Mary J. Blige has revealed how she chooses acts for her annual festival.
The No More Drama hitmaker will be bringing her annual Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit to her native New York City this year.
The festival, which will take place between 10 and 12 May to coincide with Mother's Day in the U.S., will feature a star-studded line-up including 50 Cent, Tiffany Haddish, Angie Martinez, Fat Joe and more.
In a new interview with People, Mary revealed how she chooses the acts for the annual event.
"I mean, it's just so many people that I wanted, but for the last two festivals, I got everybody I wanted," the 53-year-old said. "I got Chaka Khan, one of my favourite artists. I got just a lot of amazing people that I wanted."
Mary continued, "It's hard because it's about availability for people, and a lot of people I love and respect. I love and respect 50 Cent. I love and respect Muni Long. I love and respect Fat Joe. I love and respect everybody that's on the show. From the concert to the comedy night, I love Robert Glasper. These are people that I love and respect, and that's how I choose them."
The event, which was launched in 2022, is the only festival presented by an all-Black, all-female team.
Elsewhere in the interview, the Family Affair hitmaker shared that holding the festival in her home city "means so much".
"It means so much to bring it home because this is where I wanted it to be originally, but we ended up in Atlanta for two years, and it was successful," she told the outlet. "I love Atlanta. Atlanta's home too, but it just feels amazing to have it at home where I was born and raised. All my family and friends are here, and it feels amazing."
