Fifth Harmony‘s Normani Kordei continues to crush the competition on the current season of ‘Dancing With The Stars.’
Competing alongside Val Chmerkovskiy, the 20-year-old has been amassing major momentum with her flaw-free showings.
And week 9 was no different.
Tackling the Viennese Waltz (to Rihanna’s ‘ANTI’ hit ‘Desperado’) and a 2nd Jazz number, Kordei earned high scores – the latter of which being the top score.
Watch ‘Mani werk it all the way out below…
She came, she slayed, she conquered.
Word on the curb is that new 5H material is due in a matter of weeks, so this is all lining up rather handsomely.
Mary J. Blige is bringing ‘The Strength Of A Woman’ to a city near you!
Fresh from releasing her hit R&B album of the same name, the Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul has announced its accompanying tour.
Aptly christened ‘The Strength Of A Woman Tour,’ the US trek kicks off in Chicago on July 7th and climaxes in September in Oakland. Lala Hathaway will serve as special guest.
Peep the announcement video below, where dates also await…
7/30/17 – Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
8/1/17 – Sterling Heights, MI Michigan Lottery Amphitheater at Freedom Hill
8/2/17 – Cleveland, OH Hard Rock Live
8/4/17 – Buffalo, NY Shea’s Performing Arts Center
8/5/17 – Indianapolis, IN Murat Theater
8/6/17 – Nashville, TN Nashville Municipal Auditorium
8/8/17 – Atlanta, GA Wolf Creek Amphitheater
8/10/17 – Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheatre
8/13/17 – Baltimore, MD Pier Six Pavilion
8/18/17 – Brooklyn, NY Ford Amphitheatre at Coney Island Boardwalk*
8/19/17 – New York City, NY Theater at Madison Square Gardens*
8/22/17 – Miami, FL Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theatre
8/23/17 – Jacksonville, FL Daily’s Place
8/25/17 – Houston, TX Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
8/26/17 – Dallas, TX Music Hall at Fair Park
8/30/17 – Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre
9/1/17 – Las Vegas, NV The Pearl
9/2/17 – Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre
9/6/17 – Denver, CO Bellco Theater
9/8/17 – Reno, NV Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort
9/9/17 – Oakland, CA The Paramount Theatre
[Tickets go on-sale May 19th. Click here for more tea]
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We’ll most definitely be in the house, as MJB shows up and shows out each and every time.
The BET Awards 2017 are set to air live from the Microsoft Theater at L.A Live on Sunday June 25th.
As always, all eyes are on who’ll be up for nominations at Urban entertainment’s biggest calendar night.
Well, wonder no more. For, the nominees list has been revealed. Beyonce – whose ‘Lemonade’ album was named the top-telling US LP of 2016 – leads with a seismic seven. Her Super Bowl comrade Bruno Mars earned several honors too.
What are you waiting for? The full list awaits below…
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
BEYONCÉ
KEHLANI
MARY J. BLIGE
RIHANNA
SOLANGE
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
BRUNO MARS
CHRIS BROWN
THE WEEKND
TREY SONGZ
USHER
Best Group
2 CHAINZ & LIL WAYNE
A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
FAT JOE & REMY MA
MIGOS
RAE SREMMURD
Best Collaboration
BEYONCÉ FT. KENDRICK LAMAR – FREEDOM
CHANCE THE RAPPER FT. 2 CHAINZ & LIL WAYNE – NO PROBLEM
CHRIS BROWN FT. GUCCI MANE & USHER – PARTY
DJ KHALED FT. BEYONCÉ & JAY Z – SHINING
MIGOS FT. LIL UZI VERT – BAD AND BOUJEE
RAE SREMMURD FT. GUCCI MANE – BLACK BEATLES
Best Male Hip-Hop Artist
BIG SEAN
CHANCE THE RAPPER
DRAKE
FUTURE
J. COLE
KENDRICK LAMAR
Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
CARDI B
MISSY ELLIOTT
NICKI MINAJ
REMY MA
YOUNG M.A.
