The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS), the body for awarding the coveted Grammy Awards, announced it will be eliminating over 30 categories.  Men and women will now compete head-to-head, however some of the more exotic awards like best Native American album and best spoken-word children’s record have been eliminated, and the number of categories has been reduced by more than 30 in the biggest overhaul in the 53-year history of the Grammys.

While no musical genres will be excluded from Grammy contention, the changes will make the awards a lot more competitive.  

In addition to eliminating the distinction between “male” and “female” awardees in some categories, several genre-based categories were eliminated.  Gospel music will now go head to head with contemporary Christian Music.  The Gospel Rap category was fused into Best Gospel Song. 

Take a look at the categories from last year (on the left) as compared to what will be the categories next year (on the right)…

For a comparative list of how the rest of the categories changed from this year to the coming year, click here.

It’s going to be pretty tough for artists to win Grammy’s in the future.  Is the stiff competition a good thing? 

At first I thought Marvin Sapp’s brother Dr. Hen Sapp was just playing, but after a couple minutes of watching the video I realized this was a well written intentional song targeting youth who sag their pants, and who wear gold teeth.  

I’m not sure what the songs impact will be, but hopefully it will help someone. Sagging your pants really isn’t cute.  It comes with a bunch of stereotypes and many organizations, city governments, and even the church are starting to crack down on it. 

Malls in Dallas, Texas issue citations and can even band you from returning to the mall.  What do you’ll think about the song and pants sagging?  Is it really that big of an issue? 

Gospel music great Fred Hammond recently announced he is pursuing a Jazz career.  In the audio clip below Fred Hammond tells CeCe McGhee of Praise Philly.com that he is thinking about doing a double CD one disk with jazz and the other Gospel to make everyone happy.  He also explains his labels reaction to the news that he was putting Gospel on hold.  

Hammond, broke the news to entertainment reporter Jawn Murray that he’s recording a full jazz project.  Hammond will be recording a love-style jazz project.  Hammond said the jazz album will bring him back to his musical beginnings as a bass player.

Fred Hammond announced the news while on-board the Tom Joyner Cruise playing Jazz music LIVE and ministering along-side Dr. Bobby Jones during morning worship sessions.  

Take a listen to the interview with CeCe on Praise Philly.com.  Do you think a double disk will work?  Or should Fred just release one jazz and another Gospel?  

On the day that Mandisa released her new single, Stronger, she stepped on her scales and learned she had lost her 100th pound. That moment marked a milestone for her: Not only had 100 pounds been a personal goal for the former American Idol finalist, but it was a long, long way from where she was when Simon Cowell told her, “We’re going to have to get a bigger stage for you.” She’s also got a brand-new album called “What if We Were Real,” out today.

Mandisa is returning to the Women of Faith Tour. She says. “I have learned so much being a part of this organization and look forward to so much more! Oh! And I can’t wait to sing some of my new songs too!”

Veteran rapper Play of Kid ‘n Play is set to host the 11th annual Holy Hip Hop Awards.

Play, whose real name is Christopher Martin will co-host with radio personality Minister Eddie Velez aka Da Prechin Puerto Rican, with music provided by DJ Dex, DJ Radikal and Higher Ground Record Pool.

The Holy Hip Hop Awards happen on April 17 at the North Event Venue and Lounge in downtown Atlanta, Ga.

Martin also teaches a bi-weekly class called Hip-Hop Seminar at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Fla. He has been serving as professional-in-residence with the school’s newly minted Institute for Hip Hop and Music Industry Studies since January.

On the heels of extending his first look deal with Lionsgate for another two years, Tyler Perry is about to begin filming “Good Deeds,”  a new production for the studio in which he’ll once again work both in front of and behind the cameras, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

In addition to directing and writing the original screenplay, Perry will play the title character, Glen Deeds, in the romantic drama about a successful entrepreneur who’s about to get married when he suddenly finds himself more interested in a down-on-her-luck single mother than his uptown fiance.

The production begins filming at the end of April in Atlanta and is being produced by Tyler Perry Studios and Lionsgate.

Meanwhile, Perry’s latest film for Lionsgate, “Madea’s Big Happy Family,” scheduled to open nationwide April 22.

As previously reported,  Perry has also been tapped to play the detective Alex Cross in QED International’s “I, Alex Cross,” based on the novel by James Patterson.

Source: EurWeb.com 

DeJuaii Pace of the Anointed Pace Sisters has admitted to being a 45-year-old lesbian virgin. She made the admission during a taping of Addicted To Food, which premieres Tuesday on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.

In an interview with The Root, The Gospel singer discusses losing weight, her virginity and homosexuality in the black church. 

TR: You sound confident and sure of what you’re doing. Are you at peace?

DP: I’m at peace because I made peace with God about it. And I told him, “Listen, You’re the only who can deal with this thing; you’re the only one who can direct me through it. But I’m going to be honest with you, God: “Yes, I like it.” I did three 40-day fasts to get rid of the “demon,” or “the spirit,” of the [gay] lifestyle, as we call it. And [fasting] kept things at bay, but the temptations were there when I wasn’t deeply praying and fasting, and when I re-emerged, the temptations were still there.

And I kept saying, “God, if you’re a God who delivers from all manner of [iniquity], then why is this thing still here?” Sometimes it’s not strong for years, and then at moments it’s strong. There’s something that God is doing here that we in the church community need to take a closer look at. Don’t just say, “You gotta get rid of it.”

