A career as captivating as Angela Bassett‘s undoubtedly has peaks and troughs that skew both public and private. And the superstar opens up about all in the November / December issue of Essence Magazine. 

Covering the latest edition of the publication in illustrated form, Bassett draws on a variety of narratives to make clear that her story is one defined by colors – both light and dark, challenges, and overcoming the tallest of obstacles.

Within her candid feature, the 64-year-old talks about the “butterflies” she felt on set reprising her role as matriarch Ramona in Marvel’s upcoming blockbuster, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘ (which premieres on November 11).

Bassett also waxed candid about the juxtaposition between breaking through with her Oscar-nominated portrayal of Tina Turner in the biopic ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ and the reality that it didn’t multiply her opportunities at the time.

Head below for quotes on these and more…

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In news sending shock waves through the entertainment industry, beloved ‘Will & Grace’ actor and social media star Leslie Jordan has died at age 67.

Details inside.

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‘Jesus Walks’ hitmaker Kanye West is seeing yet another slew of big-named brands walk away from their lucrative business relationship in light of controversy stemming from his headline-grabbing anti-Semitic remarks recently.

Not long after West brewed backlash for wearing and defending his custom ‘White Lives Matter’ t-shirt, the 45-year-old music and fashion mogul was banned from Facebook and Twitter for making disparaging comments about Jewish people.

In addition to ongoing criticism from former fans, industry analysts, and even his celebrity peers, the result of the infraction comes as a continued fallout from the likes of Balenciaga, ‘Vogue,’ and now CAA.

Details inside.

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Mariah Carey is ringing in the holiday season with news of major shows.

Full story below…

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Taylor Swift has unleashed ‘Midnights’ – her tenth studio album.

Led by the effervescent ‘Anti-Hero,’ the set sees Swift explore themes of self-exploration, mental health, and more.

That Grape Juice has been spinning the LP since its release. Join us below to find out which five tracks are essential on ‘Midnights.’

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Months after it was announced GRAMMY and Academy Award-winning songstress H.E.R. will be portraying Belle in ABC’s forthcoming live ‘Beauty and the Beast’ 30th anniversary TV special, it’s being reported other big names will be joining her to breathe new life into some of Disney’s most beloved characters.

Details inside.

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Join us today as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of a classic Pop album.

This week’s From The Vault is the undeniable standout track from Christina Aguilera’s coming-of-age album, ‘Stripped.’ We give you ‘Beautiful’.

Serving as the second single from Aguilera’s 2002 blockbuster album, ‘Beautiful’ is a Soulful Pop ballad with Rock sensibilities. It was written and produced by Linda Perry, who initially wanted to use the song for her own singing career.

A very successful track for Xtina – it peaked at #2 in the US and reached the top of the charts in the UK, Canada, and Australia. It quickly became an empowerment anthem for many and to this day it is highly regarded by the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as by advocates for body positivity.

Directed by Jonas Âkerlund, the visual for the single was a clear departure from the boisterous first single ‘Dirrty.’

Viewers find the songbird wearing black in an empty apartment, while various scenes of tormented young people are interwoven. It was well-received, notably because of its normalized and non-sensational portrayal of queer people.

Earlier this week, the diva released another version of the video, this time focusing on the effects social media can have on the mental health of the youth.

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Xtina’s vocal prowess earned her respect from her debut. Yet, with ‘Stripped’ and particularly this song, she let her voice be heard in another way. Indeed, she wasn’t afraid to tackle sensitive issues and speak her mind, and back then it helped set her apart from her competition.

Two decades on, ‘Stripped’ remains an impeccable effort that is still fresh and modern both sonically and thematically.

Timeless song, timeless talent.

Your thoughts?

Having already won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the iconic singer’s 2004 eponymous biographical film and currently earning OSCAR buzz for his role as Mike Tyson in the boxing legend’s forthcoming biopic, Jamie Foxx has proven his capabilities time and time again.

For that reason and more, Kanye West – who previously collaborated with Foxx aboard the GRAMMY-winning #1 hit ‘Gold Digger’ (2005) – recently indicated he wanted the actor-comic to bring his life story to the big screen some day.

“My pick is Jamie Foxx,” Ye stated when quizzed. “[He is] one of the greatest genius[es].”

The unexpected pick certainly perked ears as one of few bright spots West has had over the last month as he continues braving backlash for his controversial ‘White Lives Matter’ apparel and anti-Semitic views, the sweet gesture turned sour weeks later when the 45-year-old slammed Jamie for allegedly stealing the concept to the Academy Award-winning film, ‘Django Unchained.’

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The Weeknd apparently meant it when he vowed to permanently boycott the GRAMMYs after the Recording Academy unceremoniously omitted his blockbuster 2020 album, ‘After Hours,’ from its nominations roster in 2021.

Yes, the uproar that resulted from the omission eventually led to an overhaul of the organization’s voting process, but it appears the update wasn’t enough to satiate the Canadian hitmaker.

What’s more, he’s garnering support from his home country’s favorite Hip-Hop son: Drake.

Details inside.

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Only a faith leader the magnitude of Bishop T.D. Jakes could assemble a star-studded Gospel album that shines with the megawatt talent Timbaland, Sheila E. Fred Jerkins, and more for his latest album, the September 19-released ‘Finally Loosed.

Designed to tribute the final of his famous ‘Woman, Thou Art Loosed’ conferences held the same month, ‘Loosed’ was produced by Jakes alongside Stanley Brown, Dr. Oscar Williams, Marcus Dawson, and Skip Barrett.

And while the 8-song set assembles some of the biggest names in Gospel and secular music to line its tracklist, a clear standout comes from GRAMMY-nominated powerhouse Tamar Braxton.

Teamed with New Breed, look inside to hear her stunning tune ‘The Glory.’

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What started as a battle royale between the fan bases of Queen of Pop Madonna and Rap diva Cardi B Sunday morning (October 23) has ended with a love fest between the ladies.

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Congratulations rang across the Web this summer for powerhouse songstress KeKe Wyatt as the diva celebrated the birth of her 11th child, son Ke’Zyah Jean (her second with husband Zackariah Darring).

And while the 40-year-old was very open about the difficulties she experienced during the pregnancy, those challenges, nor the criticism from naysayers who suggested having so many children would negatively impact her career, have deterred her from wanting to continue to grow her family.

Ahead of her highly anticipated feature on October 23‘s episode of TV One’s ‘Uncensored,’ look inside to hear Wyatt’s perspective on being a mother.

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