Mary J. Blige and D’Angelo are bringing their soulful sounds to a city near you. The R&B icons have joined forces for their co-headlining “Liberation” tour, with special guest Melanie Fiona. Rap-Up.com is giving eight lucky readers the chance to see this once-in-a-lifetime event. Enter to win tickets below!

Read the rest of this entry »

Nas stopped by “106 & Park” to celebrate the release of his 10th album Life Is Good on Tuesday. Dressed in all white, the hip-hop icon spoke about his critically-acclaimed new project, dream collaborations (Prince, Sade), favorite female rappers, and Lauryn Hill’s recent tax troubles. He also hit the stage to perform new music including “Summer on Smash” with special guests Miguel and Swizz Beatz.

Nicki Minaj called into the show to congratulate Nas, who she kissed in her video for “Right By My Side.” “To be such a superstar and such an icon, he was so humble,” recalled the “Starships” rapper. “I didn’t really expect that from him. He was the most humble person on the set and it just took my respect for him to another level.”

He also received a surprise call from Mary J. Blige, who appears on “Reach Out” on Life Is Good. “Thank you so much for being so consistent and loving us so much that you would take care of us the way you have, through your lyrics, through your videos. You are the truth,” said Mary, whose favorite Nas song is “One Love.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Mary J. Blige and D’Angelo are bringing their soulful sounds to a city near you. The R&B veterans have announced the first dates for their co-headlining “Liberation” tour.

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

Maybach Music meets the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul on the MMG remix to Mary J. Blige’s single “Why” featuring Rick Ross, Wale, Stalley, and Meek Mill.

Read the rest of this entry »

Mary J. Blige brightened up the set of “106 & Park” with her appearance on Monday. Wearing a yellow blazer, cheetah-print top, and cat-eye glasses, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul introduced Starshell, a singer-songwriter signed to her label Matriarch Records.

Starshell, who co-wrote “Love Lockdown” with Kanye West, met Mary through a producer who knew Mary’s husband Kendu. “She’s honest about who she is,” the R&B veteran said of her protégée. “She’s not trying to be something she’s not. She’s just a good person and her work drive and her work ethic is crazy. What really made me want to sign her is her work ethic. It was a blessing to find someone that was willing to work that hard.”

A strong work ethic is something they share in common. “Mary has been in the game for so long and she’s just the queen of what she does,” said Starshell, who premiered the video for her single “Birthday Girl.” “She’s the realest person you’ll ever meet and she works really hard.”

On the three-year anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death, Mary recalled having a crush on a young MJ. “I wanted to marry him when we were kids,” she gushed. “When I saw him in ‘Billie Jean,’ I was like, ‘I’ve got to find him.’”

Read the rest of this entry »

Mary J. Blige was beaming in black at the star-studded premiere of Rock of Ages at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Friday. The singer-turned-actress, who donned a tight black dress and Jesus piece, reunited on the red carpet with her co-stars including Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Julianne Hough.

Mary plays a gentleman’s club owner named Justice in the musical, covering ’80s hits such as Journey’s “Any Way You Want It.” She researched for the role by visiting strip clubs.

“When I got there, the women are so sincere and they’re running [over] and they’re like, ‘We love you, we love your music. You saved my life,’” said the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. “I’m sitting there talking to them all night and the guys are waiting to get dances and they’re talking to me.”

Catch MJB on the big screen when Rock of Ages hits theaters on June 15.

Read the rest of this entry »

The talk turned to stripping when Mary J. Blige appeared on “Chelsea Lately” earlier this week. The R&B powerhouse, who plays a gentleman’s club owner named Justice in the ’80s musical Rock of Ages, spoke with the comedienne about starring alongside Tom Cruise and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the film and visiting a strip club to research her role. Chelsea even had Mary squirming when she asked if she had stripped before. Find out the answer.

Read the rest of this entry »