Atlantic Records, the major label behind the careers of Lil Kim, T.I, Bruno Mars and Trey Songz, are determined to turn their latest signing Cardi B into a megastar.

How they intend to do so? By backing her bid to pick up a Best New Artist gong at the forthcoming Grammy Awards ceremony.

Fantastic news below…

(more…)

It goes without saying that it’s been an exceptional year for both Solange and Bruno Mars. 

Hence, it’s fitting that the singers lead the pack of talent in the nominations for the 2017 Soul Train Awards.

Solo stands tallest with 7 honors, while Bruno blazes the scene with 6.

Both have achieved gargantuan success with their projects ‘A Set At The Table’ and ’24k Magic’ projects respectively.

Toni Braxton will also be bestowed with the coveted  Don Cornelius Legend Award, while SWV will receive the third annual Lady Of Soul Award.

The prizes are set to be handed out on November 5th at Las Vegas’ Orleans Arena, with the ceremony itself airing on BET on November 26th. 

Peep the full list of nominees after the jump…

(more…)

It’s that time of year again!

November 19th brings with it the 2017 American Music Awards.

As ever, all eyes are on the nominees for the latest instalment of the annual extravaganza, which this year airs from LA’s Microsoft Theater.

And folk need not wonder anymore, because the full list has just been unveiled by R&B siren Ciara.

Find out who else scooped nods below…

(more…)

After much ado, Tamar Braxton uncaged her new studio album ‘Blue Bird Of Happiness’ last week.

In the run-up to its arrival, the star performed on platforms such as the BET Awards and made headlines when she revealed that the set will supposedly serve as her “last” body of work.

Armed with that relative hype, all eyes are on the set’s sales. Did she deliver? Find out below…

(more…)

Cardi B is unstoppable!

Good news below…

(more…)

Welcome to the latest TGJ Roundtable!

Over the years, That Grape Juice has established a distinguished voice that – whether loved or loathed – sparks discussion, debate, and on occasion drama!

Though comprised of seasoned writers who share a similar outlook on Urban Pop culture, the idiosyncrasies of the TGJ team members often lend for quite heated debates “behind the scenes” about the hottest topics.

Now, we give you a front row seat to the show. In a format similar to ‘The View’ or ‘The Real’, TGJ editors – Sam, David, Rashad, and Joe – get real in a very candid way.

Today’s roundtable topic asks each anchor their thoughts on the…

2017 MTV VMAs 

(more…)

The  credits are soon to be rolling on the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards.

Aired live from The Forum in Los Angeles, the action-packed extravaganza boasted many a memorable moment.

With all eyes on who took home which honor, did your favourite win any of the coveted Moonmen?

Meet us below to find out!

(more…)

The 2017 MTV Video Music Awards are currently underway at The Forum in Los Angeles. As ever, That Grape Juice will be providing you with performances as they occur!

Check out showings from Cardi B, Katy Perry, Kendrick Lamar, and more below. Keep refreshing, as we’ll be updating minute-by-minute…

(more…)

Much of America may be looking to the skies today thanks to the solar eclipse, but they – along with the rest of the world – will have their attention firmly on the VMAs stage this Sunday.

Taking place live from The Forum in Los Angeles, the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards promises a variety of memorable moments.

Katy Perry has been tapped to host, while the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Fifth Harmony, The Weekend and Video Vanguard honoree Pink are set to take to the stage.

Now a new list of names have joined the performer line-up.

Find out who they are below…

(more…)

It’s that time of year again.

The MTV Video Music Awards 2017 will be heating up screens on August 27th live from The Forum in Los Angeles.

Hailed as one of the most important days on the Pop music calendar, all eyes are on who is up for coveted Moonmen at the show’s 33rd instalment. Especially with MTV eliminating gendered categories.

Kendrick Lamar leads with 8 noms, with Katy Perry and The Weeknd following with five apiece. But what about the rest of the list?

Without further ado, the answer awaits below…

(more…)

Welcome to the latest TGJ Roundtable!

Over the years, That Grape Juice has established a distinguished voice that – whether loved or loathed – sparks discussion, debate, and on occasion drama!

