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Cissy Houston, the mother of the late Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, has died. She was 91.
Houston died Monday morning in her New Jersey home while under hospice care for Alzheimer’s disease, her daughter-in-law Pat Houston told The Associated Press. The acclaimed gospel singer was surrounded by her family.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family,” Pat Houston said in a statement. She said her mother-in-law’s contributions to popular music and culture are “unparalleled.”
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“Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.”
Houston was in the well-known vocal group, the Sweet Inspirations, with Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warrick. The group sang backup for a variety of soul singers including Otis Redding, Lou Rawls, The Drifters and Dionne Warwick.
The Sweet Inspirations appeared on Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” and sang background vocals for The Jimi Hendrix Experience on the song “Burning of the Midnight Lamp” in 1967. In the same year, Houston worked on Franklin’s classic “Ain’t No Way.”
Houston’s last performance with the Sweet Inspirations came after the group hit the stage with Presley in a Las Vegas show in 1969. Her final recording session with the group turned into their biggest R&B hit “(Gotta Find) A Brand New Lover” a composition by the production team of Gamble & Huff, who appeared on the group’s fifth album, “Sweet Sweet Soul.”
During that time, the group occasionally performed live concert dates with Franklin. After the group’s success and four albums together, Houston left The Sweet Inspirations to pursue a solo career where she flourished.
Houston became an in-demand session singer and recorded more than 600 songs in multiple genres throughout her career. Her vocals can heard on tracks alongside a wide range of artists including Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway, Jimi Hendrix, Luther Vandross, Beyoncé, Paul Simon, Roberta Flack and her daughter.
In 1971, Houston’s signature vocals were featured on Burt Bacharach’s solo album, which includes “Mexican Divorce,” “All Kinds of People” and “One Less Bell to Answer.” She performed various standards including Barbra Streisand’s hit song, “Evergreen.”
Houston won Grammys for her albums “Face to Face” in 1997 and “He Leadeth Me” the following year in the best traditional soul gospel album category.
Houston authored three books: “He Leadeth Me,” “How Sweet The Sound: My Life with God and Gospel” and “Remembering Whitney: A Mother’s Story of Life, Loss and The Night The Music Stopped.”
In 1938, Cissy Houston started her career when she joined her sister Anne and brothers Larry and Nicky to form the gospel group, The Drinkard Four, who recorded one album. She attended New Hope Baptist Church, where she later become Minister of Sacred Music.
Houston was the youngest of eight children.
“We are touched by your generous support, and your outpouring of love during our profound time of grief,” Houston said on behalf of the family. “We respectfully request our privacy during this difficult time.”
Tee Grizzley’s relentless work ethic has led him to releasing at least one project every year of his career since first exploding onto the scene with his classic “First Day Out” single in late 2016.
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The Detroit resident checked off 2024’s box on Friday (Oct. 4) when Post Traumatic arrived 11 months after his last album, Tee’s Coney Island.
When Tee and his team were in the process of whittling down the 40 to 50 tracks he recorded for this LP, he noticed something consistently peering through from his lyrics — his pain. That’s what led Grizzley to titling his fifth studio album Post Traumatic.
“I feel like this is my best work,” he confidently declares over a Zoom call to Billboard. “After they hear this, they not gonna want to hear nothing else from nobody.”
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It’s fitting that Tee is cathartically letting go of the decades of pain and trauma endured throughout his life, as he recently had surgery on his middle finger to remove part of a bullet fragment lodged into his hand since he was 14 years old.
Grizzley followed up his “Swear to God” collaboration with Future by grabbing another rap A-lister to spar with in J. Cole. What started out as a friendship where Tee wanted to have the Dreamville boss join him to play in his GrizzleyWorld RP on Grand Theft Auto, ended up in the thumping back-and-forth of “Blow for Blow.”
