Mary J. Blige and Rick Ross get all spiffy and sophisticated in the music video for “Why,” the latest single from MJB’s “My Life II… The Journey Continues (Act I)” album.

Check it out below:

Beyonce and Jay-Z shared an interesting moment Tuesday night (May 8) as the rapper pinched his superstar wife’s cheeks — the ones on her face, of course — at a party hosted by L.A. Reid celebrating the launch of his wife Erica Reid‘s new parenting book “The Thriving Child.”

R&B singer Mary J. Blige and Beyonce’s mother Tina Knowles were also on hand for Erica Reid’s book launch, which was held at a private residence in New York City.

Check out the pics below:

My best friend called me the other day and we chatted for a good while; and just as we were getting off the phone he freaked that he’d not remembered to tell me about something.

“Oh my God, Jarrett. I’m pulling a yellow friend card, you have to stop what you’re doing and go watch this commercial right now.”

The pulling of a yellow friend card, the second only to a red friend card, told me that this must be serious. You only pull a card when it’s big, and you must warn the friend ahead of time. It’s the rule.

He told me to look up “Mary J. Blige Burger King commercial.” My skepticism now had a first name.

I stopped washing dishes, popped open my laptop and found Mary and Burger King’s slap in the face to the black community and the years of progress we’ve made in this country.

By the time the BK logo had surfaced I was an amalgam of enraged, offended, and maybe just a little bit hungry to try the new BK Snack Wrap.

Well… when I say “enraged,” I really mean “indifferent.” And when I say “offended” I mean, “I didn’t give two broke and busted f-words.”

The commercial, at it’s VERY BEST, is mildly entertaining. Mildly. But offensive? Are we (black people) kidding? This commercial is about as offensive as… I don’t know… something not-so offensive.

I was then taken aback by the coverage of ruffled feathers from the black community: Burger King pulling the ad from the airwaves, even Mary J. Blige having to come out and say something.

To be honest, I still am taken by it. Some will undoubtedly call my perspective on this pure naiveté, which is fine with me, but I’m still missing the issue.

Mary J Blige asks, "What's in the new chicken wrap!?" I ask "why is it a big deal!?"

If she were singing in black face, tap dancing in a bow tie, with a greasy grin and wearing a red polka-dotted head scarf, in her best Louis Armstrong voice … then MAYBE I could see some people having something to say.

But being enraged over MJB singing about “crispy chicken, fresh lettuce, three cheeses, fresh dressing, wrapped up in a tasty flour tortilla!?”

Girl. Get your money.

To be clear, I’m completely aware of the racial climate we live in. In a day where a black 17 year-old male can be shot and killed, and his attacker be more than a month removed from the incident and not near being brought to justice. With things like that in mind, there are definitely conversations about race that we need to be having.

When candidates for the highest office in the land talk about a “welfare president” and not wanting to give black people money, but give them jobs, as if black people are the exclusive beneficiaries of the assistance, there are some things that we need to be called into question.

When BET… never-mind.

Yes. We should be honest with ourselves that there are people with ideals that are not consistent with progress for everyone, us included.

Yes, we should own that as black people (or as women, or as members of the LGBT community, or any other underserved minority group) there are odds that are not always stacked in our favor; but focusing the bulk of our energy right there is not healthy.

Focusing just a little bit more on what makes us great, what deems us credible, what has always made us worthy, and moving forward with life seems to me a far more prudent avenue to travel.

We’ve all got to get over our comfortable attachment to our oppression. I’m sorry, we are all far to settled into being the underdog, preaching about our inopportune lineage, our history of being held back, up, and down; our skin tone’s inherent smack down of judgment and doom.

Many of us just recently heard Iyanla Vanzant on Oprah’s Lifeclass: the Tour on OWN talk about stopping our pain and, more importantly, getting rid of our addiction to our stories.

We so love to talk about how oppressed we are, that we will find any opportunity to feel put down by “the man.”

We’re like emotional cutters in that way. We begin to rely on our story of how we haven’t gotten over to justify our complacence with the status quo in our lives.

As black people, we were once property, then niggers, colored, negroes, black, now African-American.

Today one of us calls the world’s most well-known address his home.

The residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is occupied by a black man and his beautiful family. He is President.

And while his occupation of the office doesn’t mean that race is no longer an issue in this country – many of us argue it’s actually brought it to the surface more than ever – it is a glimmer of hope for what one of us can do, liberating us to aspire to greater heights for ourselves.

Obviously the president is an outlier, an exception to the common rule and I’m not asking us to go become president but I am asking us to observe what was possible for him and begin changing the way we look at and think about ourselves, and our propensity to prosper.

HOW I GOT HERE, TO THIS FEELING

Years ago I was in a discussion group with peers and the discussion turned to interviewing for jobs. Someone said something that struck me, having never heard the perspective before:

“When I walk into an interview, I already know I’m not going to get the job because I’m black.”

Call me sheltered, naïve, or simply ignorant, but until that moment I had never heard a perspective such as his.

I was so troubled, but I’d not anticipated that many other young black men in the group that would concur with the sentiment of the aforementioned gentlemen.

I’ve never, not a single time, walked into an interview or audition and anticipated not getting the job. Especially not because I was black.

I’m certainly not a person that comes from a privileged background. I wasn’t raised with a whole lot of anything.

God knows there were many people that lived far “better” and easier. But somehow our lives had shown us such starkly different opportunities to be treated one way or another.

