Mary J. Blige welcomed a royal guest during her performance on Day 2 of the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas. Four songs into her set, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul stopped short of playing Chaka Khan’s “Sweet Thing” to introduce Prince.

“I got a real good friend in the building,” said Mary to roaring applause. “He’s one of the most amazing artists to ever walk the earth.”

The pop icon didn’t say a word, sporting gold glasses, yellow bellbottoms, and an afro as he took the stage. He picked up his guitar and helped Mary and her band finish their Chaka Khan cover.

They also dueted on his song, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” as an astonished Mary looked on.

“I know you have to be very particular about who you be messing with,” she said before bowing to her legendary friend.

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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!

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.’”

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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.

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