Music

Brandy Brings Down The House In London

8th May

R&B star Brandy played to a packed crowd at the Indig02 last night here in London. That Grape Juice was meant to be on-site at the event, but a clash with another commitment didn’t allow for it. Either way, I’m hearing Ms. Norwood tore down the house, revisiting many of her past hits as well as giving renditions of newer gems too. Peep the video above for her performances of ‘Afrodisiac’ and ‘Who Is She 2 U’. {Thanks Ernest and Mr Ezugwu!}

*Note: Keep checking this post, as more videos and reviews will be added, as and when they become available*

What do you think of the performance?

Did you attend the show? If so, what did you think?

Irv Gotti: ‘I’m Dropping Ashtanti From The INC!’

8th May

Speaking to MTV recently, The INC owner Irv Gotti has controversially gone on record to publicly reveal that he is dropping Ashanti from the label – her recording home for 8 years:

Irv Gotti says he and Ashanti, the Princess of the Inc., will soon be parting company. He said they haven’t been on speaking terms for some time, and the label head/reality-TV star says there’s nothing he can do but end their musical and business affiliation.
“The relationship has run its course,” Gotti explained earlier this week while visiting the MTV offices. “The chemistry of what’s needed — we’re in two totally different places. You’re talking to somebody that took her and shaped and molded her and put her out there for the world, and it blew up. We [hold the record] for the [fastest] selling debut by a female R&B artist — 503 [thousand]. We did it! My views and philosophies and her views and philosophies are not meeting up.”
Ashanti’s last LP, The Declaration — her first in four years — came out in June of last year on the Inc. and was created with virtually no input from Gotti. The album was her first in-studio project not to go platinum. Gotti says it’s because the singer deviated from their winning formula and tag-team effort.
“I personally believe for her to be successful, it took the energy … when you seen her, it was 30 n—as around her, and she’s the princess so nice and pretty walking through,” he said. “The music was great, but it was the energy that was created. It wasn’t just her standing there and singing a song.
“We don’t really speak or talk or anything like that,” he continued. “It’s sad in a way. But in another, it’s like it’s all good.”
Well, maybe not that good. Gotti said it is best for them to part ways.
“I don’t think she can win. She needs some guidance with that,” Gotti added. “But she’s not thinking like that. Really, I couldn’t tell you what she’s thinking. So that relationship has run its course and honestly, I’m gonna just drop her.”
At press time, a rep for Ashanti had not granted MTV News’ requests for comment.
Gotti told MTV News that he’s maintained the rights to all of his artists, including Ashanti, Lloyd and of course Ja Rule. The exec says he’s working on a deal to reunite with his fellow Def Jam alumni Lyor Cohen, Kevin Liles and Julie Greenwald over at the Warner Music Group. He says new albums by Lloyd, new rapper Newz and Rule are in the cooker. He explains the delay of Rule’s The Mirror is because they are trying to craft a classic LP.

Ouch! Granted, I’m sure Ashanti and her team must have had some inkling about this, doing it so publicy is so wrong on Irv’s part. Despite the tanking of ‘The Declaration’ (which is actually a great CD – her best IMO), Ashanti to-date is still the most viable artist on The INC (have you seen Ja Rule, Lloyd etc anywhere recently? Thank you). Hence treating her as such just makes Irv look like a bitter man; one’s whose label is done done done. SMH…

Anyway, what this means for Ashanti’s deal with Universal Motown, which was a joint venture with The INC, is currently unknown. I’m sure a better label would readily scoop her up…wouldn’t they? {Thanks Ms. Helen!}

Your thoughts?

Your Top 5 Songs Of The Moment?

7th May

You know the deal; That Grape Juice, once again, wants to see what you all are listening to. Which 5 tracks have you got on constant rotation at the moment? Remember, it doesn’t have to be limited to Urban music; could be something new, Throwback, religious, even something you made yourself LOL. Drop a comment in the comments section. Mine are – in no particular order:

1) Don’t Speak – No Doubt
2) I Know My Redeemer Lives – Nicole C. Mullen
3) Tell Me What Your Name Is – Ciara
4) T.O.N.Y – Solange

5) Boom Pow – Black Eyed Peas

What are your ‘Top 5 Songs Of The Moment’?

7th May

Janet Back In The Studio

After a rather tumultuous few years, Pop icon Janet Jackson is prepping a return to the music scene with the help of original collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. According to sources working close to the as-yet-untitled project, Jackson has been in the lab for the last month and a half with the production duo, who have been the creative forces behind her biggest hits. With Jackson no longer with Def Jam, it is currently unknown which label the record will be released on.

As one of those who felt Janet’s last three releases (‘Damita Jo’, ’20 Y.O’ and ‘Discipline’) were deserving of more success, I’m definitely looking forward to her next record – one that will hopefully be handled correctly. While I’m sure the inevitable ‘She’s done’ mutters will greet whatever she serves up, it’s hard to deny Ms. Jackson’s musical viability; IMO she can hang with the current crop of industry chicks, no problem. Don’t think so? See: ‘All Nite’, ‘So Excited’, ‘Feedback’, ‘LUV’, ‘Rock With U’ etc.

Your thoughts?

