Rap-Up.com || Mary J. Blige: Burger King Backlash ‘Broke My Heart’

Mary J. Blige was ridiculed and criticized when her commercial for Burger King went viral. But while others were having a laugh at her expense, she was quietly dealing with the fallout. Now the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul reveals how the backlash “crushed” her, while making her realize who her true friends were.

In the commercial, Mary sings a jingle about the fast food chain’s new crispy chicken snack wraps. But when it hit the net earlier this year, the ad was heavily panned and even labeled racist by some.

During an interview with Angie Martinez, she explained why she took so long to address it. “I felt there was no need for me to say anything because everyone was running with it and crucifying me,” she said. “So I just pulled back and I watched everyone and everything. It’s just something that I thought would have been great for my brand.”

The 41-year-old singer went online looking for her remix to Fat Joe’s “Another Round,” and ended up discovering the video. “It just broke my heart. People were going crazy,” shared Mary. “What this did, it exposed everyone and everything that was in my life.”

She was surprised and embarrassed when she saw the final edit. “I wanted to crawl under the bed,” she said. “It was a mistake, but I did it because I thought it was something that wouldn’t come out like that. It was sold to us that I would be shot in an iconic way. I was looking for someone to have mercy, but no one had mercy. It was a learning experience. It hurt my feelings. It crushed me for like two days.”

The painful experience made her realize who her true friends were. “All those fair-weather friends that were online popping junk… That’s the kind of stuff that hurt my feelings so bad.”

She offered a heartfelt apology to those who may have been offended. “I want to apologize to everyone that was offended or thought that I would do something so disrespectful to our culture. I would never do anything like that purposely. I thought I was doing something right, so forgive me.”

While there were reports that she earned $2 million for the campaign, she insists that was not the case. “It was about a branding opportunity,” explained Mary, who was offered over $2 million to be a Proactiv spokesperson, but turned it down because she didn’t personally use the brand.

Her childhood dream was to be in a Burger King or McDonald’s commercial. “At the end of the day, it’s something I always wanted to do and dreamed about and that’s why I did it.”

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52 Comments

LOL
June 28th, 2012 at 6:05 am
She is full of crap with that response. She knew better.

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MinajRules2012 Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 6:18 am
@LOL, Mary needs to STFU and get over it. She did it for the money, because this album flopped and she needed to get some money somehow so she stooped so low as to do this ghetto commercial. Blame nobody but yourself. Has been!!!

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NET Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 6:20 am
@MinajRules2012, How did it flopped when it’s the best selling R&B album of the year bitch ? You should shut the fuck up and go listen to electro shit before i cut you with your flopping ass Minaj gimmicky bitch. Her carreer is over after 2 albums now THAT’s funny !

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MjbDaMvp Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 6:22 am
@MinajRules2012, Bitch have a stadium seat ML2 is a gold album and unlike Ricky Garbage she doesnt need to have her album shipped platinum to feel successful

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MinajRules2012 Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 6:34 am
@MjbDaMvp, And what Brand??? She has a Brand? I have yet to see a brand from her. She sounds like a screetching cat when she sings. Lord PLEASE dont let her even attempt at the National Anthem again. What a trainwreck. And as for Queen Minaj, PFRR was #1 in 8 countries. What about your fave?

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theTRUFF Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 7:28 am
@MinajRules2012, Now you just KNOW you need to shut the fuck up with that SELL OUT bitch YOU stan for!! NEEEEXXXTTT!!!!

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Diego Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 7:23 am
@MinajRules2012, See u off ya meds again lmao crazy ass

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theTRUFF Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 7:29 am
@MinajRules2012, now you just KNOW you need to stfu with that copying SELLOUT bitch YOU stan for!! NNEEEXXXTTT!!!!

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KARMA Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
@MinajRules2012 I am so sick and tired of your hating ass Don’t you ever in your bomb ass unemployed life say shit about my cousin Mary J blige you are just mad because you can’t be like her. She has been threw alot and I thank God that she is still her standing she will keep beening successful and doing BIGGER and BETTER THINGS!! It was her dream to work with Burger or Mcdonalds and HIV people like you was hating on her now GO TO HELLLL AND DIED BITCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH because KARMA IS A BITCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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KARMA Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 10:05 pm
@MinajRules2012, AND YES BITCH I MISS SPELL TOO BUT I STILL HAVE A DEGREE HOE I was typing to fast JUST REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR HIV HAVING MOUTH CLOSE BEFORE KARMA GET YOU BOMB BITCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

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theTRUFF Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 7:27 am
@LOL, BITCH PLEASE

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MinajRulesSUXDIK Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 6:43 pm
FUCK ALL YOU HATERS ! SUCK A DICK !!