Now, I’ve always walked into an interview pretty eager. I’m always confident in my capabilities, my resume, my ability to interview.

I don’t think I can ever recall a single time that I walked into an interview and even thought about the fact that I was black and that it would be a detrimental factor that I’d no real opportunity to influence.

Even today, years later, I still don’t walk into an interview worried that my skin will be my downfall.

I have, in recent years, taken more note of my standing out in a room where I may be one of very few people of color, if not the sole representative for the community.

But I don’t think “Damn, I guess I’m screwed,” I tend to think “I need to represent myself the very best I can.”

But for many of my brothers (and sisters, for that matter) in the community they’ve been mistreated, conditioned, and or beaten down by their skin’s hue, seemingly much more than I have.

I’m sure that experience influences one’s outlook when it comes to advancement, be it professionally, socially, or in many other paths of life.

Wiki defines the concept of a self-fulfilling prophecy as: “…a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself, due to positive feedback between belief and behavior.”

After contemplating my generally positive disposition and some of my peers’ outlooks, I have to start to think about what responsibility we have for our success versus external oppression-based failure?

I get it. “The Man” has been busy at work trying to make sure that we (in whatever instance “we” is apropos) can’t make it in this country or the world, has oppressed us since before we had a chance to do anything about it. But how do WE contribute? What do WE do to perpetuate self-oppression?

There has to be some correlation between our relationship with our oppression and the comfortability and complacence in mediocrity that would allow us to say “I don’t have to work hard to do anything if I can stay held down & keep talking about being oppressed. I can sit here and amount to anything, because it’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

Going forward, if the intention of something we see is laced with malice, hate, and ignorance, let’s rise up; pull our red friend cards, and take our pitchforks to the light-up menus of our local fast-food chains.

Let’s be outraged, enraged, downright free-range mad.

But when the intention is Mary J. Blige and Burger King hoping to get you to bob your head, enjoy a commercial, and go buy something McDonald’s came up with three years ago, please, just take it in stride, have a breath, and move forward.

Hey, but what do I know…?

Written By: Jarrett Hill
Contributing Editor for Gossip On This
Follow Jarrett on Twitter: @JarrettHill

Burger King is apologizing to Mary J. Blige after a commercial featuring the R&B singer advertising a brand new menu item went viral for all the wrong reasons.

The clip shows Blige soulfully singing about the popular fast food chain’s all-new chicken snack wraps, and it drew a ton of criticism for playing off the well-known stereotype about black people and chicken.

After just one day, Burger King yanked the commercial off air, which many believed was related to the critical response to the ad; but according to the fast food chain, it was simply due to a “music licensing issue.”

Blige herself spoke out about the controversial commercial, saying in a statement that she the version shown on TV was “unfinished” and not the “fun and creative campaign” she originally agreed to be a part of.

“I agreed to be a part of a fun and creative campaign that was supposed to feature a dream sequence. Unfortunately, that’s not what was happening in that clip,” MJB said. “I understand my fans being upset by what they saw. But, if you’re a Mary fan, you have to know I would never allow an unfinished spot like the one you saw go out.”

In their own statement, Burger King said that the commercial was released “before all of the licensing and final approvals were obtained” and that they would also like to “apologize to Mary J. and all of her fans for airing an ad that was not final.”

Just in case you missed it, or might wanna watch it again, take a look at the commercial below:

There were lots of celebrities sitting courtside Sunday night (Feb 26) watching the East and West go head to head during the 2012 NBA All-Star Game at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

Some of the big names included Young Money rappers Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne (who was wearing a pair of million-dollar, diamond encrusted Beats by Dre. headphones), as well as R&B singers Chris Brown, Cee-Lo Green and Mary J. Blige. Actor/comedian Kevin Hart and community activist Jesse Jackson were also spotted in the crowd.

Check out the pics below:

R&B diva Mary J. Blige performed a very soulful rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” Sunday night (Feb 26) as she helped open up the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, FL.

There were some mixed reactions to Mary’s version of the National Anthem, but overall we think she did a great job!

Watch below:

Hollywood gathered on a somber note last night (Sat Feb 11) at Clive Davis’ 2012 Pre-Grammy Gala, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, the same hotel where R&B legend Whitney Houston was found dead earlier in the day.

When the sad news broke, there were reports that the annual Clive Davis event would be canceled, but Davis — Houston’s longtime friend and mentor — said that the R&B/Pop icon “would have wanted the music to go on.”

“She loved music and she loved this night that celebrates music,” said Davis, adding that Houston’s family requested that the party continue.

Some of the many celebrities in attendance at the Pre-Grammy Gala and Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Richard Branson and Diana Ross included Diddy, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, Quincy Jones, Kelly Rowland, Dr. Dre, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Wiz Khalifa, Amber Rose, Jamie Foxx, Kim Kardashian, Gabrielle Union and more.

The star-studded event also featured performances from Alicia Keys, Ne-Yo, Pitbull, Marsha Ambrosius, Wiz Khalifa, Jessie J and others. Monica and Brandy were slated to perform their new single “It All Belongs to Me”, but we’re told they were unable to because they were too devastated about Whitney Houston’s passing.

Diana Ross, who was being honored at the event, told a red carpet reporter, “I won’t be able to enjoy it,” when she was asked how she felt about being the night’s guest of honor.

