During a sit down with “The Breakfast Club,” singer Stephanie Mills shared who she sees as R&B royalty.
When host Charlamagne Tha God asked who she would take “notes” from “respectfully,” Mills was quick to call on Diana Ross, Patti LaBelle, and Gladys Knight.
But things got odd when Anita Baker‘s name was mentioned. Mills became quiet.
Charlamage then asked Mills if they had beef, to which Mills replied,” No. We don’t.” Before saying she just couldn’t take notes from her. “But I love Anita,” she went on to say.
“She didn’t say she didn’t love her, she just said she couldn’t take notes from her,” Jess Hilarious, who appeared as a guest host, said when Charlamagne questioned the love.
When asked what artist Mills would say is the R&B royalty of today, she said she couldn’t name anyone.
“Because I mean, there’s a bar for you right,” Charlamagne asked, leading Mills to call out some OG R&B legends, including Motown, Temptations, and New Edition.
“That’s royalty,” Mills said.
“But I don’t know anybody of this time that I would say…no,” she continued. However, she did name Jill Scott, Jazmine Sullivan, Eryka Badu, Monica, Tamia, and Debroah Cox.
All of whom she called her “big babies” when questioned by Charlamagne if they were OGs or modern day artists.
When asked by Jess if she liked Silk Sonic, Mills was quick to give Bruno Mars his credit. “I’d love to do a song with Bruno Mars. He’s bringing back, he’s letting them know, what R&B is and where it came from. And the soul in it.”
Mills recently made comments regarding Beyonce and seemed to double down on those beliefs when asked by Charlamagne if she would add Beyonce to the R&B royalty list she mentioned.
“Answer for me,” she told Jess, who replied, “No.” An answer Charlamagne didn’t agree with.
“What puts you in that category? She’s talented, she can sing, she can dance,” he replied.
“It’s the soul,” Jess answered.