This Thursday, TIME Magazine dropped its annual list of who they consider to be the most influential people in the world right now and some of our favorites made the 2023 roundup.
This year Doja Cat, made the list alongside other A-list entertainers like Beyoncé, Steve Lacy, Angela Bassett, Michael B Jordan, and more. Each artist had a friend and/or collaborator write something sweet about why they made the list.
Elvis director Baz Luhrmann spoke about Doja Cat, who contributed to the 2022 movie’s soundtrack. Baz said, “I’ve worked with all kinds of artists, but with a certain few you connect on a deeper level. For me, Doja Cat is one of those artists. She’s at the top because she works to bring everything she does to the highest possible level….She can’t be boxed in. She’s a rapper, a singer, a performance artist—she’s the canvas on which she expresses a character or an idea.”
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For Beyoncé, Honey Dijon, who worked with the queen on her iconic Renaissance album said, “From R&B to house, gospel to techno, hip-hop to vogue, Beyoncé wove a tapestry of music on Renaissance that celebrated all facets of Black music, including the immense contributions of the Black gay and queer community,” Honey Dijon said of Bey. “Then she became the most-decorated Grammy winner ever. Beyoncé’s fearlessness, talent, beauty, and artistry will continue to influence and inspire Black female artists for millennia.”
Tina Turner wrote about award-winning actress Angela Bassett, who portrayed her in the 1993 classic film, “What’s Love Got to Do with It”
“Someone’s going to play me in What’s Love Got to Do with It? I was a little bit skeptical when work began on the 1993 film. First of all, who are they going to find to sing, dance, and act like me? Then, I looked up, saw Angela, and immediately started to smile,” Turner gushed. “Angela, the first time we met, you didn’t look, sound, or move like me—that came later after you worked so hard to make it happen. But even then, I could see that the young woman standing before me had strength, determination, and big, big dreams, just like me.”
For the well-respected actor Michael B. Jordan, Ryan Coogler, who is not only his good friend but longtime business partner also said, “With this year’s Creed III, he took on a new role—feature-film director—and handled it with aplomb. I knew he would…The world sees the press tours, the interviews, and the edited behind-the-scenes footage, but I am deeply familiar with the reality,” Coogler wrote. “Marathon conversations with actors. Budget meetings when you realize cutting part of the story is the only way forward. Postproduction hours when your own mistakes laugh at you from the footage. It’s like climbing a mountain summit through enemy territory with your heart exposed.”
He added, “But I knew Mike had it in him,” he continued. “Because over that quarter-century of work, nothing was given to him. Everything was earned. And I strongly believe that his best work is still to come.”
Check out the full Time100 list here and let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!
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