The Braxton girls are back! Gearing up for a sequel of the non-stop madness, laughs, and .com references that was Braxton Family Values season 1, fans should expect to see much of Tamar, Toni, Towanda, Traci, and Trina in coming days.

As season 2 will be revving up on WeTV November 10th at 9pm, the ladies were most recently spotted making rounds at a screening for its premiere as well as a press day at Atlanta’s own Spelman College.  Accompanied by Mama Evelyn and Tamar’s husband Vince, get into more shots of the ladies (minus Toni) from the event and even an impromptu acapella showing.

More after the jump:

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With headlines for unproven rap pioneering and unscheduled guest appearances behind her, Little engine that probably shouldn’t could Lil’ Mama is pushing ahead on the promo trail for her latest release ‘Scrawberry’.  Sitting down with our friends over at The BoomBox, the ‘Lip Gloss’ rapstress took time away from the America’s Best Dance Crew judging table to  chat about upcoming album plans, moving to Paris , and her latest sure-to-be Billboard miss hit ‘Scrawberry’.

Find out what she had to say about these topics and more after the jump:

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‘How We Do’ rapper The Game may not be mostly remembered for insightfulness and thought-provoking statements, but his sentiments on closeted homosexual rappers in the industry did cause a firestorm this week. Blazing the blog-o-sphere, discussions on Game’s ‘insight’ (or maybe just plain sight) had tongues wagging. Agree or disagree, his disposition doesn’t delve into the unknown – just the unspoken.

Traipse the political terrene and anyone not living under a rock has seen the last couple of years spawn unprecedented progress in gay rights period, let alone in the Pop musical landscape. Lady Gaga, Jessie J, Ricky Martin, and Adam Lambert are just a few of the openly bi or gay stars who are pushing an envelope (arguably) signed and sealed by Melissa Etheridge, George Michael, and Boy George before them. But while Pop is busy pushing an envelope, hip hop maybe busy hiding it, sweeping it under the taboo throw rug. For while the male-dominated industry has embraced ‘openly’ bisexual rapstress Nicki Minaj, that embrace may border more on fantasy than respect. This, of course, would open up the argument that women who openly flaunt alternative lifestyles are more easily accepted than men.

Regardless, in a land where hyper-masculinity is often used to denote (and sometimes disguise) one’s ‘true’ hip hop identity, those who do not succumb to the stereotype are often branded ‘gay’. There are few R&B male singers who are relevant that haven’t had the title accompany their name at one period of time. So, we’ve already asked you:

‘Will Hip Hop ever accept an openly gay/bi male rapper or singer”. And we, as ever, appreciated your feedback. But now, let’s twist it. That Grape Juice wants to know:

Why, when other genres are beginning to embrace being ‘out’, does Hip-Hop not?

‘Would you still support your favorite rapper/singer if he or she came out of the closet’?

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Click here to WATCH Part 2 of Trapped In the Closet: Hiding In Hip-Hop
on That Grape Juice TV!

Never quite able to stand out in Pop’s ever growing crowd of femme fatales,  it would appear that Glam Pop character Ke$ha is hoping some predictably unpredictable shock tactics will help generate some attention for her cause.

For last night, during a performance at MTV World Stage Mexico , the ‘Cannibal’ singer caused quite a stir when she decided to feast on a number of plastic body parts  to the horror and surprise of her audience.

More images from the performance below…

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As has been making waves across the net, rap royal Jay-Z and partner-in-crime Kanye West topped charts this week with the release of their joint album ‘Watch the Throne’.  The album, which sold a staggering 436,000 copies its first week of release, comes as the highest male debut of the year (second overall to Lady Gaga‘s ‘Born This Way’).  Aside from providing an unprecedented (for recent times) unleaked album, Jay-Z also set a few other precedents with his most recent release.

Check out Mr. Carter’s stats after the jump:

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Rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West‘s latest joint album ‘Watch the Throne’ is, as expected, finding major success on worldwide charts – with the latest reports indicating its reign over 23 charts all over the globe.  With strategic marketing and an unprecedented (of recent times) avoidance of early leaks, the album is on track to be a big seller boasting nearly a half million first week sales.

But, while Jay and the hip-hop community are no strangers to joint albums, MTVNews sought to weigh the impact of this most recent effort with the question:

Will there ever be a pop duet album?

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With Lady GaGa‘s ‘Born This Way’ album on course to shift one million copies first week, it goes without saying that her unprecedented promo campaign has been a success.

Yet, in leaving no stone unturned, the singer still has a number of high profile promo spots, including last night’s MTV special ‘Inside The Outside’.

Decked in a trademark GaGa ensemble, the 25 year old gives viewers an insightful look into her world, her joys, her fears, and all in between. A great watch, I must say.

Check it out after the jump…

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Ciara may have found shifting her own projects difficult, but ‘Hellcats‘ may have her to thank for the influx of viewers that tuned in to watch her appearance on the show this week.

Full story after the jump…

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The week of release has arrived for Jennifer Hudson‘s sophomore effort ‘I Remember Me’. So as to mark the occasion, the singer stopped by the Good Morning America studio’s to perform and chat it up with host Robin Roberts.

Check out her renditions of ‘Where You At’ and ‘Believe’, as well her interview below…

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2010 has undeniably been the year for That Grape Juice. From quadrupling our traffic, to garnering increased recognition in the media-scape, the last 12 months has seen unprecedented growth within your favourite site and mine. Yet, never ones to be complacent, we’re looking to take such growth to the next level in 2011, hence the That Grape Juice team is expanding!

We’re looking for a dynamic, passionate, and articulate individual (or individuals) who will lend their talents to the team as a That Grape Juice Intern. The non-paid, largely editorial role is fixed for a term of 6 months (with more permanent opportunities a possibility thereafter). What is lacking in pay, is rich in opportunity; the chance to acquire valuable experience ‘behind the scenes’ of one of the net’s premier Urban Pop Culture websites.

Interested?

Please drop an email to sam@thatgrapejuice.net and trent@thatgrapejuice.net (Cc. us both), with the following:

*  Your name, age, and location (can be anywhere!)

* A brief paragraph about yourself

* A brief paragraph about what you can bring to the That Grape Juice table

* A sample of your written work (.doc format / uploaded to Zshare or similar)

* A recent photo of yourself (uploaded to Zshare or similar)

All entries must be in by January 3rd 2011 (next Monday)

Good luck!

This week saw the charts blessed with new releases from both Katy Perry and Fantasia. With expectations high for both, all eyes are on the ladies’ first week sales figures – Billboard‘s prediction of which has just been released.

Check out how much the ladies are on course to sell after the jump…

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Pop phenom Lady GaGa leads the pack of nominees at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards. The 24 year old superstar scored an unprecedented 13 nominations – making history as the first artist to achieve that many in a single year.

Full story after the jump…

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