2015 has brought us countless great albums, and some not so great. Looking forward, there are a few artists who we are expecting to take 2016 by storm and anxiously awaiting their arrivals. Find out who after the jump!

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The 38th annual ‘Kennedy Center Honors, hosted by Stephen Colbert, aired last night on CBS after being taped earlier this month at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Honoring a group musicians, singers, playwrights, actors, and more whose lifelong contributions have greatly impacted their respective fields, last night’s honorees – Carole King, George Lucas, Ciccely Tyson, etc.- were serenaded by some of the days best movers and shakers (see:  Janelle Monae, Sara Bareilles, and more).

But, as if their show-stopping performances weren’t enough, leave it to Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin to really show ’em how it’s done.  Even moving President Obama to tears with her soul-stirring rendition of the 1967 classic, ‘Natural Woman,’ tuck in below to recap this and some of the night’s best performances:

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Kendrick Lamar‘s ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ recently surpassed sales of 750,000 units in the United States alone much to the delight of his swelling fan base and the critics who praised its bold and unashamedly hard hitting material.

What inspired its sound?

Lamar’s traumatic childhood which he discussed only during an interview set to shock those who know very little about his life before his rise to fame.

Read below…

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2015 hasn’t exactly brought many smiles to embattled funnyman Bill Cosby.  The comedy legend has been bombarded with reports alleging his involvement in the drugging and rape of several women, many of whom have attempted (and still are attempting) to seek legal action against him.

Now, to make matters worse, a warrant has been issued for his arrest in connection to yet another alleged drugging and sexual assault.

Details below:

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Welcome back to TGJ Replay!

Designed much like our ‘Retro Rewind’ and ‘From the Vault’ features, ‘Replay’ is That Grape Juice‘s newest reflective segment to act as a written quest to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday. Unlike its TGJ retrospective predecessors, ‘Replay’ looks to dust off and showcase entire albums (and eras) from a library of pop and Urban pop music hits.

This week, we’ll press play on the critically acclaimed, self-titled debut album of pint-size powerhouse Jojo: (more…)

Lionsgate has set a release date for their Azealia Banks-led movie ‘Coco.’

All you need to know about the release below…

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‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ continued to woo and wow TV lovers this week thanks to a surprising feud between Porsha Williams and Don Juan, general manager to William’s cast mate Kandi Burruss.

The root of their problem? A business deal gone wrong between Kandi’s husband and Williams’ best friend Phaedra Parks.

Now watch what happens when the feuding parties come face to face in a brand teaser released before this Sunday’s coming episode below!

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Christmas week 2015 saw music superstars Chris Brown & Monica go head-to-head in the name of R&B amidst a fray of the year’s top sellers (see: Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Adele).  Hoping to capitalize from the holiday rush, the RCA labelmates respectively lent their 8th official projects (‘Royalty’ and ‘Code Red‘) to much critical fanfare.

On the commercial front, however, the responses saw a wider margin of variance.  Both launched without a top-performing single on the Hot 100, the R&B sets also took a more demure route to promo. While Mo hit the streets for a 22 date Stateside tour (and sparse media stops), Brown relied on a few print features and a slew of music videos to spread awareness about his project.

Were their approaches just right or did they miss the mark?   Find out below:

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‘2 On’ performer Tinashe is calling out the music industry for only championing one black female artist at a time.

Read her point of her view below…

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Thanks to its lighter, brighter and far more positive storylines season eight of ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’ continues to watch its ratings rise with every passing week.

Its numbers are set to rise once again in a matter of weeks with the “surprise” return of its leading lady NeNe Leakes who now seems to have walked in on a feud between cast mates Kenya Moore and Kim Fields.

Why Moore feels Fields doesn’t belong on the hit show?

Watch below….

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R&B crooner Sammie, formerly known as Leigh Bush, is ending his 2015 on a high note with a new mixtape for his devoted fans.

Titled ‘Indigo,’ the 12-track digital project boasts penning by Sammie in its entirety.  An emotional affair for the 28-year-old singer, he says the project is representative of his own personal and professional growth.

“This project is closure. I’ve been conflicted for so long on how to prioritize my life that in the process of doing so the most important thing which is love, got pushed to the bottom of the list. I’m finally at the point where nothing else matters to me but love. From my mistakes, I’ve learned the lesson. And those very same mistakes molded me into the man I am today.”  – Sammie

Your listen awaits below:

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Earlier this year ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s star NeNe Leakes made headlines when she slammed the women of ABC’s ‘The View’ for given her a frosty reception when she joined them to promote her run on Broadway’s ‘Chicago.’

She went on to claim she was most offended by the show’s newbie Raven-Symone.

Now, Symone has responded to the drama as she prepares for ‘View’s next season in the New Year and defended the controversial remarks she has made on the ABC series.

Watch below….

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