The <a href="https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/heres-the-full-list-of-winners-from-the-billboard-music-awards-including-drake-the-weeknd-and-more-news.152022.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Billboard Music Awards</a> celebrated the career of <a href="/profile/MaryJBlige" class="text-word" target="_blank" >Mary J. Blige</a> on Sunday, honoring the legendary singer with the Icon Award. In presenting the award, a video montage with appearances from Queen Latifah, Gabrielle Union, and Taraji P. Henson was played.
Blige was introduced by a surprise appearance from Janet Jackson, who asked the audience, &#8220;What defines an icon?&#8221;
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/userfiles/75/50/295075_9d1723732c4aec807536d976625a77fa.jpg" alt="Mary J. Blige Honored With Icon Award At Billboard Music Awards"><figcaption>Frazer Harrison / Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
&#8220;What an icon means to me is overcoming obstacles to accomplish the unthinkable and be wildly admired for having influence over a multitude of people, and that is what I&#8217;ve always represented,&#8221; Blige said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been on this journey for a long time. One that didn&#8217;t always look the way you see me now. One that was filled with a lot of heartache and pain. But God helped me to channel those experiences and emotions into my music.&#8221;
Throughout his career, Blige has had four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, and topped the <a href="https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/mary-j-blige-explains-why-shes-leaning-toward-performing-family-affair-at-super-bowl-news.146897.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Billboard Hot 100 number-one with her single, &#8220;Family Affair.&#8221;</a> She&#8217;s also responsible for the hits &#8220;Real Love&#8221;, &#8220;Not Gon&#8217; Cry&#8221;, &#8220;Be Without You,&#8221; and more.
Blige has also appeared in several films and was even nominated for an Oscar for her performance on screen in 2017&#8217;s Mudbound.
&#8220;I was ghetto fabulous and I still am,&#8221; said Blige &#8220;So ghetto and so fabulous and people were threatened by that. Now, everybody wants to be ghetto fabulous.&#8221;
Check out Blige&#8217;s acceptance speech below.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VLrbhTIpU3Y" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
[<a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/05/16/1099070953/billboard-music-awards-honor-mary-j-blige" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Via</a>]

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