Mary J. Blige Reflects on Career While Receiving Icon Award at 2022 Billboard Awards: ‘I Was Ghetto Fabulous and Still Am’ [Videos]

Mary J. Blige received the Icon Award at the 2022 Billboard Awards, and she was dressed to slay.

It’s been a big year for Blige, starting with performing at the 2022 SuperBowl and now receiving a legendary award presented by the iconic Janet Jackson. Blige even mentioned how Jackson was a true inspiration to her, always one of our “biggest inspirations growing up.”

Jackson says in her speech, “Her [Mary J. Blige] work has always given us comfort because she sings me, she sings you. I reminisce, but I’m not going to cry because even though sometimes it feels like every day it rains, I’ve got no more drama.”

Receiving the award, Mary J says, “What an icon means to me is overcoming obstacles to accomplish the unthinkable and be widely admired for influencing a multitude of people, and that is what I always represented,” she continued. “I’ve been on this journey for a long time, one that didn’t always look the way you see me now, one that is filled with a lot of heartache and pain but God helped me to channel those experiences and emotions in my music, which is where I started in music.” 

She says that people were threatened that she was ghetto and fabulous. 

“When Andre Harrell and Puff Daddy of Uptown Records introduced the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul to the world, it was the beginning of a movement. Every inner-city girl was recognizing their own and could relate to everything I was saying. And every female artist that came into the game wanted to do everything I was doing and still does to this day. I was ghetto-fabulous, and I still am. So ghetto, so fabulous — and people were threatened by that. And now everybody wants to be ghetto-fabulous.” 

“For so long, I was searching for a Real Love, but I finally found my Real Love, and that Real Love is me. Who’s managing Mary J. Blige now? Me!” She did end by thanking her team, God, and family because there’s no “I in Team.” 

She adds, “My career has been such an incredible and unexpected journey that has included many turns into avenues I never could have imagined like acting, producing, launching businesses, and now even my own music festival.” 

The Billboard award was established in 2011, and other recipients include Neil Diamond, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion, Cher, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Garth Brooks, and Pink.