With growing critical acclaim from fans and industry insiders under its wings, ‘Sum of My Music’ (in stores now) – the long-awaited debut album from Jussie Smollett – is about to see its content take flight to a number of stages around the world.

The 34-year-old actor/singer/songwriter – who recently lifted a visual for one of the LP’s standout cuts, ‘Hurt People’ (click here to watch) – announced his inaugural tour will see him visit several corners of the United States, Europe, Africa and Asia in its support. Kicking off April 20 in Dubai, the trek has scheduled touchdowns in Germany and France before heading to major U.S. cities Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, and more ahead of its wrap up at the New Orleans-hosted Essence Festival on July 7th.

As complaints from UK and South African fans came rolling in after the dates’ initial unveiling, Smollett took to Twitter to ensure announcements regarding stops in both countries are forthcoming.  Until news on that, look inside to see if the singer’s first leg of touring will roll into your town:

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Fresh from her surprise appearance at big sister Beyonce‘s show-stopping Coachella performance, ‘Cranes in the Sky’ songbird Solange was revealed to be showing off her eccentric style in the pages of ‘Dazed’ magazine’s Spring/Summer issue.

Reportedly taking to Jamaica to finish up the follow-up to 2016’s chart-topping ‘A Seat at the Table,’ the 31-year-old took time from the lab to cook up some sizzling snaps (with help from photographer Jackie Nickerson) for the British style magazine.

Ahead of the spread’s full unveiling (alongside its feature story) on April 19, tuck in below to see highlights from the shoot:

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While his run atop the Billboard 200 was cut short thanks to Cardi B (click here to read more on that), The Weeknd‘s looking to turn the tide with continued promotion of his latest EP, ‘My Dear Melancholy.’

The March 30th-released set may only have six songs, but at least half of the cuts have supporting visuals.  As if that’s not enough, the Grammy-winning crooner also took to Coachella over the weekend to give fans live renditions of some of the EP’s standout tracks.

Now, those who still have room for more from the hitmaker are being invited to a behind the scenes view of his hectic schedule, bustling career, and – of course – creation of music in a new documentary titled, ‘Another You.’  Take a look at the four-part Apple Music exclusive inside:

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Jussie Smollett is turning no shortage of stones in support of his debut album, ‘Sum of My Music.’

Having already hit the U.S. morning and daytime TV circuit to crank out live renditions of some of its critically acclaimed tunes, the ‘Empire’ star continues to increase awareness of his inaugural offering by lifting stunning visuals in its support.

In addition to the Swizz Beatz-assisted ‘Catch Your Eye’ and its predecessor, ‘Freedom’ starring Tika Sumpter (click here to watch both), now fans can feast their eyes on ‘Hurt People.’ Shot in the beautiful cities of Johannesburg and Soweto, South Africa, Smollett reportedly hired an all South African crew (fashion designers, cast, etc.) to help bring his vision to life. In a statement, the 34-year-old crooner said:

“‘Hurt People’ in particular is about celebrating the breaking of the cycle, getting out of that mental prison and taking off for home,” he stated. Going on to add, “…when I think of someone who was consistently attacked and could’ve given in it’s Nelson and Winnie Mandela. This video is completely inspired by them.”

See the sum of his vision inside:

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Cardi B‘s domination of the Billboard charts is nothing short of historic.

The “Trap Selena,” who dominated headlines over the weekend for her show-stopping P-popping (while pregnant) at Coachella (click here for more on that), also saw her name float atop headlines for the chart-performance of her debut album – the highly anticipated ‘Invasion of Privacy.’ Wreaking havoc on both Hot 100 and Billboard 200 charts respectively, the set’s entrance brought with it some seriously record breaking feats – namely those previously set by Coachella’s biggest story:  Beyonce.

According to reports, ‘Privacy’:

• Entered charts with the largest on-demand audio streaming week ever for an album by a woman (202.6 million streams)
  • Defeating Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade,’ which launched at 115.2 million streams
• Logged the biggest streaming week for a debut studio album
  • Trumping Lil Uzi Vert’s ‘Luv Is Rage 2’ (150.6 million streams)
• Saw most of its tracks chart, helping give Cardi 13 simultaneous Hot 100 placements overall
  • Besting Bey’s 12 tracks found on ‘Lemonade’ (the ‘Formation’-led album remains the first project by a woman to simultaneously chart all its songs).

Congratulations are certainly due to the ‘Love & Hip Hop’ alum!  Look inside to see who joined her in the top 25 on both charts:

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Ariana Grande has trumpeted her return.

The vocal wonder has confirmed the murmurs: she is indeed releasing a single this week.

Details below…

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The ripple of buzz surrounding Beyonce‘s epic Coachella set continues. And the Queen is reaping a bevy of benefits.

Details below…

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Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and a host of TDE talent are gearing up to hit the road together for the aptly titled ‘Championship Tour.’

The Stateside trek kicks off in Vancouver on May 4th and will play 29-shows.

To amplify buzz, K.Dot and co have released a promo video.

Billed as a homage to the film ‘Rocky,’ the digital short – directed by Jack Begert and Dave Free – follows Lamar and his crew on the tennis and basketball courts, golf course, soccer field, and track.

Check it out below…

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Normani is making major strides on her solo journey.

Fifth Harmony announced their hiatus last month and the 21-year-old has wasted no time blazing the trail.

She secured management with a branch of Roc Nation, signed a lucrative deal with RCA Records, and released a hit collaboration with friend/label-mate Khalid.

With her debut album pencilled in for an end of year arrival, the Houston native stopped by Hot 97 to speak about her whirlwind 2018 and what’s to come.

During her candid chat with Nessa, Normani spilled on her upcoming album, pairing up with Missy Elliott on the set, Fifth Harmony‘s hiatus, and the story of her meet-up with Beyonce.

The latter was especially notable as she spoke of her shock when Queen Bey told her that she’d been waiting to meet her (after hearing so much).

Check out the interview below…

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The legendary Lauryn Hill is set to celebrate her magnum opus in a major way.

Details below…

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It’s that time of year!

The Billboard Music Awards are back for its 2018 instalment and today the much anticipated nominees were revealed.

Two of the names featured on the coveted list, Khalid and Bebe Rexha, were on-hand for the partial announcement this morning on the TODAY Show.

In the time since, the full list of finalists for the May 20th ceremony (which airs live on new network NBC from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas) has surfaced.

See who’s up for what after the jump…

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Cop a gander of Keri Hilson!

The R&B siren continues her steady return to the spotlight with a striking new ad campaign for Ramomar (a fashion brand who counts the likes of Nicki Minaj amongst its supporters).

Inspired by African queendom, the shoot – lensed by Derek Blanks – sees the ‘Pretty Girls Rock’ singer channel Cleopatra to stunning effect.

The spread, more of which will be unwrapped imminently, comes as Hilson gears up to make her stage comeback at LA Pride 2018 in June.

It’s been eight years since the star released her last studio album. So, ahead of her return, re-live her launch performance of TGJ’s ‘The Splash’ below… (more…)