It is that time of year again when Time Magazine releases their list of the 100 most influential people of the year, and like always there are some heavy hitters that are not only serving influence but also Black excellence as they continue to dominate their fields.
Each year, the list of influential people is broken down into categories, which include artists, innovators, titans, leaders, icons, and pioneers. Each person is also spoken about by their peers as they are given their flowers as they continue to unleash new levels of influence amongst the masses.
In the icon category is none other than the Queen of Hip-Hop/ Soul, Mary J. Blige, who is also fresh off from being honored with the Icon Award at this year’s Billboard Music Awards.
Nas penned a sweet message as he spoke about Mary’s icon status. He said,
“Mary came up the way we all did. She was a voice for us, but she wasn’t like other R&B artists at the time. She became a household name early because she was a hip-hop artist who also sang. The industry needed someone like that. The streets wanted that. Pop culture wanted that. And she was the one for it because she wasn’t made up. She was the girl around the way with the big earrings. She was like a spokesperson for a particular type of girl coming out of New York and coming out of the streets.”
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Also in the icon category is Issa Rae, who wrapped up her record-breaking HBO series “Insecure,” last December. She was honored by her “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” collaborator Robin Thede, who said,
“Issa is not only a prolific writer, a captivating actor and comedian, a profound leader, an efficacious producer, and a music mogul in the making (pauses to take a breath)—she’s also a consistently hilarious and loyal friend. For those of us lucky enough to know her, Issa is everything you want a person to be: kind, funny, down to earth.”
Actress/ singer Amber Riley spoke about Jazmine Sullivan, who is listed as one of this year’s most influential artists, and said,
“Sullivan has a lyrical vulnerability that makes you think she has been reading your journal. She is so deserving of her most recent Grammy win, along with acclaim and other accolades that have been an honor to witness. But the most exciting part of her recent career journey has been that Sullivan has allowed us to share in her journey to self-love, removing herself from the shadows of fear as we can clearly see in her 2021 album Heaux Tales.”
Also listed in the artists’ category is Quinta Brunson, who is the creator, writer, and star of the ABC hit series “Abbott Elementary.” She was honored by LeBron James who said,
“Quinta Brunson is more than a writer, producer, actor, and comedian. She’s a student and a master of her craft. A game-changer in network television. Smart and funny as hell, in that order. She’s a Swiss Army knife that can—and does—do it all.”
Other names to make this year’s list include Zendaya, Oprah Winfrey, Zoë Kravitz, Mia Mottley, Kentaji Brown Jackson, Candace Parker, Questlove, and many others.
Check out the full list here.
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TSR STAFF: Jade Ashley @Jade_Ashley94
