It turns out it wasn’t just Chris Brown and Rihanna that had to pull out of last night’s Grammy Awards; Usher, who was scheduled to appear at the show, had to cancel due to ‘a serious injury in the family’, which has since been reported to involve wife Tameka. Peep the report below via People.com:
Usher’s wife Tameka Foster Raymond has suffered a serious injury due to complications from plastic surgery in Brazil, reports Access Hollywood.
On Saturday night, Usher canceled his performance at the Recording Academy and Clive Davis’s Pre-Grammy Gala. Davis told party-goers the singer had to bow out due to a “serious injury in the family.”
On Sunday, Davis, Sony Music Worldwide’s chief creative officer, told PEOPLE. “I talked to his mom. My thoughts are with them, whatever they’re facing.” {Source}
Very unfortunate news. Here’s wishing Tameka a speedy recovery. That said, it really does pay to be very careful with these things, something made very clear with the sad circumstances surrounding the death of Kanye West’s mother a year ago.
Your thoughts?

In an interview conducted last week, Jimmy Jam, of legendary production duo Jam & Lewis, revealed that he is currently working on the new Janet Jackson album. While not much else in the way of specific info was conveyed, it marks the first time since 2006’s ’20 Y.O’ that Jackson and the duo have worked together.
I’m really anxious to find out what this means for Janet in terms of a new label…album release date etc. Here’s hoping all falls into place for her this go-round. Say what you want, but you can’t say her post-Superbowl albums ‘Damita Jo’, ’20 Y.O’ and ‘Discipline’ didn’t have several gems on them…can you?
Your thoughts?
51st Annual Grammy Award Winners
The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place in Los Angeles’ Staples Center. Check out the list of winners below:
Album Of The Year:
***Raising Sand – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Record Of The Year:
***”Please Read The Letter” – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Best New Artist:
***Adele
Song Of The Year:
***”Viva La Vida” – Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, & Chris Martin, songwriters (Coldplay)
Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals:
***”Viva La Vida” – Coldplay
Best Pop Vocal Album:
***Rockferry – Duffy
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance:
***Chasing Pavements – Adele
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance:
***Say – John Mayer
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals:
***Rich Woman – Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
***Still Unforgettable – Natalie Cole
Best Dance Recording:
***Harder Better Faster Stronger – Daft Punk
Best Rock Album:
***Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends – Coldplay
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance:
***Gravity – John Mayer
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals:
***Sex On Fire – Kings Of Leon
Best Rock Song:
***Girls In Their Summer Clothes – Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen)
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance:
***Superwoman – Alicia Keys
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance:
***Miss Independent – Ne-Yo
Best R&B Song:
***Miss Independent – Mikkel S. Eriksen, T.E. Hermansen & S. Smith, songwriters (Ne-Yo)
Best R&B Album:
***Jennifer Hudson – Jennifer Hudson
Best Contemporary R&B Album:
***Growing Pains – Mary J. Blige
Best Rap Solo Performance:
***A Milli – Lil Wayne
Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group:
***Swagga Like Us – Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:
***American Boy – Estelle Featuring Kanye West
Best Rap Song:
***Lollipop – D. Carter, S. Garrett, D. Harrison, J. Scheffer & R. Zamor, songwriters (Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major)
Best Rap Album:
***Tha Carter III – Lil Wayne
I really cannot express how happy I am for our girl Estelle – it’s been a long and hard road, but she did it! Congratulations to all the winners.
Randomness: Ne-Yo stays winning Grammy’s every year. I wonder how much his overall tally stands at now?
Your thoughts on the winners?

