Mary J. BligeMary J. Blige has come a long way baby!

And she has every reason to rejoice about it.

From her humble beginnings as a back up singer for one-hit wonder rap acts -- like Father MC -- to abusive relationships with men and a not so secret battle with substance abuse, The Queen of Hip Hop Soul has continued to reign supreme and become one of the most enduring forces in black music.

In celebration of her near 20 year career in the limelight, Essence and Lincoln celebrated the 39-year singer during its inaugural "Black Women in Music:" event, a star-studded fete at Hollywood's Sunset Towers on Jan. 27.

Fellow vocal powerhouses such as Kelly Price, Lalah Hathaway, Ledisi and Ann Nesby joined the likes of record label executives Sylvia Rhone, Antonio "L.A." Reid and Jimmy Iovine, Academy Award nominated actress Taraji P. Henson and rapper Ludacris, to fete the trend-setting diva.

"I feel so great, so blessed, so honored," Blige told BV Newswire while working the red carpet for the event. "You know what it is."

She, herself, was shocked when we brought up her record-holding history with Essence: In the magazine's 40 year history, Mary J. Blige has appeared on its cover 10 times -- more than anyone else.

"From day one that I walked into the music business, Essence has been there and they've supported me and they kept me in the light," she shared. "When I thought I was in the dark, Essence showed me that there was light. All the women showed me that I could pick my back up and speak like a woman of intelligence and elegance and a proud black woman. Essence gave me confidence when I had none. Essence gave me a cover when no one wanted to bother with me at all."
Michelle Ebanks, (pictured right) the president of Essence Communications, paid a poised homage to Blige during the ceremony, which also included an expertly-produced video package featuring luminaries such as Maya Angelou and Russell Simmons extolling the virtues of the nine-time Grammy Award winner.

"We are excited to pay tribute to Mary J. Blige ... who absolutely delights us with her creative gifts, and continues to inspire us through her extraordinary work as a businesswoman and humanitarian," Ebanks said.

With eight multi-platinum records, and over 40 million albums sold, Blige's range as an entertainer also includes star turns as an actress --most recently in he movie 'Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself,' and the TV shows '30 Rock,' 'The Ghost Whisperer' and 'Entourage.' As an entrepreneur, the Yonkers, New York native is the co-owner of the successful beauty line, Carol's Daughter, and manages her own music, TV and film company, Matriarch Entertainment.

With a sunglasses and fragrance line in the works, Blige has even left an indelible mark on the advertising world with successful campaigns for Dark & Lovely, General Motors, Apple and AT&T.

Having Lincoln, which is also sponsoring upcoming Essence events, in the mix could lead to more of Mary J. in the marketplace.

"Music has always played a key role in how we've worked to increase awareness of the Lincoln brand within the urban market," Lincoln's Multicultural Marketing manager Crystal Worthem (pictured left with Blige) said. "To be a part of event that allowed us to further this strategy and to do so tied to an event honoring a musical artist of Mary J. Blige's status is incredible."

In addition to her creative and business ventures, Blige is dedicated to giving back through her non-profit organization FFAWN (Foundation For The Advancement Of Women Now), which is dedicated to inspiring women from all walks of life to gain the confidence and skills they need to reach their fullest potential.

"It means something to know that no matter what, I have never sold anyone perfection," Blige said of herself. "I have only been an imperfect person trying to make it in an imperfect world, trying to be better than I was yesterday."

She has succeeded doing that by many leaps and bounds.

And here's to hoping she continues to do so.