While actually a remix of the Diddy-Dirty Money cut of the same name, the new Mary J. song easily has enough swagger to stand on its own. 'Someone to Love Me (Naked)' opens with a public address from the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul declaring, "Gave a lot of my life to the public, but y'all don't really know. It's a shame that y'all put me in such a box."
Producers Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis and Arden "Keyz" Altino provide the skulking, sexy groove, complete with analog hiss and percussive bass line. Blige's first verse is a soulful entreat, accompanied by Diddy, who, true to form, punctuates each line with his support, saying "yeah," "yes," and "uh-huh."
With 12 bars from both Lil Wayne and Diddy, the middle section of 'Someone to Love Me' gives the veteran MCs a chance to bring their voices to the record. Wayne references Blige's 1994 track 'My Life,' while Diddy reinforces the track's theme further with a verse lifted directly from the original Diddy-Dirty Money version: "Wars I fought, scars that I garnered / The hustle, I got that, honest from my father."
'Someone to Love Me' will be on the diva's tenth studio effort, slated for release later this year. The list of album collaborators includes Swizz Beatz, Jay-Z, Q-Tip, Stargate and others.