The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place in Los Angeles last night. Check out performances from what is hailed as the industry’s biggest night below:

{Videos removed as requested}

*Apologies for the recent slow-go here at That Grape Juice…server issues*
In news that has come as a shock to many, and news which rocked last night’s Grammy festivities, R&B heartthrob Chris Brown was arrested yesterday for reportedly assaulting girlfriend Rihanna. Subsequently both pulled out of their Grammy performances. Check out the report below:
Chris Brown has been arrested for reportedly attacking Rihanna.
The ‘Run It’ star handed himself in to police after officers responded to a phone call at around 12.30am on Sunday morning from an unnamed woman who accused the 19-year-old singer of hurting her.
Los Angeles police officials have declined to identify the caller, but the Los Angeles Times newspaper claim the ‘Umbrella’ singer was the victim.
A statement released by the Los Angeles Police Department said: “The identity of the victim will not be released. Any victim who’s involved in a domestic violence incident is entitled to confidentiality.
“Mr. Brown and the alleged victim became involved in an argument. After stopping his car, Brown and the woman got out and the argument escalated. The woman suffered visible injuries and identified Brown as her attacker.”
The incident is alleged to have occurred during an early morning argument in Chris’ car on a quiet street in Los Angeles’ upmarket Hancock Park neighbourhood.
Chris was not at the scene when police arrived.
Both singers pulled out of a planned appearance at last night’s Grammy Awards following the incident.
Speaking at the ceremony, ‘American Idol’ host Paula Abdul said: “I’m hearing some mixed things about what happened. All I can say is I hope Rihanna heals quickly. She’s a lovely girl.”
Despite reports the alleged victim showed visible injuries, Chris was not arrested on suspicion of physically hurting her.
However, Los Angeles Police Sergeant Bridget Pickett revealed the charges may change at a later stage in proceedings.
Pickett said: “There may be domestic violence charges added later, but that will be up to the district attorney’s office.”
Chris – who was partying with Rihanna at a pre-Grammy’s party – was released after posting $50,000 bail. {Source}
Wow. Terrible news. While we definitely have our opinions about Rihanna here at That Grape Juice, we can’t help but feel that what should have been a very special evening for her and her career was marred but this. What’s more, it’s never ever right to hit a woman. SMH…

More as the story unfolds…

Your thoughts?

Legend Whitney Houston made her return to the stage last night at mentor Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Awards bash. Looking radiant and sounding better than she has in years, Whitney performed career-definer ‘I Will Always Love You’ along with hits ‘I Believe In You & Me’, ‘It’s Not Right But It’s Okay’ and ‘I’m Every Woman’. Peep the performance below (apologies about the so-so quality, it’s all that is available at present):

Part 1

Part 2

Not great, yet still a great sight to see; a healthy and happy Whitney doing what she’s renown for – singing her heart out. Hoping for her voice of today to be reminiscent of her heyday is somewhat far-fetched IMO. I’m thinking of this as ‘2009 Whitney’, which a a lot better than any ‘Whitney’ in recent years.

Randomness: It’s being reported – Jennifer Hudson came to the front of the stage and cheered Whitney on // Jamie Foxx recorded her set on his mobile phone // Whitney’s mother, brother and daughter were in attendance. 
What do you think of the performance? 

Review in a bit…
In the meanwhile…
What do you think of the song /video?
Confirmed: Whitney To Perform AtPre-Grammy Bash
It was reported earlier last month that Whitney Houston was prepping her stage comeback at Clive Davis’ Annual Pre-Grammy Party. After years of the same story being churned out, without a performance ever materialising, it has been confirmed Houston will indeed be taking to the stage at the event this Saturday:

BEVERLY HILLS, California — Every year on Grammy Awards weekend, Clive Davis puts his stamp on the artist he feels will be the next blue-chip performer under his wing. The nod has become almost as important as winning a Grammy itself. This year, however, Davis’ biggest splash will be an act he discovered decades ago: Whitney Houston.

“She’s rehearsing around 9 p.m. tonight,” Davis said on Thursday afternoon, during practices for his legendary extravaganza at the Beverly Hilton. The music mogul — who has been Houston’s godfather figure as much as he has been one of the people guiding her career — hinted that Grammy-winning singer would have product in the marketplace sooner than we expect.

“You wait for the great songs to be written,” Davis said about the long-awaited comeback album from one of his most prized prodigies. “The great hits Whitney has given to the public for so many years — you keep encouraging and setting the bar. R. Kelly and Whitney just went into the studio with a great song called ‘I Look to You.’