“By now you have all learned of the unspeakably tragic news of our beloved Whitney’s passing,” Clive Davis said at the start of the evening. “I don’t have to mask my emotion in front of a room full of so many dear friends. I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years. Whitney was so full of life. She was so looking forward to tonight even though she wasn’t scheduled to perform.”

He continued, “Whitney was a beautiful person and a talent beyond compare. She graced this stage with her regal presence and gave so many memorable performances here over the years. Simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on.”

Check out 40+ photos from the Clive Davis 2012 Pre-Grammy Gala below:

Mary J. Blige says she isn’t in any hurry to have kids. The 41 year-old singer recently made an appearance on the “Wendy Williams Show” and discussed her past drug addiction, rumors that her marriage is in trouble, and not being in a rush to have children.

During her visit, Blige also performed some songs from her new album, “Mr. Wrong” and “The Living Proof.”

Peep the footage below:

READ: 2012 Golden Globes Winners

Hosted by comedian Ricky Gervais for the third consecutive time, the 2012 Golden Globes’ red carpet also saw appearances from Jessica Alba, Jane Lynch, Mary J. Blige, Lea Michele, Amber Riley, Heidi Klum, Salma Hayek, Ryan Seacrest, Owen Wilson, and Jessica Biel, among many others.

Check out 50+ pictures from the red carpet of the 2012 Golden Globe Awards below:

Mary J. Blige has released another music video for her “Mr. Wrong” single featuring Drake. Unlike the last version, this time around Drizzy shows up in the visuals.

Check it out below:

VH1 hosted their “Divas 2011″ concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City Sunday night (Dec 18).

Among the celebrities who walked the red carpet just before the ceremony took place were R&B singers Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott and Chaka Khan, as well as rappers 50 Cent and Common, Pop singer Jessie J and country music legend Dolly Parton.

Some of the other celebs who were spotted on the VH1 Divas 2011 red carpet were Nas, Mary J. Blige, Travie McCoy, Florence Welch, Lala Anthony and more.

Check out 25+ pics from the red carpet of the VH1 Divas 2011 concert in NYC below:

R&B star Mary J. Blige refuses to take sides in this whole “Lil Kim vs. Nicki Minaj” beef. In fact….Mary J. wants the rap ladies to squash their beef, which she believes is being fueled by their respective crews.

“Kim is my friend and I love and respect Nicki,” Blige said in an interview with Chicago radio station WGCI. “I got to know the young lady and she’s a sweetheart. … It’s the crews [fueling it.] It’s the people behind the whole thing. Maybe one day it will happen. I’m hoping. We just all got to think positive. Everyone is just thinking so negative about it and everyone is in it, but if a bunch of people would say, ‘Yo, stop this and let’s help these girls do something together or to see the light.’”

Peep Mary J. Blige’s full interview with WGCI below:

Lala Vazquez met up with her BFF Kim Kardashian’s little brother Rob Kardashian and pinched his cheeks on the red carpet of the launch of the Duracell Holiday Insurance Program Wednesday (Dec 14) in New York City.

Academy Award nominated actress Viola Davis walked the red carpet of the New York premiere of the new movie “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” at the Ziegfeld Theater in NYC Thursday (Dec 15).

Charlize Theron attended the Los Angeles premiere of “Young Adult” Thursday at the AMPAS Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

R&B crooner Robin Thicke performed in concert at the Key Club in Los Angeles Friday night (Dec 16).

Singer turned TV personality Nick Lachey hit up the “Tostitos Fiesta in the Square: Party with a Purpose” in Times Square, NYC Friday.

R&B diva Mary J. Blige promoted her new album “My Life II… The Journey Continues” Thursday (Dec 15) in the iHeart Performance Studio at WDAS-FM in Pennsylvania.

Actress Gabourey Sidibe was spotted at the “Extremely Loud and Extremely Close” movie premiere Thursday night in New York City.

Rapper Common performed at the Design Collective 2011 Party hosted by L.A. Confidential Magazine and Milagro in Costa Mesa, California Wednesday night (Dec 14).

Taraji P. Henson attended the New York movie premiere of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” at the Ziegfeld Theater in NYC Wednesday evening.

And Paula Patton showed her face at the UK premiere of “Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol” in London at the BFI IMAX Theater Tuesday night (Dec 13).

R&B singer Mary J. Blige appeared during the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City and performed her latest single “25/8″ atop the New York Daily News Big Apple Float.

Dressed in a gray Michael Kors coat, gray suede Miu Miu boots with sky-high heels and a 1,000-watt smile, she radiated star power – and the crowd ate it up. “M-J-B! M-J-B!” they chanted, as she waved to fans hanging out of the windows of office buildings overhead.

When the float rounded the corner of W. 34th St., her fans in the grandstand went wild. Further down the street, she sang her song “25/8″ from her new album, “My Life 2: The Journey Continues,” for a television broadcast.

“This was amazing,” Blige said after stepping off the float. “It was so much fun. There was so much energy, and everybody was so very happy.” She’d watched the famed Thanksgiving Day parade many times, but Thursday marked the first time she performed in it.

“I felt the love, big-time,” Blige said of the warm reception she received from the crowd. “Wow – New York has love for Mary J. Blige.” Her Thanksgiving message for New Yorkers: “Every day is Thanksgiving. Be thankful for your life,” she said.

