Jay-Z‘s critically acclaimed ‘4:44’ album was noteworthy not only because of the personal truths he shared, but also due to those of his mother revealed too.

On the much discussed track ‘Smile,’ Hov shared Gloria Carter‘s coming out story and she herself recited a spoken-word piece about her experience coming to terms with being a lesbian at the cut’s climax.

This resonated with many including LGBTQ advcocacy agency GLAAD who have announced that Carter will receive the Special Recognition Award at the upcoming GLAAD Media Awards.

Details below…

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‘Chun Li’, the smash hit single released by the rapper Nicki Minaj extended her lead as the longest-charting/highest-selling female rapper of all time when it soared to glory on charts globally.

Unfortunately, as addressed here many times before, the rapper’s reluctance to spend promote her material in the United Kingdom physically seems to lie at the heart of the track’s swift decline on iTunes UK.

Full story below…

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Ouch!  ‘Me So Bad’ takes on new meaning after one glance at the first week sales of Tinashe‘s long-awaited sophomore album, ‘Joyride.’

The set – originally announced in early 2015 following the critical acclaim of her debut album ‘Aquarius’ – was preceded by a slew of Pop-flavored buzz tracks and singles before being completely revamped to the Urban reincarnation that hit shelves April 13th.  Lifted on the backs of the Offset-assisted ‘No Drama,’ ‘Me So Bad’ (featuring French Montana and Ty Dolla $ign), and the Future-enlisted ‘Faded Love,’ the nonperformance of the cuts on the Hot 100 seemed to be a precursor to the commercial failure of their parent set.

Against all odds and with the support of her patient fan base, T went to chart battle last week with ‘Joyride’ and was initially expected to shift 5-7k by the tracking week’s end (as we reported here).  Unfortunately, refreshed reports indicate she did not even meet industry analysts’ lowest expectations. Click inside to see just how many units ‘Joyride’ shifted from shelves:

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Ariana Grande‘s latest single, ‘No Tears Left to Cry,’ has yet to debut on the Hot 100 but (from where we stand) it’s already proven itself to be a bonafide smash.

The first release from her forthcoming fourth LP, ‘Cry’ – which made its world premiere on April 20th – flew to the top of digital sales tallies just minutes after its release (where it remains as of time reported).  In a bid to tighten its grip atop sales charts and ensure prominent placement on next week’s Hot 100 the songstress not only surprised Coachella attendees with the first live performance of the cut (click here to see it), but she’s already hot and heavy on the promo trail in its support.

Ahead of a May 1st takeover of ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’ the pint-sized powerhouse is releasing some behind the scenes looks at ‘Cry’s futuristic Dave Meyers-directed video.  See the first of all the action inside:

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After thrilling fans with yet another stunning set at Coachella (for weekend 2), Grammy-winning crooner Miguel is continuing his promo grind with a video for ‘Come Through & Chill’ – the latest single from his fourth studio album, ‘War & Leisure.’

Tapping chart-topping rapper J. Cole to assist, the visual – directed by Kevin Calero – sees the duo give fans a behind the scenes look at what a sexy Miguel video would look like on the other side of the camera.  The result?  Lots of skin and sin.

See what we mean inside:

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With less than 48 hours to go before Janelle Monae unleashes new album ‘Dirty Computer,’ the singer has shared its official tracklist.

Clocking in at 14-songs, the set sees Monae team with an eclectic list of collaborators – including Pharrell Williams, Grimes, and Brian Wilson.

Ever creative, the “reveal” took place interactively via an activity on the star’s official site.

Ahead of the LP’s arrival on Friday (and visual movie a day prior), peep the tracklist below…

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Sony Pictures has revealed that it has committed to creating a movie based on the life of the performer Halsey.

Promising news below…

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Russell Simmons is breathing a little easier today because a rape lawsuit filed against him has been dramatically dropped.

Details below…

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Marvin Gaye‘s son wants Quincy Jones to know that he is tired of his shenanigans!

Why he feels the iconic musician is out of pocket, order and line?

Full story below…

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Kanye West‘s outspokenness is as trademark as his musical genius. But his latest stream of thought on social media seems to have irked a lot of his liberal leaning fanbase.

Moments ago on Twitter, Ye billed US President Donald Trump as his “brother” and proceeded to critique those who slam him for such sentiments for not having their own mindset and following the pack.

His words below…

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Thandie Newton‘s foray into the world of television is spelling success for execs at HBO.

How so? The ratings her role in its hit series ‘Westworld’ is drawing in.

Awesome news below…

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Lady Gaga has long established herself a multi-dimensional talent, with acting being one of her many gifts.

This October, she’ll be flexing her thespian muscle on the big screen with Bradley Cooper in his hotly anticipated remake of ‘A Star Is Born.’

And while news of the film’s reboot drew scepticism from some corners, the flick is now being touted as a favorite for the upcoming award season.

Especially after the exclusive debut of its trailer and preliminary artwork CinemaCon last night.

Check out what the privy few who saw the preview had to say below…

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