Blige saddened over Hill

Mary J Blige is "saddened" by fellow R&B star Lauryn Hill's "fallen" solo career, labelling the Fugee "a genius".

Hill's debut solo album The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill was a huge hit in 1998 with critics and fans alike, but she failed to capitalise on her success and became a recluse.

Blige tells British gay magazine Attitude: "I'm saddened.

"I think that album is one of the most incredible albums ever made. She's a genius and I do not know what happened to her. This was the birth of a major talent and then it disappeared in a puff of smoke."