rihanna-she-is-diva-that-grape-juice-complex-magazine-1

Bashed and belittled by those who weren’t impressed by its ‘R-rated’ nature, Rihanna‘s ‘Pour It Up‘ made quite the impact upon its October 2013 arrival, for reasons both good and bad.

The good? The push it gave supporting album ‘Unapologetic’ on a sales front, after surpassing sales of 1 million units in the US itself. The bad? Criticism from fans of DanceHall staples Lady Saw and Patra, who took aim at the star’s alleged ‘borrowing’ of their work and trademark styles.

Today, the good finds itself outweighing the bad as the clip reaches a monumental milestone, and as the performer joins management company Roc Nation in celebrating the release of new music from collaborator Elijah Blake!

Full story below…

(more…)

ericacampbellHELP-THATGRAPEJUICE

Ever keen to broaden our musical scope, recent months have seen That Grape Juice venture into a number of new musical landscapes including, most recently, gospel.

Spearheaded by well-received interviews with gospel singers Yolanda AdamsHezekiah WalkerTwinkie ClarkFred HammondKierra SheardDorinda Clark ColeIsrael HoughtonMarvin SappMicah StampleyJoshua Rogers, and more, TGJ is now offering readers ‘The Overflow’ – a collection of the top gospel-themed news stories from the week.

Tuck in below for the latest news on Deitrick Haddon, Donnie McClurkin, Earnest Pugh, Erica Campbell, James Fortune, Angel of Trin-i-tee 5:7, and more:

(more…)

For months, speculation has been rife about the title of Mariah Carey‘s new single.

Indeed, tongues have been wagging ever since the dynamo diva revealed that the track – which serves as the forth lead single from upcoming album ‘The Art Of Letting Go’ – would be unwrapped on Valentine’s Day (February 14th).

As such, with the big day nigh, Team MC are spilling the tea in a bid to whip up heightened buzz ahead of the big reveal.

Details below…

(more…)

she-is-diva-rihanna-that-grape-juice-2013-1

Pop angel Rihanna has extended her condolences and funds to the family of a deceased fan this month, after learning of the teen’s brutal death, at the hands of his very own step-father.

A moving story below…

(more…)

that-grape-juice-tv-trey-songz-that-grape-juice-1

As fans call on the performer to embrace an ‘older and braver’ sound, Trey Songz takes a dip in R&B’s more playful pool with a remix to ‘Who Do You Love’, the YG & Drake-released Urban hit!

How he fares?

Very well, but may fail to appease those who believe the direction of his sound should be heading towards more thoughtful territory.

Will you like it?

Weigh in below…

(more…)

mariah-bet-honors-2014-12

Last night saw many a major name hit the stage at the 2014 BET Honors at Washington DC’s Warner Theater.

The annual event which honors influential figures in the worlds of entertainment, literature, and philanthropy, this year paid homage to legends such as Aretha Franklin, Nelson Mandela, and Motown maestro Berry Gordy.

Set to air on BET on February 24th, pics of the night’s performances – which came courtesy of Mariah Carey, Tamar Braxton, Jennifer Hudson, Janelle Monae, and more – have surfaced. Check them out above and below…

tamar-bet-honors-2014-3

(more…)

tamarbraxton-TGJ-2014BETHONORS

The stars shone like never before aboard the red carpet of 2014 BET Honors!

Continuing its tradition of shining light on the achievements of entertainment, literature, and social activism’s brightest acts, the show, set to air February 24th at 9/8 Central, was taped live tonight from The Warner Theater in Washington DC.

Inducting the newest set of movers and shakers into its prestigious halls including Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, Motown music mogul Berry Gordy, rapper/actor Ice Cube, and many more, the event was kicked off – as per tradition – with a stunning red carpet.

See and sound off on the fashion hits of Tamar Braxton, Jennifer Hudson, Aretha Franklin, and many more below…

(more…)

mariah-bet-honors

Age ain’t nothing but a number for 43-year-old Mariah Carey.

As at writing, the diva is enroute to the 2014 BET Honors, where she is set to perform alongside the likes of  Jennifer Hudson, Tamar Braxton, and Janelle Monae.

Ever keen to flaunt her assets, the vocal powerhouse took to Instagram to offer fans a look at her dress for the night.

Here’s hoping Mariah shows as up and as out on her new single when it arrives next week.

Your thoughts?

the-voice-uk-2014

The Voice UK is back!

Having undergone a coach overhaul (which saw Jessie J and Danny O’Donoghue depart the show), the BBC1 hit welcomes Pop superstar Kylie Minogue to the judging panel alongside Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson for its third outing. The pair join original “coaches”  will.i.am and Tom Jones.

Currently in the “Blind Auditions” phase of the competition, you can check out episode 5’s contestants below…

(more…)

beyonce-rise-ad-tgj

Platinum may be the color Beyonce is most used to, however gold clearly suits the singer too – if these new promotional shots are anything to go by.

Newly unwrapped, the stunning snaps are being rolled for the print campaign for King B’s latest fragrance ‘RISE’.

As reported, the scent follows the star’s first effort ‘Heat’, which scorched the competition to the extent of becoming one of the most successful celebrity perfumes of all time.

With Brand Bey booming better than ever, our guesstimate is that ‘RISE’ – like its predecessor – will enjoy blockbuster success.

beyonce-rise-ad2-tgj

Your thoughts?

lauryn-hill-letterman-thatgrapejuice

Lauryn Hill is back.

After a brief stint in the slammer, the eight time Grammy winner returned to television this week to perform on the Late Show With David Letterman.

L-Boogie was tapped to tribute iconic band The Beatles – who are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their first US performance this week.

The former Fugees front-woman crowned the show’s week-long homage to the group with a rendition of the Fab Four’s iconic hit ‘Something’.

How did she fare? Find out below…

(more…)

ashanti-i-got-it-rick-ross-thatgrapejuice

For better or worse, Ashanti is still charging on with her ‘Braveheart’ project.

In a bid to reignite the interest that long evaporated, the Grammy winner is readying the video for ‘I Got It’ – the project’s latest lead single.

Set to debut next Tuesday (February 11th), the visual has been teased again — this time of Instagram.

Will the clip stop the album’s flatline? A preview of the answer awaits below…

(more…)

**