Why is TufAmerica, Inc. suing Universal Music Group for the sample of The Honey Drippers’ “Impeach The President” in Mary J. Blige’s 1992 song “Real Love” 32 years later? 

Mary J. Blige will receive the Entertainment Icon Award at the 2024 Urban One Honors. The Urban One Honors: Best In Black will premiere on Sunday, February 25, 2024, at 8 PM ET on TV One and will be simulcast on CLEO TV. The award adds to Blige’s several accomplishments as the Queen Of Hip Hop Soul. Blige has nine Grammys, an Emmy, two Academy Award nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, and a SAG nomination amongst her achievements. The singer and actress’s 15-album discography includes musical landmarks like her debut and sophomore albums, What’s The 411? and My Life, which affirmed countless Generation X women. Her musical legacy continues to influence contemporary singers and set the standard for the hip-hop and R&B collaboration. Michelle L. Rice, President of TV One and CLEO TV, says, 

“Urban One is thrilled to honor the incomparable Mary J. Blige as our 2024 Entertainment Icon. Mary’s immeasurable talent and award-winning music has shaped our culture and has had a profound impact on artists and music across all genres, but most notably the elevation of female artists in both R&B and Hip Hop across generations. She fully personifies the ”Best in Black” theme of this year’s Urban One Honors.”

Mary J. Blige joins previous honorees: Dionne Warwick received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Chlöe was recognized as the Generation Next honoree, Frankie Beverly was awarded the Living Legend distinction, and Donald Lawrence was celebrated for his inspirational influence. 

Angie Stone, Bebe Winans, October London, Teyana Taylor, Damon Little, Keke Wyatt, Chanté Moore and Nicci Gilbert are some of the performers and presenters at the event. Singer and actress LeToya Luckett will host the event’s Backstage Pass segment, where she will interview the honorees and stage talent. The 2024 Urban One Honors kicks off the celebration of TV One’s 20th anniversary. 

Mary J. Blige’s “You Bring Me Joy” is from her iconic 1994 sophomore album My Life. Sean Combs, Chucky Thompson, and Joel Hailey produced the song, which gets its musical base from a sample of Barry White’s “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me.” Blige’s ability to sing over White’s groove epitomized what her hip-hop soul crown stood for. Using a digitized piece of R&B history with Blige’s voice combined both genres and set up a blueprint that is still followed in 2024. Marcus Raboy, who had directed Blige’s videos for “Real Love” and “Reminisce,” returned for the “You Bring Me Joy” clip. Blige was filmed in a blue room with a posse of dancers that she joined in a routine on a shimmering floor. The song was the third single from My Life and another solid addition to the album that quickly became a survival totem for many of her fans.

In 1996, the My Life Remix EP was released with remixes of “Mary Jane,” “You Bring Me Joy,” “Be Happy,” “Be With You,” and “I Love You” with appearances from LL Cool J, MC Lyte, Lin Que, Smif-N-Wessun, Keith Murray and Lauryn Hill. The album was remastered and re-released in 2020 to mark its 25th anniversary. The new edition included remixes of “Mary Jane,” “I’m Goin’ Down,” “Be Happy,” “I Love You,” and a cover of Aretha Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” Amazon Prime Video released Mary J. Blige’s My Life documentary about the album in 2021. Blige recorded “When I Can’t Do Better” for The Color Purple album of music inspired by the 2023 film. 

Watch Mary J. Blige bask in the sun on a yacht in her video for the single “Still Believe In Love” featuring rapper Vado. The song is on Blige’s new label, Beautiful Life Music, also home to the young all-male R&B group WanMor.  “Still Believe In Love” gets some of its groove from Mtume’s “C.O.D. (I’ll Deliver),” which is sampled by producers DJ Cassidy and Jeff “Gitty” Gitelman. The warm visual, co-directed by Blige and Eif Rivera, is a great antidote for the cold weather many are experiencing in parts of the world where the seasons are changing from Fall to pre-winter. The singer and actress is headlining the Honeyland Festival in Sugar Land, Texas, on November 12th.