Earlier this year, Cole essentially executive-produced the track, when finding the eerie Pi’erre Bourne beat and ripping it before sending the track over to Tee. “When I heard it, I was blown away by his verse. Like, ‘I can’t half-step on here,’” Grizzley describes his reaction of listening to “Blow for Blow” for the first time.
Give the rest of our interview with Tee Grizzley a read as he details the oral history of teaming up with J. Cole, working with Kanye West in Mexico and what’s on tap for GTA 6.
What happened to your middle finger?
I was playing with a gun a long time ago when I was 14. It had went off and I had a piece of fragment in my finger. It been there this whole time and I finally got it removed.
Post Traumatic — what led to this project coming about?
You know I’m always working in the studio. Just trying to perfect my craft. A lot of the songs I realized I heard a lot of my pain in it when I was coming up with the album title. I come up with the album title after I make the songs. I was listening back like, “I been through some s–t.” I was in Detroit most of the time. I recorded a couple songs in L.A. I just want my core to be super happy with this work and I want to gain some new fans.
Have you noticed a difference creatively since trying ayahuasca?
Nah, I don’t really feel like ayahuasca helped me with my creative. I feel like ayahuasca helped me with life in general. It was deeper than being more creative. It was a life help.
I feel like that could go hand-in-hand.
For some people — but for me, it showed me what life was and how life works. It ain’t gonna write the music for me.
“Blow for Blow,” how was linking up with J. Cole? Tell that story for us.
I was trying to come up with the perfect song to do with Cole. I don’t want to just put Cole on any song. He helped me with that process like, “I already know what we should do. I got the perfect one for us.” When I heard it, I was blown away by his verse. Like I can’t half-step on here. Usually I go to the studio and go with the flow a little bit. This one I had to sit with it and really figure out what I want to say on here. Ain’t no matching Cole. He gave his sharp pen and I had to get my sharp pen for my world.
Did you talk to Pi’erre Bourne? He was surprised when the track dropped [as the producer].
I never kicked it with Pi’erre before. That was all Cole’s doing. [The track] was sent back-and-forth. [Cole and I] talked a lot so it was like we was in the studio together.
What was the origin of your friendship with Cole?
Probably like a year. The way we connected it wasn’t even about music. I’m really trying to get bro on GTA. I’m trying to get J. Cole on GTA and we’re kicking it about the game and chopping it up about real life. I told him about my experience with ayahuasca and stuff like that. To have a friendship like that, I just decided to take advantage of that. I let him know I needed him. Even if he would’ve said no, nothing would’ve changed about our friendship. I still would’ve f–ked with him. I know he in the middle of working on The Fall Off. I would’ve understood. But bro made it happen for me. I wanna say this was March or April.
You reconnected with Mariah the Scientist for “Situationship.” You guys seem to have a good chemistry coming off “IDGAF” with Chris Brown, which hit the Billboard Hot 100 for her first entry.
I feel like the chemistry is there. I think I work well with female R&B artists. They bring a different type of soul to music. They melodies and voices and my verses — it just pairs very well.
Anything you wanted to do with the album that didn’t make the cut?
I did so much recording, and when we narrowed everything down, the best music was chosen. The way I usually do it — I make songs with a purpose. By the time I get to 15 or 16 songs, I’m confident in all of them. But this time, I recorded a bunch of music. Me and my time listened to all of it and chose the best 24. It was like 40 or 50 songs.
What else you got coming up the rest of the year?
I feel like this album gonna be in rotation for the rest of the year, and next year we got a tour coming. I feel like this is my best work. After they hear this, they not gonna want to hear nothing else from nobody.
There’s this leaked song with Kanye I think was supposed to be on either Yandhi or Jesus Is King called “Survive.” What’s the history of that? How was working with Ye? It’s a dope record. I wish people heard it.
When YNW Melly was out — free Melly — he had pulled up on Kanye. Melly had called me up when he was working on a mixtape at the time. He didn’t even ask Kanye if it was cool, he was just like, “Pull up.” I pull up, and Kanye was like, “I rock with you too. I want to do some work with you.” That turned into me going out to Mexico, and Kanye was out there and we started working and vibing. It was a super dope experience.
