After more than 4 years out of the limelight (well kinda), Eminem is prepping not one, but two albums this year. Peep the report below via Billboard:

Eminem is making his “Relapse” a double: not only did the best selling rapper reveal the release date for his highly-anticipated return to the rap game, but he announced that the follow-up will drop in 2009 too.

“Relpase,” Eminem’s first full album of new material in four years, is due from Interscope/Aftermath/Shady on May 19. The album’s first single, “Crack the Bottle,” is currently at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. A second album, “Relapse 2,” is promised before the end of the year. “A lot of people were expecting Relapse to drop last year,” said Eminem in a statement. “I was one of them. Then Dre and I went back in the studio in September for a few days, and that turned into six months. We were on such a roll; we wound up with a ton of new music produced by Dre.”

Hmmm. ‘Stan’ and ‘Lose Yourself’ aside, I’ve never really been big on Mr Mathers. What’s more, in the time he’s been gone, I may be wrong, but I can’t say his presence in the Hip-Hop world was missed on any level of significance. So I’m kinda pessimistic about this all. That said, I guess time will tell…

While Chris Brown and Rihanna may have patched things up following the ‘a** whopping’ heard around the world, Brown, today, has been officially charged over the incident. Check out the report via NBC:

Los Angeles County prosecutors charged R&B singer Chris Brown with two felonies on Thursday, including assault and making criminal threats.

Check out photos of Rihanna and boyfriend Chris Brown before the alleged assault.
Brown was arrested last month after he allegedly beat up his girlfriend, pop star Rihanna, in Hancock Park following a pre-Grammy Awards party.
In the case handled by the District Attorney’s Family Violence Division, Brown, 19 was charged with one count each of “assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury” and “making criminal threats.”

Accoring to a statement from the DA’s office, the victim is identified only as Robyn F. Rihanna’s full name is Rihanna Robyn Fenty.

Brown is scheduled to appear for arraignment at 3:30 p.m. in Los Angeles. He has been free on $50,000 bail since his arrest on Feb. 8 by Los Angeles police.

There’s no doubt this is going to get a whole lot worse before it starts to get better. The whole ‘back together’ thing sure throws an interesting spanner in the works.

The King of Pop Michael Jackson confirmed moments ago what media sources have been buzzing about for the last week now – that he will officially launch his return to the stage here in in the UK. Jackson, 50,  is set to embark on a multi-date stint at London’s famed O2 venue.

In a brief speech, the megastar revealed that the 10 shows, of which the first date is July 8th (more expected to be added later), will be his last in the UK – ever. His final ‘curtain call’, as he billed it.

Sources are informing That Grape Juice that tickets will go on sale on Friday 13th March at 7am. Prices are said to be £75 for floor and 1st tier seats and £45 for higher tier seats.

As a MJ fan since childhood, I can’t help but feel elated at the news – especially as he’s heading to our side of the pond on such a grand scale; after all it is his big, much anticipated ‘comeback’. Michaelmania 09 really seems to be in full effect as the media are all over this, as are the fans.

I know I’ll be there (damn, I was supposed to be there today at the press conference, but RSPV’d too late. Ugh!)…

R&B star Keyshia Cole stopped by The Chelsea Lately Show this week to discuss her BET reality show ‘The Way It Is’, her crazy mother Frankie, Tupac’s promise to her before he died and more. An pretty good interview, I must say. Chelsea always has me rolling LOL.

Please bare with us through these annoying technical difficulties. All will return to normal before you can say “Sam, the man, the Kelly Rowland stan!” Server issues, people…server issues.

www.thatgrapejuice.net 

According to People.com, controversial pair Chris Brown and Rihanna are set to become even more controversial, with it being reported that they are back together – following Brown’s much publicised assault of the ‘Umbrella’ singer:

I’m sure tongues will be more than wagging with this one. I must say, should Rihanna get back with Chris, granted their whole union wasn’t a publicity stunt, I would retract my comments about her coming out of this situation ‘the winner’. I can’t see many sympathising with her or taking her all that seriously, should she go that route. That said, the matter is between them, so I dunno.

Grammy and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson stopped by the Oprah Winfrey Show yesterday. As well as sitting down with the talk-show veteran for an, Hudson also performed her new single ‘If This Isn’t Love’. It truly is great seeing Jennifer back doing what she does best and appearing to be in a good space. Awesome.

Amidst all the drama surrounding ‘ChRihanna’, a new unreleased cut by Rihanna surfaced a few hours ago called ‘Whipping My Hair’. Produced by the duo behind her worldwide smash ‘Umbrella’, Tricky Stewart and The-Dream’, ”Hair’ is familiar territory for the 21 year old – a so-so Pop/Dance/Urban fusion.

The hysteria surrounding Ms. Fenty’s assault (which I will once again state that I do not condone under any circumstances) kinda brushed under the carpet my reason for not being her biggest fan (LOL), yet boy did this song remind me. Lazy delivery, sheep-bleating vocals and contrived subject matter, not to mention the sub-par production (which is kind surprising), all make for this one to belong in the bin. Crap.

