While fans may be waiting on her to drop her new album as well as the highly anticipated ‘Sparkle’ remake starring the late, great Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks has been busy finding other things to drop as outlined by her August 2012 cover of ‘Shape’ magazine.

Showing off a slimmer figure, Jason Derulo‘s boo reportedly dropped 50 lbs and 4 dress sizes over the last few months since switching up her diet since her stint on American Idol.

Fans will be able to get a great view of the singer’s new bod as she struts her stuff for her major motion picture debut when ‘Sparkle’ shines in theaters on August 17th.   Find out what the singer said she learned most from Houston in a recent interview with VH1 below:

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‘I Got This’ hitmaker Jennifer Hudson has got yet another accolade to add to her growing list.  While recently celebrating a best-selling book and readying her own fashion line, the songstress will now be one of many talents earning a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Joining a male-dominated list of 2013 inductees, others include Ellen DeGeneres, comedian Steve Harvey,  Usher, Luther Vandross, etc.

As if the announcements of the induction, as well as preparing films and a new album, aren’t enough, the soon-to-be Mrs. Otunga will also be returning to the small screen for a short stint on NBC‘s musical hit ‘Smash’.  Marking her first return to TV since her 2003 run on American Idol, she will join fellow ‘Idol’ alum Katherine McPhee who, as fans know, is a regular on the show.

Hudson will make her first appearance on the show’s second season debut.

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The success narrative of Pop phenom Lady GaGa is like no other in recent history.

Indeed, the singer has achieved in  four years a level of commercial and critical success others have taken decades to garner.

It’s such accolades which have led many to hail her as an icon. However, it’s not a sentiment shared by her manager Troy Carter.

Full story after the jump…

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A decade ago, accurate-or at least favorable representations of Latin Americans were an all too welcome Pop culture commonplace.

If it wasn’t ‘Taina‘ gracing our screens on Paramount’s Nickelodeon it was the fiery sounds of Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin, figureheads for what has now be known as ‘The Latin Explosion‘.

Today, the story isn’t quite the same.

For, while the likes of Pitbull continue to fly the flag for Latin American music overseas, the demographic remains both mis- and underrepresented on the small screen.

Until now.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydu_7jtoaiI]

Starring 3LW front woman Adrienne Bailon and 106 & Park host Julissa Bermudez, That Grape Juice is pleased to welcome the Style Network‘s  ‘Empire Girls’.

Friends for over a decade, the ‘Girls’ landed the show following requests by friends to allow cameras into their lives.

Bermudez told us:

I had fears about being on Reality TV- because it really puts you out there, but so many funny crazy things would happen to us and our friends would be like “where are the cameras?!”

However, if you were hoping for the table tossing, cat fighting that plagues a number of today’s shows, think again. According to Bailon, “Empire Girls is feel good TV, it focuses on us being strong independent women with real goals and aspirations“.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGktdKLSN6o]

She went onto admit:

Of course there’s going to be drama, but it’s all real. None of it’s exaggerated for the cameras.

We’re both Latina, I was born in the New York and Julie was born in the Dominican Republic, but we both represent a huge demographic in the US, and that’s the second or third generation Latin American woman- and the show reflects that. 

Both of them declaring:

It won’t endorse the stereotypes.

Our story is about inspiration, it’s about hard work, determination and progress and you’ll definitely see that with both of us trying to each our seperate goals.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCDDAi1ytdI]

Catch the ‘Empire Girls’ every Sunday only on The Style Network, (9-10pm. ET)

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The last two years have been all sorts of tumultuous for Grammy winner Fantasia Barrino.

However, as seems to be the case between each of her releases, the vocal powerhouse is hoping to confine the drama to the past as she gears up to unleash new material.

Find out when the American Idol graduate plans to unwrap her new gems after the jump…

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Before her untimely passing back in February, Whitney Houston shot a music video for the single ‘Celebrate’ featuring American Idol sensation Jordin Sparks.

In aid of the ‘Sparkle’ soundtrack, the movie in which they both star in, today saw the arrival of the videos behind the scenes footage.

