Take Me as I Am (song)

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"Take Me as I Am"

Single by Mary J. Blige
from the album The Breakthrough
Released	August/Sepetember 2006
Format	Digital download, CD single
Recorded	2005
Genre	R&B/Soul
Length	3:57
Label	Geffen
Writer(s)	Jordan Suecof, Ezekiel Lewis, Candice Nelson, Keri Hilson, Thabiso Nkhereanye, Lonnie Liston Smith
Producer(s)	Ron Fair, Infinity
Chart positions
#58 (U.S.)
Mary J. Blige singles chronology
"Enough Cryin" (2006)	"Take Me As I Am" (2006)	"MJB Da MVP" (2006)

"Take Me as I Am" is the fourth U.S. single released from Mary J. Blige's seventh studio album The Breakthrough (2005). It samples Lonnie Liston Smith's 1979 "Garden of Peace" from his 1979 album Dreams of Tomorrow. Smith has said of all the artists who have sampled his song ( Jay-Z twice and Stacie Orrico);

"Mary J. really captured my original feel with this song, and it sends a very important message to today's young ladies. Be confident in yourself, stay true to yourself, and not what others say or want you to be!"^[1].

It debuted on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in August 2006, and has so far peaked at number three.

Take Me As I Am has been in the Top 20 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts for nearly 23 weeks^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Music Video

Mary J. Blige in the music video for "Take Me As I Am" (2006).

The video for the song was directed by Bille Woodruff. It has premiered on BET's 106 & Park in September 2006 at number nine. The single was not released in the United Kingdom.

In the video, Mary portrays many ladies. Mary is a waitress/dishwasher getting her children ready for work and also trying to get her man a job. Next Mary is a professional photographer taking pictures of model Mary. Model Mary is replaced by an Anglo model due to a tabloid report of a breakdown. Photographer Mary is then sexual harrassed and walks out; while model Mary attempts suicide in the bathroom of the photo shoot. In another scene another character Mary is at lunch with her boyfriend. The boyfriend refuses to allow Mary to eat the standard bread appetizer, takes her menu from her; instead he orders her a salad. The boyfriend then gets up and flirts ( literally behind Mary's back ) with a lady in a pink dress. Mary is checking her makeup and sees her boyfriend in the mirror reflection, and gets up and leaves. Waitress Mary return homes after dropping food at work and kicks her no job having man out.

[edit] Song Information

The overall feel of the song is the passion for Mary J. Blige and her music. The theme of the song is Mary telling the listeners that she can only be one person, herself . If others do not liker her, she is not willing to change, as she states :"Take me as I am or have nothing at all".