Blige said she was buoyed by the affection of fans lining the streets. “How can I describe it? It was epic,” she said of her sunny morning spent with the throngs of parade-goers. “It was fun and uplifting.”

Wake-up time at her upper West Side home was 5 a.m., so Blige could be on the float, out in the chilly air, by 7 a.m. “It was worth it,” she said. “As cold as it was, it didn’t even matter because there was so much love. You wanted to give it back, and make sure that people felt just what they were sending to you, make sure you were sending it back to them. ‘Cuz they were just sending so much love.

“You wanted to make sure they saw you smiling – and just whatever you could do to brighten their day,” she said.

[NYDN]

Following an introduction from Alanis Morissette, R&B diva Mary J. Blige, dressed in all white, gave a soul-baring performance of her Drake-assisted single “Mr. Wrong” (without the Young Money rapper) during last night’s American Music Awards in L.A.

Watch the performance below:

The 2011 American Music Awards took place at the Nokia Theater L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California last night (Sun. Nov 20).

The annual showcase of American music was quite the star-studded spectacle too, with red carpet appearances from the likes of Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Soulja Boy, Taio Cruz, Miguel and many more.

Take a look at over 20+ photos from the red carpet of the 2011 AMAs below:

Mary J. Blige and Beyonce provide a musical tutorial on how to keep a woman happy in their collaboration song “Love a Woman,” from MJB’s upcoming album “My Life II … The Journey Continues, Act I.”

According to MTV, Beyonce originally recorded the song for her own album “4,” but thought it would be a better fit as a duet with Mary J.

“It was a song she recorded for her album that didn’t fit her album and she sent it through her A&R people to give to me,” Mary revealed. “When the song came, her voice was on it completely and it was just amazing and I wasn’t sure that they wanted to give me this record because it was so amazing.”

In regards to the song possibly being a single, Mary J said, I’m sure ‘Love a Woman’ would be a single but I can’t really trouble Beyoncé right now; she’s pregnant and I’m sure she’s doing her stuff. So whenever she’s ready, if she’s ever ready, I’m ready and it’ll be great.”

Listen to the song below:

[See post to listen to audio]

Decked out in military gear, Mary J. Blige commands your attention as she professes her love from sunup to sundown in her new video for “25/8,” the first single from her 10th studio album “My Life II: The Journey Continues (Act 1).”

Check out MJB’s new video above!

Mary J Blige teams up with Drizzy Drake for her new single “Mr. Wrong.”

The track is from the R&B diva’s 10th studio album “My Life II…The Journey Continues (Act 1).”

Check it out below:

[See post to listen to audio]
Mary J’s next album is due in stores November 21st.

What do you think about the song?

Check out Mary J. Blige on the cover of the October 2011 issue of Ebony Magazine!

Inside, the 40-year-old R&B singer opens up about her being abused, her past drug abuse, rumors of a “rocky” marriage and more.

She also reflects her life thus-far, and even talks about how the death of Amy Winehouse death hit home for her.

“When I got the text about Amy, I was lying down on the bed,” she says. “I got up and read the message about her death and just lay back down again. I kept getting up and laying back down for some reason. I’d always wanted to work with Amy, so I just couldn’t believe it really.  And then it hit me—that could have been me. That really could have been me!”

Regarding rumors of her marriage with Kendu Isaacs being on the rocks, Mary says, “We have disagreements … marriage is wonderful, and marriage is very hard … if you are with the right person, the work is worth it.”

Now that Mary J. is 40 years old, she says she’s finally living life. “I’m forty and really loving it. Forty feels so, so good,” she told Ebony.

She says that while her ‘My Life’ album focused on sadness and depression, her newest album, ‘My Life II: The Journey Continues’ is all about “coming out of that hole and realizing that even when you’re happy, you, won’t be everyday.”

For more on Mary J. Blige, pick up Ebony Magazine’s new October 2011 issue, on newsstands now!

Fashion’s Night Out is arguably the biggest event held during New York Fashion Week to kick-off the week-long festivities. It’s when celebs pile into hundreds and hundreds of stores across the country (mainly in New York City) after hours, and pose for pictures, do press, hang out with their celebrity friends and do some late-night shopping.

Held last Thursday night (Sep 8), this year’s Fashion’s Night Out featured appearances from many celebrities, including Solange, Chanel Iman, Nicole Richie, Mary J. Blige, Rachel Roy, Amare Stoudemire, Angela Simmons, Dwyane Wade, Ne-Yo, Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen, and more!

Check out pics from FNO in NYC below:

Solange Knowles attended Sephora 5th Avenue’s Fashions Night Out event in New York City.

Singers Estelle and Corrine Bailey Rae pose with model Selita Ebanks as the trio attends the DVF Celebration of Fashion’s Night Out in New York City.

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen kicked off NY Fashion Week by attending the JC Penney and People StyleWatch’s “Miss for a Must” event at the JC Penney store in New York City.

Model Chanel Iman hosted a Fashion’s Night Out event at the Sunglass Hut 5th Avenue flagship store in NYC.

Designer Tommy Hilfiger and singer Joss Stone were on hand for the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion’s Night Out celebration at Macy’s Herald Square in New York.

R&B singer/songwriter Ne-Yo posed with fans, signed Francis Ellargo hats and hit the stage for a performance during an FNO event at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Actress Joy Bryant hit up Burton Snowboards Fashion’s Night Out celebration in NYC.