Footage, awaiting your viewing below…

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Whether you’ve heard her music or not, it’s safe to say there’s no escaping Adele-mania.

Fueled by her sophomore LP ‘21‘ and heightened by the momentum of its own sales, the project has turned the star into one of the highest selling acts in more time, literally selling more copies per week than many of her chart rivals could shift in a year.

However, with this success has come an undying criticism related to Adele’s look- more specifically, her race.

Like Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone before her, Adkins’ success-albeit warranted- has led many to ask the uncomfortable question:

But what if she was black, would she be as successful?

This week, that question was asked and answered by ‘The Magnetic Fields’ front man Stephen Merritt.

His interesting comments below…

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Peep former Danity Kane star Dawn Richard posing it up in the latest issue of Pynk magazine.

The ‘Bombs’ singer is currently riding the wave of independent success following the release of her critically-acclaimed EP ‘Armor On’ in March.

Check out more pics and soundbites from the feature interview after the jump. According to Ms. Richard, she and former Dirty Money comrade Kaleena Harper haven’t spoken in some time. Find out why after the jump…

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Before passing away in February, Whitney Houston shot the long awaited musical ‘Sparkle‘, alongside ‘American Idol’ winner Jordin Sparks and ‘Voice’ coach Cee Lo Green.

Hitting theaters August 17th, the movie marks the icon’s last bid as an actress and in turn has given fans what some might call, a parting gift.

A gift, by the way of ‘Celebrate‘, the last song she is known to have recorded.

Listen to R.Kelly penned cut below…

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Without a doubt, Beyonce‘s skill as a writer is oft overshadowed by her success as an entertainer.

Writing or co-writing almost every number she’s recorded since her debut in 1998, Knowles’ writing feats include scoring a Golden Globe nomination for 2007’s ‘Listen’,.
This, after she became the second African American woman to win an ASCAP Songwriter Of The Year award, following  ‘Say My Name’ maestra Kandi Burruss.

So now, in recognition of her contributions to the craft, she is to be honored by the New York Association of Black Journalists this month.

Details below…

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Earlier this week a Burger King commercial starring Mary J. Blige premiered featuring the R&B singer singing about the joys of “chicken”. In the commercial, Blige gives the ‘Popeye’s Lady’ a run for her money by giving the best stereotypical African-American impersonation ever seen on primetime television.

Following its premature release, the promotional spot went viral prompting backlash from MJB fans embarrassed for the vocalist for attaching her name to something so beneath her.

In an effort to distance herself from the fast-food chain, the 41 year old ‘Queen of Hip-Hop Soul’ has released an official statement. See what she has to say after the jump and sound-off below!

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Mary J. Blige‘s 2002 smash ‘No More Drama’ serves as this week’s From The Vault pick.

Lifted from the 2001 blockbuster album of the same name as its second offering, ‘Drama’ peaked at #15 on the US Hot 100 and on the lower tier of the Top 10 on the UK Charts at #9.

And while Blige boasts higher chartings with other releases, the stirring cut  stands as one of the most well knowned cut from the Queen of Hip-Hop/Soul.

Helmed by the ever-so-creative dynamo duo of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the heartfelt track is built around a sample of classical piece ‘Nadia’s Theme’, the very same song used as the theme from never-ending American soap opera ‘The Young and The Restless’.

And while such sample was sourced from fantasy, the song’s lyrical narrative was akin to the happenings in Mary’s wold. Indeed, ‘Drama’ represented a turning point in her life; she would reveal that it marks the first time she would let go of the pain in her life and finally allow herself to be happy or at least seek for happiness. For the music world at large, the song -for a period of time- served as an unofficial response of sorts to the September 11th calamity which rocked the free world to its core.

The track’s accompanying video (which sees cameos from Mariah Carey and Diddy) does a great job of capturing the song’s embedded passion and  raw emotion through an array of storylines. All of which relay different “strands” of drama folk face.

Through her stellar career Ms. Blige-Isaacs has experienced many peaks and troughs, yet has always stayed true to her colours musically and morally. A practice which has cultivated her a level of respect from her peers, critics, and fans, which can be neither shaken nor stirred. True talent can, and often will, win.

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