From The Vault this week salutes one of the biggest Hip-Hop/R&B tracks of all time: it’s ‘Hey Lover’ by LL Cool J & Boyz II Men.

Based on a sample of ‘The Lady In My Life’ by the King Of Pop Michael Jackson, ‘Lover’ was the first single to be lifted from LL’s sixth album, 1995’s ‘Mr Smith’ and was helmed by Trackmasters. 90’s fantastic four Boyz II Men were brought in to bring that certain R&B sweetener to the romantic Hip-Hop serenade.

A critical success, it was a chart homerun as well peaking at #3 on both the Hot 100 and Hot Hip-Hop/R&B charts and topped the now-defunct Hot Rap Singles tally. In the UK it was a Top 20 smash, where it reached the 17th position of the UK Official Singles Chart.

To cap it off, the classic won a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance, LL’s second in that category.

Hype Williams was enlisted (again!) to direct the song’s accompanying video which stands as Mr Todd Smith’s most celebrated visual offering.

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Collaborations like this always leave us wondering what would be their modern-day equivalents. Granted the talent is more sparse in this day and age, we feel no time is better than the present for the next iconic Rap-Sung collaboration to manifest. While we have our wishlist, we’d like to know yours:

Which pairing could deliver the best Hip-Hop/R&B track of the decade?

Your thoughts?

We’re certain if you’ve even heard a hint of gospel music over the last three decades then you’ve encountered at least one gem from the genre’s legendary songbird Vickie Winans.  Her catalog is equipped with an arsenal of hits like ‘Already Been To The Water’, ‘Long As I Got King Jesus’, ‘Shake Yourself Loose’, and ‘No Cross, No Crown’ just to name a few.

Now, with 14 albums, a trophy case of top industry honors, comedy albums and DVDs, and fashion under her decorative belt, the belter still finds ways to venture into new territory.  This time, the gospel diva follows her dreams of acting.

Making her debut aboard the Lionsgate Home Entertainment inspirational film ‘Dreams’ (available everywhere January 28th), That Grape Juice recently caught up with the hardest working woman in the gospel music industry to talk about the film, her dream of starring alongside Robert De Niro, new music, her love of pop superstar Beyonce, and so much more!

You don’t want to miss this read:

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Last night saw a who’s who of Hollywood step out in style for Clive Davis‘ legendary Pre-Grammy Gala in Los Angeles.

Jennifer Hudson was one of the many notable names to take to the stage at the Beverly Hilton extravaganza.

The singer-actress rocked the house with the first live showing of new single ‘I Can’t Describe (The Way I Feel)’, calling on collaborators Pharrell Williams and T.I. to join her on stage.

Peep the performance after the jump…

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Pop diva Kylie Minogue is gearing up for the release of her twelfth studio album ‘Kiss Me Once’.

Already hotly anticipated thanks to lead single ‘Into The Blue’, buzz for the LP (which features production from the likes of Pharrell, MNEK, Sia, and Darkchild) was cranked into overdrive moments ago when its tracklist surfaced via iTunes Thailand.

What will Ms. Minogue’s first LP under Jay-Z’s Roc Nation umbrella be serving up when it arrives in March? Find out after the jump…

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How to solve a problem like Azealia Banks?

The fiery femcee’s mouth has burned all but a few of the bridges needed to help her career, yet she seems adamant to destroy the rest. All ahead of the release of her serially delayed debut ‘Broke With Expensive Taste’.

As usual, today saw the rapper’s Twitter serve as the source of ample drama. This time directed towards her record label.

See what we mean below…

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With Madonna‘s new project in its infant stages, many were left scratching their heads when the Pop queen was announced as a performer at tonight’s Grammy Awards.

What would she performing? Who, if anyone, would she be rocking the stage with?

Well, US Weekly claim to know the answers. The tea awaits after the jump….

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Ever keen to broaden our musical scope, recent months have seen That Grape Juice venture into a number of new musical landscapes including, most recently, gospel.

Spearheaded by well-received interviews with gospel singers Yolanda Adams, Hezekiah Walker, Twinkie Clark, Fred Hammond, Kierra Sheard, Dorinda Clark Cole, Israel Houghton, Marvin Sapp, Micah Stampley, Joshua Rogers, and more, TGJ is now offering readers ‘The Overflow’ – a collection of the top gospel-themed news stories from the week.

Tuck in below for the latest news on Deitrick Haddon, Mali Music, Zacardi Cortez, Donnie McClurkin, Erica Campbell, Ricky Dillard, The Showers, Devon Baker, TGJ Stellar Award Recap, and more:

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Vegas’ newest showgirl Britney Spears opens up to the mag that bears its name to dish on her successful residency at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino.  A residency, much to fan delight, that will see its reboot start in the coming week after its first few shows stunned critics and tastemakers alike with its blockbuster box office receipts.

Chatting it up with the publication about motherhood, music, and making moves in Vegas, the convo gives yet another behind the scenes look at the life of the pop star.  Want to know how Britney expects Sin City to impact her life for the next two years?

Find out below:

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Ever keen on keeping the masses abreast of fresh and/or often underrated talent, That Grape Juice presents ‘The Spill’ – a renewed look at not-so-new, yet active, acts.

Much like its ‘Freshly Squeezed’ sister segment, this revived assay aims to put the magnifying glass on talents who may not appeal to the buying public on a broad scale yet are still serving material that could easily spin side-by-side with some of today’s top hits.

Covering a kaleidoscope of genres, ‘The Spill’ is set to feature some names you probably know and love as well as some you’ll (soon) be glad to know.  Click below to find out the spill on Eric Bellinger, Rochelle Jordan, Algebra Blessett, Shanell, & Tatyana Ali…

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Piece of poo would be a more accurate description of recent reports that have indicated Britney Spears’ Vegas residency ‘Piece of Me’ has out-performed preceding pop legends Celine Dion and Elton John‘s similar runs in just a matter of days.

Indeed, the miscalculations, misestimations, and mishaps that have fueled media chronicles that crowned the pop princess’s Vegas showing the third-best run in history have proven themselves premature.  Moreover, those reports were only analyzing a portion of data and not the big picture.

Need more?  You know where to find it:

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Looks like legendary ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ songstress Carole King has more than just a few friends in the music industry – as evidenced by the collection of the today’s biggest pop stars who gathered to honor her at L.A. Convention Center last night.

The Grammy winning songstress, named 2014 MusiCares Person of the Year, was tributed at the annual gala by the likes of Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Miguel, will.i.am, P!nk, and so many more.

Of course, as the annual homage is one of the must-see pre-Grammy events, it drew out a bevy of the industry’s top names like Aerosmith‘s Steven Tyler, Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne, Jason Mraz, Yoko Ono, Leann Rimes, Ciara, MC Lyte, and many more.  Check below to see if your fave was in attendance:

Your thoughts?

Britney Spears and co. may have thought they smelled a hit in the form of ‘Perfume’ – the second single from her ill-fated ‘Britney Jean’ album, but time has told otherwise.

In a bid to reignite waning interest in the project – a feat that could prove itself quite difficult – the pop princess pops the top on the robotic, Will.I.Am-produced “It Should Be Easy”.  Quietly lifting the tune to her VeVo yesterday, the song could be christened the third cut from the underperforming set (though no official word has been delivered yet).

With fan favorites ‘Alien’ still lying in wait, do you think that ‘Easy’ is the next best choice from Spear’s critical and commercial disaster?  Tell us below:

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