Though comprised of seasoned writers who share a similar outlook on Urban Pop culture, the idiosyncrasies of the TGJ team members often lend for quite heated debates “behind the scenes” about the hottest topics.

Now, we give you a front row seat to the show. In a format similar to ‘The View’ or ‘The Real’, TGJ editors – Sam, David, Rashad, and Joe – get real in a very candid way.

Today’s roundtable topic asks each anchor their thoughts on the…

2017 BET Awards

Sam

**************

David

Last night’s show stood as the first since exec Stephen Hill‘s departure so I, like many, expected major changes to the spectacle.

On a positive front, Remy Ma’s win, the New Edition tribute and the focus on Urban music’s “new” wave of stars (see SZA) stood as three of the night’s many highlights for me.

That being said, there were a number of performances which felt more filler than they did thriller, lacking the trending-topic generating moments the likes of Ciara, Beyonce and Nicki Minaj have delivered in the past.

As for the Xscape reunion?

It was an awesome reminder of the group’s impact, talent (and on all tips) superiority over their predecessors, who arguably lack the vocal prowess and professional polish the group showcased – even with a few unfortunate hiccups from Kandi Burruss.

In short, I enjoyed the show but don’t think it was as good as last year’s.

A score out of 10? 6.

**************

Rashad

Easily the worst BET Awards to date.

First thing’s first:  Leslie Jones, girl, no.  Just no.   And, hopefully never again.  The new acts, while appreciated as it’s always cool to highlight up-and-coming talents, seemed awkwardly placed and scattered throughout the show as time-fillers. Trey Songz, Chris Brown, Xscape, Mary J. Blige, and Maxwell – the more seasoned acts – left a bit to be desired for varying reasons.

 If Bruno Mars was the bait to pull viewers having him kick off the show actually worked to its detriment because he set the bar way too high for the acts that followed. An overall boring affair, I, like Bruno, found there were times throughout it was hard to stay awake.  In fact, on the performance front, the only standouts besides him were the epic New Edition performance (which almost saved the show by its lonesome) and Tamar Braxton’s dramatic, yet engaging performance. It was just an overall miss, which is surprising given that the BET Awards ALWAYS bring it.

P.S. – While I cannot help but appreciate BET for paying homage to George Michael, a caucasian artist long praised in the Black community for his soulfulness, El Debarge was not the best pick for his tribute. There were literally times where Debarge’s voice sounded like he was saying “meow meow meow” or, dare I say it, sounded like someone was crumpling foil. No bueno.

**************

Joe

The BET Awards this year could have been renamed “the gift that keeps on giving.” Put simply, the ceremony was phenomenal.

First thing is first, you can never go wrong when you book Bruno Mars to kick-off a show.

I felt very elated seeing Solange and SZA finally getting the recognition they deserve; the girls felt, looked and were treated like rock stars.

On the throwback front, the uncles and aunties showed up and showed out! New Edition’s presence on the BET stage felt like the most natural thing and clearly the audience enjoyed, while the ladies of Xscape reminded the world that they weren’t flash in the pan or just reality TV celebrities but bonafide powerhouses. How refreshing seeing Kandi and Tiny celebrated for their tremendous talent once again.

Trey Songz forgettable performance was eclipsed by Chris Brown’s stellar showing, Khalid is really one to watch and that was made official at yesterday night’s event; and of course Maxwell remains the master of crooning.

A shout out to the creative directors who have blatantly upped the ante with the visuals and the staging. Long gone it seems are the days where rappers came armed with nothing but their hype man: Big Sean, French Montana, Kendrick Lamar, Future and Migos served vivid and edgy visuals.

The VMA’s ought to watch out: the BET Awards are slowly but surely becoming THE definitive music awards show ceremony for the millennials.

**************

Do you agree with our picks? Who was spot on? Let us know your thoughts on the latest TGJ Roundtable and your thoughts on the 2017 BET Awards.

Your thoughts?

[Photo credit: Getty]

The BET Awards 2017 certainly provided many a notable moment courtesy of the host of music stars who took to the stage.

Now, after show-stopping performances from Maxwell, Mary J. Blige, Bruno Mars, and more, see who walked away with the show’s biggest star – its coveted trophies!

A full winner’s list awaits below:

(more…)