Mary J. Blige won't let anyone ruin this for her

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Set us as preferred LAS VEGAS — The Strip is broiling on a recent afternoon, but it’s cool and dark inside Mary J.Blige’s dressing room at the Park MGM.As a humidifier moistens the dry desert air, the 55-year-old R&B star sits on a sofa wearing a brown jumpsuit and matching gaucho hat; through the walls we can hear Blige’s band sound-checking for her My Life, My Story residency, which launched in May and will pick up again Friday night for shows through Oct.

31.In some ways, Las Vegas is a funny fit for the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, who’s been transforming pain into music since her 1992 debut, “What’s the 411?” Yet her stay in this glittering showbiz mecca comes amid a season of flower-getting for Blige: Two years ago, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; two years before that, she played the Super Bowl halftime show and landed a nomination for album of the year at the Grammy Awards.“It definitely feels like people are taking notice of the fact that Mary J.Blige is one of the most important performers in R&B history,” she says.

“I opened up a lane that hasn’t been closed yet.Female after female after female after female continue to do what Mary J.

Blige has done and still does.”Who opened that lane with you?Back in the ’90s, when we first came out, it was myself and SWV that were really, really strong.Then there was 702, then Jazmine Sullivan and SZA and Beyoncé, and now right down to Summer Walker, who’s singing her truth.That’s how you define what you do.I’m not a great singer because I can sing better than everyone — I’m a great singer because I sing from my heart.

Bono gave me that jewel.When Hurricane Katrina happened, we were doing [U2’s] “One,” and Bono was like, “Don’t worry about singing on key — people aren’t moved by you singing on ke...