Fashion partners Rachel Roy and Amar’e Stoudamire from the NY Knicks posed for photos at Macy’s.

Angela Simmons and celebrity stylist June Ambrose met up at the Lanvin boutique.

Fashion designer Rachel Zoe and R&B singer Mary J. Blige had cocktails at Intermix.

Actors Angela Bassett and Samuel L. Jackson posed for pics together as they attended the Giorgio Armani Madison Avenue Fashion’s Night Out event at Giorgio Armani Madison Avenue.

And basketball star Dwyane Wade attended Prada’s Fashion’s Night event at their 5th Avenue store in New York City.

But New York City wasn’t the only city participating in Fashion’s Night Out. Take a look at FNO pics from other cities below:

LL Cool J now endorses Gendarme fragrance, and was spotted promoting the men’s cologne at Bloomingdale’s in Century City, California.

Then he headed on over to support his wife Simone at her FNO booth at Bloomingdales, where she was debuting her Simone I. Smith Fall Jewelry Collection.

Naturi Naughton — who stars in NBC’s new show The Playboy Club — showed up at a Fashion’s Night Out event at a Bloomingdales in Chicago, IL.

And designer Nicole Richie attended a Fashions Night Out celebration at The Beverly Center in Los Angeles.

Lady Gaga stepped out in this all red ensemble Friday night (Aug 26) as she arrived on the red carpet of the Atom Factory’s pre-VMA dinner, of which she hosted.

The event, sponsored by Ciroc Vodka and Streamline Records, also featured appearances from R&B singer Mary J. Blige, producer Dallas Austin, rapper Nas and singer Nicole Scherzinger.

Check out the pics below:

Mary J. Blige has released a video for the motion picture soundtrack to the new movie “The Help.” Check out the “The Living Proof” above!

“When I was five years old I was molested,” she said in one of the most revealing interviews of her career. “I remember feeling, literally, right before it happened, I just could not believe that this person was going to do this to me. That thing followed me all my life. The shame of thinking my molestation was my fault. It led me to believe I wasn’t worth anything.”

In addition to discussing her past sexual abuse, the R&B star also opened up about her struggle with alcoholism and her casual cocaine use that became a full-blown addiction as her romance with Jodeci singer K-Ci Hailey started to heat up in the 90′s.

“It was bigger than me. And it was definitely going to kill me. So I was like, this is it and let’s go. And I remember sitting on my bed. I swear, I don’t know what death feels like, but I felt like my spirit was trying to leave my body,” she said.

“I really didn’t care about myself,” said the singer. “I was borderline suicidal…I was like the walking dead; just smoking and drinking and hanging.”

At her most desperate moment, Mary J. Blige, alone in a hotel room, says she prayed and asked God to “Send me someone to help me.” That someone turned out to be her current husband Kendu Isaacs, who she credits with helping her get her life back on the right track.

“I stopped drinking,” she said. “It was will power. It was prayer. It was really hard. But, I cared so much about him, I didn’t want to be just this alcoholic burden on him. He doesn’t deserve for me to be some, you know, slum-bucket alcoholic, and so I took responsibility and I cleaned up, as much as I could. But it was hard.”

Watch the full episode below!

Celebrating Black music and African American Culture, the 2011 Essence Music Festival in New Orleans was the place to be this past weekend!

It was a star studded event and the likes of headlining acts Kanye West, Usher and Mary J Blige, along with R&B singer Trey Songz, who all hit the stage to perform hit after hit. Other acts included New Edition, MC Lyte, Kelly Price, Jill Scott, Charlie Wilson and George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic. (What a hot ticket!)

Check out the pictures below:

The 2011 BET Awards were held Sunday night (Jun 26) in Los Angeles, California at the Shrine Auditorium … and the show, hosted by actor/comedian Kevin Hart, featured appearances/performances from Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, Taraji P. Henson, Drake, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Gladys Knight and many many more celebrities.

Take a look at over 30+ pictures from the show and backstage in the press room below:

Lil Wayne poses with his 12-year-old daughter Reginae Carter in the audience at the 2011 BET Awards.

Other famous faces spotted in the crowd of the 11th annual ceremony included Nelly & Ashanti, Nicki Minaj, Diddy, the entire Smith family (Jaden, Willow, Will and Jada), Keri Hilson, Laz Alonso, Big Sean, Mary J. Blige, Justin Bieber and plenty more.

Check out 20+ pics below:

R&B diva Mary J. Blige kicked off the 2011 BET Awards with a performance medley of her songs “Mary Jane” and “Real Love” before being joined on the stage by the legendary Anita Baker on “Caught Up in the Rapture.” The 40-year-old singer ended her set by debuting the song “It Ain’t Over” featuring rappers Jadakiss and DJ Khaled.

Check out the pics and the footage from the performance below:

Mary J. Blige wants to be her own “Hero” tonight in her newest music release.

Check it out below:

Mary J. Blige teams up with Nicki Minaj for a new song titled “Feel Inside,” the first single from MJB’s new album “My Life 2: The Journey Continues.”

Take a listen below:

The stars were out last night (Sun. May 22) at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards!

Among the many celebs who walked the white carpet outside the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas were Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, Trey Songz, Keri Hilson and Ne-Yo.

Check out 25+ pics from the red carpet below:

Mary J. Blige hosted her 2nd Annual Mary J. Blige Honors Concert to benefit her FFAWN (Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now) last night (Sun. May 1) at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.

