the moment I heard ‘You Remind Me’ on NY’s KISS-FM, I became a Day 1 Mary J. Blige fan,” said Natalia Nastaskin, Primary Wave’s chief content officer. “For over 30 years, she has gifted the world with hit after undeniable hit and in the process has created the soundtrack of our lives. To partner with the Queen herself on her extraordinary catalog and her everlasting legacy is an honor for me and for our entire Primary Wave team.”
A catalog built over 30 years
Blige has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, according to the announcement. Her catalog includes 15 studio albums, two live albums, and 83 singles.
She has won nine Grammy Awards from 37 nominations. She has also won 12 Billboard Music Awards. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2024.
The deal includes songs such as “Family Affair,” “My Life,” “Mary Jane (All Night Long),” “You Bring Me Joy,” “Be Happy,” “Be Without You,” and “I Can Love You.”
Blige broke through with her 1992 debut album, What’s the 411?, which has been certified four-times platinum. She became known as the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, pairing R&B singing with hip-hop production at a time when few major artists were doing both.
She has placed six songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, including one No. 1: 2001’s “Family Affair.” She has placed 14 albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, including four No. 1s: 1997’s Share My World, 2003’s Love & Life, 2006’s The Breakthrough, and 2008’s Growing Pains.
Still on stage
Blige is in the middle of a Las Vegas residency, Mary J. Blige: My Life, My Story, at Dolby Live at Park MGM. The residency began in May and has been extended through February 2027.
The Primary Wave deal does not announce new music. It is about the songs she has already made, and where listeners will hear them next.
