Cardi B has done it again!

For, the femcee has scored her fifth #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her latest single ‘Up.’

Join us after the jump

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Welcome to the latest
TGJ Roundtable!

Over the years, That Grape Juice has established a distinguished voice that – whether loved or loathed – sparks discussion, debate, and on occasion drama!

Though comprised of seasoned writers who share a similar outlook on Urban Pop culture, the idiosyncrasies of the TGJ team members often lend for quite heated debates “behind the scenes” about the hottest topics.

Now, we give you a front-row seat to the show. In a format similar to ‘The View’ or ‘The Real’, TGJ editors – Sam, Rashad, Joe, and Ryan – get real in a very candid way.

Today’s roundtable topic asks each anchor their thoughts on the…

GRAMMYs 2021

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With their top-selling hits like ‘Dynamite,’ ‘Life Goes On,’ and the parent projects that birthed them (‘BE,’ ‘Map of the Soul’), BTS‘ short but storied career has already seen them collect stats that put them in Billboard history books alongside the greats.

Now, the K-Pop hitmakers are about to see their name penciled along another hallowed music hall:  ‘MTV Unplugged.’

The iconic TV special, which has seen the likes of Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, Maxwell, George Michael, Shakira, Alanis Morissette, and a host of other legendary acts grace its stage over the years, will see BTS become the latest to bless the platform with stripped/acoustic versions of their greatest hits.

Details inside:

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Whether penciled in history books for reasons good, bad, ugly, and/or everything in between, 2020 brought with it some of entertainment’s most memorable moments.

Now, as the year draws to a close, That Grape Juice is reflecting on our favorite moments that rocked – and to some degree maybe even reshaped – the Urban and Pop cultural landscape as we know it.

Next, we’ll reflect on the year’s biggest celebrity beefs.  Look inside to see whose war of words made our list:

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It’s hard to think of a time where music was made before the pandemic. While not every album released this year was made during the global health crisis, it couldn’t help but shape the listening experience.

There’s a common phrase in the music world: “Life sucked, but great records got us through.” While this could easily apply to individual years of our lives, it inevitably became the most true this year.

And though 2020 could easily be argued as the worst year in history, it brought out some of the best albums in recent times.

Joins us below to find out which albums are That Grape Juice‘s best of 2020…

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With the GRAMMY nominations being announced on Tuesday (November 24), The Weeknd, Harry Styles, and Post Malone are poised to be among this year’s most nominated artists. Each of them could score a nomination in Album, Record and Song of the Year.

However, the likes of Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, and Taylor Swift may well be hot on their tails in a number of key categories.

With each of these categories including eight nominees, join us below as we reveal our predictions…

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October 2 brought with it a packaged celebration of Mariah Carey‘s 30 hit-filled years in the music industry courtesy of ‘The Rarities’ – a career-spanning compilation album of unreleased material to share with her legion of devoted fans (affectionately called “Lambs”).

An accompanying musical piece to her long-awaited memoir, ‘The Meaning of Mariah Carey’ (which opened to rave reviews and sales as we reported here), ‘The Rarities’ – which not only featured some never-before-heard tunes from her prized vault but also never-before-heard mixes of previous released hits – was kicked off by the Lauryn Hill-assisted gem ‘Save the Day.’ .

The highly anticipated set was previously forecasted by industry analysts to land Carey her latest top 20 hit on the Billboard 200 thanks to first-week sales of 21,000 units (as we reported here).

While the final count reveals she surpassed their expectations on the sales front, the effort’s first-week Billboard placement was more than ten rungs below their projections.

See what we mean inside:

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Mariah Carey has lifted the lid on the list of gems that will populate her new album, ‘The Rarities.’

Due October 2, the hotly anticipated project sees Mimi dig into her treasure chest of unreleased material to share with her legion of Lambs.

Details below…

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With his hit, ‘Toosie Slide,’ Canadian rapper Drake became the second artist in history to debut a single atop the Hot 100 three times over his career – an accomplishment only ‘Queen of Billboard’ Mariah Carey could boast at the time.  Later, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande were able to as well (click here to read more).

Granted, the feat of nabbing multiple openings at the tally’s summit is ultra rare, but many will be surprised to know – even in the current era of streaming – how infrequently any act has premiered a song at the hitlist’s peak position at any point in his or her career. In fact, among the 1,120 #1 hits in Hot 100 history (which dates to Aug. 4, 1958), only 51 of them debuted at the top.

To celebrate Drizzy’s addition to the growing index, That Grape Juice thought it a great time time to salute the hitmakers who broke the ground before and after him.

Look inside to see the elite list:

{Updated 4/8/2021}

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With the live entertainment space turned on its head due to the on-going pandemic, organizers of concerts and festivals have been tasked with making prompt decisions about their shows. Most of which takes months of planning and coordination.

Such has been the case for Goldenvoice’s star-studded ‘Lovers & Friends Festival.’

Headlined by the likes of Usher, TLC, and Ms. Lauryn Hill, the eagerly awaited extravaganza also boasted an eclectic line-up compromised of Megan Thee Stallion, Brandy, Doja Cat, Summer Walker, Lil Kim, Ginuwine, Nelly, Trina, Amerie, and many more.

Originally set to take place in May, it’s now been moved to later in the summer.

Details below…

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A photographer claims the entertainment mogul Damon Dash assaulted her.

A disturbing allegation below…

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Lizzo‘s ‘Truth Hurts’ is not only a breakthrough record but also a record breaker.

The 31-year-old’s slow but steady rise to the top was proven worth the wait when the song – released in 2017 – topped the Billboard Hot 100 at the top of the month (as we reported here).  Besting the likes of Camila Cabello, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Post Malone, and a number of other heavy hitters in music to get there, the bop’s buoyancy atop the tally has been supported by a slew of promotional efforts including the latest leg of the rapper/singer’s nationwide ‘Cuz I Love You’ tour.

Adding her name to an exclusive club of female emcees to have topped the charts at least once (see:  Cardi B, Lil Kim, Shawnna, Remy Ma, Iggy Azalea, Lauryn Hill), ‘Hurts’ reign waxes unique as Lizzo (born Melissa Jefferson) is the only rapstress of the lot to have accomplished the feat in her 30s.

Now, in addition to being the oldest female rapper with a #1 hit to her name, Billboard’s announced her inaugural chart-topper is laying claim to yet another record:

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