Mary J. Blige says she's "Hip Hop til the day I die," recalls being approached about appearing on Jay Z's "Can't Knock The Hustle."

As an artist who says she’s “Hip Hop til the day I die,” Yonkers, New York songstress Mary J. Blige was asked about rappers both past and present during a newly-released interview with The Breakfast Club.

While speaking on the new artists in Hip Hop, she applauded Bobby Shmurda and revealed that his “Hot Nigga” music video is needed for the younger generation.

Mary J. Blige then praised Canadian singer/rapper Drake when asked about the rappers who have sparked her attention. She went on to refer to the Young Money musician as “the best of his generation.”

“I like that Bobby [Shmurda],” Mary J. Blige said. “I saw the video too. I was like ‘Yes, the kids need this. They need to see that feeling.’ Like that reminds us of when we were growing up. That Bobby Shmurda…I listen to ‘Shook Ones’ radio on Pandora. I’m still Hip Hop til the day I die. I can’t help it. It’s in me. It’s in my DNA… Drake is one of the best of his generation. He just is to me.”

The singer later detailed how her “Can’t Knock The Hustle” collaboration with Jay Z on Reasonable Doubt came about. According to Blige, she was asked by Damon Dash about appearing on the song and says she “lost it” upon hearing the record.

“They asked,” she said. “Well, Damon Dash asked me to do it. And they played me the record in the studio and I was—I lost it. And I got on the record. He was dope then. And it was his first album. So, the record was already crazy. I just sang to it…I saw that he was something incredible and fresh and the tone of his voice was like ‘Wow, who is this kid?’ And look at him now. He knew, obviously.”

Blige was also asked if she received any backlash when her music began to take a more upbeat tone compared to her past records.

“Yeah, I won’t say everyone, but a lot of people would rather that I’d stay messed up and sad because that’s where they were,” the singer said. “But when you grow you’re gonna lose some people. And they’re either gonna follow you later or they’re not. And that’s the chance you gotta take as a leader…Life is not just one thing. It’s not sad. It’s not all happy all the time either.”

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