Mary J Blige Archives - Page 2 of 13

Will Mary J. Blige Perform At Lovers & Friends 2024?

January 25, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Earlier this week, the Lovers & Friends music festival in Las Vegas announced their 2024 lineup. The single-day event on May 4 will feature Usher, Backstreet Boys, Snoop Dogg, Janet Jackson, Gwen Stefani, Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys, and more talented performers.

However, some things have changed since that initial reveal, including the fate of Mary J. Blige‘s festival appearance.

Will Mary J. Blige Perform At Lovers & Friends 2024?

Just days after the Lovers & Friends lineup reveal, Mary J. Blige took to social media to share that despite being on the poster, she will not actually be there.

“I am beyond humbled by the response from all of you about the announcement of me on Lovers & Friends Festival,” Blige posted to her Instagram story. “Unfortunately, my inclusion was an error as I will be busy in preparation for my Strength of a Woman Summit just one week later! I have the greatest fans in the world and can’t wait to see you in New York in a few short months!”

As of right now, no other performers besides Blige have pulled out of Lovers & Friends. Presale passes will go on sale tomorrow, January 26 at 10 a.m. PT, with General Admission passes starting at $325. More information about the festival can be found here.

Mary J. Blige is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Hopefully You Weren’t Excited To See Mary J. Blige At Lovers & Friends 2024 Because She Actually Won’t Be There

January 25, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Mary J Blige Today Show 2023 — Getty Image

Earlier this week, Lovers & Friends unveiled its 2024 lineup. The festival will be headlined by Usher (performing Confessions for its 20th anniversary), Janet Jackson, and Backstreet Boys, while Lil Wayne (performing Tha Carter III), Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys, and more. Mary J. Blige was listed on the stacked poster, but don’t get too excited.

“I am beyond humbled by the response from all of you about the announcement of me on Lovers & Friends Festival,” Blige wrote on her Instagram Story this morning, January 25. “Unfortunately, my inclusion was an error as I will be busy in preparation for my Strength of a Woman Summit just one week later! I have the greatest fans in the world and can’t wait to see you in New York in aa few short months!”

So, Lovers & Friends will have to forge on without Mary J. The festival is slated for Saturday, May 4, at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. The ticket presale is scheduled for Friday, January 26, beginning at 10 a.m. PST. According to the Lovers & Friends official website, general admission tickets (starting at $325), GA+ (starting at $595), and VIP (starting at $695), and hotel and ticket packages (starting at $679) are available. All tickets start at $19.99 down.

Before Lovers & Friends, Usher will perform the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on February 11, the release date of Usher’s Coming Home album.

SZA & Mary J. Blige Comparisons On “The Breakfast Club” Provoke Fans To Speak

January 23, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The women of R&B don’t seem to have quite as much drama as those over in the world of hip-hop, but still, that doesn’t mean they don’t go through their issues. Most recently, it was comments made by Charlamagne Tha God and DJ Envy on The Breakfast Club that have music lovers talking about SZA and Mary J. Blige, and whether they’re as comparable as the radio hosts made them sound on a recent episode. “Do we appreciate SZA as an artist the way we should?” the former asked the latter. “Yes, absolutely,” Envy said without hesitation.

“Do we really?” the Brilliant Idiots host inquired again.”I mean, she gets all the radio play and all of that — I feel she can get more awards, which I’m sure she will. You know, the Grammys are next month, so she’ll get those accolades, but do we really appreciate the once-in-a-generation talent she is?” Charlamagne pondered. At this point, Envy reconsidered his initial response, agreeing that though SZA gets radio play, her artistry is overlooked. “[She’s] this generation’s Mary [J. Blige],” he boldly asserted.

Read More: Drake Asks SZA To Release “Joni”

Charlamagne Tha God and DJ Envy Compare R&B Icons Like SZA and Mary J. Blige

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Tha God commended SZA for “[doing] things the right way” and maintaining an “air of mystery around her” due to lack of press. While some can see why the two legends would come up in the same conversation (along with names like Beyonce and Rihanna), many others are growing tired of expecting one woman to live up to another’s totally unique legacy.

Reactions Flood In Defending Both Women

“They have nothing to do with one another. Like comparing apples to oranges, both good but completely different,” one user pointed out in @theshaderoom’s comments. “Just let people be themselvessssss. Pleaaaaseeeee,” another begged of anyone trying to pit two baddies against each other. Keep scrolling to read more reactions to TBC hosts’ comments about SZA and Mary J. Blige, and tell us your thoughts on the debate below.

