In case the memo was missed, there are just some songs that are sacred to Black people.  Attendance at almost any Black cookout, family reunion, wedding, or other major family gathering would reveal that Earth, Wind, and Fire‘s 1978 hit, ‘September,’ is undoubtedly one of them.

Under ill advising, Grammy-winning pop darling Taylor Swift opted to give the tune a coffee house ready 2018 revamp.  The result?  Black Twitter erupted!

As if the backlash she endured from the #Beyhive wasn’t enough when she was accused of hijacking elements found in the ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ visual directly from Beyonce‘s ‘Formation’ video (click here to read more on that), the disapproval that greeted her EWF remake made the ‘Formation’ furor seem minimal.

Hear Taylor’s bland potato salad inspired version of the classic R&B number and see some hilarious Twitter responses:

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Cardi B’s debut album ‘Invasion Of Privacy’ undeniably serves as one of the year’s most eagerly waited arrivals.

Ushered in by smash hit ‘Bodak Yellow,’ the LP’s release represented more than an “album debut.” For many, it was the christening of a queen.

Cardi, real name Belcalis Almanzar, has seen her unparalleled momentum powered by on her own jams as well as smash collaborations including ‘Finesse’ with Bruno Mars and ‘No Limit’ with G-Eazy.

Paired with her potent penetration of social media, it’s made for the perfect swirl of anticipation heading into the project’s release window.

Early forecasts were commendable, and were then revised up to be even more impressive.

Now the final tally has been counted. So, where did Cardi land? Find out below…

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Welcome to The Sip episode 4 on That Grape Juice!

In our new podcast series, hosts PatricklySpeakn and StephYoungMC run down the latest entertainment news from TGJ and beyond.

This week Nicki Minaj has returned with new music and issues with Cardi B. Elsewhere, Beyonce is gearing up to slay at Coachella, Janet Jackson wants you, and much more.

Drink up — and be sure to let us know what YOU think! What are you liking? What do you want to hear more of? Let us know below!

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Your thoughts?

Few artists can boast of a narrative quite like Iggy Azalea‘s.

Once a chart darling and on the cusp of mainstream domination, she became the subject of a backlash that was so rapid that the exact reason for its existence was almost impossible to pin down.

The truth arguably sits somewhere between the social climate, questions over authenticity, and mistakes Azalea herself made on her ascend.

Uniquely, she’s well aware of each of these aspects and addresses them head-on in a rivetting new interview with Paper magazine.

In the tell-all, the 25-year-old waxes honest about her journey, her missteps, and her upcoming album (which she says has a more back to basics feel and features production from Pharrell).

More below…

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Jessie J has done it.

After topping the tally week in and week out, the vocal wonder powered her way to winner status on Chinese TV smash ‘Singer’ tonight.

The British bred belter bested the competition on the penultimate episode of this season, taking home the coveted trophy (pic above). She won by quite the landslide, securing 47.49% of the vote in the 4-way battle.

Enroute to her win, she delivered a mind-blowing rendition of Whitney Houston‘s ‘I Will Always Love You’ (which may be our favorite version beyond Nippy’s).

Check it out below, where more from Jessie’s big night awaits…

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Drake‘s impact on the British music scene is infallible.

Credited for sparking global interest in the world’s Urban music scene, the performer now stands as one of the only artists outside of the United Kingdom to enjoy the level of success he has had with album & single sales.

His latest hit? ‘Nice for What.’

Its current position? #1.

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As revenue pulled in from streaming data propels profits margins, the rapper Nicki Minaj stands as part of an elite crew of musicians with the power to pull in noteworthy sales the old fashioned way.

Positive news for the performer below…

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Britney Spears‘ efforts to uplift the LGBTQ community have been recognised and honoured by GLAAD at a star-studded awards ceremony held yesterday evening.

Full story below…

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SZA‘s breakout success over the last year has seen the songstress shape-shift from underground darling to mainstream magnet.

Debut album ‘CTRL’ has served as the primary vehicle and has driven the TDE talent to the top of the music mountain – racking up endless accolades including Grammy nominations and RIAA plaques.

The singer celebrates her whirlwind success a-front of V Magazine‘s summer 2018 edition, which serves as the publication’s “music issue.”

Beyond her striking cover shoot, the rising star was interviewed by Jada Pinkett Smith and opened up about how her life has changed and the bullying that shaped her nature.

Head below for more…

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If anybody ever dared to doubt the sales power and impact of Nicki Minaj, the response to the rapstress’s latest singles – ‘Chun-Li’ and ‘Barbie Tingz’ – should act as viable reasons to reconsider that stance.

As we reported here, the cuts – which both premiered this morning (April 12) – are reportedly the lead singles from Minaj’s long-awaited fourth studio album, the follow-up to 2014’s double platinum ‘Pinkprint.’  The fan reactions to the tunes’ respective releases, coupled with with the Harajuku Barbie’s domination of headlines due to confirmed beef with fellow femcee Cardi B (click here to read about that), certainly made the Young Money maven the top talk of the day.

The ultimate result?  She’s topped the iTunes sales chart with both singles:

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Photo courtesy: Getty Images

Expect to see much of stageblazing Urban pop songstress Tinashe as she drives the promo trail in support of her brand spanking new album, ‘Joyride.’

Released April 13, the project – the long-awaited follow-up to her 2014 debut ‘Aquarius’ – is preceded by the French Montana & Ty Dolla Sign-assisted ‘Me So Bad,’ the Future-enlisted ‘Faded Love,’ and, of course, the bumping ‘No Drama,’ featuring Offset.

Having already blazed morning television with a solo live rendition of the cut (click here to watch), T tapped the Migos star to help with bringing the Stargate-produced song to late nite TV.  Curious how they fared?

Hear and see it here:

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Photo courtesy: Getty Images

Young Thug is certainly taking a unique approach to the rollout of his newest material.

After announcing he’d go 12 months without releasing music to honor his deaf brother, the rapper – who was placed on features throughout the year – opted to make a return four months into the year with a 3-song EP, ‘Hear No Evil.’

One of the highly anticipated cuts from the mixtape comes courtesy of the Nicki Minaj-assisted tune, ‘Anybody.’  Launched just hours after the rapstress made a grand return herself with the tunes ‘Barbie Tingz & Chun-Li’ (click here to hear both), the song comes as another tool for her attack on next week’s Hot 100.

Look inside for your first listen to ‘Anybody’ and see the American Sign Language video lifted in its support (to honor Thug’s deaf brother):

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