Singers Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson and Jill Scott were among the many celebrities who, in addition to actresses Evan Rachel Wood and Kerry Washington, came out to support Mary J. and her cause.

Check out 10+ pics below:

Celebrities helped raise awareness for leukemia at the 5th Annual DKMS Linked Against Leukemia Gala last Thursday night (Apr 28) in New York City.

Some of the famous faces who were spotted at the annual event were Keri Hilson, Solange, Leighton Meester, Pharrell Williams and honoree Rihanna. The charity event, held at NYC’s famous Cipriani Wall Street restaurant, also featured a performance from R&B singer Mary J. Blige.

Take a peek at a dozen pics from the red carpet and inside the gala below:

Mary J. Blige is looking for “Someone To Love Me (Naked)” in her new music video featuring Diddy and Lil Wayne. The track is a remake to Diddy-Dirty Money’s “Someone to Love Me,” and is also said to be a prelude to the lead single from Mary’s upcoming 10th studio album (due for release in the fall).

Check it out below:

Mary J. Blige remakes Diddy-Dirty Money’s “Someone to Love Me”. Lil Wayne and Diddy also grab a verse on the track.

Check it out below:

[See post to listen to audio]

D/L: MJB, LIL WAYNE & DIDDY – SOMEONE TO LOVE ME (REMIX)

Over the weekend at a New Year’s Eve concert, Lil Kim duped us all into believing she was planning on working with Mary J. Blige on a diss record that would go after Nicki Minaj and Keyshia Cole in response to their “I Ain’t Thru” collaboration. But now, just days later, it seems like the pint-sized rapper has had a change of heart, and will NOT be doing a diss track with MJB afterall.

Yesterday, Lil Kim’s camp issued the following statement:

Contrary to circulating reports, Hip-hop Icon Lil’ Kim will not be releasing a diss record with Mary J. Blige. Rumors began circulating after a live videostream of Lil’ Kim’s New Years’ Eve performance re-aired show footage. During the performance, Lil’ Kim spoke out about how she felt about Keyshia Cole and Nicki Minaj’s song ‘I Aint Thru.’ She did not insinuate a collaborative diss record. There will be no “diss” track.

Source: The YBF

Your thoughts?

Billboard‘s new music column The Juice is paying homage to 50 artists/groups that have paved the way for R&B/Hip-Hop music over the past 25 years. At the top of the list is R&B singer R. Kelly, who beat out 49 other acts for the spot, including Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Michael Jackson and others.

R. Kelly crowns our list of the top 50 R&B/hip-hop artists of the past 25 years with good reason. Since January of 1985, he’s amassed 35 top 10 hits on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (the most of any act in the time frame) and a total of 84 charting singles. Among those are 11 No. 1s, including “Bump N’ Grind” (12 weeks at the top) and “Down Low (Nobody Has To Know)” (seven weeks) with Ronald Isley. Further cementing Kelly’s hitmaker status is his staggering 11 No. 1s on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The R&B icon continued to post new chart achievements in 2010, as he notched his 56th top 40 single with “When a Woman Loves.” (Billboard)

According to Billboard, the list was based actual statistical performance on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts from January 5th 1985 up until November 6th 2010.

Hit the link below to check out the top 10 and to see who else made the cut!

Top 10:
1. R. Kelly
2. Mary J. Blige
3. Whitney Houston
4. Mariah Carey
5. Janet Jackson
6. Usher
7. Luther Vandross
8. Jay-Z
9. Freddie Jackson
10. Alicia Keys

Honorable Mention:
13. Michael Jackson
14. Ludacris
15. Beyonce
20. T.I.
21. Lil Wayne
24. Monica
27. Aaliyah
28. 50 Cent
29. Keyshia Cole
37. Snoop Dogg
38. Eminem
39. Nelly
41. Ne-Yo
45. Kanye West
46. Chris Brown

This list also includes Bobby Brown, Sade, Babyface, Gerald Levert, Stevie Wonder, TLC, New Edition, Anita Baker, 2Pac, Prince, Keith Sweat and several other R&B/Hip-Hop acts.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST

Your thoughts?

The 2010 Hennessy Artistry Concert Series went down this past Thursday night (Oct 14) in New York City, and featured performances from Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, Eve, Ron Isley and others. (Bobby Brown even hit the stage!)

Other celebs at the event were Trina, Melanie Fiona, Selita Ebanks, Anthony Mackie and more. Check out 15+ pics of everyone below (and when you continue reading)!!

Amar’e Stoudemire, Mary J. Blige and Ed Westwick hosted Niche Media CEO Jason Binn’s 10th Annual Gotham Gala at Capitale last night (Thurs. Oct 14) in New York City. Other folks in the building for the shindig were singers Olivia and Kat Deluna.

Check out a few pics below!

Ebony Magazine celebrates their 65th anniversary this year, and R&B singers Usher and Mary J. Blige, along with actor Samuel L. Jackson and actresses Taraji P. Henson and Nia Long are featured on the cover of their November 2010 “Special Collector’s Edition” issue!

Inside Ebony’s 65th anniversary anniversary issue, you’ll find a nice set of tribute covers of Diana Ross, Duke Ellington, Sidney Poitier, Diahann Carroll, Shaft and more, re-creating by artists of today, like Mary J. Blige, John Legend, Blair Underwood, Taraji P. Henson and Lamman Rucker respectively.

