The 2008 debut of Missy Elliott’s Pennsylvanian protégé Jazmine Sullivan was indeed an introduction to some. But given her songwriting resume (see: Christina Milian, Monica, Jennifer Hudson) and already established Youtube following long before ‘Fearless’ hit shelves, by the time ‘Need U Bad’ blared from Urban radios, her unmistakable contralto was already a celebrity.

Showcasing a maturity in tone and technique far beyond her years, many would be forgiven for not knowing the ‘Bust Your Windows’ beauty was only 21 the year her debut LP arrived on record shelves. Heralded by many as the second-coming of Lauryn Hill, Sullivan’s soulful servings instantly gained her mainstream notoriety – some even christening her as R&B’s long-awaited messiah. Four hit R&B singles would follow ‘Fearless’ as it made an impressive top 10 debut. And, with Jazmine garnering an impressive 5 Grammy nods for the album, it appeared she was on her way to the same heights once held by Hill. Unfortunately, that trek to compeer Hill quickly turned uphill.

For, while her singles (that never made much noise on Pop charts anyway) were losing ground on home fronts, the singer was unceremoniously snubbed at the 2009 Grammy’s. This, of course, only furthering fears that the ‘Fearless’ follow-up would suffer a sophomore slump.

Enter ‘Love Me Back’ – ‘Fearless’ unsuccessful successor headed by R&B hit ‘Holding You Down (Goin’ In Circles)’. And, though marginally besting the first week sales of her first album, ‘Love Me Back’ wasn’t getting much love from record buyers. Consequently, many believe, leading the soulful songstress to ‘retire’ from the industry indefinitely.

That Grape Juice wants to know – what is the problem? Clearly one of this generation’s leading talents, the promo from her introductory hype alone helped float her first album sales. Albeit very deserved, could the lack of such her second-go-round have played a role in its successor’s sink? Lack of singles? Bad videos? Some may even argue weight gain, but the successes of the Adeles of the world could counter that argument.

Or, regardless of Jazmine’s mega-talent, was the material from ‘Love Me Back’ too dated and unappealing to garner mainstream success?

You tell us. Product vs. Promotion? What’s Jazmine Sullivan’s shortcoming?

Your thoughts?

For years, the debate surrounding light skin and dark skin has raged on in many a spectrum – not least Popular music.

While the musical landscape boasts a multi-ethnic presence, some maintain a stance that success in Pop is unevenly orientated towards acts with fairer complexions. Indeed, one look at the charts arguably lends compelling credence to such statements.  For, with every Fantasia, Kelly Rowland, Jennifer Hudson, there exists the more successful Beyonce’s, Rihanna’s, and Alicia Keys’ of the world; artist’s whose success is oft built on the ability to “sell” them.  Which begs the question: is the music industry bias towards light skin acts?

As such, in our quest to continually push the envelope, That Grape Juice took to the streets of Hollywood to hear what the masses had to say on the matter. This, ladies and gentleman, is…’The Word’.

Be sure to let us know what YOU think below…

For years, the debate surrounding light skin and dark skin has raged on in many a spectrum – not least Popular music.

While the musical landscape boasts a multi-ethnic presence, some maintain a stance that success in Pop is unevenly orientated towards acts with fairer complexions. Indeed, one look at the charts arguably lends compelling credence to such statements.  For, with every Fantasia, Kelly Rowland, Jennifer Hudson, there exists the more successful Beyonce’s, Rihanna’s, and Alicia Keys’ of the world; artist’s whose success is oft built on the ability to “sell” them.  Which begs the question: is the music industry bias towards light skin acts?

As such, in our quest to continually push the envelope, That Grape Juice took to the streets of Hollywood to hear what the masses had to say on the matter. This, ladies and gentleman, is…‘The Word’.

Hit ‘PLAY’ and be sure to let us know what YOU think…

Following months of speculation, it finally appears R&B star Brandy is no longer a free agent.

Full story after the jump…

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Jill Scott is just one of many big names in music lending support to the UNCF for this year’s ‘An Evening With the Stars’. The event, also featuring Patti Labelle, Musiq SoulChild, Estelle, Miguel, and more, is set to be taped live on August 14th from Pasadena, but will air September 25th on BET.

This year’s roster will join an illustrious list of entertainers (see: John Legend, Fantasia, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson) who have taken the stage for the UNCF cause.

Click here for more details.

Will you be watching ‘An Evening With the Stars’ on September 25?

Your thoughts?

Undoubtedly one of the most anticipated R&B releases of the year, Kelly Rowland‘s ‘Here I Am’ finally hit stores last week. And after 7 days on shelves, the LP’s first week sales are now in.

Find out what the ‘Motivation’ led LP sold after the jump…

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With an upcoming spot on talent show ‘Majors & Minors’ and a new tell all documentary on the way, it seems that Brandy Norwood is  trying to make her way back to the forefront of music debate.

