Watch Rihanna give a speech honoring Mary J. Blige at the BET Awards

“Mary J. Blige, you have set the bar for relatable, classic, timeless music,” said Rihanna.

June 24, 2019
Watch Rihanna give a speech honoring Mary J. Blige at the BET Awards Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images / Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for BET

Mary J. Blige received BET’s Lifetime Achievement award at this year’s BET Awards, and, in honour of the momentous occasion, Rihanna gave a speech thanking Blige for her contribution to music and film for women in the music industry.

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“She changed the game with her unique sound and that Mary J look,” Rihanna told the audience at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theatre. “Mary J. Blige, you have set the bar for relatable, classic, timeless music … and on behalf of all the women who came after you, like myself, thank you for being you.”

Watch Rihanna give her full speech here; see all the BET Awards performances and all the winners here.

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Watch Rihanna give a speech honoring Mary J. Blige at the BET Awards