Mary J. Blige to Play Nina Simone in Biopic

= ???

It seems that the queen of hip-hop soul is slated to play the high priestess of soul in an upcoming musical biopic (wow, that's a new concept). I don't know how I feel about that. Stylistically and ideologically, I think someone like Erykah Badu would have been a better fit.

And if you've never listened to Nina Simone before, be sure to peep songs like "Backlash Blues," "Four Women" (which was impressively updated by rapper Talib Kweli), "Sunday In Savannah," and "Mr. Bojangles." Her voice is haunting, and I expect to be disappointed by Mary J's tentative performance. Don't get me wrong, I like Mary, but she is no Nina Simone.