#HipHopHistory: Mary J. Blige Received Her Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame
On Thursday, Mary J. Blige spent her birthday making another milestone. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul has officially received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The nine-time Grammy Award winner was honored in the category of Recording on her 47th birthday. Fans kicked off Blige's monumental moment by singing "Happy Birthday" as she posed for pictures and hugged family members before the ceremony began.
"I'm so grateful for this star right now because I've earned it probably three times," said Blige.
Blige continued by saying that her statement was with confidence and not arrogance, simply because she knows her worth and what this moment means to her.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs And Andre Harrell Praise Mary J. Blige
The event commenced with a speech from record producer Andre Harrell and rapper-entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs who have both been a part of the singer's career. The two praised the icon for her talent and continuous strength.
During the ceremony, Harrell took some time to reflect on the artist's career and stated that he felt like a proud "musical father." Harrell signed Blige in 1989 when she was 18 years old.
"Mary receiving a star on the Walk of Fame, is like black women and little girls around the world with a dream also receiving one," Harrell stated.
Diddy also praised the icon for her ability to heal people through her music and stated that she has managed to save a lot of broken throughout her career.
"Whatever she is going through, she knows she has the responsibility to help others who are going through the same thing," Diddy said.
Breaking Records
Throughout her career, Blige has released 13 studio albums. Eight of which have been certified multi-platinum. As of 2013, she has sold over 75 million records and was ranked as the most successful female R&B/Hip-Hop artist of the past 25 years.
In 1994, the record producer released her My Life album, which was among Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
While Blige has had a phenomenal music career, she has also established herself as an actress. In 2017, the singer starred as Florence Jackson in the drama film Mudbound.
After receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Blige attended the 2018 Critics' Choice Awards. Blige was nominated for Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Ensemble for Mudbound.
Although, Allison Janney received the award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in I, Tonya. Janney made Blige's birthday even better by gifting her the award for Best Supporting Actress for her birthday.
