Labels: LeToya
Popular Mariah Carey fansite Mariah Daily Journal have shed light on the status of the singer's forthcoming album:As we all know, Mariah has been hard at work on her upcoming album which is reportedly set for release later this year. In her latest message on Twitter, she writes:
MariahHBF: Hey! Getting ready to go to the studio in Miami. Very excited cos I haven't worked w/"Big" Jim Wright in a while..remember "fly like a bird"
Big Jim Wright has worked with Mariah for years. Most recently, he co-wrote and co-produced "Fly Like A Bird," the Gospel-drenched song on Mariah's best-selling 2005 album, The Emancipation of Mimi. The collaboration also produced two other tracks on the album, "Circles" and "I Wish You Knew."Sounds promising. Here's hoping the album is more 'Emancipation of Mimi'-esque than the mediocrity that was 'E=MC2'.
Both Mariah and Big Jim had worked together previously on tracks "Petals," "Can't Take That Away," "Bliss" from Rainbow (1999); "Lead The Way," "Twister," "Want You," "Reflections" from the Glitter soundtrack (2001); and "Through The Rain," "Yours" from Charmbracelet (2002).
Meanwhile, in other album news, Jermaine Dupri (Y'all know who this is!) and Bryan-Michael Cox ("I Stay In Love," "For The Record," "We Belong Together," "Shake It Off," "How Much," "The One") in their recent posts on Twitter have revealed some information about a new Mariah song called "100 Percent."
Jermaine Dupri: im on my to the studio to work on this new mariah record i no yall lambs wanna hear that
Bryan-Michael Cox: Still in with Adrienne in NY & JD is working on our joint with Mariah in ATL "100 Percent". The General & The Ranger stay working!!!!
Jermaine Dupri: YO THIS MARIAH RECORD IS CRAZY
Bryan-Michael Cox: **** it was crazy when we did it!!!! I know it sounds crazy now!! Let's get these damn Grammys like we always do...LOL!
Labels: Mariah Carey
NEW YORK, March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The Grammy-winning R&B/pop superstar Kelly Rowland will no longer be recording with Columbia Records as a solo artist, it was officially announced today by the label.Rowland, a founding member of Destiny's Child, the world's top-selling female group, will continue her relationship with Columbia Records in her ongoing role in the iconic ensemble."Because Columbia Records has been my home base as an artist for more than a decade, the decision to move out on my own required a lot of soul-searching," said Kelly Rowland. "As a solo artist, I felt the need to explore new directions, new challenges, and new freedoms outside my comfort zone and my friends and family at Columbia have been incredibly understanding about my evolution. I want to thank everyone at Columbia for the love and support they've shown and I will never forget how many good times we've had over the years.""Kelly Rowland is one of our finest contemporary artists and a musical force to be reckoned with," said Rob Stringer, CEO, Columbia/Epic Label Music Group. "It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with Kelly and we will continue our working relationship with her under the Destiny's Child moniker. The decision for Kelly to seek other opportunities for her solo career was agreed upon mutually, and any reports to the contrary are false." {Source}
Labels: Kelly Rowland
Labels: Ginuwine
Labels: Jennifer Hudson
Labels: Danity Kane, Day26, Making The Band 4
Former Destiny'S Child star Kelly Rowland has reportedly been dropped by her record label, just two months after firing her manager, former bandmate Beyonce Knowles' dad.Despite the fact her first two solo albums sold more than four million copies, British tabloid News of The World reports the Dilemma singer has been dumped by bosses at Columbia (applies to the US and all other countries), because they fear she is "no longer commercially viable".Rowland shot to fame in Destiny's Child in 1997 and released her first solo album, Simply Deep, in 2002. The album sold over three million copies worldwide.The 28 year old started 2009 by splitting from longtime manager Mathew Knowles. {Source}
Labels: Kelly Rowland
Labels: Kelly Rowland
Labels: LeToya
Michael Jackson has reportedly asked Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake to join him on stage for some of the dates at his sell-out O2 concerts.This is by no means far fetched, as Michael has taken to the stage with both in the past. That said, Beyonce and Kanye West, both of who will be in the country around the time, are much more exciting prospects IMO.
The star is said to be concerned that the performances could lose their "wow factor" due to the length of his 50-date residency, thelondonpaper reports.
An insider said: "Michael knows that stretching out all those shows and keeping it fresh is going to be hard, and one way to do this is to collaborate with some other big stars that he admires.
