In a recent interview Mary J Blige opened up about the origins of her new song “Rent Money,” which she explains she had to tour to support her very public divorce Kendu Isaaks.
The release of Blige’s new album Good Morning Gorgeous and her performance at Super Bowl LVI alongside it dr dr, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, 50 cents, And Eminem has opened an exciting new chapter for The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. The third single “Rent Money” can be seen on their new album david east, is inspired by a very specific time in her life, she said Angie Martinez this week in an iHeart Radio special.
Mary J. Blige performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
In the song, Blige sings the lyrics, “Look now, my rent due / I’ve spent it all on you, oh / They say you win something, you win something, you lose / All I have is rent due / f – ‘ with you.”
In her conversation with Martinez, she explained, “Rent Money” is [about] when I first got divorced. I had to give up all those alimony payments and I had no more money to give because he spent it all. So I had to go, you know, I had to go on tour and make all the money back to pay the alimony.”
She continued, “I didn’t have any money to pay my rent and all this other stuff. But it’s also a metaphor like: I didn’t have a soul. I was just drained from everything. So it was about time someone paid; Sometimes you just feel like someone has to pay.”
Blige paid her ex Martin “Kendu” Isaacs $30,000 a month in temporary spousal support between 2016, when she first applied when they settled in 2018, theGrio reported. The former couple settled out of court in March 2018, avoiding a possible week-long trial.
Mary J. Blige at the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Press Conference on February 10, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
In a recent cover story for Elle, Blige opened up about how she began building her confidence while still married and that it inspired the title track of her new album.
She explained: “During Mudbound and when I was married I felt so down. I had to give myself the biggest compliments, even if I didn’t believe it, just so I could build myself up… I would do it in the morning because that’s the time when your hair isn’t done and you don’t have makeup on. You’re just kind of preoccupied with yourself.”
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