Mary J. Blige is back and ready to take over the music industry again with her new single, "Whole Damn Year." To promote it and debut it to the world, the Queen stopped by Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club.

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While she was in the studio, she talked about everything from the golden era of Bad Boy to her new label and everything in between. She was extremely candid and honest with Angela Yee, Charlamagne tha God and DJ Envy, reminding the world why they fell in love with Mary J. in the first place.

Here are 23 Things We Learned from Mary J. Blige's interview on "The Breakfast Club":

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1. Mary debuted her new single, “Whole Damn Year” on Power 105.1. The single was written by singer/songwriter Emili Sande. (Listen to it here!)


2. The name of her album is called “The London Sessions” because the success of her record, “Disclosure.” It did well in the UK and then started to spread to the US, with the same positive response. She and her team of talented producers and writers (from UK imports Sam Smith, Emili Sande, Naughty Boy) continued to record with the same idea in mind. A documentary was filmed as well and will come out soon.


3. She signed to a new label, Capitol Records.


4. She’s sick of being trapped in the box of R&B and Hip Hop. On her new project, she works with a more mature sound inspired by house music.


5. Her debut album “What’s the 411?” came out in ’92. She never imagined her career would span over two decades.


6. The younger singers who follow in her footsteps, like K. Michelle and Keyshia Cole, often thank her for paving the way for them in the industry. In her words, “They stand on her shoulders.”


7. She is a huge fan of SWV and is fond of male singers like Miguel and Sam Smith for trying to bring love back in to R&B music.


8. Because she’s always been the Queen of Hip Hop Soul, she is a huge fan of Bobby Shmurda, adding that the feeling of the song reminded her of the old days of rap. Plus, Charlamagne added that the Shmoney Dance is just the newer version of what she and Diddy used to do.


9. “My career would’ve been over if social media was around,” joked Blige. Though it was obvious that she was completely serious, as she recalled that she and her crew used to get banned from different venues.


10. She’s thinking about writing a book.


11. When Dame Dash asked her to sing on Jay Z’s prophetical track, “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” she immediately jumped at the chance because “He was dope, then!” She also knew that he was special.


12. Mary was around when Kim and Faith were both dating Biggie, but she never chose sides and loved them equally before things got too insane.


13. Diddy is still “family” to her, but she did admit she was hurt when he signed Faith to Bad Boy. Later, she realized that it was all business and said “If [she] was him, she would’ve made another Mary J. Blige, too.”


14. Drake is her favorite rapper of this generation.


15. She credits Anita Baker, Teena Marie, Chaka Khan and Aretha Franklin for inspiring her to sing.


16. She loves the President and the First Lady dearly and was overwhelmed when she met them for the first time. Now, they ask her to come back and perform at the White House often.


17. She is still completely mortified whenever someone mentions the Burger King “Fried Chicken Wrap” fiasco commercial. But, she did want to sell the song because people thought the music was catchy.


18. Kendu, her husband, is also her manager. She struggles to turn off the business side of their relationship but told the team, “We knew what it was… We are in it, now.”


19. For the first time in a while, Mary enjoys recording music and being back in the studio. She feels liberated.


20. Sometimes, she finds herself trying to fit in with current trends like this generation’s strip club fascination. One of her videos, “Mr. Wrong”, was shot in a club and had strippers in it. After she doubted the decision and remembered, “I’m Mary J. Blige, I don’t have to do that.


21. “Not Gon’ Cry,” “No More Drama,” “Take Me As I Am” and “Love No Limit” are Blige’s most emotional songs to perform.


22. And no, she never gets tired of doing the “Mary- Bop.”


23. Call her “The Queen” and not “The Queen of Hip Hop Soul.” No boxes, people.

Watch the full interview, below:

Tags
Mary J. Blige, The Breakfast Club