"The idea would be for them to do five dates each with him. As well as Britney and Justin, he's in talks with producer Timbaland about doing some of the dates too." {Source}
Labels: Britney Spears, Michael Jackson
Labels: Pussycat Dolls
Labels: Keri Hilson, Lil' Wayne
Labels: Beyonce
Madonna has reportedly filed adoption papers for a second child ahead of a new visit to Malawi.An official at the welfare department has confirmed that the pop superstar has formally applied to adopt another child from the country, The AP reports.A second anonymous source claimed that Madonna would travel to Malawi this weekend and have an adoption case heard by a court as soon as Monday.Madonna adopted David Banda from Malawi in 2006 and has long been rumoured to want another child from the country to be his brother or sister. {Source}
Labels: Madonna
Justin Timberlake fans, don't hold your breath waiting for a new album. Timberlake, whose last disc, FutureSex/LoveSounds, came out in 2006, tells EW that he's "not working" on new music right now. The singer -- who's executive producing a new MTV reality competition series called The Phone (premiering April 21) -- has been hitting the studio lately, but only to produce tracks for other artists, like T.I. ("Dead and Gone") and Ciara ("Love Sex Magic"). "Right now, I like the idea that things can just kind of pop up and if they feel right I can do them," says Timberlake. "Committing to my own sort of project, that’s like, 'Okay, let me block out two years of my life and do it.' I was heavily fulfilled with the last one and I always have this thing with myself that if I can’t sleep because I need to do it, then I’m gonna do it. But if I’m not losing sleep over it then…" {Source}
Labels: Justin Timberlake
Labels: Keri Hilson
A big congratulations to them, if true. It goes to show, there actually are some relationships that can last the distance in the crazy world that is the entertainment industry.R&B star ASHANTI has hinted she will marry her rapper lover NELLY in 2009.Just four months after the couple went public with its four year romance, the singer has confessed she is planning to walk down the aisle with Nelly.When asked if wedding bells were on the horizon for her, the Happy hitmaker tells Us Weekly, "Absolutely. It's in the cards for me. I believe that I have a couple more things I need to do before that happens."But Ashanti urges fans not to believe all the gossip that's written about her and Nelly - despite the media correctly predicting their relationship, years before they admitted it to the world.She adds, "I should have had six or seven kids, been married three times and secretly engaged now. But none of it's true." {Source}
Labels: Beyonce
Labels: Britney Spears
Labels: Beyonce
Labels: Lil Kim
Labels: Mario
Labels: LeToya
Mary J. Blige is set to star in Tyler Perry's forthcoming Lionsgate film, "I Can Do Bad All By Myself." Scheduled for nationwide release September 11, 2009, the film also stars Academy Award nominee Taraji P. Henson.More power to Mary; I'm big on Mr Perry's film's, so I'm really gonna be on the look out for this one. I'm definitely looking forward to the new album as well.
Based on Perry¹s stage play of the same name, the film centers around Blige's character Tanya, a nightclub manager, and her good friend April, played by Henson. Also part of the cast is Perry's comedic alter ego, Madea. Principal photography is already under way at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta.
Blige is also set to guest in a popular primetime television series, which will be announced at a later date. She previously appeared on HBO's "Entourage" in 2007. The singer/songwriter is recording songs as well for the follow-up to her 2007 Matriarch/Geffen album, "Growing Pains." The new album slated for release later this year.
Labels: Mary J. Blige
Labels: Lil Kim
Labels: Michelle Williams
Labels: Keri Hilson
Labels: Kanye West
Labels: Ciara, Justin Timberlake
Labels: Christina Milian, The Dream
Labels: LeToya
Labels: Monica
Labels: Ciara, Justin Timberlake
Labels: LeToya
Labels: Keri Hilson
As some of you may know, we announced last week that you can now follow That Grape Juice on Twitter! Adding to the ever-expanding ways to be apart of the That Grape Juice community, our Twitter page will allow you to receive up-to-the-minute updates about the latest posts on the site as well as what's happening in the Urban Pop Culture world more generally. 
Labels: Pussycat Dolls
Rapper Kanye West is facing up to 30 months in jail after being charged for a scuffle he had with a paparazzo last year:LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Superstar US rapper Kanye West has been charged with assault, theft and vandalism related to a September 2008 incident involving paparazzi at Los Angeles' LAX airport, prosecutors announced Wednesday.The 31-year-old Grammy-award-winning musician could face up to 30 months in prison.West was arrested on September 11 after the airport altercation in which West and his manager Don Crawley "confronted, and engaged in an altercation with, two photographers," the LA attorney's office said in a statement.Crawley, 33, was also charged on two counts of battery, two counts of theft and two counts of vandalism, and faces a possible five years in prison.The incident was caught on video tape, widely viewed on the Internet, which shows West and Crawley wrestling camera equipment from photographers and smashing it on the ground.The two men are set for arraignment in Los Angeles on April 14.The incident took place early in the morning as West prepared to board an airplane, while paparazzi tried to photograph and film him.Reports at the time found the camera equipment was valued at over 10,000 dollars. Police arrested West as he tried to board his plane. {Source}
Labels: Kanye West
Labels: Ciara
Labels: Christina Milian, The Dream
Akon, super producer and international rapper has signed up to help produce Alexandra Burke’s debut album.