The mag also features tribute covers from Nia Long (as Dorothy Dandridge), Usher (as Sammy Davis Jr.), Samuel L. Jackson (as Dr. Martin Luther King), Omar Epps (as Muhammad Ali), Jurnee Smollett (as Lena Horne), Regina King (as Eartha Kitt) and Yolanda Adams (as Mahilia Jackson).

Check out a few of the tribute covers below!!

Oh you fancy, huh?

Young Money rapper Drake got “Fancy” with R&B singer Mary J. Blige and rapper/producer Swizz Beatz as the trio performed the latest single from Drizzy’s debut album Thank Me Later Sunday night (Sep 12) at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles. Mary J practically stole the performance (forgive us if we’re on Drake overload right now) as she flawlessly sang the track’s catchy hook.

Check out a few pics below of Drake, MJB and Swizzy (along with video footage) performing “Fancy” at last night’s VMAs…

The upcoming 2010 MTV Video Music Awards is just days away and new names are STILL being added to the list of performers! We’ve already told you that Usher, Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Kanye West, Drake, Justin Bieber and B.o.B were set to take the stage at the show (Nicki’s performing during the red carpet pre-show), and now you can expect to see performances from several more entertainers.

Earlier this week, Crunk&B singer Ciara revealed on Twitter that she would be performing at the VMAs……and per MTV’s official VMA website, R&B diva Mary J. Blige, rapper Swizz Beatz, rocker/rapper Travie McCoy and newcomers Bruno Mars & Jason Derulo will be joining her! Singer Robyn, along with rock groups Paramore, Linkin Park and Florence + The Machine will also perform at the 2010 VMAs.

The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards will be hosted by Chelsea Handler and will air live from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles THIS SUNDAY (Sep 12). The red carpet pre-show kicks off at 8 PM, just one hour Eminem is set to open the show at 9 PM. Continue reading for more details about Em’s performance and the dope stage set!

Via Billboard:

MTV general manager Stephen Friedman said that the rapper, who’s nominated for eight trophies, will open Sunday’s (Sept. 12) ceremony at the Nokia Theatre, which has been transformed with a sprawling white set reminiscent of the out-of-this-world Theme Building at the Los Angeles International Airport. “We thought that there’s no better way to kick off the show than a performance from Eminem,” said Friedman.

The enveloping stage design includes a giant rotating billboard, curvy catwalk, circular performance space and two massive video screens that will serve as curtains. VMA executive producer Jesse Ignjatovic said the undulating space, created by German designer Florian Wieder, required about 2,000 orchestra seats to be removed from the Nokia Theatre.

“Every year, we try to have a theme and purpose beyond just giving awards away,” said Ignjatovic. “This year, being back in Los Angeles, we really gravitated toward mid-century modern architecture and the pop culture of the ’50s, like the youth-oriented rebellion films ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ and ‘Wild Ones.’ It’s a very L.A. kind of a set.”

Dayummmm!!! The VMAs are gonna be on point this year! Or at least we hope so with all of the hype they’re surrounding it with. It’s about time though. Awards shows for the past 5 years to a decade have been unbearably dry. Hopefully this year brings on the moisture!!! (LMAO)

Are you looking forward to the 2010 VMAs? And will you be watching???

YRB Magazine and Swizz Beatz took over Lucky Strike bowling alley in New York City Monday night (Aug 23) to celebrate the release of the latest issue of their magazine: The “Art Issue.” Swizzy himself designed the cover of the magazine himself.

Celebrity guests like Mary J. Blige, Estelle, Melody Thornton, rapper Nipsey Hussle and more got a little bowling in as they sipped on complimentary cocktails courtesy of Ciroc Vodka and listened to tunes from Mary J. Blige and Swizz Beatz’ discogrophy.

Peep the pics below:

Rapper T.I. attended a special screening for his new movie “Takers” Sunday (Aug 15) at the Regal E-Walk in New York City.

Actor Quinton Aaron proudly showed off his birthday cake as he celebrated turning 26 years old at Pinz Bowling Alley in Los Angeles.

UK singer Alexandra Burke hit the stage and performed at Radio City Live! in Liverpool, England in the UK.

The always eccentric singer Janelle Monae wore her usual black/white tuxedo-style attire as she performed at the 2010 Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, held in San Francisco, CA at the Golden Gate Park.

R&B singers Mary J. Blige and John Legend hung out backstage during The Apollo in the Hamptons at The Creeks in East Hampton, New York Saturday afternoon (Aug 14).

Anthony Anderson stopped for a pic with DJ D-Nice at the actor/comedian’s birthday party at Promenade in New York City.

Actor Pooch Hall and former NBA player Rick Fox hit up the HAX Foundation’s John Wooden Memorial Celebrity Basketball Game in Los Angeles.

And Nick Cannon was spotted on the 1′s and 2′s deejaying for a party at Webster Hall in New York City.

R&B singers Trey Songz, Mary J. Blige and Jill Scott were among the many performers who took the stage over the weekend and performed Sunday evening (Jul 4) during Day 3 of the 2010 Essence Music Festival, held in New Orleans, Louisiana at the Louisiana Superdome. Peep 15+ pics of everyone below…

Mary J. Blige handed out samples of her new fragrance “My Life” during Day 3 of the Essence Music Festival Sunday (Jul. 4). Blige, pictured above with Carol’s daughter founder Lisa Price, said she named the scent after her critically acclaimed 1994 album My Life because it was very personal, and the process of creating this perfume was personal for her as well. Blige said, via Twitter, she wears it everyday:

“On to the My Life Perfume Counter! I wear it every day it smell so good!!! Ladies I believe you are Gonna love it!!!”

