"Rainy Dayz" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige featuring additional vocals from rapper Ja Rule. Taken from Blige's re-release of her fifth studio album, No More Drama, the track was released to coincide with the release of the album's reissue, serving as its final single. The Irv Gotti-produced duet became another hit for both, peaking at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 in the United Kingdom.
Ja Rule wrote "Rainy Dayz" in response to the September 11 attacks in his home city of New York. He told Complex, "I went in my basement in my studio and put that record together because that’s how I was feeling about the situation. I felt like the nation—us as a country, us as people—we were going through a rainy day. It will pass but today this is what it is. Speaking to TRL, he said, "It’s basically about how we feel going through life. But [in] these times, especially right now [with] what’s going on, it kind of fits. On the record, I’m basically saying that it’s these rainy days that we spend a lifetime trying to wash away. Just waiting for the sun to come and shine again. But until then, come smile for me. So that’s the kind of vibe that [the song] is on.[1]
The track was originally written for TLC for their fourth studio album 3D, but the group turned the track down.[2] Group member Tionne Watkins commented on this, saying "It wasn't that I didn't like the song, it was more so that I felt like I've already been there, done that, and I was just on another page at the time". References to TLC being the group in mind when the track was written can be heard in the lyrics "We’re always livin’ so crazy and sexy and cool" (in reference to their album CrazySexyCool) and "Baby didn’t we tell you before about chasin’ those waterfalls" (in reference to their 1995 single "Waterfalls"). The track also has a reference to the Marvin Gaye song "What's Going On."
BET.com wrote of the song: "Mary more than makes it her own, turning pain into hope in the course of a four-minute song—a major theme of both this song's album and Mary's career arc."[3] Jason MacNeil, writing for PopMatters, noted that "Rainy Dayz" begins "with a horrid pace and structure, but thankfully moves into a much better vibe as some dense layering and keyboards gives it a decent tune."[4]
^"Most-Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 2002". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 10, no. 51. December 20, 2002. p. 22.
^"Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1443. March 8, 2002. p. 32.
^"Going for Adds". Radio & Records. No. 1451. May 3, 2002. p. 30.
^"New Releases – For Week Starting 12 August 2002: Singles". Music Week. August 10, 2002. p. 27. Formats misprinted as the 12-inch vinyl, which was released the following week.
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