Buckle up because the BET Awards are bringing the fire for their 2017 ceremony.

Set to air live June 25th from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, it has been confirmed that the Leslie Jones hosted show will feature performances from some of Urban music’s most notable talent.

The initial wave of names taking to the stage are Bruno Mars, Tamar Braxton, Migos, Trey Songz, and Future. Additional performers will be unveiled in the run-up to Urban music’s biggest calendar night.

As reported, Beyonce leads the pack of nominees with seven while Mars follows with five. Solange and the omnipresent Migos each have four.

Stay tuned to That Grape Juice for your complete BET Awards 2017 fix!

Your thoughts?

There are no questions about it – Camila Cabello is striking out in a big way.

The former Fifth Harmony singer has just been revealed as the new face of GUESS Jeans.

As part of the partnership, the 20-year-old will front the Fall 2017 campaign for the fashion brand. She will appear in the major print and online roll-out.

Speaking on the venture, the ‘Crying In The Club’ singer said:

“I couldn’t be more excited to partner with Guess on this incredible campaign. I’ve grown up loving their aesthetic and not in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d be lucky enough to be a part of it.”

GUESS CCO Peter Marciano added…

“Camila’s confidence, strength and beauty reflect the qualities I look for in a Guess Girl. Choosing Camila to be the face of Guess this fall celebrates that Guess Girls are multi-talented, dynamic and accomplished women.”

Needless to say, Team ‘Mila are coming full force.

The campaign appears like it’ll tie-in with the arrival of her album ‘The Hurting. The Healing. The Loving.’

Excited?

Your thoughts?

Ashanti is ringing the alarm for her return.

The R&B chanteuse has busied herself on the live circuit since the 2014 release of ‘Braveheart,’ but she finally seems ready to deliver the newness.

Taking to social media, the 36-year-old unwrapped a teaser for a fresh video. And she’s looking like a snack!

Check it out below…

Video Cred @aaronklisman #Justwaitonit

A post shared by Ashanti (@ashanti) on May 30, 2017 at 7:19pm PDT

Some may scoff, but we feel there’s still some mileage in the Ashanti tank. It’s all about the music and how she rolls it out.

We’ve yet to see her truly make the indie route work for her (in the way it has for others), but maybe it will this go round?

Your thoughts?

A low-end sports publication has apologised for calling the Pop superstar Rihanna “fat” after facing heat from critics who accused them of weight-shaming her.

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For many in the Hip-Hop community, the creative life force that is Dapper Dan stands as the heart of its relationship with fashion.

Responsible for the looks and styles sported by many a fashion-forward musician in the 80s and 90s, the visionary saw his art receive a fresh dose of his life when one of his creations became a meme on social media.

Little did he know that the boys and girls of Instagram weren’t the only ones “liking” his work.

For, much to the horror of his supporters, the fashion house Gucci seems to have “borrowed” his idea to support their ‘Gucci Cruise’ collection.

Confused, some took to social media to criticise the company.

this hits home, especially after viewing Gucci's resort collection & seeing absolutely no credits towards the style icon Dapper Dan. pic.twitter.com/7ZNwgaLlaD

— Brown Girl Alchemy (@amberjfinney) May 30, 2017

Is Gucci gonna, say, pay Dapper Dan to license that design? Or is it just one of those feel-good unpaid homages on which businesses thrive

— Matthew Schneier (@MatthewSchneier) May 30, 2017

On the left Dapper Dan creation circa 1980 something, then on right Gucci cruise 18'….. ? pic.twitter.com/0O8OQsR769

— Shelton Boyd (@flyrebel) May 29, 2017

@gucci y'all stole Dapper Dan's design yet you sent him plenty of cease n desists and had his shop raided multiple times in the 80s and 90s. pic.twitter.com/VB7ueqQnF7

— D Bruze (@darienbruze) May 30, 2017

Your thoughts?

The R&B prince August Alsina has revealed that he is battling a serious illness with the help of his good friend Jada Pinkett-Smith.

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Janelle Monae is to star in the brand new Sci-Fi project ‘Electric Dreams’!

Commissioned by the UK’s Channel 4, the anthology series will introduce Monae to its weird, wild and wonderful party as a woman named Alexis in an episode named ‘Autofac‘.

Its premise?

Despite society and the world as we know it having collapsed, a massive, automatic product-manufacturing factory continues to operate according to the principles of consumerism – humans consume products to be happy, and in order to consume continuously, they must be denied freedom of choice and free will. When a small band of rebels decide to shut down the factory, they discover they may actually be the perfect consumers after all.

News of her union with her series follows her success in the movies ‘Moonlight‘ and ‘Hidden Figures‘.

