Mary J. Blige now holds the key to Atlantic City, New Jersey. Mayor Marty Small Sr. presented the nine-time Grammy winner with the honor during the official after-party for the “Together We Rise” gala on Saturday.
According to The Press of Atlantic City, the inaugural gala proceeds will benefit the Greater Atlantic City Youth Association, a nonprofit organization that supports the city’s youth program. Blige was named the host of the post-gala celebration last month. On Saturday, the singer-songwriter attended the event at the Harrah’s Resort, accepting the key onstage with the mayor.
In a video shared on Instagram, Small can be heard saying, “As mayor of the great city of Atlantic City, I saw that Atlanta gave you a day.” He referred to Blige’s Strength of a Woman Festival, which took place last month. He handed the singer a plaque and said, “I’m presenting you with a key to the city.” The video then cuts to the two of them dancing offstage to her hit song “I Can Love You.”
The key is the latest in a string of honors and accolades for the 51-year-old artist. Last month, Janet Jackson presented her with the Icon Award at the 2022 Billboard awards. Upon accepting the coveted award, Blige said, “What an icon means to me is overcoming obstacles to accomplish the unthinkable and be widely admired for having influence over a multitude of people, and that is what I’ve always represented.”
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