Video of the Year
BEYONCÉ – SORRY
BIG SEAN – BOUNCE BACK
BRUNO MARS – 24K MAGIC
MIGOS FT. LIL UZI VERT – BAD AND BOUJEE
SOLANGE – CRANES IN THE SKY
Video Director of the Year
BENNY BOOM – KEHLANI “CRZY”
BRUNO MARS & JONATHAN LIA – BRUNO MARS “THAT’S WHAT I LIKE”
DIRECTOR X – ZAYN MALIK “LIKE I WOULD”
HYPE WILLIAMS – TYGA “GUCCI SNAKES FT. DESIIGNER”
KAHLIL JOSEPH & BEYONCÉ KNOWLES-CARTER – BEYONCÉ “SORRY”
Best New Artist
21 SAVAGE
CARDI B
CHANCE THE RAPPER
KHALID
YOUNG M.A.
Album of the Year
24K MAGIC – BRUNO MARS
4 YOUR EYEZ ONLY – J. COLE
A SEAT AT THE TABLE – SOLANGE
COLORING BOOK – CHANCE THE RAPPER
LEMONADE – BEYONCÉ
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
CECE WINANS – NEVER HAVE TO BE ALONE
FANTASIA FT. TYE TRIBBETT – I MADE IT
KIRK FRANKLIN FT. SARAH REEVES, TASHA COBBS & TAMELA MANN – MY WORLD NEEDS YOU
LECRAE – CAN’T STOP ME NOW (DESTINATION)
TAMELA MANN – GOD PROVIDES
Best Actress
GABRIELLE UNION
ISSA RAE
JANELLE MONÁE
TARAJI P. HENSON
VIOLA DAVIS
Best Actor
BRYSHERE Y. GRAY
DENZEL WASHINGTON
DONALD GLOVER
MAHERSHALA ALI
OMARI HARDWICK
YoungStars Award
ACE HUNTER
CALEB MCLAUGHLIN
JADEN SMITH
MARSAI MARTIN
YARA SHAHIDI
Best Movie
FENCES
GET OUT
HIDDEN FIGURES
MOONLIGHT
THE BIRTH OF A NATION
Sportswoman of the Year Award
GABBY DOUGLAS
SERENA WILLIAMS
SIMONE BILES
SKYLAR DIGGINS
VENUS WILLIAMS
Sportsman of the Year Award
CAM NEWTON
LEBRON JAMES
ODELL BECKHAM JR.
RUSSELL WESTBROOK
STEPHEN CURRY
Centric Award
FANTASIA – SLEEPING WITH THE ONE I LOVE
KEHLANI – DISTRACTION
MARY J. BLIGE – THICK OF IT
SOLANGE – CRANES IN THE SKY
SYD – ALL ABOUT ME
YUNA – CRUSH FT. USHER
Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice Award
BEYONCÉ – SORRY
BRUNO MARS – 24K MAGIC
DRAKE – FAKE LOVE
MIGOS FT. LIL UZI VERT – BAD AND BOUJEE
RAE SREMMURD FT. GUCCI MANE – BLACK BEATLES
THE WEEKND FT. DAFT PUNK – STARBOY
Best International Act: Europe
BOOBA (France)
MHD (France)
CRAIG DAVID (UK)
EMELI SANDÉ (UK)
GIGGS (UK)
SKEPTA (UK)
STORMZY (UK)
WILEY (UK)
Best International Act: Africa
AKA (South Africa)
BABES WODUMO (South Africa)
DAVIDO (Nigeria)
NASTY C (South Africa)
STONEBWOY (Ghana)
TEKNO (Nigeria)
WIZKID (Nigeria)
MR EAZI (Nigeria)
Despite only being only 20-years-old, Normani Kordei has overcome a lot in her life – including racist bullying online.
The starlet rose to prominence as part of popular girl-group Fifth Harmony and, for all the band’s success, has still had to pend off the nastiest abuse. So much so that she quit social media for a period of time.
Chronicling the pain and how she overcame it on this week’s ‘Dancing With The Stars,’ Kordei and parter Val Chmerkovskiy conceived a Contemporary piece based on the situation.
For their efforts, they scored a full 40/40 from the judges – for the second consecutive week.
All the action below…
Later in the night, the pair tackled the Country Jive and slayed – earning a 39/40.
Former ‘Real Housewife of Atlanta‘ Kim Zolciak shocked, stunned and disgusted social media hours ago when she made a joke related to John Legend, oral sex…and her own daughter.