Touch on the gaming space, as far as what’s ahead and how lucrative it’s been for you.
It’s so much deeper than the money. I enjoy doing it. Before I was a rapper, I was a gamer. I grew up on it. It’s definitely lucrative if done right. In a sense that you gotta stream and repurpose your content.
What do you think about GTA 6 potentially coming out next year? Has Rockstar tapped in with you?
Yeah, I definitely developed a relationship with Rockstar throughout this GTA thing. I think GTA 6 is coming next year for sure. I’m super excited to play. I would like to see servers based off of GTA 6. I definitely hope that role play is incorporated into it somehow.
Have GTA and Rockstar embraced RPs?
They have. FiveM is the host for all the role play servers and Rockstar bought FiveM. Rockstar has a FiveM team that’s heavily involved with the role play community. [I’m taking off] three weeks.
What’s your favorite GTA of all-time?
I like Grand Theft Auto III. That’s the one I played the most. That was a game you actually rode around shooting people. San Andreas is a classic for sure. What made me fall in love with it was Grand Theft Auto III.
Do you have any community service coming up?
I’m going to the jails and the juveniles. Not only giving back, but talking to the people and younger generation. Trying to give them some game, and shine some light on the fact that it ain’t over for you.
Big Glo season has arrived. GloRilla looks to cap off her banner year with the release of her Glorious debut album on Friday (Oct. 11). Ahead of the project hitting streaming services, Glo revealed some of the superstar guests that will be joining her on the LP on Monday (Oct. 7). Explore See latest videos, […]
Bunnie XO is always supporting her man. The Dumb Blonde podcast host took to TikTok this week to share a sweet video in which her husband, Jelly Roll, is seen doing vocal warm-ups before a show. In the clip, Bunnie is rubbing the country superstar’s chest and giving him a hug while he does lip […]
Drake rapped about having “No Friends in the Industry” on 2021’s Certified Lover Boy, and he’s continuing to see it play out years later.
Drizzy took the stage at Tyrone Edwards’ Nostalgia Party in Toronto on Saturday night (Oct. 5), where he went on a cryptic rant regarding his “real friends” and those who have switched up on him and stabbed him in the back recently.
“My real friends are definitely in the building,” he began. “But let me tell you that you’re going to come to a point in life where people you thought were friends, people you thought were close to you switch up.”
The 6 God continued to snipe at his opps: “They might try to move funny with you. They might stab you in the back. They might do a lot of things to you. You’ll come to that realization, wherever you’re at in life. You’ve probably been there and you’ll be there again. That’s how life is. Sometimes it’s you and you alone by yourself.”
Drake spoke on “real friends” last night 🤔“People you thought were friends, or people you thought were close to you… they might switch up… they might stab you in the back.” pic.twitter.com/pkCwAgxU1t— Kurrco (@Kurrco) October 6, 2024
Drake continued to have the DJ press play on a couple of records that could be tied to his rant, such as 50 Cent’s “Many Men,” and then finished up with Beyoncé’s 2003 independence anthem “Me, Myself and I,” per XXL.
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Drake is still dealing with the fallout from his feud with Kendrick Lamar, which also saw him spar with The Weeknd, Future, Metro Boomin, Rick Ross and more.
Last week, Drizzy reportedly slammed the unfollow button a few of the aforementioned artists, including Future and Playboi Carti. He also unfollowed a couple of NBA stars he was previously tight with, such as LeBron James and former Toronto Raptor DeMar DeRozan, who appeared in K. Dot’s “Not Like Us” video and his Pop Out concert in June.
Charlamagne Tha God was taken aback after hearing the audio of Drake’s Toronto rant, as he didn’t realize how “hurt” Drizzy was in the months following his battle with Kendrick.
