Mary J. Blige, along with her business partner and LL Cool J’s wife, Simone I. Smith, have come together to introduce a jewelry collection that pays tribute to the essence of 90s hip-hop. Mary J. Blige & Simone Show ‘Sister Love’ The brand, Sister Love, is a celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary and its impact […]
The post Mary J. Blige and LL Cool J’s Wife Team Up for 90s Hip-Hop Jewelry Collection appeared first on SOHH.com.
The Blue Note Jazz Festival will overtake Silverado Resort in Napa, California this weekend (July 28-30), boasting Mary J. Blige, Nas, and Chance The Rapper as its headliners.
Robert Glasper is serving as the Artist In Residence, and he expressed to Uproxx the significance of the festival last summer.
“There are so many amazing artists and trailblazers, and to have them all in one festival represents so much and represents how free the music can be,” he said then, in part.
And that is especially poignant in relation to Blue Note Jazz Festival 2023, as it will continue the year-long celebration around hip-hop’s 50th anniversary. As Zoë Jones contextualized it for Uproxx, “Blue Note has the potential to be much more than a festival – the lineup alone can stand as music history: tracing the evolution of Black music at a time when it’s more present than ever in mainstream consciousness.”
The event will unfold across three stages: Black Radio Stage, Footprints Stage, and Blue Note Stage.
On Friday, July 28, the Black Radio Stage will host Big Freedia (1:45-2:45 p.m. local time), Ari Lennox (3:45-4:45 p.m.), and Glasper alongside De La Soul and Dave Chappelle (5:45-7:30 p.m.) ahead of Blige’s headlining set (8:30-9:45 p.m.).The Footprints Stage will host the likes of Madlib (2:45-3:45 p.m.) and Cordae (4:45-5:45 p.m.).
Come Saturday, July 29, Madlib will be joined by Talib Kweli on the Black Radio Stage from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m., and Glasper will occupy the same slot (5:45-7:30 p.m.) but this time cohabitate the stage with Chappelle and Lalah Hathaway & Terrace Martin. Nas’ headlining set is also scheduled for 8:30-9:45 p.m.
Chance The Rapper will wrap the party with his 8:30-9:45 p.m. headlining set on Sunday, July 30.
Check out the full Blue Note schedule below, and find more information about the festival here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Hip-hop is no stranger to sampling, and some songs have become timeless sources of inspiration for newer artists. From Khia’s explicit anthem “My Neck My Back” to Aaliyah’s mesmerizing “One In A Million,” these classic tracks continue influencing and shaping the rap scene. “My Neck My Back” By Khia Khia’s 2001 hit “My Neck My […]
The post Top 5 Iconic Hip-Hop Songs That Keep On Giving appeared first on SOHH.com.
Taxes can be intimidating enough for the average Joe, but in 2016, they became a nightmare for Mary J. Blige. At the time, the R&B diva was told by the Internal Revenue Service that she owed $1,198,161 in back taxes. While she certainly has made money over the years thanks to her various talents, her tumultuous divorce from Martin “Kendu” Isaacs that same year came as a result of him haphazardly spending her income, eventually inspiring her to write the song “Rent Money” from her most recent Good Morning Gorgeous album.
“I owed so much money I never thought I’d ever get out of debt,” Blige reflected during a panel at her second annual Strength Of A Woman festival this past weekend in Atlanta. “I’m out of debt now, but I mean I owed hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes. Now I have the wisdom, now I look at my payroll that’s not my money. My taxes are not my money … so I’m like, ‘Pay my payroll, pay my taxes, pay my ties, all of that money I don’t even wanna see it because it doesn’t belong to me,” the legendary lyricist continued.
Read More: Mary J. Blige Owes More Than $1 Million In Taxes: Report
According to Blige, no one in her camp was listening to her at the time. “When I was married I was like, ‘Pay my taxes, pay my ties,’ but they didn’t listen to me. He was in control of everything,” she noted of Isaacs. The singer has previously spoken candidly about their separation, which ultimately forced her to head out on tour again as she had no money to pay for the alimony from her divorce.