“The same way her debut album took a while to put together, you just don’t do it by going into a computer. You wait for the material to justify a new album,” he added. “Pretty much, it’s come in.”

Davis said that Houston is going into the lab with hitmaker David Foster next week to record a ballad called “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength.” {Source}

Roll on Saturday! Really can’t wait to see and, more importantly, hear this one…

Your thoughts?
Etta James Talks Beyonce Drama: 'It Was A Joke'
By now, you’ve probably heard about industry veteran Etta James’ slamming Beyonce for singing ‘At Last’ at the Obama Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. I had been holding back posting, as word had it that the recording of James laying into the ‘Diva’ singer was in fact a male comedian parodying. It turns out, though, James did indeed make the comments, however ‘as a joke’:

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Etta James might have put superstar Beyonce on blast for singing her signature song, “At Last,” at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball after Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration, but the music legend said it was just a joke.

During a concert in Seattle on January 28, Etta told the crowd, “I tell you, that woman he has singing for him, singing my song, she gonna get her a** whipped… I can’t stand Beyonce, she had no business up there singing… my song that I’ve been singing forever.”

However on Thursday, Etta told The New York Daily News, “I didn’t really mean anything. Even as a little child, I’ve always had that comedian kind of attitude. … That’s probably what went into it.”

“Nobody was getting mad at me in Seattle,” she continued. “They were all laughing, and it was funny.”

The singer did admit to being a little hurt that she was not invited to sing for President Obama, saying she was “feeling left out of something that was basically mine, that I had done every time you look around.”

And when it came to rating Beyonce’s rendition of her iconic song, Etta said she liked it, but when asked if she could have performed it better, Etta answered, “I think so. That’s a shame to say that.”

As for President Obama, who she referred to as “the one with the big ears,” she believes he’s focused on more important things.

“I still had my joke about him. That might be horrible. The President might not ever like me in life,” she added. “He’s got other stuff [to worry about] besides Etta James.” {Source}

Interesting! I guess this doesn’t make for as ‘juicy’ a story as the first, however I’m sure tongues will still be wagging – after all it’s Beyonce. For what it’s worth, I thought Bey did a great job at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. I’m kinda baffled as to why Ms. James would have preferred singing at the Ball, as word has it she’s not actually an Obama supporter.
Your thoughts?
Fantasia Update
After keeping a seemingly semi-low profile for the last 2 years, Fantasia is readying herself for a very busy 2009, with a planned return to school and her 3rd studio album:
R&B singer Fantasia says she’s going back to school!
According to E!, the “I’m His Only Woman” singer, who dropped out of school during her ninth grade year, says she’s been talking about going back for some time now and hopes to earn a degree.
“I have a lot of young people who look up to me, like my 15-year-old brother and 7 year old daughter. It’s something that I really need to do and that I want to do.”
In addition to hitting the books, Fantasia is shopping a new reality series about her life and putting finishing touches on the follow up to her self-titled sophomore album. {Source}
More power to her! Education really is the key, so I’m must say I’m proud of ‘Tasia. Definitely anticipating her 3rd album; I still play her sophomore effort like it’s new {‘Two Weeks Notice’ is my song!}
Your thoughts?
Your Top 5 Songs Of The Moment?You know the deal; That Grape Juice, once again, wants to see what you all are listening to. Which 5 tracks have you got on constant rotation at the moment? Remember, it doesn’t have to be limited to Urban music; could be something new, Throwback, religious, even something you made yourself LOL. Drop a comment in the comments section. Mine are – in no particular order:

1) Hello – Beyonce
2) Work – The Saturdays
3) Not Anymore – LeToya
4) U Saved Me – R. Kelly
5) My N***as – Lil’ Kim

What are your ‘Top 5 Songs Of The Moment’?

Peep this commercial for this Sunday’s 51st Annual Grammy Awards, in which Rihanna reminisces about ‘singing’ Mariah Carey’s ‘Vision of Love’ in the shower when younger. The jokes kinda write themselves with that one…
Your thoughts?
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