Chaka Khan is addressing some shade she recently threw toward other iconic singers and apologizing for feeding into the divisive drama between artists.

The legendary singer took to Instagram on Sunday to respond to the backlash she faced following her appearance on Los Angeles magazine’s The Originals podcast last week, where she dissed several other artists who were ranked higher than her on Rolling Stone’s “200 Greatest Singers of All Time” list.

“Recently, I was asked about a list of the ‘greatest singers of all time’ and instead of questioning the need for such a list, I was pitted against other artists and I took the bait,” Khan wrote in her post. “As artists, we are unfairly put into ‘boxes’, ‘categories’ or on ‘lists.’ Being an artist or musician is not a competition. It’s a gift, for which I am truly grateful.”

Khan continued, “It was not my intention to cause pain or upset anyone. To anyone that felt this way, I sincerely apologize. Thank you for all the love everyone has shown me, unconditionally. I have always been about empowering others and I started a foundation for that very purpose. I will be announcing soon.”

“Empowering all artists is most important because we truly are the architects of change…and change begins within the heart,” she continued. “I love you all and God bless.”

For the record, Khan came in at No. 29, well ahead of other legendary singers like Diana Ross (No. 87), Janis Joplin (No. 78), Tina Turner (No. 55) and Mick Jagger (No. 52). However, when she was informed of the rankings of several other artists, by podcast host Andrew Goldman, Khan didn’t hold back with her criticism.

“When told Mariah Carey landed at No. 5, Khan quipped, “That must be payola or some s**t like that.” When told Adele came in at No. 22, Khan was equally dismissive, simply saying, “OK, I quit.”

Khan also had some parting shots for Rolling Stone editors when she was informed Blige landed four spots ahead of her at No. 25. “They are blind as a motherf**king bat!” she shouted. “They need hearing aids … these must be the children of Helen Keller!”

She did, however, praise the decision to place Aretha Franklin at the No. 1 spot, saying that “justice” was served with that placement.

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