Only yesterday it was reported that Miss Burke would also be working alongside none other than N*E*R*D and The Neptunes front man Pharrell Williams.
Akon has already worked with Leona Lewis and told tabloid newspaper The Daily Star: "I've had calls to work with Alex and I'm going to do it. I love the X Factor and I love helping to break new artists."
The newspaper claims that Alexandra is over the moon about working with Skateboard P "She can't believe her luck. She's a massive fan and thinks Pharrell will help her distance herself from Leona (Lewis) comparisons.”
With Pharrell onboard as well, the record label are basically making sure that Burke’s debut album is an international hit. {Source}
Labels: Akon, Alexandra Burke, Pharrell
"What they don't know ... the new announcement is that I'm dropping two albums," Fif smiled. "I've had an opportunity to record since I thought I was releasing an album in December. But the portion of my record that I recorded with Dr. Dre was incomplete, because there was no opportunity to mix it. The only song that was mixed that I worked on with Dr. Dre is 'I Get It In' — that one is out now. It's cool, but I need the rest of them to be mixed before I can present my project to the public."With 50's relevance in today's Hip-Hop world dwindling at a rapid rate, I'm itching to see how well these records perform. Ol' Curtis couldn't catch a hit with any of his recently released material (See: 'I Get It In')and yet still feels 2 albums are gonna do something. I guess time will tell, but I can't say it's looking good.
Fif projects Before I Self Destruct will drop in June, after Eminem's Relapse hits stores on May 19 — and 50's second album will come one month after Em's second album, according to the current game plan.
Labels: 50 Cent
Labels: LeToya
Labels: Lil Kim
Labels: Michael Jackson, RandomNess
Interesting...POP sensation Lady GaGa, quite outrageous in her music videos, used to be a stripper.“I have a strong sense of my own sexuality. I love the naked human body and I have huge body confidence,” she tells the News of the World newspaper in the UK.“I was working in strip clubs when I was 18. Girls from my background weren’t meant to turn into someone like me."I come from a wealthy Italian family, went to a good school (she was at the same super-rich Manhattan Catholic girls’ school - Convent Of The Sacred Heart - as Paris Hilton). You’re meant to live with Mom and Dad until they die."I went against all I was brought up to be; I moved out of home, wouldn’t take any help from my parents (her internet entrepreneur dad and his business partner wife) and supported myself with waitressing jobs and stripping.“My act was pretty wild. I’d wear black leather and dance to Black Sabbath, Guns N’ Roses and Faith No More. Very rock ’n’ roll.”
The woman wrote songs for Britney Spears and The Pussycat Dolls before deciding she wanted a taste of the limelight. She transformed herself from a brunette in braces and jeans to the bleached blonde siren.
“Some people are just born stars,” she says.
“You either have it or you haven’t, and I was definitely born one.
“Even as a kid I always had eyes on me, like bees on honey. I was always outrageous and I was always very smart.
{Source}
Labels: Lady GaGa
Labels: 88 Keys, Kanye West
Battered singer Rihanna could soon be singing ‘I will always love you’ but not to bad boy lover Chris Brown, instead for a new acting role in Whitney Houston’s Bodyguard. Insiders claim Rihanna’s return to the public eye in New York over the weekend was not only to party to but to discuss acting work.She has been linked to talks to star in a ‘younger and sexy’ take on Houston and Kevin Costner’s 1992 box office smash. The 21-year-old is reportedly poised to take on Whitney’s role while G.I Joe heartthrob Channing Tatum could take on Costner’s role. ‘Before the situation with Chris, Ri was getting a lot of scripts. She’s been wanting to do movies for a while now,’ a source claimed.She is also linked to a new Charlie’s Angel film, while she works on her new album. Her team are currently dismissing acting plans. Houston, 45, reached out to Rihanna, telling, ‘Don’t make the same mistakes I did’, following claims the Barbadian star was hit by Brown before the Grammys in February. {Source}
Labels: Rihanna, Whitney Houston
