Mary J. Blige on Her Strength of a Woman Community Fund, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction and Why Her Next Album May Be Her Last
If anything, Mary J. Blige has put in the work. Her career, which spans over three decades, is dotted with platinum albums, swaths of awards and milestones that have continuously cemented her as the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.
For her latest endeavor, the singer returned to her native Yonkers to partner with Pepsi for the Strength of a Woman Community Fund, which is awarding $100,000 as grants to support local organizations who work to help underserved women in Blige’s hometown. Funds will be allocated in grants between $5,000 and $20,000 to organizations helping in the areas of financial stability, education and security.
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Blige commemorated the event by making a surprise appearance at the Westchester Community College on April 25 as part of the Pepsi x Strength of a Woman Community Day. “Pepsi have been great partners, in more than just partnership,” Blige tells Variety. Additionally, PepsiCo donated $50,000 to YWCA of Westchester and Westchester Community College. “They’ve been supportive of me in my mission to empower and encourage women and doing that. Pepsi had launched the Mary J. Blige and Pepsi Strength of a Woman Community Fund. They committed to $100,000 for these women out here in Yonkers and uplifting them and all their endeavors.”
The latest turn into philanthropy comes in anticipation of Blige’s upcoming Strength of a Woman Festival & Summit, entering its third year and taking place on May 10-12 in New York City. Ahead of her endeavors, Blige chatted with Variety about why philanthropy is paramount to her current focus, her recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and why her upcoming album may be her last.
Why is it so important for you to give back to your native Yonkers and particularly to women and support your hometown that way?
Because this is where I’m from. This is where I’ve seen so many women suffering from not having jobs, not having babysitters, not knowing how to get jobs, dropping out of high school. My story, I dropped out of high school and I just wanted to help people, I want to help women to do better, feel better, be confident, get jobs, have finances. And so from where I’m from, of course I was going to give back to where I’m from first.
How has charity throughout your career become more important to you, wanting to venture more into philanthropy in that sense?
The philanthropy comes from me wanting to always help women. That’s my movement, the Mary J. Blige movement has been about how to touch women’s lives. It’s about that, it’s about uplifting and inspiring and encouraging and empowering women.
Your Strength of a Woman Festival is entering its third year. How does it feel to bring it to your hometown?
It feels amazing to bring it home. This is where I originally wanted it, so it feels really good to have it here.
When you first envisioned the festival, did you imagine it would grow to have a third year?
The first year, I was nervous. I didn’t really know what was going to happen. And then the second year, I was like, this thing is out of here. People are coming to this for the summit, for the same thing we were just speaking about, the movement.
Do you have any plans to take the festival and turn it into a tour? Do you have bigger ambitions for it after the third year?
Right now, it could become global. It could.
Separately, congratulations on your Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. What does it mean for you at this point in your career to be honored in that way?
It feels amazing. Yeah, it feels amazing. Accomplished.
What does that recognition mean to you?
I mean… I don’t really know. I guess it’s a big, big deal. I worked so hard. I don’t know, I’m trying to still process what it means, it’s so big. That’s all I can say. I guess it says that I’ve done what I’m supposed to do in music. And it’s a huge accomplishment, one of the biggest.
How does it feel to be honored alongside legends like A Tribe Called Quest and Cher?
Well, shit. I am that. [Laughs] I’m me. There were plenty of women who were doing exactly what I was doing and want to do what I’m doing still. I’m at the top of my game. I’m clearly a class by myself. I stand alone, but I stand with them.
A few years ago, you were planning on putting out a memoir. Is that something you’d like to pursue in the future?
It was something I was gonna do, but right this minute, I’m rethinking that.
You just did an interview where you said your next album may be your last studio record. Does that mean you’re going to officially retire from making studio records?
I mean, I might. [Laughs]
That’s a very brief answer. Why would now be the time for you to draw a close? What has you thinking that?
I mean, look, 16 albums in. Thirty-something-year career. I’m on a high, so what better way to say goodbye? [Laughs]
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