Peep the nastiness below…
Teigen responded with…
Nauseated, members of the social media community chimed in with…
@jaxsoldnose@Kimzolciak@chrissyteigen Omg I just thinking the same idc if she’s joking or not to speak of your child that way is disgusting.. nvr thought she wld sink that low
Katy Perry fans are concerned that the Pop powers-that-be are out to destroy her career.
Inundated by a wave of negative stories centred around the star’s music and personality, this morning has seen them met by a firestorm ignited by her decision to sport a John Galliano dress to last night’s MET Gala.
Now, as they learn of unconfirmed reports surrounding a video which claims to capture her making problematic remarks, her fans have taken to social media to reveal that they believe that someone is out to destroy her.
Someone in Katy Perry’s team is really trying to sabotage her
Janet Jackson is back in business. The touring business.
After weeks of speculation, the Pop queen confirmed that she will return to the stage for the ‘State Of The World Tour.’
The trek, which kicks off in North America this Fall, will serve as the diva’s first major work endeavour since pausing the ‘Unbreakable World Tour’ last year to “plan a family.” She gave birth to son Eissa at age 50 this January, with news of her split from husband Wissam Al Mana following in March.
Mounted by Live Nation, the tour’s name is lifted from the ‘Rhythm Nation’ album track of the same name.
The jaunt, which launches September 7th, sees Jackson honor her promise of rescheduling all affected dates from her prior outing.
Tickets go on general sale this Friday (May 5th).
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We’re all sorts of ‘So Excited’! Sure, the start-stop of her tours in recent years hasn’t been a good look. But there’s no denying that Ms. Jackson puts on a captivating and high-octane show. Each and every time.
We’ll most definitely be going to the ‘State Of The World Tour.’ Will you?
As we write, stars from all corners of the arts are filing into the 2017 MET Gala.
Katy Perry, who serves as co-chair for this year’s installment, delivered the night’s most dramatic look.
Arriving in a royal red ensemble, her forehead sported the word “witness” – leading many to speculate whether it’s related in some capacity to her upcoming new album.
Whatever the case, Perry will no doubt be hoping her look garners ample attention given the current struggle new single ‘Bon Appétit’ is experiencing.
Other names on hand include Rihanna,Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Ma Pharrell Williams and wife Helen Lasichanh (who welcomed triplets earlier this year). Also in the house were The Weeknd, Selena Gomez, Serena Williams, Solange, Rita Ora, La La, Nick Jonas, Kylie Jenner, Future, and Jaden Smith.
DJ Khaled has unwrapped the video for newest single ‘I’m The One.’
Justin Bieber leads an all-star line-up of features on the track, which also plays host to Lil Wayne, Chance The Rapper, and Quavo.
The cut is the latest taste of the Snapchat King’s upcoming album ‘Grateful,’ which will see guest spots from the likes of Rihanna and Nas. It’ll also feature Khaled’s collaboration with Beyonce and Jay Z (‘Shining’).
In the here and now though, check out the colorful clip for ‘I’m The One.’ It ushers in summer season sweetly…
Rihanna‘s ‘ANTI’ may have reached a climax with the top ten placing of ‘Love On The Brain,’ but it doesn’t mean Ms. Fenty will be vacating the charts for long.
Because DJ Khaled has revealed that he has teamed up with the Bajan belle for his upcoming new album ‘Grateful.’
Speaking to LA’s Power 106, the Snapchat king confirmed that both Rih and Nas will appear on the set, which also features Justin Bieber and Lil Wayne.
Beyonce, and Jay Z also make an appearance via recent hit single ‘Shining.’
Say what folk will about Rihanna, but there’s no denying her ability to crank out a hit.
Some of her more recent collaborations have been blah (see: Kendrick Lamar, Future), however we’d be lying if we said we weren’t buzzed to hear what she as Khaled have cooked up.
Since twirling onto The Real Housewives Of Atlanta in 2012, Kenya Moore has been a weekly hot topic.
Whether it’s the trials of her private life, professional triumphs, or sassy clap-backs, the former Miss USA continues to have the world talking.
Now, she’s parlaying her popularity into the launch of the Kenya Moore Hair Care line.
