Mariah Carey to be honored at VH1 Hip Hop Honors 2017

Sept. 12 (UPI) -- Music superstar Mariah Carey will be honored at the 2017 VH1 Hip Hop Honors this month.

VH1 announced Monday that the VH1 Hip Hop Honors: The 90's Game Changers ceremony will celebrate Carey's many hip-hop collaborations.

"THIS is better than any sweet sweet FANTASY!" the network tweeted. "We're celebrating the LEGENDARY @MariahCarey at #HipHopHonors!"

VH1 News lauded Carey as a "trailblazer" and "game changer" who has sold more than 220 million records in her career. The star wrote or co-wrote all but one of her 18 No. 1 singles, including "Fantasy," "Always Be My Baby" and "Hero."

Carey has collaborated with hip-hop artists such as Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Diddy on songs like "Heartbreaker," "Say Somethin'" and "Honey." She discussed her love of the genre and her work with rap artists in a 2002 interview with Larry King Live.

"Well, first of all, I'm a fan of hip-hop music and I have been since I was a little kid," the singer said. "You know, hip-hop has been around for 20 years. It's just now that the masses are understanding, and it's becoming a worldwide thing."

"I love doing collaborations with different rap artists, because it's, you know, an art form that I really enjoy, that I grew up, you know, loving. And I think it's been really cool for me to be able to cross boundaries."

The 2017 VH1 Hip Hop Honors will air Monday, Sept. 18. Scary Movie and Girls Trip star Regina Hall will host the event, with Missy Elliott to perform.