“By the time I got to the deposition and saw everything that he did, I didn’t have a dollar left. He spent everything, and he knew he spent everything but he was still asking me for more money,” she told The Breakfast Club in 2022. Read the advice that Mary J. Blige would give to her younger self now that she knows better at the link below, and make sure to check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
Read More: Mary J. Blige Reveals What She Would Say To Her 13-Year-Old Self
[Via]
The post Mary J. Blige Reflects On “Owing Hundreds Of Millions” In Taxes During 2016 appeared first on HotNewHipHop.
The Queen of Hip Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige, hosted the second annual Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit at AmericasMart. The Strength of A Woman Festival and Summit was created to elevate, educate, and empower women around the world to reach their highest potential. The mission is to mobilize a global convergence of multigenerational women in an authentic environment, “by us for us” while producing an experience fostering community, opportunity and sisterhood!
The Strength of a Woman Summit and Festival is the brainchild of Mary J. Blige and curated by Mary alongside Ayars Agency founder, Ashaunna Ayars. The thought-provoking summit aims to inspire, share career advice, and provide women with the necessary tools to succeed in entrepreneurship, business, health and wellness, all while encouraging women empowerment and unity.
Keynote speaker, Iyanla Vanzant, notably recognized as an industry expert spoke on a wide range of topics, motivated the crowd through her wisdom and knowledge, bringing the crowd in unison through exercises that further encouraged unity amongst guests.
Leading sponsors Pepsi, Live Nation Urban, Mielle Organics, Gilead Sciences, CVS Health and Amazon Music produced experiential activations for consumers to immerse themselves in branded content and raised brand awareness in the local Atlanta Black women-owned business community.
As a 9x Grammy Award-Winning Singer, Songwriter, Actress, Producer, Philanthropist & Global Superstar, Mary J. Blige has committed the majority of her career to amplify, empower, and give voice to BIPOC women through the art of music and truth-telling. This multi-touchpoint festival, which focuses on Music, Wellness, Tech, Beauty, and Financial Literacy is the evolution of her life’s mission and purpose.
Check out the full Strength of a Woman Summit roster below:
Morning Welcome Featuring KJ Rose HYPE Moment
“Baller Alert” Show Presents: Getting to the bag – Investing in Multiple Streams of Income
Fashion Conversation with Misa Hylton
Mielle Organics Presents: Inside the Journey – How Beauty Moguls are made
“Lip Service” Podcast
Creators Roundtable: Telling Black Stories
“The Strength of a Woman” Keynote presentation by Iyanla Vanzant
Ladies First: Your Body, Your Pleasure, Your Health
50 & Forever By Rotation: Celebrating 50 Years of Hip-Hop
Earn Your Leisure Podcast
Mary J. Blige Queen to Everything Panel
Finding Your Faith: Healing, Hope, Breast Health, and More
Don’t Call Me White Girl Podcast
The post Mary J. Blige Hosts 2nd Annual Strength of A Woman Festival appeared first on The Source.
It’s a celebration all across the nation for Cinco De Mayo and for these amazing Single Ladies making waves in the music and entertainment industry. From Lola Brooke‘s Timberland deal to Mary J. Blige‘s new scholarship program and Rihanna‘s record-breaking Super Bowl performance, these women deserve a toast. Let’s get into it. Lola Brooke Says […]
The post Missy Elliott Scores Another 1st, Rihanna Breaks Records, Angel Reese’s Bayou Barbie Birthday appeared first on SOHH.com.
Mary J. Blige and Pepsi are teaming up to present the inaugural PepsiCo x Mary J. Blige Strength of a Woman Scholarship, which will give $200,000 to a lucky Historically Black College or University (HBCU) student. The scholarship is part of Pepsi’s return as a co-presenter at Mary J. Blige’s upcoming “Strength of a Woman” […]
The post Mary J. Blige Partners With Pepsi To Gift Scholarship To HBCU Student appeared first on SOHH.com.
