Mary J. Blige Dismisses Super Bowl Halftime Haters: "That's A Small Conversation"

BY Erika Marie 8.0K Views
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Mary J. Blige
According to Blige, the magnitude of the performance outshines any negativity or complaints from people upset about Rap & R&B artists.

It has gone down in Super Bowl history as one of the most celebrated halftime performances to date, but not everyone was excited about seeing Hip Hop & R&B take to the stage. Over the weekend, history was made when Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamarand Mary J. Blige came together to celebrate all things West Coast. The ode to Compton continues to trend across the internet, but the praise came with complaints from people who weren't impressed.

Some were upset that Eminem was the only white person in the show and others were furious to see Rap being applauded, and in an interview with Hot 97, Mary J. Blige dismissed the naysayers. 

Kevin C. Cox / Staff / Getty Images

Ebro Darden spoke with Blige about a select group of people thinking the performance was "too raunchy." He asked if she had paid any attention to the commentary and she told him she had not.

"That’s a small conversation compared to how huge that is. Like, Hip Hop is here. It’s more than just a small thing," said Blige. "It’s just as big as Rock 'n' Roll right now. I don’t pay attention to all of that... Someone looked at us...well, somebody looked at Dre and said, ‘We need you,' and Dre looked at me and said, ‘I want you,' and so on and so forth with all his friends. So, I really don’t care about it.”

This was an opportunity of a lifetime and Blige isn't letting anyone steal her shine. Check out her interview below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.