NEW YORK (WPIX) — Born in the Bronx, New York, and raised in Yonkers and now commemorated in Harlem — the Queen of Hip Hop Soul, Mary J Blige, got some “Real Love” as she was inducted into the Apollo Theater’s Walk of Fame Friday.
The honor further cemented her status as a global superstar who happens to be one of New York’s Very Own.
“None of this is possible without the fans, so thank you to all the fans,” Blige told the crowd of about 100.
It was 29 years ago when her debut album “What’s The 411?” dropped, setting the tone for an illustrious career spanning three decades — with nine Grammy Awards and two Oscar nominations.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 28: Mary J. Blige is inducted to The Apollo walk of fame at The Apollo Theater on May 28, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images) 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 28: Billy “Mr. Apollo” Mitchell, Apollo Theater Board Chair Charles Phillips, and Apollo Theater Executive Producer Kamilah Forbes speak as The Apollo Inducts Mary J Blige Into Its Walk Of Fame at The Apollo Theater on May 28, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images) 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 28: Mary J Blige is inducted to The Apollo walk of fame at The Apollo Theater on May 28, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images) 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 28: The Apollo Inducts Mary J Blige Into Its Walk Of Fame at The Apollo Theater on May 28, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images) 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 28: Mary J. Blige is inducted to The Apollo walk of fame at The Apollo Theater on May 28, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
Her contribution to the culture, though, is by far her biggest feat.
“She is one of the defining voices of our generation,” Kamilah Forbes, Executive Producer at the Apollo Theater, said. “Miss Blige helped to redefine what R&B and hip-hop could be.”
The singer and actress “Reminisced” on her first time hitting the Apollo stage.
“My very first time performing at the Apollo was not on stage as myself, I was on stage singing background for Jeff Redd,” she said. ”Then from there on, it was all history. Mary J. Blige history.”
Blige is now part of an iconic line of inductees who have left their mark on the Apollo theater stage including Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle and Little Richard.