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Mary J. Blige to Receive Entertainment Icon Honors at Urban One Honors: Best in Black Event

January 10, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Urban One has announced that the acclaimed Mary J. Blige will be honored as the Entertainment Icon at the “URBAN ONE HONORS: Best in Black” event during Black History Month. The two-hour celebration will premiere on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, at 8p/7c on TV One and simulcast on CLEO TV.

Mary J. Blige, a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning singer, Oscar-nominated actress, and Queen of Hip Hop Soul, has left an indelible mark on the contemporary music era. Blige has solidified herself as a global superstar with eight multi-platinum albums, nine Grammy Awards, and numerous nominations. Inspired by legends like Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, she pioneered a gritty, urban-rooted style, redefining R&B with hits such as “Be Without You” and “No More Drama.”

“Urban One is thrilled to honor the incomparable Mary J. Blige as our 2024 Entertainment Icon. Mary’s immeasurable talent and award-winning music has shaped our culture and has had a profound impact on artists and music across all genres, but most notably the elevation of female artists in both R&B and Hip Hop across generations. She fully personifies the ‘Best in Black’ theme of this year’s Urban One Honors,” says Michelle L. Rice, President of TV One and CLEO TV.”

Blige’s impressive career spans 15 studio albums, with notable roles in films like Mudbound and television shows like The Umbrella Academy and Power Book II: Ghost. Joining a lineup of esteemed honorees, including Dionne Warwick and Frankie Beverly, Mary J. Blige remains a trailblazer in the entertainment industry.

The post Mary J. Blige to Receive Entertainment Icon Honors at Urban One Honors: Best in Black Event first appeared on The Source.

The post Mary J. Blige to Receive Entertainment Icon Honors at Urban One Honors: Best in Black Event appeared first on The Source.

Today in Hip-Hop History: Mary J. Blige Dropped Her Debut Album ‘What’s The 411?” 31 Years Ago

November 29, 2023 by newhiphopnews

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Today marks the 31st anniversary of Mary J. Blige’s debut album, What’s The 411?. This was her introduction to the world and Puff Daddy before he called himself Diddy and proclaimed Mary as the “Queen of Hip Hop Soul”. This was one album that totally dominated not only the 90’s but also r&b music. During that time, she wasn’t your average r&b singer as she talked about love, lost, and heartbreak and she dressed in hip hop clothes instead of your typical gowns & dresses.

She released her first single, “Real Love”, which sampled rap duo Audio Two”s hit single, “Top Billin”. The album featured collaborations from rapper Grand Puba from Brand Nubian and then labelmate/boyfriend K-CI Hailey from Jodeci. She even put a spin on Chaka Khan’s single, “Sweet Thing”. Despite not being the number one in the country at the time, the album still remains a favorite among today’s singers. Some of the singles off the album still being sampled in today’s music.

Since the release of the album, Blige went on to become one of the biggest r&b singers in the world and even performed for President Obama when he was sworn into office for the first time and still continue to influence today’s singers.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Mary J. Blige Dropped Her Debut Album ‘What’s The 411?” 31 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

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Fans Speculate: Will The Upcoming HoneyLand Festival Be Fyre Festival 2.0?

November 9, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The upcoming Honeyland Festival in Sugar Land, TX, has sparked comparisons to the notorious Fyre Festival scandal of 2017. With a star-studded lineup featuring Mary J. Blige, Miguel, Summer Walker, Tems, and more, the festival holds high expectations. ‘It’s Giving Fyre Festival’ As anticipation builds, festival-goers question the event’s organization and transparency, raising concerns reminiscent […]

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Here Are The Honeyland Festival Set Times For 2023

November 9, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Mary J Blige 2022 BET Awards — Getty Image

Honeyland Festival is returning to Sugar Land, Texas this weekend, with performances being held on November 11 and 12. The lineup also has some pretty cool acts not to miss. Each day, the doors will open at noon, with welcoming sets starting at the same time. For those who are going or even just considering, here’s what to know about the 2023 set times.

On Saturday, Dende will play from 2:10-2:40 p.m. on the Beats Stage, followed by Spinall at 4:10-4:40, Uproxx cover star Chlöe at 5:10-55, Tobe Nwigwe at 6:35-7:20, Summer Walker at 8:00-9:00, and Miguel closing things out on that stage from 9:40-10:55. There will also be unique experiences, including over at the Pepsi Park @ Honeyland, where attendees can play games like Stacked Uno at 7 p.m. or Spades from 9:00-11:00 at night.

