The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige’s anthems of resilience & empowerment have inspired a legion of loyal fans – particularly women – while influencing virtually every R&B artist of the last twenty years.
Dr Dre inducted Blige, who is credited with creating a completely new category of music — Hip-Hop Soul. The nine-time Grammy-winner’s best-known song is ”Family Affair″ from her triple-platinum 2001 album “No More Drama.” “When you listen to Mary, you understand you’re not alone in heartbreak,” Dre said.
“I need some water!” the winded Blige said after her performance.
“Thank you so much. This is a lot… and I’m grateful,” she added, thanking her mother for instilling a resilience, a work ethic, and strength that she might not otherwise have. She also thanked extended family and two lifelong friends – Dre and Method, who flanked her – for their unwavering support.
“Friendship is about winning together,” Blige said, tearfully thanking her “Tri-Star Team” of pals who supported her through divorce. “Talent requires a team to be terrific and awesome. When you stop exchanging, you become stagnant.”
She teared up again.
“And to my fans, y’all endured blood sweat and tears with me and helped me heal like I helped you,” Blige said. “None of this would be possible without… your diehard love and loyalty, if you didn’t cheer for me. There are no words to express what you did for me.”
Mary J. Blige ushered in her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction with a medley of hits in Cleveland on Saturday featuring Ella Mai and Lucky Daye, with Dr. Dre and Method Man onstage to induct the singer. Dre and Meth introduced Blige before she took the stage and opened her performance with the 1994 single “My Life,” wearing an all-black dress and matching hat alongside Daye. The icon shed her coat to reveal a dazzling top and thigh-high boots to deliver “Love No Limit” and was soon joined by Mai. The performance also saw the Hall of Fame inductee perform hits “Be Happy” and “Family Affair,” her Dre-produced hit from 2001’s No More Drama. (Blige and Dre performed the song at Super Bowl LVI’s halftime show back in 2022.), Rolling Stones reported.
In addition to Mary J. Blige, the 2024 Class of inductees included A Tribe Called Quest, Cher, Kool & the Gang, Dionne Warwick Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band, and posthumous recognition for Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Alexis Korner, John Mayall, Norman Whitfield, and Big Mama Thornton.
Dave Chappelle helped induct A Tribe Called Quest — Q-Tip, Jarobi, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and the late Phife Dawg — the lone hip-hop group to make the cut this year. Chappelle said the group incorporated “jazz and soul in a way hip-hop had never seen” and they also proved you could be “cool and not necessarily gangster.” Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes, Common, The Roots, and De La Soul were on hand to perform a medley of Tribe hits, including “Bonita Applebum,” “Scenario” and “Can I Kick It?”
Chuck D inducted Kool & the Gang, saying “This is a long-due celebration.” The band had 12 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 including the 1980 chart-topper “Celebration” as well as “Cherish,” “Get Down On It,” “Jungle Boogie,” “Ladies Night” and “Joanna.” They’ve been eligible for the hall since 1994.
The Roots helped the band do a medley of hits that got the crowd grooving led by Robert “Kool” Bell — bass guitarist, co-founder and last original member — and longtime singer James “JT” Taylor. Confetti shot into the arena and Taylor asked the crowd to use their cellphone lights as he read off the names of 10 members who were critical to the band’s success.
