Happy Birthday, br Mary J. Blige!.br Mary Jane Blige turns br 52 years old today.br Here are five things br you may not have known br about the singer.br 1. She was the youngest and first br female artist signed to Uptown Records.br 2. She is known as the br “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.”.br 3. The title of her debut album, 'What’s the 411?,'br was inspired by her previous job as a br directory assistance operator.br 4. Blige received her br star on the Hollywood Walk br of Fame on her 47th birthday.br 5. She was the first person ever br nominated for an Oscar for br both acting and writing an br original song in the same year.br Happy Birthday, br Mary J.