Then, for the second day on Sunday, the Beats Stage keeps things going with an equally strong lineup. Tay Powers kicks things off at 1:00 p.m.. From there, Lenora will play from 2:10-2:40, Coco Jones from 3:20-3:50, Lucky Day from 4:30-5:15, Tems from 5:55-6:40, Houston All-Stars from 7:25-8:25, and finally, Mary J. Blige playing from 9:05-10:20. For those interested in checking out the games, the closing night one is something called Grown Folks Recess — which runs from 9:00-11:00 again.

Check out the complete Honeyland Festival set times for 2023 below. More information can also be found here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

HERSource: Mary J. Blige Launches $30K Scholarship For Female Students At Hampton University

October 11, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Queen of Hip Hop and R&B Mary J. Blige, along with Pepsi Co. Inc., is offering a $30,000 scholarship to one lucky student at Hampton University.

The Strength of A Woman Scholarship Initiative is offering eligible, female undergrads with a 2.5 GPA or better in Business Administration, Marketing, Arts, Finance or Creative Design the $30,000 grant, which is renewable for up to one year or until they earn their bachelor’s degree.

The PepsiCo and Mary J. Blige Strength of a Woman Scholarship is part of the beverage company’s $200,000 donation, which also supports other charities.

“The whole mission of this festival is to celebrate and advocate for Black women,” Mary J. Blige said in a statement when announcing the partnership earlier this year. “So to have Pepsi show up and show out in the way they do is overwhelming. With their support for the Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit, we are able to pay it forward in so many impactful ways and to be able to grant an HBCU scholarship for a deserving student is nothing short of incredible.”

The application deadline os October 16 by 3pm. The recipient of the scholarship will be notified by December.

The post HERSource: Mary J. Blige Launches $30K Scholarship For Female Students At Hampton University first appeared on The Source.

The post HERSource: Mary J. Blige Launches $30K Scholarship For Female Students At Hampton University appeared first on The Source.

Mary J. Blige & PepsiCo Team Up To Award $30K Scholarship To Women At Hampton University

October 6, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Mary J. Blige significantly impacts education by establishing a groundbreaking scholarship for women at Hampton University. Named “Strength Of A Woman,” this scholarship is exclusively for college sophomores and aims to empower women to pursue higher education. In a partnership with PepsiCo, the scholarship program has already gathered a remarkable $200,000 in donations, with Hampton […]

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Diddy Declares R&B Resurgence Following “The Love Album” Release

September 19, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Diddy is claiming that an R&B revival is underway, and he’s the leader of this resurgence. While the Bad Boy Entertainment founder has played a role in bringing Mary J. Blige and Faith Evans to the R&B music world, he’s continuing to shape his legacy bringing new and fresh voices to music. Fresh off the heels of his latest project The Love Album: Off the Grid, which dropped on Sept. 15, Diddy is basking in it’s well-received praise. Diddy’s fifth studio album is pretty star-studded, with appearances from R&B heavyweights like Mary J. Blige, The-Dream, Summer Walker, The Weeknd, Jazmine Sullivan, Ty Dolla $ign, Kehlani, Coco Jones, John Legend, and more. He even featured R&B newcomers such as Jozzy, Kalan.FrFr, and Nija.

To celebrate the release, Diddy even took over the airwaves with “The Love Radio Takeover” on Apple Music 1 last week. Throughout the three-hour live radio broadcast, the music mogul formerly recognized as Puff Daddy discussed his thoughts on the current state of R&B music. “I wanted to work with different voices that I never had a chance to work with in R&B. I wanted to unify R&B because I believe that R&B is not getting the right lens,” he said. “I want to tell you some Black people, we do look alike. I could dig that, but Hip-Hop and R&B are two different things.”

Diddy Speaks On The Current State of R&B

Just last year, Diddy wrote in a tweet posing the question, “Who killed R&B?” This question sparked a huge discussion within the music industry, having people such as Usher chiming in to defend the genre. But now, a year later, Diddy’s had a change of heart. He’s all about R&B’s resurgence, thanks in part to the artists he collaborated with on his latest album. They’re pushing R&B into a whole new era, according to him.

The Love Records founder also discussed his thoughts on the genre by including his latest body of work as part of the conversation. “We’re coming with this album to make it clear that R&B is here,” Diddy said on Apple Music 1. “There’s an R&B resurgence and we all got together. This is not just my album. This is our album. Everybody that’s on the album from Summer Walker to Jozzy. Teyana Taylor, Babyface, John Legend and so many more.”

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