A divas’ war has broken out over Rolling Stone’s latest list of the world’s best singers.
In a new interview, music diva Chaka Khan slammed the magazine’s editors as “blind bitches” who “need hearing aids” after they ranked her 29th on a list of “The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time,” below Adele and Mary J. Blige.
Khan lamented the rankings in a passionate conversation with Andrew Goldman on his “The Originals” podcast for Los Angeles Magazine, saying, “These are blind bitches! They’re as deaf as a mother-king bat! They require hearing aids… They must be Helen Keller’s children!”
Throughout the conversation, she slammed Mariah Carey, Joan Baez, and others while praising Beyoncé and Aretha Franklin.
When asked about Carey’s ranking, Khan said, “That must be payola or some s-t like that.”
When Goldman inquired about Adele’s ranking of 22, Khan simply threw up her hands and said, “Fine, I quit.”
The “Ain’t Nobody” singer also had harsh words for folkie Joan Baez, who came in at No. 189 on the list. “Let’s be honest, the girl can’t sing!” she exclaimed, adding, “But she’s a brilliant writer!”
Yet, in her opinion, Khan also gave credit where credit was due. “As she f-king should be,” Khan said of the late great Aretha Franklin, who topped the list at No. 1. Thank you that justice exists somewhere!”
The singer was equally pleased with Whitney Houston’s second-place finish, stating, “Fantastic… I introduced her to [music magnate] Clive [Davis].”
“I also introduced her to the company,” she continued. “I forced her mother to bring her down to the studio and sing background vocals with me. Luther Vandross and her. “They both sang background on my records,” she explained.
As far as Beyoncé at No. 8? “I’m not going to say anything about Beyoncé. She’s a fantastic singer… She’s got the skills. “She does,” Khan explained.
Yet, she admitted, she’d never heard of the Rolling Stone list until the interview.
“I have no idea what the hell you were talking about, so obviously this doesn’t mean much to me,” she said Goldman. “These folks in no way quantify or validate me,” she concluded.
