Readers of That Grape Juice know what avid music lovers we are – especially of hits past.

So, as our retrospective features ‘From the Vault’ and ‘TGJ Replay’  allow us the chance to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday of one artist, our newest feature Chart Rewind – a variation of our current Retro Rewind assay – accedes salutes to an entire era of music history.

This week we thought it’d be nice to revisit ‘Nice & Slow’ – the second single from Usher Raymond‘s second album, ‘My Way.’  Penned by Raymond and Brandon & Brian Casey (twin brothers of R&B group Jagged Edge) and produced by Jermaine Dupri, the song was a hit from day one.  Debuting in the top 10 of the Hot 100 in late January 1998 (while its predecessor, ‘You Make Me Wanna,’ was still occupying a slot there as well), ‘Slow’ quickly jumped to the #1 slot just three weeks later.  Ironically dethroning Janet Jackson‘s ‘Together Again’ from the top spot (as he went on to open for her ‘Velvet Rope’ tour a few months later this year), ‘Nice & Slow’ became the Atlantan hitmaker’s first chart-topper and eventually earned a platinum certification for exceeding 1.5 million in sales.

Today, it remains a fan favorite from his hit-filled catalog.  Tuck in below to see who joined him in the top 25 this week 20 years ago:

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The Hip-Hop starlet Cardi B has been forced to turn the heat up on a security front this week after she made potential enemies out of the infamous Crips gang.

Startling news below…

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Britney Spears is bringing the heat this summer with her exclusive ‘Piece Of Me Tour.’

Playing to select cities across the globe (ahead of her return to Las Vegas next year), the trek just expanded with an array of new dates.

Dive below for details…

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Nate Parker‘s Oscar hopes for the movie ‘Birth of a Nation‘ were derailed when details on alleged assault he is said to have carried out during college resurfaced.

Today, he preps a comeback he hopes will restore his standing in Hollywood.

 

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A week after dominating television airwaves with the Lifetime-aired ‘Faith Under Fire,’ R&B veteran Toni Braxton‘s back to dominate the R&B scene with some fire of her own.

‘Long As I Live’ – the must-hear second single from her highly anticipated new album, ‘Sex & Cigarettes,’  was delivered this morning as the follow-up to 2017’s ‘Deadwood’ (which hit the top 10 on Adult R&B songs charts).

Will ‘Live’ lift the diva even higher on R&B and Pop tallies? Listen inside and tell us:

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As reported here, Grammy-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar was picked to helm the official motion picture soundtrack to Marvel’s highly anticipated new film, ‘Black Panther’ (in theaters February 16).

Preceded by the iTunes chart-topping cut, ‘Pray for Me’ featuring The Weeknd (click here to listen to that), the K.Dot soundtrack sees him call on a list of other well known names in the Urban arena including his fellow TDE comrades such as SZA, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and more.  As if they aren’t enough to send fans into a frenzy, listeners can also expect guest appearances from the likes of Travis Scott, Khalid, 2 Chainz, Anderson.Paak, and many more.

Curious to see if the 14-track set was worth the wait? Stream inside and find out:

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Check out Donald Glover on the latest cover of Esquire magazine!

The actor/musician (who is also known as Childish Gambino) has seen his star soar to higher heights in recent years – thanks to success of projects such as ‘Atlanta’ and hits ala ‘Redbone.’

And having recently snatched the lead role of Simba in Disney’s upcoming ‘Lion King,’ his ascend looks set to enter astronomical territory.

For now though, peep his cheeky feature spread below…


More after the jump…

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PARTYNEXTDOOR and Calvin Harris have forged a creative friendship!

The fruit of their musical pairing? A song named ‘Nuh Nuh Ready.’

Inspired by PARTY’s Jamaican roots, the jam slides into action in time for the weekend and to lead the way for Calvin’s next project…the follow-up to the well-received ‘Funk Wave Bounces.’

Why Harris wanted to work with Mr. ‘Not Nice’?

I just know that his pen, and his voice, and his delivery is, I think, among the best in the world. I worked with him on my last album and I was aware that I underused him. I felt embarrassed and ashamed for underusing him. He sang a hook on a track. I said, ‘Come on, mate. You need to do more, if you can.’ That’s what I did.”

Listen below…

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‘Get Out‘ made history at the box office last year when it earned $176 million.

This year, its creator Jordan Peele has revealed that he is considering working on a sequel set to stun just as much as the original.

Good news below…

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Omarosa has entered the ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ and has a great deal to say about her relationship with her former  boss Donald Trump.

Booted from the Trump administration months into its creation the outspoken political force sought financial refuge in the arms of CBS. There, she found a spot on the celebrity edition of its show ‘Big Brother.’

There’s a lot of people (here) that want to stab me in the back, kind of similar to the White House.

Ready to see what she said about her time with Mr. Trump?

Watch below…

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Ne-Yo is back! And this time it’s with the title track of his new album ‘Good Man.’

Though renown for his own production gravitas, the R&B aficionado borrows D’Angelo‘s ‘How Does It Feel’ as the foundation for the single.

Produced by DJ Camper, the track sees the soulful crooner serenade his lover with all the ways he wants to be the model person for her.

And he stresses that this is a thread that is sewn throughout his LP:

“This album focuses on the journey of what it is to be a good man: a good man to your spouse, a good brother to your brother, a good person to the world.

I am not proclaiming to be perfect. A Good Man makes mistakes, learns from those mistakes, therefore to not then repeat those mistakes. Being a A Good Man is a journey.”

Take a listen below…

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Dawn Richard soars into new creative action this year!

The wind beneath her wings? A new song named ‘Waves.’

You’ve been having me up on the sideline when I’m Curry on the press, baby.

The cut impacted the world after she finished work on the movie ‘Kinky’ in which she stars in alongside Vivica Fox and Robert Ri’Chard.

Ready to meet the new Dawn?

Press play below…

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