Nude Pictures Of Cassie Hit The Net

7th May

Within the last hour or so, topless pictures of ‘singer’ Cassie hit the net and have been spreading like wildfire. Peep the report below:

The right side of her head isn’t the only thing Cassie is exposing. Topless photos of the R&B singer leaked to the Internet on Wednesday night.
The “Me&U” hitmaker is pictured naked from the waist up, laying on a bed with nipple piercings. The amateur photos appear as though they were taken on a camera phone before she shaved her head last month.
Cassie confirmed the authenticity of the leaked photos through her Twitter page. “IT SEEMS THAT SOMEONE HAS HACKED INTO MY COMPUTER…THAT’S REAL FOUL AND EVIL,” she wrote in all caps. “NOW STOP ACTING LIKE YOU HAVEN’T SEEN A TITTY BEFORE.”
Fabolous was among those who tweeted about the pics. “Ok my twiggas, ur dreams have been fulfilled,” he said. “We hav[e] topless pics of Cassie.”
The 22-year-old star is scheduled to shoot a video for “Must Be Love” with Diddy in Los Angeles this Friday. {Source}

While we will not be posting the pictures here at That Grape Juice, you can click the links below to see them:

Links removed as requested legally

To those posting the pics, stop. There may be repercussions.

Lil’ Kim Voted Off Dancing With The Stars

6th May

In what is being deemed the shock of the season, rapper Lil’ Kim was voted off ABC’s Dancing With The Stars last night. The pint-sized star was seen by many as a contender for the show’s title, however after the viewers vote was sent home.

B.S, IMO. Here’s hoping the show has given Ms. Jones a big enough launch-pad to reignite things on the rap tip; I still have ‘The Naked Truth’ is still on heavy rotation…

Your thoughts?

Follow That Grape Juice On Twitter

6th May

As some of you may know, we announced in March that you can now follow That Grape Juice on Twitter! Adding to the ever-expanding ways to be apart of the That Grape Juice community, our Twitter page allows you to receive up-to-the-minute updates about the latest posts on the site as well as what’s happening in the Urban Pop Culture world more generally.

What’s more, you, as well as the hundreds that have already joined, will be able to keep up with me, ‘Sam’, while I’m on-the-go. I’ll be making use of Twitter’s cool SMS feature which allows me to let you guys know what I’m up to via my mobile/cell. That means everything from checking in with you guys while on location at an artist interview to complete randomness from the wackiness that is ‘my world’. So what are you waiting for…

Click here to follow That Grape Juice on Twitter!

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Keyshia Cole – ‘Trust (ft. Monica)’ Video

6th May

What do you think of the song / video?

Catch-Up: Ciara, Teairra, Black Eyed Peas, Keri Hilson, Lil’ Kim

6th May

During a brief moment of ‘down-time’, quite a lot has been popping off in the entertainment world. Peep the videos below of Ciara performing on Good Morning America, the Black Eyed Peas doing their thing on Ellen yesterday, Teairra Mari’s new video for ‘Cause a Scene’, Lil’ Kim’s ‘Download’ video, and Keri Hilson and Kanye West performing on the Letterman Show:

Your thoughts?

2 Comments

That Grape Juice To Interview Ciara

5th May

That Grape Juice are pleased to confirm that we will be interviewing R&B star Ciara this Thursday! The 23 year old singer released her highly anticipated 3rd studio album ‘Fantasy Ride’ today and is currently on a promotional blitz in support of the record.

This particular interview has been in the workings for several months now, so I’m real glad a confirmed date has been set!

Anyway, do you have any questions for Ciara? As ever, please feel free to drop them in the comments section below. You all know the drill by now, only legitimate questions will be considered! Thanks 🙂

5th May

That Grape Juice Update

I’ve been itching to update you guys on a number of things for a while now, but have been procrastinating. So without further ado LOL…

* Keri Hilson Interview: Keri’s UK promo time was cut in half during her stay a few weeks back. Consequently, our time with her has been rescheduled to next month, when she hits the UK for on tour with Ne-Yo. Universal Music (UK) have assured that this will be going ahead. So please rest assured that we will be catching up with Keri in the weeks ahead.

* LeToya Interview: Still waiting on the status of the project as well as our re-scheduled slot.

* General Interview Tidbit: It can be (and is) very frustrating when these interviews get re-scheduled. However, anyone who knows the industry, knows that television and radio promotion are the label’s top priority – hence the regular rescheduling of internews. So, though reputable internet sites such as That Grape Juice are increasingly being viewed as great sources of promotion, it’ll be a while yet before the net, as a platform, is looked at in the same guise as TV and radio. The labels are listening though, which is a good thing.

I was considering scaling back / scrapping the ‘submit a question’ thing as it’s oh-so-annoying when interviews get re-scheduled or worse cancelled. However, I told myself to fall back LOL. I always say; I only want to do the sort of interview I’d want to read myself and not the same re-hashed interview an artist has given to the 10 publications before me and the 10 after. By allowing you, the That Grape Juice faithful, as well as artist’s fans, to submit questions, I feel, ultimately betters interview questions. So re-scheduling or not, I’mma keep throwing it back to you guys!

* Slow-Go: There is a lot legitimately going on behind the scenes, hence the slow-posting over the last few days. I ASSURE you, keep it locked on That Grape Juice over the coming days, weeks and months. A lot of exciting ish on the horizon…

Many thanks to each and every one of you for supporting the site. Do be sure to keep it locked on That Grape Juice and spread the word!