by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 3, 2023

Chaka Khan Shares Scorches Adele, Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige in Podcast Interview

On a podcast episode of Los Angeles Magazine‘s The Originials, legendary soul singer Chaka Khan had some spicy words for several of the top singers on Rolling Stone‘s “The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time” list.

While speaking to the host, Andrew Goldman, Khan, whose hits range from “I’m Every Woman” to “I Feel For You,” learned Rolling Stone had placed her at number 29 on its list.

“I didn’t even know what the hell you were talking about, so obviously this don’t mean a great deal to me,” she responded. “These people don’t quantify or validate me in any way,.”

However, she asked who else was on the list and at what position.

When discovering that the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, came in at the top spot, she replied, “As she f**king should be!” But when finding out that Mariah Carey was number five, the shade was immediate: “That must be payola or some sh*t like that.”

When folk legend Joan Baez came up on the list at #189, the soon-to-be 70-year-old R&B legend gave her a backhanded compliment: “Let’s be honest, the b**** cannot sing. Now, she was a good writer.” And with Adele sliding in at number 22, she exclaimed, “OK, I quit.”

Khan saved her best venom for Mary J. Blige. She has allegedly dissed Blige in the past when she was said to have introduced the legendary 1975 Rufus ballad, “Sweet Thing,” as “the song Mary J. Blige f**ked up.” Blige covered the song for her 1992 debut album, What’s the 411?

When hearing that Blige was ahead her at number 25, she dissed the editors at Rolling Stone: “They are blind as a motherf**king bat! They need hearing aids…These must be the children of Helen Keller!”


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