Grammy winner Afrojack has long been established as one of the dominant forces in the contemporary music scape – having sculpted smashes for the likes of Nicki Minaj and the Black Eyed Peas.

Now, after being named the European CEO of Japanese force LDH (Love, Dream, Happiness), the star is looking to birth the music’s next big thing.

In an innovative move, he’s launching the Global Vocal Battle Auditions.

With applications open from today, the search will welcome entrants worldwide and stage physical open calls in five cities – these being London, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, New York, Los Angeles, Taipei, Tokyo and Osaka.

The goal? To uncover young unsigned vocal talent for a brand new international group, which will be produced by Afrojack himself and make its debut in 2019.

We caught up with both Afrojack and Verbal in Amsterdam this week to talk about the venture and much more.

Check out the inspiring chat below…

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The nominations for the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards, hosted by Tiffany Haddish, are here for your viewing pleasure.

Unveiled recently as a toast to the year’s best offerings in film and television, the awards show’s nod tally was unsurprisingly dominated by box office champion, ‘Black Panther.’  Leading the pack with a whopping seven nods, it’s followed by Netflix hit series ‘Stranger Things’ (which nabbed six).

Before you see who walks away with the ceremony’s coveted trophies on June 18, look below to see who’ll be competing:

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The heat is on ‘Ignition’ star R. Kelly like never before.

The R&B veteran, who for years has seen his musical success shadowed by accusations of sexual assault and molestation, continues to witness his fellow celebrities drum up support for criminal investigations into those allegations (some dating back to the early 90s).

As we reported here, famed television writer, producer, and author Shonda Rimes was one of the first major figures to shed light on the #MuteRKelly campaign which calls for concert ticket sellers, radio disc jockeys, and more platforms that showcase the singer’s music to cease.  Following her lead, film director Ava Duvernay, ‘Scandal’ star Kerry Washington, legendary DJ Tom Joyner, and the leaders of the #TimesUp movement joined the suit – prompting a response from Kelly who deemed the rallying conspiratorial and “unjust and off-target”(click here to read his response in full).

His statements only doused the fire with gas as more and more celebs have joined the fight against him.  See the likes of Lupita Nyong’o, Amy Schumer, Tiffany Haddish, Jussie Smollett, Jane Fonda, John Legend, Debra Messing, Viola Davis, and more speak out:

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R. Kelly, the R&B singer accused of molesting several African-American minors (the late Aaliyah and his own goddaughter included) has woken up to more bad news this morning.

For, after his lawyer, publicist and assistant kicked him to the curb, the ageing performer has learned that a league of altruistic celebrities have joined forces to finish him once…and for all.

Good news below…

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With the world still catching its collective breath following Beyonce‘s epic Coachella performance, so too are the team of dancers she drafted in for the desert spectacle.

Jacques Bell, a Jamaican native who currently resides in Atlanta, was one of said talents recruited for the most talked about showcase of the year.

A professional dancer, choreographer, musician, and creative director, he performed alongside Queen Bey as a percussionist/member of her troop of dancers.

We caught up with him for a quick chat about the experience. Find out what he had to say below….

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Kanye West appeared to be auditioning for the ‘Get Out’ sequel live on Twitter last night, because the rapper was serving all sorts of sunken place.

In a stream of tweets that played out over the course of the entire day, Ye professed his love for his “brother” Donald Trump, slammed Barack Obama, and went on to slam those critiquing him for his views.

Naturally, his liberal leaning (and heavily Afro-American) support-base clapped back in disbelief. Even celebs added to the “why, Kanye?’ sentiment.

However, Yeezy did find support from…some. See what we mean below…

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Cop a gander of Janelle Monae!

The multi-talented songstress releases new album ‘Dirty Computer’ (together with a 44-minute visual) later this week and trumpets its arrival in the newest issue of FAULT Magazine.

Beyond posing it up for a striking shoot (which was lensed at Jimi Hendrix’s preserved London flat), Monae seized her interview feature to reflect on racism in America, parenthood fears, and how staring in Oscar-winning ‘Moonlight’ helped her decide to “walk in her truth.”

More after the jump…

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Beyonce rocked Coachella with an epic HBCU homecoming themed spectacle. And now she’s elevating the theme beyond the stage.

For, Queen Bey has announced today the launch of the Homecoming Scholars Award Program. 

More on the amazing venture below…

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For almost 30 years, En Vogue have been at the forefront of R&B excellence.

Indeed, sewn into the group’s fierce fabric is the reality that every member possesses the potency to be lead. In many ways, it’s the reason the ensemble has long been hailed as a “super group.”

The dual definition of divadom and endurance, the vocal ensemble are now a trio comprised of originals Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron-Braggs as well powerhouse Rhona Bennett – who has been a member for over a decade.

Today marks the global release of En Vogue’s long-awaited seventh album ‘Electric Café’ – which features contributions from the likes of Ne-Yo and Snoop Dogg. 

As the ladies geared up to set sail on their supporting international tour, That Grape Juice caught up with member Terry to discuss the trek, the new music, biopics, reality shows, Fifth Harmony‘s split, and much more.

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Khalid has emerged as one music’s hottest properties since the release of his debut album ‘American Teen’ last year.

The Platinum certified set was largely powered by smash ‘Location,’ which the 20-year-old performed at BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge today.

Broadcast from London, the set also saw the Texas native tackle Tracy Chapman‘s classic ‘Fast Car.’

Peep both performances below…

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Unwilling to pretend that colorism doesn’t play a part in the way black women are treated in their day to day lives?

Mathew Knowles.

Rising to fame as the brains behind Destiny’s Child, Knowles’ once heavily guarded private life now finds itself up for public discussion now that the revered industry power player has revealed how internalised racism caused him to pursue Beyonce‘s mother.

That’s not all.

For, he also revealed why it’s time for all of us to listen to African-American artists who believe that their inability (or unwillingness) to lighten their hair and skin has blocked their path to levels reached by Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and Beyonce herself.

Read below…

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Welcome to the latest TGJ Roundtable!

Over the years, That Grape Juice has established a distinguished voice that – whether loved or loathed – sparks discussion, debate, and on occasion drama!

Though comprised of seasoned writers who share a similar outlook on Urban Pop culture, the idiosyncrasies of the TGJ team members often lend for quite heated debates “behind the scenes” about the hottest topics.

Now, we give you a front row seat to the show. In a format similar to ‘The View’ or ‘The Real’, TGJ editors – Sam, David, Rashad, and Joe – get real in a very candid way.

Today’s roundtable topic asks each anchor…

What Is On Your 2018 Wish List?!

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