Solange has been receiving rave reviews for her new album ‘A Seat At The Table,’ yet her journey to emancipation started  five years ago.

This week’s From The Vault journeys back to 2008, a time when the rising star released her first single in 5 years.

Today’s pick is retro number ‘I Decided’.

Serviced as the first single from Solo’s sophomore set ‘Sol-Angel And The Hadley St. Dreams,’ the track was produced by the mighty Neptunes and sampled the iconic handclaps from The Supremes’ ‘Where Did Our Love Go.’

In the US, the cut performed moderately well on the Billboard Hot Hip-Hop/R&B peaking at #44.

For its European incarnation, the throwback cut received a sonic facelift by British DJs The Freemasons which allowed it to access the UK and France’s Top 30 as well as Ireland’s Top 50.

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Acclaimed director and family friend Melina Matsoukas directed the cut’s video which retraced different eras in Pop culture. Travelling through time, the talented songbird can be seen as part of a Supremes-like ensemble performing during the Civil Right Movement era, as a Disco queen on Soul Train, an 80’s popstar in the MTV generation, and finally romancing a love interest in the future.

With its vivid vibrancy and use of pop art, the visual shared similarities with Rihanna’s ‘Rude Boy’ which was released a year later and was also directed by Matsoukas.

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We’ve long been rooting for Ms. Knowles – ever since ‘Hadley St. Dreams’ days. As such, we couldn’t be more amped about seeing her finally getting the recognition she deserves. What’s interesting with ‘A Seat At The Table’ is that its material isn’t far removed from what Solange has been servicing already for years.

Hopefully, the buzz surrounding the project won’t be temporary and will only allow Knowles to expand the conversation with her newly recruited supporters.

In there here and now, though, congrats to Solange for breaking through. At long last.

Your thoughts?

Before her passing in 1919, the African-American woman Madam C.J. Walker became the United States’ first self-made millionaire.

How? Hair.

Now, almost 100 years after her death, her story is to be brought to life by Octavia Spencer.

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Still flying high on the critical acclaim of her tertiary opus, ‘A Seat at the Table,’ soulful songbird Solange delivered her debut performance on ‘SNL’ tonight (as previously announced here).

Showing off her oft-praised pipes, the singer/songwriter unveiled the first televised showing of hit songs ‘Cranes in the Sky’ & ‘Don’t Touch My Hair’ – both found on ‘Table’ (which hit #1 the week of its release).

Keen to judge how the youngest of the Knowles clan fared on the sketch comedy show?  Her performance awaits you below:

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If you thought all this CMA mess was keeping the #Beyhive too busy to detect other infractions against their pop icon leader, Beyonce, you – much like ‘Clueless’ star Stacey Dash – thought wrong.

That’s right, the FOX news puppet got her strings and her wig tugged at after she took to Twitter yesterday to diss Bey’s mom, Tina Lawson, for comments the fashion designer made about the hit 90’s film on social media.  Taking direct offense to said comments, Dash dashed to her oft-controversial blog to “clap back.”  The move set off a bevy of Beyhive stings, many of which are still happening right now.

Did you miss any of the action? It awaits below:

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Blac Chyna‘s career title may be ambiguous, but her feelings for Wendy Williams aren’t.

The reality staple has taken offence at some of the comments the former shock-jock made about her relationship with Rob Kardashian.

Since the onset of their “romance,” Williams has shadily cheered Chyna on for playing the Kardashian clan at their own game. Namely, getting pregnant, cashing in, and upping her profile.

Well, it appears Wendy’s latest comments were the last straw.

Because Chyna just went…in!

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After a series of delays, Alicia Keys finally unleashed her sixth album ‘HERE’ yesterday.

It’s been a rocky road for the former chart-force. Indeed, despite routinely rocking the album tally with previous efforts, recent times have seen her struggle to jump start this campaign.