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Mimi
June 28th, 2012 at 6:12 am
And you’re a bitter bitch posting on a site about a woman who can buy and sell your low rent ass. Ho sit.

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MinajRules2012
June 28th, 2012 at 6:21 am
Man I’m laughing so hard at this interview. Mary is so wack now. This made her looks worse by even responding to this. Well she says she saw who her true friends were. I think she’s referring to all the people who clowned her on Twitter for doing this MESS!!!! Mary go raise your stepkids because at this age you cant have your own kids, your eggs are powder.

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NET Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 9:47 am
@MinajRules2012, And your bitch can’t sell album and it’s only her second. Can’t wait till she’s 20 years deep in the business to see if she can still push units without hits like MJB Queen of R&B herself

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ROSEWorld Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 11:58 am
@MinajRules2012, YYEEESSS for the just add water eggs! lmfaooo

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Diego Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 12:15 pm
@MinajRules2012, u really need to take ya meds and stay way way away from a computer with ya bulshit but haters like u are gonna give Mary fuel to kill that next album

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AJ Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
@MinajRules2012, naw come i love Mary and like Nicki. These ladies are talented and making that money. People its okay not everyone is a Mary fan and for every non fan there are 10 fans. Mary got our support …. “Dont Mind”

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Romeo
June 28th, 2012 at 6:23 am
No matter what MJB killed it in that commercial! lmao

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AJ
June 28th, 2012 at 7:08 am
lol when she says “friends poppin junk” she talking about when Lil Kim poked fun at it on her twitter.

Mary needs to cry a river, build a sturdy bridge, & GET OVER IT!

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AJ Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 3:31 pm
@AJ, Lil kim poked fun at her.. Please if someone poked her she would bust…. Mary still the queen

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AJ
June 28th, 2012 at 7:10 am
I have always loved Mary and when I saw the commercial i immediatley got up and started dancing because I love “Dont Mind” which is where the beat for the commercial was from. Mary j could sing about spiral notebooks and pens i would buy. Now i am mad that people hurt her feelings. Now i am ready for war nobody hurts my Mary’s feelings. Who ever did it and talked about just remember she is and will be always be the queen of Hip Hop and R&b. Gotta a problem hit me on twitter at @ajake1700. I got your back Mary.

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Dante
June 28th, 2012 at 7:13 am
Crispy chicken, Fresh lettuce, Three cheeses, Ranch dressin! wrapped in ah tasty flour tortilla! #AYE

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theTRUFF Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 7:31 am
@Dante, taco bell eating hoe

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Ninja
June 28th, 2012 at 7:15 am
It wasn’t even that bad -_-

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Ice Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 8:41 am
@Ninja, I liked it

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TJ
June 28th, 2012 at 7:19 am
I’m still trying to understand what she thought the video was going to be though. I mean she read the lyrics, she sang the lyrics, they filmed her there singing it. What exactly was she thinking it was going to be?

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theTRUFF Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 7:31 am
@TJ, yo momma

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TJ Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 1:13 pm
@theTRUFF, Lol, how mature.

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really
June 28th, 2012 at 8:00 am
Get over it Mary. Rihanna and others deal with shit from the media and bloggers every day.

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marcus
June 28th, 2012 at 8:27 am
boo this BITCH owns two house worth 12 milli each in Jersey… And they are PAID for…She didnt need the money…

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liz
June 28th, 2012 at 8:35 am
i just watched it. what’s the big deal? this was the big offensive thing? this just seems like a flimsy thing for people who are already hating her to pick at. aren’t there way more important things happening in the world to be upset about?shit. i liked it, but then again i like mary :)

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Ja'son P Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 8:37 am
@liz, Word I wasn’t offended and it not offensive at all.

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Ja'son P
June 28th, 2012 at 8:35 am
I believe her , and the people at burger king did her DIRTY. EVERYBODY should be mad at the people who made it. The commercial was still funny and old now so i say whatever.