“I thought that Kendrick’s execution of this battle was flawless, the strategy, the songs, everything,” The Breakfast Club co-host said on Monday (Oct. 7). “But I didn’t think that it had that much of an impact on Drake. Drake’s hurt. Oh my God, he is hurt … When I tell you Kendrick Lamar put his foot all the way up Drake’s a–, he put his foot all the way up Drake’s a– and he is wiggling his toes.”
Fans are still awaiting Drake’s next move on the music side as the calendar flips to his birth month of October. He’s previously stated he and Partynextdoor are teaming up for a joint project, but there’s no release date imminent.
Sabrina Carpenter just climbed back to the top of the Billboard 200, and her reaction to the milestone was aptly short and sweet. After debuting atop the chart in September and spending its first three weeks at the summit, the 25-year-old pop star’s sixth studio LP, Short n’ Sweet, is once again No. 1 on […]
K-pop boy band TOMORROW X TOGETHER are gearing up to release their seventh mini-album, The Star Chapter: SANCTUARY. The latest release from Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and HueningKai is due out on Nov. 4, seven months after the group’s previous mini, minisode 3: TOMORROW. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, […]
Cardi B is setting the record straight as fans speculate about her curves.
After a video of the rapper’s hourglass figure led some people online to accuse her of undergoing plastic surgery, Cardi shut down the rumor mill by sharing a snapshot and video of herself in form-fitting dresses on X Saturday (Oct. 5). “Y’all really need to relax ..This is how my body REALLY LOOKS LIKE,” she wrote.
“My body looks exaggerated in the other video cause I have a 5X faja on…I want yall to think wit yall brain,” the “WAP” musician continued, referring to her shapewear. “Yall was just praising my body couple days ago …do yall think I went and got surgery in 2 days ?😫😂”
Cardi’s post came as a response specifically to one person who tweeted, “The fact Cardi B really did that to her body is pissing me off! 😔😒.. Like y’all gotta start loving yourself ladies!”
Around the same time, a clip taken from the Grammy winner’s Instagram Story was circulating on X. In the video, Cardi filmed her reflection in the mirror — showing off her slim waist and impossibly round hips — while lamenting how she struggles to lose weight around her face.
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Shortly after revealing that she’d actually been wearing hip enhancements in the video, the Whipshots founder also retweeted a fan’s post that noted, “you can’t get surgery unless the child you had 6months and up anyway.”
Cardi, who welcomed her third baby with estranged husband Offset in September, simply replied, “THANK YOU.”
The “Up” musician has previously been open about going under the knife to modify her body, at one point postponing shows under doctor’s orders to recover from plastic surgery 2019. In 2023, she blasted a critic who implied that she was lying about her exercise routine, writing, “How vocal have I been about my procedures??? … there’s this thing called visceral fat… It’s fat that grows under the muscle and you can’t lipo it only thing you can do is work it out!”
Cardi is also mom to 6-year-old daughter Kulture and 3-year-old son Wave. Cardi first revealed that she was expecting Baby No. 3 on Aug. 1, the same day Billboard confirmed that she had filed to divorce the Migos rapper.
See Cardi’s tweets below.
Y’all really need to relax ..This is how my body REALLY LOOKS LIKE …My body looks exaggerated in the other video cause I have a 5X faja on…I want yall to think wit yall brain ..Yall was just praising my body couple days ago …do yall think I went and got surgery in 2 days… https://t.co/6x2aEMzGHv pic.twitter.com/AT9nSovsOX— Cardi B (@iamcardib) October 5, 2024
Victoria Monét went seriously retro for a promotional shoot in support of the new expanded edition of her Grammy winning debut studio album, 2023’s Jaguar II. The singer posted a series of pics from her Playboy magazine shoot over the weekend, including a modest cover in which she is seen kneeling on a long table in a sparkly green dress with matching gauzy elbow-length gloves and a towering blonde bouffant hairdo.
