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Hip-Pop star Nicki Minaj strips down to her bare-essentials on the cover of the January 2011 issue of King Magazine. The Young Money Mrs is set to keep her momentum going into the new year with the release of ‘Moment 4 Life’ – the latest single to be lifted from her smash ‘Pink Friday’ LP.

More pics below (spotted over at Necole Bitchie):

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Your thoughts?

After a brief rest on the bench, our Best You Never Heard feature returns this week with little known gems by Beyonce, Brandy, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.

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Beyonce – Forever to Bleed

For all Beyonce‘s success, critiques pertaining to the type of music she releases remain steadfast. Indeed, for as revered as the likes of ‘Check On It’, ‘Get Me Bodied’, and ‘Video Phone’ may be in the here and now, such songs beg the question of whether they can or should be performed years from now. For many, the answer is an emphatic ‘No’. Hence, arising, are valid questions surrounding whether Beyonce is truly putting her best foot forward creatively.

While yours truly continues to negotiate my own stance on the matter, I argue ‘Forever to Bleed’ to be a great step in the right direction for the superstar. Recorded in 2008 during the ‘I Am…Sasha Fierce’ sessions, the haunting ballad unfortunately never made the final cut. However, with its rich lyrical content and compellingly raw delivery, the song boasts a sincerity and authenticity too often lacking from the singer’s otherwise solid back-catalogue of hits. More of this please, Ms. Knowles. More of this. {SAM}

LISTEN:

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Brandy – A Capella (Something’s Missing)

Despite her claims to the contrary, Brandy’s ‘Human’ did include some of her best work. This is exemplified by the spine-tingling vocal performance of ‘A Capella (Something’s Missing)’.

Produced by Soundz, the track features the full extent of Brandy’s astounding contralto range as she descends to unbelievable lows, even outperforming the capabilities of the added bass guitar.

There is no question that Brandy can execute some of the most fluid and well-timed vocal runs in the game but it is with this song that her abilities can be classed in the league of legendary singers such as the great Chaka Khan. {TRENT}

LISTEN:

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Whitney Houston – For The Lovers

Lifted from Whitney Houston‘s Platinum selling comeback ‘I Look To You’ (2009), ‘For The Lovers’ serves as one of the LP’s strongest offerings. Primarily a home-run due to to its effortless encapsulation of the contemporary and the traditional, the Danja produced banger sits right in the thick of what’s hot in 2010, while also giving a retrospective nod to Houston’s 80’s hits such as ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’. What’s more, the track is one of the rare instances on an otherwise (good, yet) restrained album where we’re reminded of that ‘voice’ we grew to know, love, and for some, emulate. Indeed, present during the latter half are the trademark vocal runs, trinklets and isms which make a Whitney Houston track a…Whitney Houston track.

Why this was overlooked as a single is beyond me, as yours truly believes it posses an instant likability lacking from the grower that was ‘I Look To You’s lead rekease ‘Million Dollar Bill’. Still, single treatment or otherwise, the song goes hard! {SAM}

LISTEN:

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Mariah Carey– Slipping Away

Mariah Carey has long been regarded as one of the industry’s best singer/songwriters and there is no better example of her musical prowess than ‘Slipping Away’.

Released as a B-Side to her enormously successful ‘Always Be My Baby’ from her diamond-certified ‘Daydream’ album, the record features the songbird combining the various colours of her incredible vocal range with the sound of classic 90’s R&B.

Lyrically impressive and melodically astute, this track is one of the many gems in Carey’s catalogue that display her true skill as an artist. Her voice has been glorified but her genius is gravely underrated. {TRENT}

LISTEN:

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[polldaddy poll=4307185]

After an intense week of heated discussion and voting, the time has finally come for the winners of the 2010 That Grape Juice End of Year Awards to be announced! Chris Brown, Ciara and Fantasia dominated the winners’ list, taking top honors in 3 categories each.

However, the most surprising result of all emerged from the most popular poll, ‘Most Anticipated Comeback for 2011’. So who do most people want to see return to the charts next year? Check out the full list of winners below (in bold):

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Janet Jackson has chosen the second city of her 35-date ‘JANET JACKSON Number Ones ,Up Close and Personal’ tour  – Singapore. The icon will now launch the venture in that territory instead of the originally scheduled February 14th Hong Kong date which will now serve as stop #2.

Fan can expect Jackson to perform her extensive catalog of #1 hits at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on February 7th. Tickets for the show will be available on January 7th.

Thoughts?

Guess which R&B star hit the tattoo parlour this Holiday season, getting inked with the ‘interesting’ image above?

Hint: He/She is no stranger to reality TV.

Find out who after the jump…

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There really is no stopping the tour de force that is Beyonce. Indeed, despite being on a career ‘hiatus’, the superstar serves as the only Pop star to chart within the top ten of Forbes‘ annual ‘Hollywood’s 20 Highest Earners of 2010’ list.

Full story below…

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The top 10 best-selling albums of 2010 have been announced. Not surprisingly, Lady GaGa nabbed the #1 spot with her ‘The Fame Monster’ release which managed to sell over 5.8 million copies worldwide during the last 12 months. ‘Monster’ serves as the followup to GaGa’s debut album, ‘The Fame’, which has has sold an astounding 12 million units since August 2008.

Other artists who managed to score top honors in 2010 include Eminem, Justin Bieber, Sade and the Black Eyed Peas. Rihanna’s ‘Rated R’ failed to make the top 10 despite having one of the largest promotional campaigns of the last year. Check out the full lineup below:

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2010 has undeniably been the year for That Grape Juice. From quadrupling our traffic, to garnering increased recognition in the media-scape, the last 12 months has seen unprecedented growth within your favourite site and mine. Yet, never ones to be complacent, we’re looking to take such growth to the next level in 2011, hence the That Grape Juice team is expanding!

We’re looking for a dynamic, passionate, and articulate individual (or individuals) who will lend their talents to the team as a That Grape Juice Intern. The non-paid, largely editorial role is fixed for a term of 6 months (with more permanent opportunities a possibility thereafter). What is lacking in pay, is rich in opportunity; the chance to acquire valuable experience ‘behind the scenes’ of one of the net’s premier Urban Pop Culture websites.

Interested?

Please drop an email to sam@thatgrapejuice.net and trent@thatgrapejuice.net (Cc. us both), with the following:

*  Your name, age, and location (can be anywhere!)

* A brief paragraph about yourself

* A brief paragraph about what you can bring to the That Grape Juice table

* A sample of your written work (.doc format / uploaded to Zshare or similar)

* A recent photo of yourself (uploaded to Zshare or similar)

All entries must be in by January 3rd 2011 (next Monday)

Good luck!

Vocalist JoJo has laid low for much of 2010, however has been very busy behind the scenes. After severing ties with long-time label (amidst legal drama), the 19 year old signed with Ron Fair’s Interscope and has been working on her third studio album diligently since.

The fruits of those sessions have begun to surface, most recently in the form of ‘Hollywood’. Take a listen to the cut below…

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In arguably the saddest news to hit music this year, R&B legend Teena Marie was found dead on Sunday. She was 54.

Full story below…

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As 2010 draws nearer to its close, That Grape Juice will be acknowledging the releases, events and shocking moments which have made the last 12 months so memorable with the 4th annual That Grape Juice: End of Year Awards.

With polls open RIGHT NOW, it’s time for YOU – the That Grape Juice faithful – to cast YOUR votes on the best and worst 2010 had on offer. Category finalists were established using metrics of commercial success, critical acclaim, and general buzz.

What are you waiting for? Cast your votes after the jump. Winners will be announced on December 28th!

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