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Cr00ks94
June 28th, 2012 at 9:35 am
I don’t see anything wrong with the advertisement at all…
Anyone regardless of race can like chicken, only the people who categorized it as being “racist” have some sort of racism lingering in their mind.

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Morgan
June 28th, 2012 at 9:36 am
Oh Lord! Morgan, that minstrel show of yours broke MY heart!

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Morgan Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 10:31 am
@Morgan, *Mary , I mean…

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Morgan
June 28th, 2012 at 9:38 am
I imagine the slaves and protesters of the Civil Rights era who’ve passed on would have been very proud of your display, Mary. Ay dios mio.

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Rellz
June 28th, 2012 at 9:40 am
ppl need to get the fuck over it…..it was a commercial it was funny and ppl r too sensitive

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Ramon
June 28th, 2012 at 10:23 am
Did this bitch just say “crucifying?”

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aks a question lmaooo
June 28th, 2012 at 10:58 am
What’s the problem? I thought y’all love fried chicken? I don’t get it…

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Triniti
June 28th, 2012 at 11:37 am
Charity begins at home. No surprise Mary would engage in such coonery. Shame, really. I was ridin’ with her old ass until this come up.

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DJ Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 2:06 pm
@Triniti, how bout you jump off the nearest bridge. Mary is fine. You’re the fareweather people she was talking about.. #LAME

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Triniti Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 3:49 pm
@DJ, First of all, the word is FAIRWEATHER. And I’ve never been a huge MJB fan..I’ve just TOLERATED her. Jump off first and I’ll kindly join you :)

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Soaring
June 28th, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Honestly it wasn’t a big ****ing deal. It was a COMMECIAL. So many of y’all are worried about the wrong things. The world is the devil’s playground.

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Soaring Reply:
June 28th, 2012 at 2:19 pm
@Soaring, COMMERCIAL**

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Jay-Me
June 28th, 2012 at 3:17 pm
I thought she was gonna say “I was hurt for two days, I got that check”

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TheDreamer
June 28th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
People were being so mean about the commercial, I didn’t even think it was that bad.

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MinajRulesSUXDIK
June 28th, 2012 at 6:46 pm
QUEEN MARY .. KILLYOURSELVESHATERS .. QUEEN MARY .. KILLYOURSELVESHATERS .. QUEEN MARY .. KILLYOURSELVESHATERS .. QUEEN MARY .. KILLYOURSELVESHATERS .. QUEEN MARY .. KILLYOURSELVESHATERS .. QUEEN MARY .. KILLYOURSELVESHATERS .. QUEEN MARY .. KILLYOURSELVESHATERS .. QUEEN MARY .. KILLYOURSELVESHATERS .. QUEEN MARY .. KILLYOURSELVESHATERS ..

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BadSvengali
June 28th, 2012 at 11:36 pm
it’s quite ridiculous, the depth of which some dumb ass people look into something light hearted, if it was a white person speaking there would be nothing to this.. but because Mary is BLACK, she is getting stick for it? at the end of the day it was a business opportunity that she has always wanted and she went for it, you’re calling her racist and disrespectful… remember Mary is a SPOKESPERSON for Viva Glam and its Aids Awareness. so what i liked the video it was nice, she has nothing to be sorry for, its you fools who have taken it into such depth where it needn’t be, its just a commercial its not like she stood in the Middle of New York City naked with a Burger King Sign over her grinding on a pole shouting “where da chicken at”. Get over yourselves are you getting a 2 Million Dollar paycheck from sitting here typing? NOPE but Mary did for her Commercial & will continue to everytime the Ad comes on televisions.

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Lisa
June 29th, 2012 at 5:08 am
I couldn’t help but laugh while reading this article. It is not that deep, Mary. It is not that deep, people. No one died. Let’s stop acting like a major tragedy has happened.

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sharon
September 29th, 2012 at 6:23 pm
No matter what anyone do you can never please everybody.It will always be someone out here to criticize you and try to use the race card. We should take a look in the mirror and say did she harm me. We are free to make our own choices. Mary please don’t take it to heart you are a beautiful person inside and out. So keep your head up and opening your heart to us.You have encouraged so many people to love and accept themselves. It is hard sometimes to hear negative comments but you have heard it before and put it beind you.Remember you are a survivor.

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