Keep it locked on TGJ for its premiere date.

Your thoughts?

Just hours after shocking news broke that WGN America had canceled ‘Underground’ (one of its flagship original series) after just two seasons, its executive producer – Oscar/Grammy winner John Legend – is already on the hunt for its next network home.

The groundbreaking historical show, which depicted the lives of brave American slaves attempting to navigate the Underground Railroad, had been a consistent winner with critics and viewers since its debut.  Yet, with the network’s restructuring due to recent buyout, it was removed from their airing roster due to its high “production cost” [reportedly $5 million per episode].

Undeterred, Legend took to Twitter today to give hope to faithful viewers of the series.  Read his comments below:

Your thoughts?

Over 20 years after releasing their now-classic hit, ‘If I Ruled the World,’ Urban legends Nas & Lauryn Hill are teaming to rule North American box offices this fall.

The duo, who fans got to catch on select dates of the latter’s 2016 “MLH Caravan: A Diaspora Calling! Tour,” have opted to hit the road (sans Kehlani) on a month-long trek that will touch every corner of North America.  Kicking off September 7th in Chicago, the yet-titled tour will hit Houston, Miami, Toronto, Seattle, and a number of places in between before wrapping up in Vancouver on October 11th.

If you’re keen to find out when/if they’ll be touching down in your town, look below for dates:

Nas/Lauryn Hill Fall 2017 Tour

Sept. 7 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
Sept. 8 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
Sept. 10 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Sept. 12 – Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
Sept. 14 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion
Sept. 15 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Sept. 20 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
Sept. 22 – Miami, FL – Bayfront Park Amphitheater
Sept. 23 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place
Sept. 27 – Houston, TX – Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
Sept. 28 – Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Irving Music Factory
Sept. 30 – Austin, TX – Austin360 Amphitheater
Oct. 3 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU
Oct. 5 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl
Oct. 7 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Oct. 10 – Seattle, WA – WaMu Theater
Oct. 11 – Vancouver, BC – Pacific Coliseum

Your thoughts?

Ne-Yo is officially back!

After tiding fans over with loose cuts after the release of his 2015 LP, ‘Non-Fiction,’ the R&B crooner tapped producers Dr. Luke and Cirkut to help craft the official kickoff to his yet-titled 7th album.

An upbeat summer jam titled ‘Another Love Song,’ the cut – released by Motown Records and Ne-Yo’s Compound Entertainment – has a timely release as it coincides with the premiere of NBC’s reality dance competition ‘World of Dance’ (which features Ne-Yo, Jennifer Lopez, and Derek Hough as judges).

Get into it below:

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It’s curtains for WGN America‘s ‘Underground.’

For, after just two seasons the cable network has confirmed that the popular series will not be back for a third.

The move has come as a surprise to many given that the show was a strong performer in the ratings.

Its cancellation has little to do with numbers though.

See, WGN is going through a brand overhaul and ‘Underground’ – a slave drama – does not fit said agenda. Peep the statement from the CEO Peter Kern below:

“As WGN America evolves and broadens the scope and scale of its portfolio of series, we recently announced that resources will be reallocated to a new strategy to increase our relevance within the rapidly changing television landscape. This move is designed to deliver additional value for our advertising and distribution partners and offer viewers more original content across our air.

“Despite Underground being a terrific and important series, it no longer fits with our new direction and we have reached the difficult decision not to renew it for a third season. We are tremendously proud of this landmark series that captured the zeitgeist and made an impact on television in a way never before seen on the medium. We thank the incomparable creators Misha Green and Joe Pokaski and the great John Legend, along with the talented creative team and cast who brought the unsung American heroes of the Underground Railroad to life. We are grateful to the loyal fans of Underground and our partners at Sony Pictures Television. It is our hope that this remarkable show finds another home and continues its stories of courage, determination and freedom.”

As at writing, both OWN and Hulu are said to be interested in picking up the show. However, some feel its hefty per-episode production price may count against it.

Still, as always in entertainment, never say never.

We love the series and are crossing our fingers that it finds residence at another channel.

Your thoughts?

Teyana Taylor sends pulses racing in the titillating video for new song ‘Drippin.”

The omnipresent Migos join the the 26-year-old on the edgy track, which serves as her first offering since she rode the wave of renewed relevance following her appearance in Kanye West’s ‘Fade.’

It also appears the sizzling number is the debut taste of Taylor’s long-awaited sophomore album.

Watch below, but be warned the clip is Not Safe For Work….

This works…as a buzz track.

We are holding out hope, however, for something beyond this consistently minimalist R&B she’s been peddling. Because her skill set, both as a vocalist and performer, render her capable of much more.

Your thoughts?