Today sees the release of a number of R&B/Hip-Hop efforts. The Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul Mary J. Blige drops her long-awaited ‘Growing Pains’ LP today. Also Chingy releases ‘Hate It Or Love It’, his first album since re-grouping with Disturbing The Peace over at Def Jam. Not to be forgotten is Atlantic Records star Lupe Fiasco, who releases ‘The Cool’ – the much-anticipated follow-up to 2006’s critically acclaimed ‘Food & Liquor’. So…

Which album(s) will you be buying this week?
With 2007 rapidly coming to end, I felt it beffiting to acknowledge the releases, events etc that have made the last 12 months as memorable as they have been. What better way to mark this than to host the 1st Annual That Grape Juice: End Of Year Awards.
Voted for entirely by yourselves, the winners will be announced on December 30th. Below is the preliminary list of nominees. Please drop any changes, suggestions etc you have in the comments section. The final list will then be posted this Friday (December 21st) , when voting starts.

End Of Year Awards: The Nominees

Album of the Year

Alicia Keys – As I Am
Kanye West – Graduation
Mario – Go!
Mary J. Blige – Growing Pains
Amy Winehouse – Back to Black
Kelly Rowland – Ms. Kelly

Single of the Year

Fantasia – When I See You
Alicia Keys – No One
Keyshia Cole – Let It Go
Rihanna – Umbrella
J. Holiday – Bed
Kanye West – Stronger

Best Video:

Kanye West – Good Life
Ciara – Like A Boy
Beyonce – Get Me Bodied
R. Kelly – Same Girl (ft. Usher)

Best Collaboration:

Chris Brown & T-Pain- Kiss Kiss
Kelly Rowland & Eve – Like This
50 Cent & Justin Timberlake Ayo Technology
Timbaland & Keri Hilson – The Way I Are
R. Kelly & Usher – ‘Same Girl’

Best New Artist:

Amy Winehouse
J. Holiday
Tiffany Evans
The Dream

Best Female Artist:

Alicia Keys
Mary J Blige
Keyshia Cole
Kelly Rowland

Best Male Artist

Chris Brown
Kanye West
Mario
J. Holiday
Jay-Z

The Kelly Rowland Underrated Artist Of The Year Award

Amerie
Mario
Tamia
Trey Songz

The Please Go Sit Down Somewhere Award

Rihanna
Nicole Scherzinger
50 Cent
Souljah Boy

Most Overrated Artist:

Rihanna
Beyonce
Fergie

Worst Single Of The Year:

Chris Brown – Wall to Wall
Nicole Scherzinger – Baby Love
Souljah Boy – Crank That

Flop of the Year:

Kelly Rowland
Jennifer Lopez
Will.i.am

Most Shocking Event of 2007:

Bobby and Whitney Divorcing
Beyonce Falling Down Stairs
Britney’s Shambolic VMA Performance/Going Crazy

Best Reality TV Show:

Making the Band 4
Runs House
Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is
I Love New York 2

Best TV Show:

Girlfriends
Everybody Hates Chris
The Boondocks
The Game

What do you think of the nominee list?

US visitors: NBC is set to screen the first of a week long music special called ‘Clash of The Choirs’ tonight at 7pm/8pm. The show sees well-known artists travel back to their home towns with the task of forming a choir – which will ‘battle’ against those formed by the other stars. R&B singer Kelly Rowland as well as legend Patti Labelle are two of featured celebrities; check out clips from both of the auditions they held:
Kelly Rowland

Patti Labelle


The show looks real interesting. I’m hoping Kelly’s choir isn’t full of singers like the woman featured; as bad I felt for her, there’s no denying that she butchered ‘Survivor’.

Will you be tuning into ‘Clash of The Choirs’?

Producer/rapper Timbaland premiered pop star Madonna’s new single during his set at the radio station z100’s Jingle Ball yesterday (December 16th) in Philadelphia. Titled ‘4 Minutes To Save The World’, the track features the producer himself as well as Justin Timberlake. I’m all for unconventional pairings and this one seems to have worked; the song, from what I can hear, sounds great. Timbaland is executive producing her as-yet-untitled album, so it’ll be interesting to see what they come up with.

What do you think of the song?

Producer/rapper Timbaland premiered pop star Madonna’s new single during his set at the radio station z100’s Jingle Ball yesterday (December 16th) in Philadelphia. Titled ‘4 Minutes To Save The World’, the track features the producer himself as well as Justin Timberlake. I’m all for unconventional pairings and this one seems to have worked; the song, from what I can hear, sounds great. Timbaland is executive producing her as-yet-untitled album, so it’ll be interesting to see what they come up with.

What do you think of the song?

Producer/rapper Timbaland premiered pop star Madonna’s new single during his set at the radio station z100’s Jingle Ball yesterday (December 16th) in Philadelphia. Titled ‘4 Minutes To Save The World’, the track features the producer himself as well as Justin Timberlake. I’m all for unconventional pairings and this one seems to have worked; the song, from what I can hear, sounds great. Timbaland is executive producing her as-yet-untitled album, so it’ll be interesting to see what they come up with.

What do you think of the song?

Following reports several months ago that 2007 mega-hit ‘Umbrella’ was first offered to R&B star Mary J. Blige, the 36 year old singer has recently claimed she is “glad” she didn’t release the song – deeming it “too mainstream”. Speaking to WENN, Blige added:

“I’m not going to chase what [mainstream] fans like. It might work for a Mariah. It might work for a Beyonce. But Mary J. Blige is looked at as some sort of organic thing.” {Source}

Interesting…

Your thoughts?
*Don’t forget to enter our Mary J. Blige ‘Growing Pains’ give-away! Click here to enter*

The video for Johnta Austin’s new single ‘The One That Got Away’ has recently surfaced. Featuring a cameo by Spice Girl Melanie B, the video/single serves as the latest release to be lifted from Austin’s much-delayed ‘Ocean Drive’ album (for which there still is no definitive release date). With the video being the best he’s dropped so far IMO, I’m really hoping this is the song that catapults Austin (writer of mega-hits ‘We Belong Together’ and ‘Be Without You’) to the level of stardom his talent calls for.

What do you think of the video?

Judging by this stage outfit, it seems Rihanna has let loose her inner-stripper. The ‘Umbrella’ singer is currently on tour here in the UK in support of her current album ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’. As sexy as she may look, one has to wonder if it’s all a bit much. I mean, it comes across kinda desperate to me.

What do you think of the pic?

Check out the third preview of B2K’s forthcoming reality show:

Watching this back really reminded me of how badly Chris Stokes screwed them over; Omarion comes across kinda wrong too. I’m actually hoping these guys make something of themselves with this comeback – if only just show that you can’t hold people down with such shady tactics.

Your thoughts?

Will Smith’s latest film, post-apocalyptic thriller ‘I Am Legend’, has grossed a whopping $76 million at the US box-office during it’s opening weekend. Exceeding initial estimates of $25 million, the film’s huge debut has earned its place as the highest December opening of all time. {Source}
It’s an understatement to say that Will has come a long way. Following a string of big screen hits including 2004’s ‘I Robot’, he really has established himself as one of Hollywood’s biggest draws. More power to him.

Your thoughts on the story, film etc?

The beef between female rappers Lil’ Kim and Remy Ma continues to escalate; pint-sized Kim hits back at the former Terror Squad on this track -which samples Lauryn Hill’s ‘Lost Ones’. It’s getting kinda messy…

Your thoughts?

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