2022 has seen R&B singer/songwriter Mary J. Blige repeatedly receive the flowers she deserves for her contribution to entertainment. After a four-decade career, the undisputed Queen of Hip Hop Soul continues to rack up accolades.
This week, Time magazine revealed its annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Nine-time Grammy winner Mary J. Blige made one of the covers for the June 6/June 13 double issue which goes on sale on Friday, May 27.
Time presented Mary J. Blige in the 100 Most Influential People’s “Icons” section. The New York native is alongside other high-profile figures such as Keanu Reeves, Adele, Jon Batiste, Issa Rae, and Rafael Nadal.
Hip Hop legend Nasir “Nas” Jones penned the Time article about Blige. On his “Love Is All We Need” collaborator, Nas wrote, “Mary came up the way we all did. She was a voice for us, but she wasn’t like other R&B artists at the time. She became a household name early because she was a hip-hop artist who also sang.”
On May 15, the Billboard Music Awards honored Mary J. Blige with the Icon Award. She joined previous recipients such as Stevie Wonder, Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Cher, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Pink.
Blige also made international headlines in February after she hit the stage as part of the Super Bowl LVI halftime show. That star-studded performance also featured headliner Dr. Dre as well as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, and Anderson .Paak.
In addition to Mary J. Blige, the 2022 TIME100 also highlighted other prominent artists, politicians, and innovators. Jon Batiste, Joe Biden, Quinta Brunson, Tim Cook, Pete Davidson, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Kris Jenner, Zoë Kravitz, Candace Parker, Vladimir Putin, Joe Rogan, Jazmine Sullivan, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Oprah Winfrey, and Zendaya also made the list.
