Mariah Carey’s 1997 smash ‘Honey’ serves as this week’s From The Vault video. As the the first single to be lifted from the diva’s ‘Butterfly’ LP, the track and its accompanying video ushered in what was then considered a very ‘different’ Mariah. Newly divorced and musically embracing an edgier, Urban sound, Mariah shed her conservative ‘girl next door’ image with this racy Paul Hunter directed clip. Random tidbit: here, also saw the debut of the ‘Mariah Whine’ LMAO. Check it out:

With the release of Whitney Houston’s much anticipated ‘comeback’ album drawing ever-nearer (due November), a new Akon produced and featuring track, presumed to be from the LP has surfaced titled ‘Like I Never Left.

Though it’s great to finally hear a sample of the fruit of Whitney’s more recent studio time, I can’t say the airy mid-tempo track strikes me as chart-topping material. Still, a decent album cut. I’m hoping Whitney comes with her ‘A’ game as far as the first single and the album more generally. {Thanks Andy, Terrence, Bryan; you’re all stars!!}

Ne-Yo stopped by the UK’s top Urban radio station 1Xtra earlier today to promote his upcoming ‘Year of The Gentleman’ LP. The talented singer/songwriter also performed a rendition of Rihanna’s #1 smash ‘Take A Bow’. I’m really liking his take, on the otherwise, so-so track.

In a recent interview with AllHipHop.com, former Princess of The Roc, Teairra Marí spoke out the current status of her relationship with one-time mentor Jay-Z:

AHHA: Is there still a relationship at all with Jay-Z?

Teairra Mari: There is no relationship there at all. I haven’t heard from him since that time. I think I sent him a happy birthday message because his birthday is two days after mine, like two years ago and since then it’s been nothing. And I don’t want it to be – Actually, it’s fine because I was a young girl. If you could come into a young girl’s life and then just throw her on the curb, you put this father presence on and then be like, “I’m done with it.” I don’t want a relationship like that.

Ouch. She seems a lil burned by the way things went down and rightfully so. Label or no label, it wasn’t right the way her so-called ‘father’ dashed her to the side like that. Anyway, she also discussed her dislike of the direction of her first LP:

AHHA: With your first album, Roc-A-Fella Presents Teairra Mari, do you feel that project accurately depicted where you wanted you career to go and what you wanted your sound to be?

Teairra Mari: I was 17 and I had a parental advisory sticker on the album. I was totally against that. I was pre-instructed to do what I did. They wanted me to be that rebellious, young teenager. At the time I was going through a rebellious stage so I guess I could see it, but the curse words I didn’t totally understand it, like a cursing 17-year-old girl. I just did what I was told because I believed in those people.

Peep the official album cover for Ne-Yo’s forthcoming effort ‘Year of The Gentleman’ (due September). Good stuff.

Our recent interview with Ne-Yo will be up mid-next week. apologies about the delay, you’ll know why it’s necessary when it’s posted. In the meanwhile, click here to see Ne-Yo give That Grape Juice a shout-out (also under the spotlight section too)

Speaking with the UK’s Daily Star, Kelly Rowland shed some light on the direction of her forthcoming solo LP – her third:

Kelly Rowland has said she would like to collaborate with UK singer-songwriter Kate Nash.

The former Destiny’s Child star also claimed that she is interested in working with Alphabeat, The Script and Guillemots.

“I definitely want a new sound so I am jamming in the studio with amazing musicians who just love music,” she told the Daily Star.

“I’ve asked The Script to do a duet and The Guillemots have given me one of their tracks to listen to.”

She continued: “I would love to do something with them or Alphabeat, and Kate Nash is dope.”

Rowland also revealed that she is hoping her third LP will be “deeper” and more “inspiring” than her first two solo albums. {Source}

Is it bad that, Kate Nash aside, I know nothing of the other names mentioned lol? Anyway, I’m glad Kelly is trying new things this go round. What exactly is meant by ‘deeper’ and ‘more inspiring’ will be interesting to see, however I’m hoping Kelly doesn’t completely turn her back on her inner diva. I’m really looking for Kelly to serve up the same sass, attitude and stage-presence she’s been doing recently and more widely seen during her last Destiny’s Child stint.

Random tidbit: I’ve always hoped Kelly would release something ‘Lose My Breath’-ish on a solo tip…

R&B singer Trey Songz recently dropped the video for ‘Missin’ You’, the fourth single to be lifted from his sophomore effort ‘Trey Day’. Check out the vid below:

Though I commend Trey for soldiering it out with this project, both the song and vid are kinda ‘blah’ to me. That said, I hope he starts to garner the praise he deserves as an artist – he’s too underrated IMO.

Check out this new cut from The Game’s still unreleased ‘L.A.X’ LP titled ‘My Life’. Featuring man of the moment Lil’ Wayne, the mid-tempo, piano-driven track -said to be a future single- is solid in its own right, yet notable more so for certain lyrics:

A shot at Eminem?: “All the pictures of me and Em, I burned them”

Reaches out to Kanye over mother’s passing: “Since you helped me sell my dream, we can share my mama now”.

All in all, a great track.