“Wait a minute, what about my honey Mary?” — The Notorious B.I.G., “Just Playing (Dream)”
Apparently, The good folk at legendary The Apollo Theater heard Big’s petition and have finally honored Mary J. Blige by inducting her into the institution’s Walk of Fame.
The Queen of Hip Hop/ Soul reflected on her journey and her first time singing at the Apollo.
“My very first time performing here at the Apollo, I was not on stage as myself. I was on stage singing background for Jeff Redd. And from there on, it was all history.”
#ApolloFam, give 🙌🏾 it 🙌🏾 up!! The QUEEN OF HIP HOP SOUL, the legendary @maryjblige is now officially an #ApolloLegend!!#HarlemWorld, we THANK YOU for showing REAL LOVE and bringing family affair vibes to the original UPTOWN girl at this morning’s #ApolloWalkOfFame Induction! pic.twitter.com/6Rbsus8VPD
— apollotheater (@ApolloTheater) May 28, 2021
Some question her inclusion in this collective as other greats still have yet to be honored.
Even Billie Holiday, who transitioned in 1959, was just included six years ago — surely others have been looked over and deserved some sort of deference.
But is that fair, just, or even right in this assessment?
Consider the Yonkers native’s accomplishments in the less than 30 years as a solo artist and one might see how it is impossible not to give her a placard on the 125th St.
sidewalk.
#congratulations #maryjblige #inducted #apollotheaterhalloffame https://t.co/0yEXc0JxPa
— Shanell Luster (@ShanellLuster) May 29, 2021
She has twice been nominated for an Academy Award and thrice for the Golden Globes. Both nods celebrate her as a singer and an actor.
Out of her 31 GRAMMY nominations, she has collected nine of those golden trophies.
Mary also has countless BET and Soul Train Awards and earned the Black Girls Rock! Icon Award twice.
Her hits clutter the charts resulting in domination on all of them … regardless of genre.
And according to the singer, a documentary about her iconic album My Life will drop this June.
1. Queen MARY J. BLIGE said her My Life documentary dropping June 25th. 🙌🏾
2. Mary so damn fine 😍
3. Congrats on the Apollo Walk of Fame! pic.twitter.com/5bsAmZt5pd— VINCENT (@Vince_Aries) May 28, 2021
Moreover, she is ours and we think that if anyone deserves to be on the Apollo Theater’s Walk of Fame it is her … who represents the people of the Apollo more than she?
One fan named Sheila said it best.
“She is very deserving of this star. Mary J. means everything to me. She is the queen of R&B right now. Her voice is wonderful, marvelous. Her songs mean so much, they saved me.”
Another fan named Jacques Muna agreed adding, “She speaks from the soul. She sings from experience and her music is great, but it touches you. You can feel it. You can feel it, no matter where you’re from.”
Congrats, Mary!!!! We all love you.