Other pics in the series the singer posted included a close-up of the her face alongside the teases for the stories on the inside: “Taking you through A-sides, B-sides and all the way inside,” “Queen of the Jungle: Big dreams an a discography to match” and “a provocative interview with the jungle’s self-proclaimed ‘Dickmatizer.’”
A third snap found Monét on all fours on the gilded desk wearing clear stripper heels and the same green dress while posing under a glittering chandelier. The caption for the pics reads “Hi @playboy,” while the comments from some fellow stars gave the “Oh My Mama” star props for posing in the classic gentleman’s mag.
“GIRL,” Taraji P. Henson wrote along with three ice cold emoji, while singer JoJo added, “Literally KNOW THAS RIGHT [heart eye emoji],” Andra Day said, “MA’aM! It’s all everything,” SZA quipped, “SHES COOKING W GASOLINE,” Lauran Jauregui posted heart eyes and fire emoji, the magazine gave their cover star three black heart emoji and Saweetie could only gasp, “W00000W.”
The expanded edition of the album adds 10 new tracks, including “DickAtNight,” “SOS (Sex on Sight)” featuring Usher, “1900’s,” “Love Is Stronger Than Pride,” “Everybody Needs Someone,” We Might Even Be Falling In Love” featuring Bryson Tiller, “The Greatest” and the “2SEXY” interlude and “The Greatest (Lovenotes)” outro.
In September, Monét took home the Hitmaker award at Billboard‘s first-ever R&B No. 1s party at The Box in New York after her Grammy-nominated hit “Oh My Mama” topped the Adult R&B Airplay, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts over the past year.
Check out Monét’s Playboy pics below.
Mariah Carey and Ariana Grande have nothing but endless love for each other.
Not only did the pair team up on the 31-year-old pop star’s February remix of Billboard Hot 100-topping single “Yes, And?,” but Grande also recently gushed about her love for the Songbird Supreme in an on-camera Vanity Fair lie-detector test — a few days after which Carey responded via Instagram Stories.
“Love you @arianagrande,” MiMi wrote Sunday (Oct. 6), sharing a clip of the video in which Grande calls her the “queen of my life” amid a line of questioning from Wicked costar Cynthia Erivo.
“Can’t wait for the movie!” Carey added, referencing the first of the two upcoming Wicked films, the first of which arrives Nov. 22.
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In the full clip from the lie-detector test, Erivo tells the “We Can’t Be Friends” singer to name her favorite past collaborator before sliding a photo of Carey across the table. “Was it this person?” the Harriet star asks.
“Mariah is the queen of my life,” Grande responds in the video. “I think I have to say you. [Wicked] is a very unique thing that we got to do. Singing face to face together, and hearing your voice in my ears … it’s like the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my life. Obviously, Mariah, but obviously, you! Can’t we have a tie?”
Carey was one of a few people with whom the Victorious alum has collaborated amid her Eternal Sunshine era. Brandy and Monica fittingly joined her for a June remix of “The Boy Is Mine,” while Troye Sivan jumped on a revamped version of “Supernatural” in March.
Grande recently repackaged all of the Eternal Sunshine remixes into a deluxe edition of the album, which arrived Oct. 1 and also features brand new live performances of seven tracks on the LP: “Intro (End of the World),” “Don’t Wanna Break Up Again,” “Eternal Sunshine,” “Supernatural,” “Imperfect for You,” “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).” Videos of the live performances rolled out on the vocalist’s YouTube channel one by one this past week.
Meanwhile, Carey has been gearing up for her yearly Christmas festivities, which in 2024 will include another holiday tour. The “Obsessed” artist teased as much while speaking to Entertainment Tonight on the American Music Awards red carpet Sunday, shortly before performing at the ceremony in celebration of the award show’s 50th anniversary.
“It is going very well,” she told ET. “We just finished up working on my setlist, getting the whole stage together, the ensembles, the fits — all of it.”