As ever, the youngest of the Knowles clan gave a quirky, yet engaging set of performances. iLike.

Since the release of Soulja Boy’s surprise smash ‘Crank That’ back in 2007, the teen ‘rapper’ has had much difficulty in matching the success of the song – with many of his follow-up singles failing to chart.

That all changed this week, however, as the one-time, one-hit wonder, saw his current single ‘Kiss Me Thru The Phone (ft. Sammie)’ jump #17-#9 on the Billboard Hot 100; a jump caused primarily by a surge in iTunes downloads, where the track currently sits at #4.

As much as I think his music is trash, I can’t hate on the young man’s hustle. He’s been releasing track after track and doing show after show, so I guess it’s a reward of hard work – regardless of the quality of the work’s output.

Next week sees the start of Britney Spears’ ‘comeback’ tour, and by most accounts it’ll be a spectacle to remember. Check out the report via Extra below:

Move over Barnum & Bailey — Britney Spears is the new ringmaster in town, and her “Circus” tour is going to be more than light tricks and puffs of smoke!

The pop princess is going to be sawed in half and disappear into thin air — and those are just two of the tricks Spears has up her sleeve for her upcoming tour, “The Circus Starring Britney Spears.”

“Right away, she got into the boxes and into the magic contraptions to learn the stuff, and she’s so excited about this tour and all the elements that are in it,” illusionist-comedian Ed Alonzo dished to E! news. Alonzo has revealed that he will be performing onstage with Brit during her concerts, where the “Womanizer” singer will serve as the magician’s assistant.

Ed continued, “We’ll be doing a little dissection, transposition, a vanish, an appearance — and if I do a trick, she doesn’t just hold the props, she’s actually getting inside the big boxes or I am slicing her up.”

Alonzo also dished that Spears has a knack for magic! “I made [the tricks] really easy for her, but there are some complicated things that she is doing that you would think a contortionist would have to do, or a trained magician’s assistant,” he said, “but because she’s a dancer, it really makes sense to put her in the magic, and it works and she’s really, really good at it.”

Britney will also perform some of her hits that helped her skyrocket to the top of the charts. Ed confessed that the show would feature “the best music of Britney that people have loved over the years and, of course, brand-new favorites from the new album.”

“The Circus Starring Britney Spears” kicks off March 3 in New Orleans.

Like most, I’m hoping all works out for Britney after all the craziness of the last few years. That said, here’s hoping her performances are saying more than the nonsense she was serving up on her ‘Circus’ promo spots.

Tidbit: Britney’s video for brand new single ‘If You Seek Amy’ is set to premiere on March 2nd.

R&B superstar Beyonce features on the cover of the April issue of Ebony magazine. I’m feeling most of Bouncy’s spread, yet the feature article is equally as good. Check out a preview below:

When asked who is the real Beyonce, she tells the magazine:

“I’m a daughter, I’m a friend, I’m a wife, I’m a sister. All those things first. I’m artist. I’m a businesswoman. I’m multifaceted. I’m a lover. I’m inspired by love. I make decisions from the heart.”

When she makes decisions about what projects to do, her priority is not money but personal growth.“I turn down million dollar offers all the time because it’s something that does not feel true for what I’m trying to say. I have to be passionate about it. Love inspires and growth inspires me…If it is not going to be iconic, something I can love 10 years from now, I’ve learned I should not waste my time with it.”

She says her and Jay-Z stay out of each other’s business dealings.

“He was very successful before I met him and I was very successful before I met him. So we have so much respect for each other, and respect for each other artistically. We are very close friends, and I believe he is the ultimate artist and he has the same feelings for me.”

Asked to describe herself as a wife:

“I don’t know how to talk about it because I don’t like to talk about it. But I have a great example of a great wife, and that’s my mother. And I have great friends around me that have been married, so I’m lucky to have really good examples. And a great husband.”

She says they are just like any other couple. She is learning to cook and he’s getting over his single-guy habits.

One thing she does to get on his nerve: “I’m a little messy. Oh, yeah. Whenever I’m out in public, I have to be put together. When I get home, I rebel against it and I don’t want to take care of anything. I drop it. I’m relaxed. I don’t have any shoes on. No makeup. My purse is in the kitchen. I think that is most difficult thing for him. He’s very, very organized. I’m extremely organized when I’m working, and I work so much that when I get home I don’t want to think about anything.”

As for what Jay-Z does that get on her nerves: She laughs, “I won’t say.”

She said she doing charity work such as working with women and children through shelters and organizations. She says she is mentoring and counseling them.

Asked about a quote from years ago where she said she wanted to retire by age 21. She says she could have retired at that age but now she has no intention of ever retiring.

“I’ve worked so hard on my craft, and I will never stop. I will never retire. I love it way too much.”

Your thoughts?