Ne-Yo R&B singer has begun legal action against the promoter of the R. Kelly ‘Double Up’ tour following his much-publicized axing from the bill. Check out the report below via Singer’s Room:

Ne-Yo sued the promoter of the R. Kelly Double Up tour for firing him after two shows as the opening act, claiming that the audience and the critics liked him better, according to court papers obtained on Wednesday.

Ne-Yo, whose real name is Shaffer Smith, and Compound Touring Inc. filed the suit Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court against Georgia-based Rowe Entertainment Inc., alleging breach of contract and violation of the right of publicity.

Compound Touring and Smith are seeking unspecified damages, but the suit maintains he was to be paid $785,000 for 25 shows opening for Kelly’s “Double-Up Tour” that began Nov. 14 and is still owed $735,000.

Smith was allowed to perform during the Nov. 14 and 15 tour dates, then was fired prior to the scheduled Nov. 19 show, according to the suit.

It was obvious this was the route things were going to go down – and rightfully so. You can’t not pay the man his money. SMH.

Any thoughts?
Songstress Alicia Keys performed her current single ‘Like You’ll Never See Me Again’ on Carson Daly’s New Year’s Countdown show which screened on NBC. Check out the performance below:

Great performance. Alicia really seems to be on a roll with her ‘As I Am’ album. Since it’s release, just two months ago, the CD has already been certified two times Platinum. I’m sure she’ll keep the momentum going in 08.

What do you think of the performance?

I know it may not be 2008 just yet for all the That Grape Juice readers, but it’s 2:14am on January 1st 2008 here in London and I thought to check in with you guys. So I take the opportunity to wish you all a very Happy & Prosperous New Year, in which all your hopes and aspirations become a reality.

With it being very nearly a year since I conceived the idea of starting That Grape Juice, I’m kinda amazed at how great 2007 was for the site. My personal theme for 08 is ‘Onwards and Upwards’ – something I anticipate being the case with the site as well. I appreciate all our readers – the lovers and haters – and know you’ll stick by throughout this new year 🙂

Following the casting of thousands of your votes, the polls have been tallied and below are the winners of the 1st Annual That Grape Juice: End Of Year Awards:

Single Of The Year:

Alicia Keys – No One (32%)

Runner Up:

Rihanna – Umbrella (29%)

Album Of The Year:

Alicia Keys – As I Am (26%)

Runner Up:

Kanye West – Graduation (23%)

Best Video:

Beyonce – Get Me Bodied (45%)

Runner Up:

Ciara – Like A Boy (26%)

Best Collaboration:

Kelly Rowland & Eve – Like This (32%)

Runner Up:

Chris Brown & T-Pain – Kiss Kiss (27%)

Best New Artist:

J. Holiday (38%)

Runner Up:

Amy Winehouse* (37%)

Best Female Artist:

Alicia Keys (31%)

Runner Up:

Beyonce (30%)

Best Male Artist:

Kanye West (38%)

Runner Up:

Chris Brown (30%)

The Kelly Rowland Underrated Artist Of The Year Award:

Tamia (38%)

Runner Up:

Mario (22%)

The Please Go Sitdown Somewhere Award:

50 Cent (26%)

Runner Up:

Rihanna (25%)

Most Overrated Artist:

Rihanna (48%)

Runner Up:

Akon (30%)

Worst Single Of The Year:

Nicole Scherzinger – Baby Love (53%)

Runner Up:

Soulja Boy – Crank That (30%)

Flop Of The Year:

Jennifer Lopez (50%)

Runner Up:

Kelly Rowland (26%)

Most Shocking Event Of 2007:

Britney’s Shambolic VMA Performance / Going Crazy (61%)

Runner Up:

Beyonce Falling Down Stairs (25%)

Best Reality TV Show:

Keyshia Cole – The Way It is (32%)

Runner Up:

Runs House (30%)

Best TV Show:

The Game (35%)

Runner Up:

Girlfriends (26%)

Many thanks to the thousands of you who voted. Feel free to drop a comment in the ‘comments’ section about your thoughts on this year’s awards, suggestions for next year’s etc.
As well as Ciara (whose performance was posted earlier), gospel singer Yolanda Adams performed at the Kennedy Honors tribute to Diana Ross. Adams performed ‘Reach Out & Touch’. Check out the performance below:

Whoa! She nailed it. The song is one of my all-time favourite Diana Ross tracks and Yolanda really brought the house down with it. Great stuff.

What do you think of the performance?

Our friend DJB over at BBC 1Xtra – one of the UK’s premier Urban radio stations – recently caught up with R&B star Kelly Rowland. The ‘Like This’ singer spoke in detail on a number of things including the ‘Ms. Kelly’ re-release, the initial lack of support her label gave her, working with Gym Class Heroes and her 2008 tour plans. It was a great interview and should kinda come as good news for Kelly fans; the label really seem to be behind the project this time around.

{Link Removed As Requested}


What better time to announce than now; DJB will be joining the That Grape Juice team early 2008 as a contributor. Keep it locked on That Grape Juice for that in the weeks ahead.

Your thoughts?

That Grape Juice wishes you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope you’re enjoying the day with your nearest and dearest…I know I will be.
With the year having gone by so quickly, it’s only just now that I realized this is the first Christmas to come by since the site opened; and I’m real grateful to be able to celebrate it with the thousands of readers the site has accumulated since opening – you are ALL very much appreciated. Here’s to celebrating many many more Christmas together 🙂
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’?

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?

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?
Check out this acoustic version of Rihanna’s mega-hit ‘Umbrella’. I’m not sure when this was recorded, but it’s only just recently surfaced. I have to say this is the best vocal performance I’ve heard from the Bajan star. Really, her delivery flows very well with the stripped down instrumentation.

 

What do you think of this version?

{Link Removed As Requested}


**