Mary J Blige And A Tribe Called Quest Among Rock Hall Inductees
Mary J Blige and A Tribe Called Quest are among the next class of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. To be eligible for induction, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination.
Mary J. Blige’s first releases came in 1992, when she released her debut album, the classic What’s The 411? The album included a number of hits, including “Real Love,” “You Remind Me,” “My Love,” her cover of Chaka Khan’s “Real Love” and “Reminisce.” Chaka Khan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, receiving the Musical Excellence Award.
A Tribe Called Quest released their debut single, “Description of a Fool,” in 1989. That song was later included on their 1990 debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, which also included “I Left My Wallet In El Segundo,” “Bonita Applebum” and “Can I Kick It?”
Also among the inductees: funk legends Kool & The Gang. They debuted in 1969 and have been together ever since. Some of their biggest hits include “Get Down On It,” “Ladies Night,” “Jungle Boogie,” “Hollywood Swinging,” and of course, “Celebration.”
Other inductees in the performer category include Cher, the Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, and Ozzy Osbourne. Osbourne is already in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Black Sabbath, but this induction honors his solo career. Artists on the ballot who weren’t voted in include legendary hip-hop duo Eric B & Rakim, as well as Sade, Mariah Carey, Sinead O’Connor, and Lenny Kravitz.
Big Mama Thornton, who is considered by many to be one of the creators of rock and roll music, is being inducted in the Musical Influence Category. Dionne Warwick, meanwhile, is being honored with the Musical Excellence Award, along with Norman Whitfield, a songwriter/producer for Motown Records during the 1960s. Some of the songs that he worked on included “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg,” “(I Know) I’m Losing You,” and “I Heard It Through The Grapevine.” Other artists who are honored with the Musical Excellence Award are Jimmy Buffett and punk rock legends the MC5.
The inductees were announced live on American Idol earlier tonight by the show’s host, Ryan Seacrest. The 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction will be live on Saturday, October 19, at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The 2024 ceremony will once again stream live on Disney+ with a special airing on
ABC at a later date and available on Hulu the next day.
Mary J. Blige: Her 10 Best Songs, Ranked
Mary J. Blige’s sound implements hip-hop, soul, R&B, and gospel in a unique way. A trailblazer in the ’90s and ’00s, she’s known as the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. With a career spanning nearly three decades, she has won nine Grammy awards (nominated for 37), won an Emmy, and has been nominated for two Oscars.
A recurring theme in Mary’s music is being very vulnerable and expressing pain from toxic romantic relationships. More recently, she sings about how to turn those negative feelings into positive ones. Her Grammy-nominated 14th studio album Good Morning Gorgeous was released in 2022. She spoke to Good Morning America at the time about what the phrase means to her.
“It’s a positive affirmation I had to speak over myself when I was in a really dark situation,” she explained.
“Be Without You,” “No More Drama” and “Real Love” are just some of her anthems about navigating relationships and finding a way to move on. She even got to perform her greatest hits in 2022 on the world’s biggest stage. At the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show, she performed alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent.
Mary J. Blige: Beyond The Music
In recent years, Mary has successfully delved into acting. She plays Monet in Power Book II: Ghost which was created by fellow hip-hop artist 50 Cent. The Bronx native even plays alongside her “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By” partner Method Man in the series. The Grammy winner won two Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the NAACP Awards in 2021 and 2022.
In 2018, she was nominated for two Oscars for her work in Mudbound. Being nominated twice in the same year was a feat that had not been done by an African American entertainer prior to her. She also became the first person to be nominated for an Oscar in an acting and music category in the same year.
The Bronx native has been using her music to uplift her fans for decades. She created the Strength Of A Woman festival as a way to highlight women in the music industry. Mary began the festival in 2022. Whether it’s music, television, or building a lasting legacy, Mary continuously proves why she will always be the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.
Take a look below at 10 of Mary J. Blige’s best songs ranked:
Brian has been working in pop culture and media for about three decades: he’s worked at MTV, VH1, SiriusXM, CBS and Loudwire. Besides working as a writer and an editor-in-chief, he’s also appeared on air as a pundit, guested on radio shows and hosted podcasts. Over the years, he’s interviewed the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, the members of U2, Beyonce, Pink, Usher, Stevie Nicks, Lorde… and is grateful to have had the chance to interview Joe Strummer of the Clash and Tom Petty.
