The rapper Shawty Lo was honoured by Beyonce yesterday evening.

After learning of his tragic death, the performer reworked a dance breakdown in her ‘Formation World Tour’ to pay tribute to him during the tour’s stop in his hometown Atlanta.

Watch below…

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Louis York spins into action with a brand new single and we have it right here on TGJ!

Its name? ‘Don’t Play.’

How it sounds? Impeccable. For on it, the dynamic duo glide towards Chicago House territory before the unveiling of their forthcoming EP ‘Masterpiece Theater – Act II’, which will surface on November 18.

Enjoy below…

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‘What’s the 411?’ singer Mary J. Blige answered that question for U.S. presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton recently in a segment sponsored by Apple Music.

The Queen of Hip Hop Soul took to song to address the ongoing fight against police brutality in the States – a hot topic that’s spurred conversation all the way to the White House.

The moving musical moment can be seen in full on September 30th, but if you want a taste of things to come check below:

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The man behind Rihanna’s ‘Work’ PARTYNEXTDOOR has dropped the visual for his latest single ‘Not Nice’ this week.

Pulled from his latest studio set P3, the song comes armed with an Adrian Martinez-directed video to support his 19-date live ‘Summer’s Over Tour’ which will see him rock audiences with Jeremih.

You’re not nice. You’re rude. Look what you’re putting me through. I never do this to you.

Press play to peep the sandy visual after the leap…

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15-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys has certainly seen her ivory-tickling hands pen some of the century’s most memorable R&B hits.  From ‘Fallin’ to ‘If I Ain’t Got You,’ the songstress’s prized writing has been honored and earned nods from everyone from the Grammy’s to ASCAP and BMI.

Most recently, Keys was invited by NPR to walk down memory lane regarding many of those hits. Detailing her writing process, she not only revealed the inspiration behind some of those numbers, but also shared encouraging words for up-and-coming songwriters.

Easily a “must see,” tuck in below to hear Keys chat it up about her catalogue:

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For many record labels and artists alike, the status of the music industry – in terms of sales –  is disheartening to say the least.  In fact, numbers are so abysmal, just last week we proposed the idea of reintroducing (and redefining) “silver” certifications just to acknowledge the sales achievements of those struggling to cross the “gold” threshold.

Throughout all of suggestions, guess who remains unbothered?  Adele.

It’s already well known that her latest album, ’25,’ not only set the record for highest first week sales of any album in history, but is also sitting as the best selling album of 2015 and 2016 (to date).  Since then, those mega-sales have combined and gifted the songstress with her latest diamond album.

According to the RIAA, ’25’ has been certified diamond in recognition of 10 million units shifted since its November 2015 debut.

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Usher‘s 8th opus, ‘Hard II Love,’ may have lived up to its title after all.

Indeed, after gaining mixed review from industry insiders and fans alike (see:  thumbs down for “trend-hopping,” “lack of overall theme,” etc.), ‘Hard’ – released September 16th – was predicted to make little impact on the Billboard 200 after a full tracking week.

In fact, analysts projected the project would not only bomb – much like Ush’s ‘Hands of Stone’ movie that preceded it by two weeks – but it would give the Grammy-winning R&B vet the lowest first week sum of his 20 year+ career.

Needless to say, they were right.  Tuck in below to find out the official figures Billboard is reporting:

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Lil Wayne‘s ongoing legal dispute against Birdman seems to be turning in his favour.

Full story on the positive development below…

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Fantasia has found herself on the receiving end of a firestorm after it was announced that she’d be headlining an ‘All Lives Matter’ concert.

Initially set to be staged in her hometown of Charlotte yesterday, the gig has been postponed until next week for reasons unknown.

But the furore surrounding her involvement remains a very present problem.

Particularly in the current climate, with the advent of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ initiative; which itself was born out the continued injustices against Black people in the US and across the world.

Feeling the heat, Fantasia took to Facebook to defend herself. View the her video statement below…

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Drake‘s ‘Views’ album is undoubtedly the year’s biggest success story, and he’s still adding fresh pages.

Despite changing tides in the industry, the Canadian continues to prove himself a formidable force – both with pure sales and streaming.

And today he’s reached a major milestone with the latter.

Full story below…

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Actress.

Activist.

Rapper?

Fans of Lupita Nyong’o discovered that her talents reach above and beyond the silver screen this week when she surprised them with a Hip-Hop freestyle hours ago.

Currently riding high on the ‘Queen of Katwe‘s critical wave, the entertainer introduced the world to her alter-ego Trouble Maker in a short clip which sees her celebrate her career’s highs with sass and song.

Press play to catch her in action below…

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In 2014, Chris Brown revived interest in Omarion’s career by featuring on his single ‘Post To Be.’

Alas, it now appears that their creative pairing may have been anything but straight-forward now the former B2K frontman has been rocked by a $300,000 lawsuit.

Full story below…

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