No more drama, real love!
At the 2020 Billboard Music Awards—held at MGM Garden Area in Las Vegas on May 15—legendary singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige received the honorary Icon Award.
Before Mary accepted her honor, a video tribute highlighting the 10-time BBA winner’s nearly 30-year career played, featuring testimonials from the likes of Taraji P. Henson, Missy Elliot, Gabrielle Union, H.E.R. and Queen Latifah.
She continued, “What an icon means to me is overcoming obstacles to accomplish the unthinkable and be widely admired for having influence over a multitude of people. I’ve been on this journey for a long time. One that didn’t always look the way you see me now. One that is filled with a lot of heartache and pain for God helped me to channel those experiences and emotions into my music which is where I started in music.”
The “Family Affair” singer then reflected on how the music industry has changed since she was introduced as the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul” back in the ’90s, calling those early days, “the beginning of a movement.”
“Every inner-city girl was recognizing their own and could relate to everything I was saying,” she said. “And every female artist that came into the game wanted to do everything I was doing and still does to this day. I was ghetto fabulous and I still am. People were threatened by that. Now everybody wants to be ghetto fabulous.”
Mary explained the message of her music “has always been that we are not alone in our struggles,” and revealed she finally found the real love she had always been looking for.
“I’m not alone now, she said. “For so long I was searching for a real love. But I finally found my real love and that real love is me,” adding, “Who’s managing Mary J. Blige Now? Me.”
The 51-year-old joins an exclusive list of only 10 other musicians to receive the award since its inception in 2011. And she’s in A-List company: Past recipients of the trophy include Janet, Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Cher, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Garth Brooks and Pink.
Mary’s big night at the BBA comes just three months after she rocked at the stage at the 2022 Super Bowl in February, alongside Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent. When asked to perform at the all hip-hop halftime show, Mary said she jumped at the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“That call made my day,” she dished to Justin Sylvester in February. “I couldn’t even get excited until I got off the phone ’cause I didn’t want to look so crazy. But it was amazing. I was like, ‘Absolutely, 100 percent. I’m there, what you need, when you need it?’ That’s how it happened.”
