The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul received her formal coronation over the weekend. Mary J. Blige was honored in front of her fans, peers and family.

As spotted on Complex the Yonkers native was presented with Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 BET Awards. Rihanna was present to bestow her with this legendary distinction. The “Umbrella” singer took the time out to personally thank her for opening the doors for female performers throughout the world.

“Happy Mary, Sad Mary, No More Drama Mary, Dancing Mary—we’re here for all of it. Mary J. Blige, you have set the bar for relatable, timeless, classic music” she said. “You opened multiple doors for female artists in this industry, and on behalf of all the women who came after you like myself, thank you for being you so we could feel comfortable being ourselves.”

As Mary walked up to the podium she was greeted with a standing ovation from the crowd making the moment everything she deserved and more. She thanked her fans and inner circle during her acceptance speech. “Mommy, I love you and I wanna thank you for your love and understanding and for being able to see all the things I couldn’t see” she revealed.

Blige later hit the stage to perform some of her iconic tracks including “Real Love”, “You’re All I Need” with Method Man and “I Can Love You” with Lil’ Kim. You can see the almost 20 minute set below.

Photo: Mats Andersson/WENN.com

Source: HipHopWired.com

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