“My Life” is the first celebrity product by natural skin care company Carol’s Daughter. Look for the caramel-colored, heart-shaped bottle when it premieres July 31st on HSN.

This isn’t the only new project the singer will add to her personal brand. She also premiered a line of sunglasses at the festival and will also star in a biopic about Nina Simone.

Singer Mary J. Blige has been hitting the books hard!

Blige announced during a recent appearance on “Good Morning America” that she has received her GED diploma and been accepted into Howard University. This comes as great news for the Grammy Award-winning singer who dropped out of high school as a teenager.

Peep video footage of Mary J’s announcement below:

Congrats Mary….it’s always good to see people wanting to better themselves even when they don’t really need it!

R&B singers Estelle and Mary J. Blige attended the Catherine Malandrino Fashion Show benefiting FFAWN at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City Tuesday (Jun 15).

Pop singer Katy Perry performed at the world premiere of Volkswagen’s new Jetta compact sedan at Times Square in New York.

Actress Holly Robinson Peete brought her husband, former NFL player Rodney Peete, along with her to the Saks Fifth Avenue and Best Buddies California Father’s Day Honors event at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills.

Rapper Jim Jones took part in the 4 Education Alliance Charity Bash celebrating “4 years of empowering youth to believe they can succeed” at BLVD in New York City.

Young Money Entertainment recording artist Drake paid a visit to BET’s 106 & Park in NYC Monday (Jun 14) to promote the release of his debut album Thank Me Later.

R&B singer Ne-Yo hit up the 14th Annual Webby Awards at Cipriani, Wall Street in NYC.

Actress Rosario Dawson hit up the world premiere of “Kinect” for Xbox 360 in Los Angeles Sunday (Jun 13).

And Patti Labelle kicked it with Wyclef Jean and Vivica A. Fox at the 3rd Annual Geminis Give Back event at 1OAK in New York City.

Mary J. Blige and her husband Kendu Isaacs attended amfAR’s Cinema Against AIDS 2010 Benefit Gala at the Hotel du Cap in Antibes, France Thursday night (May 20).

Naomi Campbell and her billionaire boyfriend Vladimir Doronin were also also spotted at the amfAR event.

Young model Chanel Iman was seen at the Express 30th Anniversary Party at Eyebeam in New York City.

America’s Next Top Model Cycle 8 winner Jaslene Gonzalez attended the Dream Big Gala to raise awareness for the fight against Canavan Disease in children at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York.

Singer Shontelle Layne was on hand for the launch party celebrating the opening of the United Nude Shoe Brand’s U.S. flagship store in New York City.

Rapper/actor LL Cool J hit up the CBS Upfront presentation Wednesday (May 19) at Damrosch Park at the Lincoln Center in New York City.

Sisters Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, along with their friend Malika Haqq, were spotted courtside at the Staples Center in Los Angeles as the Lakers took on the Phoenix Suns during Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs. Khloe is married to LA Laker Lamar Odom.

John Legend and his girlfriend Christine Teigen posed for pics on the red carpet of the Cherry Lane Music Publishing 10th Anniversary celebration at Brooklyn Bowl in New York City. And John treated the guests to a performance.

M.I.A. hung out with the Head of Adult Swim Mike Lazzo at the Adult Swim 2010 Upfront at Gotham Hall in NYC.

And singer Janelle Monae performed at the release party for her new album ArchAndroid at the Highline Ballroom in New York City Tuesday night (May 18).

NFL player (and “Dancing with the Stars” contestant) Chad Ochocinco attended the 12th Annual Young Hollywood Awards yesterday (Thurs. May 13) with his dance partner Cheryl Burke. We hear these two have been getting VERY cozy lately…

Actress Taraji P. Henson and rapper Eve linked up at Ann Taylor’s Cocktail Party Thursday at Soho House in West Hollywood, CA.

Still heavy on the promotional efforts for his new movie “Just Wright,” rapper/actor Common attended a screening for the film at the Landmark Theater in Los Angeles Thursday.

R&B/Pop superstar Usher performed as part of Wild 94.9′s “Wild Jam 2010″ at the HP Pavilion Thursday in San Jose, California.

Mary J. Blige was honored at the New York Women’s Foundation’s annual breakfast at the Hilton in New York City Thursday. The R&B singer, who recently launched a charity organization called “The Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now” (FFAWN), was presented the Vision Award for her strong spirit and charitable nature.

UK singer Estelle hit up the Belvedere Pink Grapefruit launch party Thursday in New York City.

Kourtney Kardashian and her mom Kris Jenner were spotted promoting “Rejuvicare” at a Walgreens in Lake Bluff, Illinois Thursday. That Kardashian family is always promoting something!

Pop singer Adam Lambert was on hand for Paper Magazine’s 13th Annual Beautiful People Issue event at The Standard Hollywood Thursday night in Hollywood.

And Christina Milian showed off her post-baby body as she attended Nylon’s May Young Hollywood Event in California Wednesday night (May 12). Looks like there’s a new MILF on the scene! Christina and her husband The Dream welcomed their daughter Violet into the world back in February.