I’ve been meaning to update you all on a number of issues for a short while now; so without further ado:

• Where’s the Ashanti interview?: I have received many of your emails regarding the Ashanti interview. Please bear with us; the interview is 110% confirmed, however, at present, we are awaiting a revised interview slot, as Ashanti’s schedule caused for the first to have to be rescheduled. Stay tuned .

• ….& Ne-Yo, too?: In news that is a pretty good look for the site, our interview with Ne-Yo will now take place in-person during the R&B star’s stop here in the UK next week.

• Signed, sealed…almost delivered: Kelly Rowland competition winners, you should be receiving your signed ‘Ms. Kelly: Deluxe’ CD’s through the post this week/early next. Matter of fact, they are next to me right now as I type.

• Your input: Many thanks to all of you who offered your suggestions as how to make That Grape Juice even better. It was both insightful and entertaining sifting through all your comments. You should start to see a lot of the suggestions – especially the recurring ones i.e. site design – begin to be implemented in the weeks and months ahead. In the meanwhile, if there’s anything you wish to express regarding That Grape Juice, feel free to drop me an email at sam@thatgrapjuice.net

• “Sam, where you at?”: LOL, sorry I’m cracking myself up with these lil’ captions (sad, I know). Anyway, for those whose emails have seemingly gone unanswered, please accept my apologies. The site literally receives upwards of 100 emails daily, so it can become a little difficult sifting though them all – even harder to respond to them all. Rest assured that I’m trying my hardest to respond to as many as possible – as much as time permits.

• One more thing: Would you like to see more Hip-Hop on That Grape Juice or are you content with the current mix?

• Randomess: Has anyone else read ‘A Piece of Cake’ by Cupcake Brown? Just finished it…all I can say is WOW. Highly recommended…h-i-g-h-l-y.

Thank you all for the support; it’s very very very much appreciated.

Remember to keep it locked on ThatGrapeJuice.net!

Burgeoning stars Solange, Keri Hilson and Teyana Taylor feature the double cover of Rap-Up magazine’s Summer 2008 issue (which is on newsstands now). They’re all looking funky fresh, I must say. Good stuff. With each offering a breath of fresh air to an increasingly ‘samey’ industry, I’m real hopeful that these three make it BIG time.

Rapper Nelly appears on the alternate cover. The St. Louis native addresses the haters and the state of Hip-Hop, gives the scoop on his relationship with Ashanti, and reveals plans for a joint album with another rap superstar.

‘Wholesome’ Hollywood couple, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, have revealed that the secret to the success of their 11 year marriage is that they have an ‘open relationship’. Speaking to Reveal magazine, Will had the following to say:

R&B star Kelly Rowland really does seems to have taken up a second citizenship of sorts over here in the UK; she’s often here more than she is in the US these days. The ‘Like This’ singer was snapped leaving London’s famed NOBU restaurant last night. Ms. Kelly’s looking good, indeed.

What do you think of the pics?

It seems all is not well between BET 106 & Park hosts Terrence and Rocsi. The usually ‘pally’ pair appeared to have a clashing of sorts on Friday’s episode of the popular countdown show, resulting in Rocsi walking off set and Terrence hosting the show alone thereafter. Check out the clip below via WorldStarHipHop.com:

A bevy of stars including Usher, Rihanna, Jay-Z and more hit Nigeria’s 3rd annual ThisDay Musical Festival this weekend. Check out pics from the event:

Supermodels Naomi Campbell and Tyson Beckford were also in attendance.

Our From The Vault feature, this week, journeys back to 1996 with the Fugees smash hit ‘Killing Me Softly’. One of the most promising, critically acclaimed (and arguably, influential) groups to emerge in the 90’s, the then fresh faced trio consisting of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel served up some of that eras defining Hip-Hop/R&B cuts such as ‘Ready or Not’, ‘Fu-Gee-La’ and this, their biggest hit, ‘Killing Me Softly’. Still as impacting today as it was upon its release, the Fugees ‘Killing Me Softly’, no doubt will go down in history:

Since being revealed as the the winners of ‘The Pussycat Dolls Present Girlicious’ back in April, Girlicious have seldom been seen promoting their single ‘Like Me’ or self-titled LP, save for a few TV appearances here and there.

Things, however, seem to be picking up with their project, as their album will now be released on August 12th in Canada (originally due this month). You may be thinking, why Canada? Well, the girls have experienced the most success there to date, with ‘Like Me’ peaking at #4 on Canada’s official single chart and buzz single ‘Stupid Sh*t’ at #20. A US/International release is tentatively listed as simply ‘2008’.

It’ll be interesting to see if this project actually makes any kind of impact on a larger scale (other than Canada alone). For, multi-tiered releases are becoming a thing of the past, and the few that do tend to end up performing badly in the territory that received it late (See: The UK chart performance of Mary J’s ‘Growing Pains’). Also, does anyone else find it baffling that the group’s project is being launched at the same time as the Pussycat Dolls’?

Check out the official trailer for Tyler Perry’s forthcoming movie ‘The Family That Preys’, which stars, among others, Saana Lathan, Alfre Woodard, Robin Gibens, Rockmund Dunbar and Perry himself:

R&B songstress Tamia will be recording her first ever live album, it has been confirmed. Some of you may remember her alluding to toying with the idea, in our interview with her back in May. The recording will take place during her an exclusive show in Washington, DC on August 10th.

Considering Tamia is one of the few artists who sound equally as good, if not better, live, this is one release I’ll really be looking forward to.