Today, in support of her upcoming LP ‘MDNA’, Madonna released yet another snippet from the album.

So, without any further delay, tuck into ‘Best Friend‘ below…

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Peep these snaps of The Carter‘s, on their way to New York’s Nobu last night.

Snapped on their way in and then leaving the restaurant, their sighting comes weeks before Beyonce‘s latest single ‘End Of Time‘ is released in the UK, and days after Jay Z rocked the SXSW Fest here.

More from last night below…

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Mary J. Blige‘s 2002 smash ‘No More Drama’ serves as this week’s From The Vault pick.

Lifted from the 2001 blockbuster album of the same name as its second offering, ‘Drama’ peaked at #15 on the US Hot 100 and on the lower tier of the Top 10 on the UK Charts at #9.

And while Blige boasts higher chartings with other releases, the stirring cut  stands as one of the most well knowned cut from the Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul.

Helmed by the ever-so-creative dynamo duo of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the heartfelt track is built around a sample of classical piece ‘Nadia’s Theme’, the very same song used as the theme from never-ending American soap opera ‘The Young and The Restless’.

And while such sample was sourced from fantasy, the song’s lyrical narrative was akin to the happenings in Mary’s wold. Indeed, ‘Drama’ represented a turning point in her life; she would reveal that it marks the first time she would let go of the pain in her life and finally allow herself to be happy or at least seek for happiness. For the music world at large, the song -for a period of time- served as an unofficial response of sorts to the September 11th calamity which rocked the free world to its core.

The track’s accompanying video (which sees cameos from Mariah Carey and Diddy) does a great job of capturing the song’s embedded passion and  raw emotion through an array of storylines. All of which relay different “strands” of drama folk face.

Through her stellar career Ms. Blige-Isaacs has experienced many peaks and troughs, yet has always stayed true to her colours musically and morally. A practice which has cultivated her a level of respect from her peers, critics, and fans, which can be neither shaken nor stirred. True talent can, and often will, win.

Your thoughts?

Model turned media mogul Tyra Banks looked all sorts of fierce as she arrived at the Endometriosis Foundations of America’s 4th Annual Blossom Ball last night.

Reminding the masses of why she is who she is, the 38 year old turned heads at the Black Tie gala, which was held at the New York Library.

Peep more pics via our friends over at The YBF below…

Your thoughts?

Guess which Pop Queen  was snapped food shopping in NYC  today.

Hint: She’s readying the release of two projects this year.

Find out who it is below…

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‘Let’s Stay Together’ season 2 continues next Tuesday in an all new episode.

Airing at 11pm EST on BET, episode 11 of the hit sitcom (which guest stars LaLa Anthony) sees all of the laughs and drama you’ve come to expect from the show.

Check out a sneak peek above…

Since she emerged, Albanian Popstress Rita Ora has been pitted against Island tart Rihanna.

Perhaps due to their similar background(both being signed by Jay Z and groomed to a greater or lesser extent by Beyonce), or  their similar aesthetic, their supposed rivalry heated up weeks ago with the release of ‘Party‘, Ora’s debut single.

Indeed, in what we agree is ‘tabloid trash’, Rita’s ‘out of the blue’ launch is said to have been Carter’s way of ‘getting even with Fenty’, for working with her ex Chris Brown against his wishes.

So, though we feel there’s room for both to flourish under his guidance, we ask this:

If Jay Z set his mind (and influence) to it, could he replace Rihanna with Rita, if the former  ‘stepped out of line’?

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‘Hot Boys’ hitmaker Missy Elliott is looking to bring the heat on her long awaited comeback album due in June.  Reuniting with longtime collaborator Timbaland, the eccentric femcee is looking to get the party started with the new, aptly titled ‘Block Party’ LP.

As Tim’s project is also due in June, the superproducer took time from his SXSW set to show off some of the two’s new new for fans anxious for samples from the summer sets.  Needless to say, if what he imparted is anything to judge by, the lessers need to begin worrying now…

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Can you guess who was snapped riding out and about Los Angeles yesterday? Find out after the jump…

Hint: She’s not the biggest fan of Rihanna.

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Whether you like it not, Rihanna‘s ‘endearing’ nature is what marketers would call ‘her unique selling point’.

For, what she lacks in talent,  she most certainly makes up for in ‘fun’ and normalcy.

Not sure what we mean?

Peep these snaps of the star partying at her grandmother’s birthday bash recently, and let us know what you think of them below…

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Madonna is set to unleash her ‘MDNA’ in a matter of days.

And while the last few weeks have seen the superstar serve up snippets of tracks from the LP, today sees Material Madge serve up a meatier taste of what we can expect – in the way of ‘I F*cked Up’.

The candid midtempo premiered on Perez Hilton literally seconds ago. As ever, That Grape Juice has you covered. Take a listen after the jump…

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Review of R&B charts of late boasts an alarming diva deficiency.  A circumstance all the more alarming when just a few years ago so many showed promise.  Arguably, none more than LeToya Luckett.  The comeback kid, whose tale (reportedly) told of triumph, tragedy, betrayal, and rebirth, seemed to finally have the stars aligned in her order when suddenly, it seemed no more.

Such is a circumstance the young singer is no means unfamiliar with.  For, some say it was luck or maybe destiny that this Houston-bred beauty would find her star initially rising with the most successful girl group of all time.  As fate would have it, Luckett aligned with Pop megastar Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Latavia Roberson to ascend to the top of charts as Destiny’s Child – a fierce R&B foursome with heavenly looks, voices, and moves to match.  But, as the 2000s rolled on, the very rocket that launched her into stardom ultimately left her behind in what came as an unceremonious ousting from the group.  Accompanied by a host of headlines citing tension, contention, and Matthew Knowles‘ interventions as the cause of dissension, the remaining group members still rose above to find themselves topping charts again while Luckett and Roberson stayed behind.

Trying their hand as the group Angel – the two later disbanded finding Luckett at square one yet again.  That is, until 2006 when Lady Luck tore up the charts with ‘Torn’ – the ‘You Are Everything’-sampled R&B groove that obviously struck a chord with listeners as it propelled the singer’s debut solo album ‘Letoya’ to the top of the charts.  Critics hailed the underdog the champion as she made her rounds performing the hit single.  And, while its follow-up ‘She Don’t’…well…didn’t, Ms. Luckett’s debut was still widely received as a success, earning the singer her first (solo) platinum plaque.

On the other hand, her 2009 sophomore album ‘Lady Love’ didn’t receive much love from record buyers.  Despite boasting an all star collaboration list (Ludacris, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo) and a more mature sound, Luckett’s gamble at “refined” showed promise but quickly fell on deaf ears.  And though shortly reigning at #1 on Billboard’s R&B charts, the singer, who at the time was very vocal about her label’s mishandling of the project, also cited the length of time between albums as the blame for its failure.  The past weeks have seen the singer work her way back into the spotlight, taking promotion into her own hands.  And, with album #3 reportedly due this year…

That Grape Juice wants to know – who (or what’s) to blame? Are the shortcomings a musical misstep or a mix of marketing mishaps? The talent is certainly there and, unlike so many artists, was clearly being cultured.  The growth in vocal showings alone from album 1 to album 2 was noteworthy.  Add on an all-star team for production (on album 1 and 2) and killer looks, one would think the ‘Regret’ singer had the perfect recipe for success.  But alas, such was not the case.

Now you weigh in:  Has Luckett’s luck run out or will destiny see her on top again?   In other words:

Product vs. Promotion?  What’s to blame?

Your thoughts?