SZA almost always rocks some pretty stunning and flattering fits, whether for big ceremonies or just chilling out by herself. Moreover, the TDE singer just posted a new, casual thirst trap to her Instagram, if you can even call it that. As the track “All That I Can Say” by Mary J. Blige and Lauryn Hill plays in the background, she lightly moves along to it and rests her head on the wall with a smile. She wore a long-sleeve red crop top and what looks like the “Sunday school skirt” she got clowned for the other day. Regardless, she still looked amazing in the low-key post, which is still enough for her fans and admirers to give her high praise.
Furthermore, the 33-year-old almost always makes sure to give that appreciation back to fans. For example, she recently reflected on earning her first No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Kill Bill” via Twitter. “Took me over a week to process cause I dreamt of this my entire career,” SZA wrote. “Didn’t feel real lol, still doesn’t. but I wanna say THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS. Every person ,every fan base every ear that listened and pushed for me. Can’t believe we have a number 1 record.”
In addition, for the song’s remix with Doja Cat, the St. Louis-born star thanked her for her contributions. “I jus wanted to say THANK YOU,” SZA gushed about the single’s success. “To every single person rooting for me . Thank you @dojacat for your talent and time ! This music s**t is weird and fickle ,but y’all always come together for me at the end of the day. It’s why I try my hardest to give you my best . That won’t stop . I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!’ STREAM KILL BILL REMIX (feat @dojacat) AND ORIGINAL.”
Meanwhile, her gratitude and effortless admirability over social media translates into the awards space as well. Alongside Rihanna and the aforementioned Doja, SZA was one of the biggest winners at the 2023 Webbys. She clearly has a lot to appreciate and celebrate these days, and always make sure to look really good doing so. For more updates and the latest news from the “Gone Girl” singer, come back to HNHH.
Grammy-winning artist Mary J. Blige is expanding her creative endeavors beyond music, as she is set to executive produce two Lifetime movies based on her hit songs “Real Love” and “Strength of a Woman.” Mary J. Blige is set to executive produce two Lifetime movies based on her hit songs “Real Love” and “Strength of […]
The post Mary J. Blige To Executive Produce Lifetime Movies Based On Hit Songs appeared first on SOHH.com.
Remy Ma and her young daughter stopped by The Drew Barrymore Show to surprise Mary J. Blige. The 9-time Grammy award winner was on the show to speak about her new book, Mary Can! It is an illustrated children’s book that Blige wrote with the goal of teaching children that they can do anything and they are enough. The artist has kept busy recently and shows no signs of slowing down in the near future. Recently, Blige was announced as a headliner at the Blue Note Jazz Festival.
Both Remy Ma and Mary J. Blige are well-known individuals in the hip-hop and R&B communities. Reminisce Smith, better known by the stage name Remy Ma, first rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a part of the Terror Squad. Then, she launched a lucrative solo career. Since her debut, Remy has received acclaim for her ability as a rapper and her contributions to the genre. Generally, she is known for having tough-talking lyrics and an aggressive flow. Mary J. Blige, on the other hand, has had a successful singing and songwriting career for over three decades. Blige has been dubbed the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul” for her soulful vocals and straightforward lyrics. Unsurprisingly, the music business has been significantly impacted by both Remy Ma and Mary J. Blige, and the two have maintained a close friendship for some time.
In the middle of the interview with Drew, Remy Ma comes out with her daughter, Reminisce Mackenzie. Mary J. Blige looks pleasantly surprised to see her and the two embrace. Remy has high words of praise for the soul singer and says that she was everything she hoped she would be and more. “You know how you meet somebody or aspire to meet somebody… sometimes, in this industry you meet them and they’re not really what you envisioned them to be?” Remy says. “Not only is she everything that I thought she would be, but she’s like past that.”
Mary J. Blige looks very emotional as Remy speaks about their friendship and thanks the rapper for her kind words. However, this was not the end of the praise that Remy had for Blige. The rapper continues, telling Drew about how genuine Blige is. “I think what she’s doing in her legacy is — I don’t even know she’s aware of how many people that she touched.” Have you been touched by Mary J. Blige’s music? Sound off in the comments to let us know.