TR: For a lot of churches in the black community, homosexuality could be staring them in the face, whether it’s the choir director or even the pastor, and people will pretend it’s not there and speak against it You seem very passionate about changing that type of behavior. Are you doing anything to help do that?

DP: I feel that is the beginning of what God is calling forth at this time. I do not have all of the answers. For me, I am taking it day by day.

I want my soul mate. However God brings that about is fine with me. I know that God loves me, and he has created me, and this thing is here. I feel that it is part of my destiny to find out what is really going on. Because I cannot say it’s against God, and I cannot say God is for it. All I’m saying now is that we cannot tell people what we’ve been telling them. I have friends who’ve stopped going to church because of that.

TR: Speaking of soul mates, you have never had sex with a man or a woman, right?

DP: No, I have not. I am a real-deal, true virgin. Because my mother and my dad had brought us up [to believe] that the greatest gift that I could give to my husband, my soul mate, is to give to them myself that has not been tainted with anybody else or anything else. And I value that highly. And by the grace of God, [the Lord] has helped me and kept me.

DeJuaii, who is the seventh of ten children, said that this is how some of her siblings reacted when she shared the news: Yeah, we understand what you’re saying; thank you for sharing it.” Then they’d act OK, but I feel that they are OK with it because I am not [sexually] active. If someone happens to come along and that person knocks me off my feet, and it’s a woman, then it would be a different story.

So what do you think, Is it even possible to be a virgin and a lesbian?  Or is she just confused?  Read the full interview here.

Westchester, New York, April 1, 2011 – Recording artist Jai known for her edgy approach to Gospel music has landed a distribution deal for her label Outlet Music Group (OMG) with Infinity Music/Central South. She is gearing up to release her much anticipated debut album “Culture Shock” which will be available on-line and in-stores nationwide on August 2, 2011.

Jai has been swept off her feet since the start of 2011 being featured on Grammy and GMA Dove Award nominated albums such as Lecrae’s Rehab and Trip Lee’s Between Two Worlds. Both albums are nominated by the GMA forRap/Hip Hop Album of the Year. Jai also performed on BET’s Bobby Jones Gospel in the New Artist Spotlight this February and received a welcoming response including Dr. Jones commenting to the audience and his staff, “I see why Jai has such a huge following. Her sound is unique and anointed.”

“My inspiration for CULTURE SHOCK comes from the observation that in this musical world of intense beats, auto tune, catchy sayings and complex chords; music listeners can find themselves lost in the machine of technology and music. With this album, I wanted to take messages of the gospel and deliver them in a way that penetrates hearts and minds and also breaks through the sound barriers that exist in this generation.  It is my mission to bring the uncompromised “good news” to the masses through a musical medium that is relevant to today’s culture.” -Jai

 This year continues to look very promising for Jai as she prepares to release her first album single mid-April, appear in the film “Dreams” starring Angie Stone and Marvin Winans Jr. and grace the cover of the July/August Root Magazine to name a few highlights. Her first concert performance since signing her deal with Infinity/Central South will be in Philadelphia at Eastern University on April 16.

About Jai

At an early age Jai (pronounced Jay) knew that music would be a part of her life and took it upon herself to learn how to play instruments so that she could someday become a musician at her father’s church. By the age of nine Jai was a key player in the music ministry and at age eighteen she became the Worship Pastor; she now serves as one of the lead worship leaders at Faith Church in St. Louis. Jai holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media Communications and is presently a thesis away from obtaining her Master of Arts Degree.  One of the core messages of Jai`s ministry is her personal testimony of abstinence prior to marriage. 

This video is simply amazing as the 5 year old boy prays in front of thousands.  A video of a Isaiah Jackson’s prayer for children has gone viral and is being seen across the world.

The young boy, speaks with a powerful voice and strong sense of consciousness was asked to pray during a recent christening at a church in Dallas. He was five at the time. Now he is inspiring people all over the world.

“In South Africa, Venezuela, Dallas, just from everywhere,” Isaiah’s mom, Tammy Square, mentioned a few places where people sent communication. “We had no idea that that many people would receive the prayer themselves, personally themselves.”

She is amazed at how many lives her little man has touched.

“I hear so many testimonies on how that prayer blessed their lives,” she said. “There was a lady who told me a testimony about her boyfriend who had never been to church and how Isaiah’s prayer inspired him to get his life right with the Lord. He said if a little boy could do it, he could to.”

For such a young man, he is mature in his faith and definitive about who speaks to him.

“My mom tells me how to pray, but God tells me what to pray,” he said. At the heart of it all is a little boy who loves God and his mommy. “He did well. He did excellent. I was so proud of him. I was really proud of him,” Square said beaming.

Watch Isaiah pray:

The news of Beyonce parting ways with her father/manager, Matthew Knowles, was definitely a shock to everyone, including former Destiny Child member, Michelle Williams. Michelle and Kelly Rowland (another former DC member) both decided to part ways with Daddy Knowles as their manager back in 2009, but the two never thought Beyonce would follow in their footsteps. Although Mr. Knowles no longer manages the girl’s solo singing careers, he is still the manager of Destiny’s Child.

Hiphollywood.com caught up with Michelle Williams recently where she opened up about Beyonce parting ways professionally with her father, and even touched on the subject of rumors of the potential Destiny’s Child reunion.