For after a difficult last few years riddled with poor album sales, intense personal drama and well documented label disputes, there is no denying that many of her ever loyal fans are hoping that upcoming years will serve to mark a more positive time for the performer.

We here at ThatGrapeJuice HQ are curious to know one thing.

What can Brandy do to get back on top?…

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Though  ‘American Idol’ has been a ratings winner since its debut in the early 2000s, some of the show’s alums have been ‘winning’ in other ways.  As the show is gearing up to look for its next Idol, Forbes magazine has reported ‘The Top-Earning American Idols’.  You may be surprised at some of the entries.

Although the alums featured on the list nearly brought in a whopping $50 million collectively, see who came out on top after the jump:

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Electro-pop’s reigning super DJ David Guetta has revealed the tracklisting for his forthcoming ‘Nothing But the Beat’ album due August 29th.  The album’s cameo list boasts some of Hip Hop and Urban pop’s heaviest hitters, including Usher and Chris Brown (to name a few).

What are you waiting for?  Check out the full listing after the jump:

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R&B is on a respirator.  Once a celebrated genre that has given the music industry some of its most praised acts (see: Luther, Whitney, Aretha, Marvin), the musical styling has unquestionably lost its identity to Hip-Hop and now Electro-Pop.

The question at hand: is R&B (as a commercially viable force) on its last breath or is revival in its future?  In a three part series, That Grape Juice will analyze three sectors of the fallen genre:  ladies (songstresses), males (crooners), and groups (both male and female) to determine if resurrection is in its future or if it will find permanent rest in the history books.

As always, ladies first…

Turning the dial (or Youtube search engine) back 20 years to see the plethora of female R&B acts dominating the radios and Pop charts is a stinging reminder of a time when the industry thrived on variety.  From crossover acts such as Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Janet Jackson, to up-and-comers Mary J. Blige and Toni Braxton (just to name a few), there was no shortage of R&B estrogen on the airwaves or charts.  Not to mention such classic, yet then-active artists like Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, and Gladys Knight.

However, as Hip-Hop/R&B fusions became more of a constant (which some attribute to artists like Carey and Mary J. Blige), the junior generation of R&B diva emerged in the form of the Aaliyah’s, Brandy’s, Monica’s, and eventually Ashanti’s.  Then, of course, you had that brand of 90s R&B diva (Faith Evans, Tamia, Deborah Cox and Kelly Price) who lacked crossover appeal, yet were still relevant – even if just appealing to a small niche.

But, as the 2000s rolled on and Hip-Hop was becoming the driving force of the music industry, ballads and slow jams were losing steam on the charts, and Hip-Hop was surely killing the R&B star. And while many of the time period marked Alicia Keys as a ‘savior of R&B’, she was one of very few pure R&B females who was granted relevancy in an increasingly convoluted music world.  Interestingly, though Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey (who by 2005 were considered veterans) were seeing some of the best numbers of their careers, the genre’s overall shortcomings were inescapable.

Then, as the Beyonce’s and the Rihanna’s of the music world began to dominate charts by willingly trading in their R&B humbling’s for Pop’ier hits, the 90s divas of yester-year who refused to succumb to the change found themselves succumbing to irrelevancy. Even those who once showed promise in the early 2000s (Amerie, Tweet, and co) were finding themselves lost in the fray.  Suffice it to say, the industry at large began to suffer (see: illegal downloading, cd leaks), yet R&B’s former leading ladies seemed to fall victim most (Brandy, Monica, Mya, and eventually Ashanti).

Fast forward to 2011. Where is  R&B female? Even with hints of recent reigniting of public interest (i.e. Fantasia’s ‘Back To Me’, Monica’s ‘Still Standing’), they alone are not enough to indicate a resurgence.  And, even with notable record sales (given the current musical climate), those sales are marginal at best comparatively.

Record sales aside, the presence of R&B females on the Hot 100 chart recently is rarely without rapper accompaniment. There is a new class of R&B divas, however.  While not reporting record-breaking numbers, the Keri Hilson’s, Kelly  Rowland’s, Jennifer Hudson’s, and co. are definitely making noise.  But, is it enough to resurrect the fallen genre? Or will R&B eventually rest in peace?

Do you think that there will be a resurgence of mainstream R&B females?

It’s that time of year again! With the BET Awards 2011 fast approaching, the hotly anticipated nominations for Urban music’s biggest calendar night are being announced live on the network’s flagship show, 106 & Park.

Find out who up for gongs, as well as the show’s host, after the jump…

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The stars came out full force last night for the MET Ball at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A who’s who of the entertainment industry, including Beyonce, Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Jennifer Hudson celebrated the launch of the ‘Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty’ exhibition, which unveiled some the deceased designer’s final designs. McQueen passed away last year.

More pics below…

Your thoughts?