Mary J. Blige has been commended by Diddy for “forever” transforming the music industry.
Mary and Puff conducted a joint interview with PEOPLE last week in which they discussed their close friendship and praised each other’s professional achievements. As he praised the artist for all she has contributed to the music industry, Diddy made it clear that he would not hog the limelight.
“Mary J. Blige is one of the greatest storytellers in R&B history,” Diddy told PEOPLE. “She created a lane for women around the world to speak their truth to power, so nobody deserves this success more than her.”
He added: “More than being my sister and my best friend, she will forever be a pioneer and the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, who remains an unstoppable force that can accomplish anything she sets her mind to.”
Early in the 1990s, Mary J. Blige was signed to Uptown Records by Diddy, who also worked on her first two albums, What’s the 411? and My Life. Her debut album, which has sold over 3.4 million copies and is triple platinum, peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart.
The sophomore album by Blige, which many people regard to be her breakthrough work, reached at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. It is triple platinum certified and garnered a Grammy nomination in 1996 for Best R&B Album.
In other parts of their chat with PEOPLE, Blige claimed that Diddy had taught her the value of ambition and served as her strongest supporter, encouraging her in everything she did.