That Grape Juice caught up with the budding mogul to discuss the venture, as well as a whole lot of ‘Real Housewives’ tea – including the reunion and cast news for next season.
As ever, we ask the questions you really want answers to. Enjoy.
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Kenya Moore Shouts Out That Grape Juice
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Sam (That Grape Juice): We have so much to get through, but let me first say congratulations on the launch of Kenya Moore Hair Care.
Kenya Moore: Thank you so much!
TGJ: You’re welcome. Tell us a little bit about why you decided to start your own hair care line?
KM: I’ve always had a passion for hair care. When I was a little girl my grandmother always said that hair was your crowning glory. That just always stuck to me my entire life and I had just developed this affinity for healthy hair. Whether it’s long or short, however you wear it, I just believe in having healthy hair. I wanted to empower other women to feel good about the hair that’s growing out of their head versus the hair they are putting on their heads so to speak.
TGJ: Cool. From the inception to the actualization of [the line], tell us a little bit about how you set the wheels in motion once you realized it was something that you wanted to do.
KM: Well, you know, I’m a film and TV producer by trade. I’m used to putting things together from developing projects. I sort of approached it like an actual project of mine. I did a lot of research. Basically it started from when I was maybe 12 years old and developing this affinity for great hair care products and testing everything I could put my hands on. It’s figuring out what products worked, what ingredients worked and starting to nail down the formulations. As a former beauty queen and actress and model it was really difficult for me to maintain my healthy hair. I had a lot of breakage. I had a lot of damage but nothing worked so it just led to try to research it on my own by testing out products that worked and finally being able to put something together where I could put my name on it and formulations that I knew were proven and tried and tested and put through.
TGJ: As with any creation, there’s bound to be hurdles and stumbling blocks. What are some of the challenges that you’ve faced along the way?
KM: Honestly, this is what I do. I deliver. So the real primary challenges centered on just making sure that the product delivered on our promises. Will it make your hair stronger? Yes. Will it make your hair healthier? Yes. Will it make your hair less damaged? All of the claims that we make; I just wanted to make sure that the product delivered and it does. That was the main hurdle was making sure that once I got it to the testing phase that it really worked. I’m happy to say that all of our reviews and most of the reviews I’ve seen on the product solidified the fact that people really have responded great to the product line and actually wanted to continue to develop more and more products.
TGJ: Awesome. ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ platform has proven a very powerful promotional tool. For those not really in the know, how much leeway are you given to plug your projects while the storylines play out on the show?
KM: Well obviously they’re following our real lives so we can film it; it doesn’t necessarily mean that it makes the air. I’ve been developing this line for over five years since season six. At the end of season five I already knew that it’s something that I wanted to do and I’ve been working on it. I announced it at the reunion of season five that I was working on a hair care line. In that time, I’ve filmed scenes meeting with chemists, filmed scenes with test subjects, filmed with my staff. There are so many steps that I had to go through which were filmed but never made it to air. It’s not under our control at all what they end up filming. It’s sort of a gamble but yes, as you know it is an amazing global marketing tool, which is one of the main reasons I wanted to join the cast and this show because I understood the gravity of this platform.
TGJ: A lot of the ladies have entrepreneurial hustles on the show. Is there anyone else that you admire for doing what you are doing as well?
KM: Absolutely. We have to definitely recognize Kandi for her entrepreneurial spirit. She has several businesses and just doing a final plan every day. Even her son has a clothing line. He’s like one-years-old. He already has his own business. Of course, Cynthia who has her eyewear line-her sunglass and her eyewear. So I only can respect a woman that’s trying to do things for herself. It is very important for us to support one another and I have to say that I’m just very proud of them for developing their own businesses and product lines as well.
TGJ: Definitely.
We know that you’ve got gorgeous hair. We see it week in, week out on the show but on a day that perhaps you wanted to add a bit of volume, would you ever rock anything from Porsha’s [hair] collection?
KM: Come on, that’s a shady boots question [laughs].
TGJ: Okay, moving on. Delving into the show a little bit. We’ve seen part of the reunion. It’s been quite intense and there’s still more to come. How was the reunion for you and what can fans expect to play out?
