Desi Banks has been dominating the comedic sphere online with his compelling stories and hard-hitting punchlines. And now he’s proving his live gravitas by making an almighty splash on the international stand-up circuit.

Ahead of his show at The Clapham Grand tonight (August 25), That Grape Juice‘s Samuel Eni caught up with the funnyman, who opened up about his ascend, inspirations, his plans for the future, and a whole lot more.

Check out the exclusive interview below…

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While Diddy‘s inciting debate about if R&B is dead, some of its power players scoff at the notion – most recently including the likes of Jacquees, Chris Brown, and Usher (all of whom have been appointed the genre’s king by their respective fans).

The latter, who stands as one of the best-selling artists in history with over 100 million total records sold worldwide and nine Billboard Hot 100 hits (second only to Stevie Wonder among male R&B acts), hasn’t been shy about his dedication to the format over the years.

Said dedication acts as sturdy support for why the 43-year-old believes he should be named R&B’s reigning monarch.

Hear his case for the crown inside.

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25 years after Brandy and Whitney Houston led a groundbreaking reimagining of ‘Cinderella’ as America’s first Black princess and Fairy Godmother duo, the surviving cast members reunited for ABC’s ‘Cinderella: the Reunion, A Special Edition of 20/20.’

Broadcast Tuesday (August 23), the one-hour special – which aired as part of Disney’s World Princess Week – collected commentary from the 1997 film’s stars Whoopi Goldberg, Bernadette Peters, Jason Alexander, Veanne Cox, Paolo Montalban, Victor Garber, and more while exploring the EMMY-nominated movie’s cultural impact.

What’s more, the network aired ‘Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella’ for the first time in over two decades directly after the special.

The back-to-back television events served as quite the 1-2 punch for ABC, helping it secure some handsome viewership figures during Tuesday night’s primetime ratings race.

See more inside:

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Juanita Bynum is not here for being deemed a hypocrite!

Just days after a clip of the Gospel singer and prophetess preaching against the juxtaposition of “being saved” and listening to secular music flew to viral status on social media (as we reported here), backlash brewed when a video of her dancing to Mary J. Blige‘s 2007 hit ‘Just Fine’ inconveniently resurfaced.

The timing of Bynum’s sermon drew particular attention as many took it as a subtle dig against Twinkie Clark, the lead singer of the legendary Gospel quartet The Clark Sisters, who is currently embroiled in controversy for allowing their song ‘Center of Thy Will’ to serve as the center of Beyonce‘s profanity-laden ‘Renaissance’ hit ‘Church Girl.’ 

In response to critics who have branded her message hypocritical, Juanita took to the pulpit to address the claim head-on.

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‘The Real Housewives of Dubai’ brought the heat with their inaugural season.

Serving as the first international branch of the popular Housewives franchise to be commissioned by Bravo and air on the network in the US, the series fuses the trademark drama viewers have come to know and love from the shows with the unique setting and culture the ladies of the Middle East bring.

Anchored by Chanel Ayan, Nina Ali,  Caroline Brooks, Dr. Sara Al Madani, Lesa Milan, and Caroline Stanbury, the Real Housewives of Dubai’ are set to take center stage for their season 1 reunion.

Premiering on August 31 at 9 pm, the two-part conclusion will see sparks fly between the group – which is united in some corners and deeply fractured in others.

See what we mean in the newly unleashed first look trailer below…

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‘All N My Grill’ hitmaker Missy Elliott found herself getting grilled after what appeared to be an innocent interaction with her 7 million followers turned into an all-out war.

See how inside.

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Offset has filed a lawsuit – against his own record label.

Find out why after the jump…

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All roads lead to September 9 for John Legend, who unlocks his eighth studio effort ‘Legend’ on date.

To whet appetites ahead of the double album’s release, the crooner has served up the project’s latest single ‘All She Wanna Do’ – which features none other than Saweetie. 

The unique pairing join forces for the official video for the track, which boasts an equally unique concept.

Directed by Christian Breslauer, the vibrant visual spotlights a group of dancers who believe they are at an open casting call…only to discover that they were shooting the video for ‘All She Wanna Do’ all along.

Check it out below…

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Nick Cannon continues to cement his status as Hollywood’s most fertile father.

For, the multihyphenate media mogul has announced that he is expecting his 10th child. Yes, 10th.

Full story below…

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Chris Brown keeps the ‘Breezy’ album party pumping with the premiere of the video for ‘Call Me Every Day.’

The stage blazer is joined by Afrobeats titan Wizkid on the track, who has been on quite the heat streak of his own.

Together the pair scorch on the flavorsome jam – which has been paired with a color-filled, dance-heavy visual.

The video arrives on the heels of the clips for ‘Iffy,’ ‘Catch a Body,’ and ‘Warm Embrace’

Watch below…

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‘Pinocchio’ comes alive anew for a fresh adventure on Disney+.

Debuting next month Disney+ Day, the live-action incarnation of the classic tale promises to put a fresh spin on the much-loved narrative – which tells the story of the wooden puppet who embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy.

Tom Hanks stars as wood maker Geppetto and Cynthia Erivo is also in the mix as the Blue Fairy.

Other notable names on board include Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Keegan-Michael Key, Lorraine Bracco, and Luke Evans.

Ahead of its premiere, check out the freshly unwrapped trailer for ‘Pinocchio’ (directed by Robert Zemeckis) below…

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Nicki Minaj fans, affectionately called #Barbz, may still be celebrating the arrival of her historic Hot 100 #1 hit ‘Super Freaky Girl’ this week (as we reported here), but there’s one who they shouldn’t expect to join the chorus:  media mogul Jason Lee.

Having made no secret of his disdain for the GRAMMY nominee over the years, that antipathy was reiterated in earnest on the most recent episode of his ‘Gagging with Jason Lee’ podcast (August 23).

Hop inside to hear some of the damning quotes from the 45-year-old that have sent the #Barbz into attack mode.

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