“Lead” single ‘In Common’ failed to chart on the Hot 100 earlier this year and a proper follow-up has yet to materialise; the latter being surprising given that the song has been relegated to an international bonus track on ‘HERE.’

Still, on the merit of her name, Keys has remained in the spotlight – appearing as a coach on ‘The Voice’ and booking a number of promotional spots.

How has all of this impacted the performance of the LP?

Find out below…

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Fans of Mary J. Blige ought to mark their calendars.

For, the Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul is gearing up to release the video for ‘Thick Of It’ on Monday November 7th.

The visual serves as the first to be serviced from Blige’s new album ‘Strength Of A Woman,’ which hits stores in December.

With the song already #1 on Urban Adult Contemporary radio, the video’s arrival comes right on time.

Wonder what it’ll look like? Take a sneak peek after the jump…

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Country star Kenny Chesney may have the #1 album in the U.S. right now, but for the last three days he’s also been #1 on another tally:  the Beyhive hitlist.

Indeed, during Beyonce‘s controversy inciting performance with the Dixie Chicks at this year’s CMAs the camera panned to Chesney in the audience who seemed visibly uncomfortable.  The look of displeasure on his face during the ‘Daddy Lessons’ showing not only became the subject of many-a-meme, but also the catalyst for a brutal Twitter attack filled with death threats, attacks on his sexuality, personal life, and so much more.

Once the onslaught of insults reached a feverish pitch, Chesney took to social media to offer an official statement.  Read it below:

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‘Girl on Fire’ Alicia Keys is bringing some serious heat to the promo trail in support of her sixth album, ‘Here’ (in stores now).

After news the project pounced to the top of digital charts, the 15-time Grammy winner is apparently looking to replicate its success on the Billboard 200.

Taking to Fallon Friday night (November 4), the first of many reported televised promo spots, Keys found an unlikely stage companion in rising rapstress Young M.A.  See their hot performance below:

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Welcome to Retro Rewind, the TGJ original feature launched to take our readers on a journey to TV and Film’s past.

Today, we revisit one of Kanye West‘s earlier conversations with Sway Calloway.

In it, he revealed that he was bullied in school by peers who labelled him a f***** because of the way he walked and talk.

The impassioned rapper, now years removed from the trauma at that point, admitted that the accusations forced him to question his own masculinity and steer clear from anything he deemed to be effeminate.

Watch below…

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The popularity of the reality television format hasn’t always translated into the best of sales outcomes for its tenants (see:  Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Shakira, etc.), but that doesn’t – nor should it – stop them from trying.

The latest to try her hand at the table?  Alicia Keys.

Four years after dividing critics and fans alike with her #1 album, ‘Girl on Fire,’ the Grammy-winning diva’s new album is finally ‘Here.’  Birthing gems like ‘Holy War’ and ‘Blended Family,’ the RCA reared set arrived on the shoulders of an unconventional campaign – one that’s seen the singer/songwriter reintroduce herself to the buying public via an “anti-makeup” movement and stint as a judge on NBC’s reality singing competition ‘The Voice.’

If the tactics will translate into sales is yet to be seen.

Yes, the move’s kept her in conversation and even helped fuel interest in “Keys – the celebrity,” but it hasn’t done the same commercially.  In fact, what the ‘In Common’-led opus does not have in common with its five predecessors is the ability to boast a Hot 100-charting single prior to release.  Some will argue this fact many attributes to the lack of hype around the album…

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Only 24 hours separates the world from the next season of ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta.’

Set to deliver some of its wildest storylines (see the unearthing of Porsha Williams & Kandi Burruss’ girl on girl action), the show continues to tease fans with what’s to come by unlocking a never-before-seen teaser from the season.

In it, original ‘Wife’ Sheree Whitfield locks horns with her replacement Kenya Moore over their ongoing construction war.

That isn’t all. For, Moore scores a major surprise when her Williams arrives at her housewarming party…uninvited.

Watch what happens when southern belles collide below…

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