KM: It was definitely a better reunion for me because I’m not in the hot seat. I think I had a very good year – in terms of the relationships I have with the other girls. Much less drama than I’ve had in the previous years. I feel really good about where I am with my relationship with Shereé.
She’s the only person I’ve really had conflict with throughout the season. We ended in a very good place. We’ve been working together to produce … Well I’m producing a PSA on domestic violence with her being involved as well. I’m really happy with the way that that relationship played out.
[As for the others], the fans can just expect to see something that just … I don’t know. It’s definitely epic. There will be a lot of years of secrets being revealed. I think that you just have to watch and see how that all plays out. It’s definitely one for the history books. It’s our first four-part cut reunion so that speaks for itself.
TGJ: Ok. Rounding up on the Real Housewives side of things; are you going to be back for another season?
KM: Well, come on. How can they have another season without me? What would they do?
TGJ: Great answer [Laughs].
There’s a lot of talk about other cast-mates coming and going. There’s talk of Kim Zolciak coming back; Phaedra not coming back. Do you have any insight into that? Have you started taping? What’s the situation on that front?
KM: There definitely is going to be a shakeup. I think that we’ll probably-hopefully get a new housewife or one or two. It’s just that Kim and Nene are both negotiating to come back in some capacity, whether they’re full-time or part-time, I really don’t know. I do believe that-it’s our tenth year so I know that they’re going to do something different for season ten. It’s a huge benchmark. I’m sure you’ll see a lot of your favorites coming back. I’m sure the fans will see a lot of their favorites coming back.
TGJ: That is awesome. Bravo has been really successful with formats such as the ‘Housewives’ and ‘Married to Medicine.’ Do you watch any of those other shows and if so, who do you think would make a good addition to ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ cast?
KM: That’s very difficult to say. I do watch some of the other shows. I just started watching [Real Housewives Of] Potomac. I’ve seen ‘Married to Medicine’ a few times. It’s very difficult because they haven’t hired a new a permanent housewife and re-hired them since I joined the cast. The bar has been set very high unfortunately.
TGJ: Bloop!
KM: [Laughs] They’ll get them but they don’t stay around. What was it at the end of the second question? I’m sorry.
TGJ: That was a great answer.
Switching gears, tell us a little-known fact about Kenya Moore?
KM: A little-known fact … I think I’m a total goofball. A lot of people have the image of me that I always dressed up in heels and I’m always in full hair and make-up and designer clothes. In reality, I’m somewhat of a tomboy and I definitely don’t like to wear make-up most of the time and I love to be silly and just really pretty much hangout at home with my friends and family.
TGJ: You’ve been on The Housewives for about five years now. We’ve seen you dabble in many arenas from acting; which is obviously your mainstay, to fitness to building “Moore Manor.” What other ventures can we expect from you moving forward? What’s on your to-do list?
KM: I’ve got a lot on my to-do list but my baby right now is Kenya Moore Hair Care. I am so excited about this hair care line and bringing more products to the consumers. We’ve got amazing feedback. We’re growing exponentially. We are in retail stores now which is Valley Beauty Supply and other stores coming soon to sign a big distribution deal in North America for a lot of top stores across the U.S. and Canada.
TGJ: Congratulations.
KM: Thank you. I’m just ready to focus on the success of the brand and just bringing the best possible hair care to the masses as possible. It’s affordable luxury and really I’m just trying to be the next Madam C.J. Walker; empowering women to feel good about themselves one head of hair at a time [laughs].
TGJ: You are renowned for throwing shade grenades. How did you learn to read like that?
KM: Shade grenades? [hysterical laughter]
TGJ: Yes. Shade grenades. Where did you learn to read like that?
KM: [Still laughing] I think you just have to be quick-witted. It’s just really, to me, based in humor. It’s not really serious. I like to throw funny shade versus cool shade. I’m just silly and I think that just comes from me being silly and quick-witted.
TGJ: You’re definitely that. The final question, “Kenya Moore, what is your proudest achievement?”
KM: Wow. That’s a good question. I can’t pick one. I think just me being able to be fearless in my pursuit of whatever endeavor that I have. Whether it’s business, life, family, building myself-for me just being the person I’m meant to be and just going on that journey.
