With hit maker Gotti at the helm, Ashanti blasted onto the urbanmusic scene in 2002, topping the charts with multiple singles atonce. Initially building her reputation with duets, where shecomplemented already popular rappers such as Ja Rule, Fat Joe, andthe Notorious B.I.G with her honey toned vocals, it didn't take theyoung vocalist long to make a name for herself. By the end of theyear her debut album was atop the US Billboard album chart, just asher debut solo single, "Foolish," was also topping the Hot 100chart. Her presence was inescapable. Gotti took notice of Ashanti initially ...
ASHANTI Music Videos
Ashanti and Ja Rule perform a medley of their hit duets "Down for You" and "Always on Time."
Genard Parker is seeking $2.3 million (ÂŁ1.2 million) for helping start the singer's career.
Ashanti was
...September 20, 2006
The book will be Ashanti's second venture into the literary world. She previously released Foolish/Unfoolish:
...August 4, 2006
Ashanti was speaking to Ryan Seacrest on his talk show when she let him in on what she's been up to, besides
...August 5, 2004
Full Biography
With hit maker Gotti at the helm, Ashanti blasted onto the urbanmusic scene in 2002, topping the charts with multiple singles atonce. Initially building her reputation with duets, where shecomplemented already popular rappers such as Ja Rule, Fat Joe, andthe Notorious B.I.G with her honey toned vocals, it didn't take theyoung vocalist long to make a name for herself. By the end of theyear her debut album was atop the US Billboard album chart, just asher debut solo single, "Foolish," was also topping the Hot 100chart. Her presence was inescapable.
Gotti took notice of Ashanti initially because of her dancing andacting abilities in addition to her vocal skills. She trained as adancer at the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Centre, and mostnotably danced in the Walt Disney television musical Polly, as wellas appearing in a number of big-name music videos. As an actress,she made a name for herself with roles in 'Who's da Man' and SpikeLee's 'Malcolm X'
Gotti brought Ashanti into his Murder Inc. fold, and aftershowcasing her swooning voice on Big Pun's "How We Roll" and the'Fast And Furious' soundtrack â both in 2001 â Gotti putAshanti to work on her debut album. In the mean time she appearedin a series of duets that made her a stateside star in 2002. Shewas Ja Rule's counterpart on the hypnotic "Always On Time",provided the chorus to Fat Joe's "What's Luv?", and married hervocals with the late Notorious B.I.G. for "Unfoolish".
Success came quickly. Her duet with Ja Rule, hit number one on theUS Billboard's Hot 100 chart in early 2002, just as the duet withFat Joe was creeping toward the same number one position. These twoairplay-heavy singles, of course, set the stage perfectly forAshanti's self-titled debut release. The album's lead single,"Foolish," raced up the US Hot 100 chart, entering the Top Ten inMarch alongside "Always on Time" and "What's Luv?," giving herthree Top Ten songs in the same week, including the number one andtwo positions â a quite spectacular feat. And then Ashanti'salbum debuted at number one on the album chart, selling anastounding 500,000-plus copies in its first week.
Mostly written by Ashanti herself, the album was unusually soulfulfor a Murder Inc. act, while retaining a street sensibility thathelped it to worldwide popularity. And as well as setting salesrecords and dominating the charts, Ashanti also cleared up at everyaward show going. Walking away with a Grammy for Best ContemporaryR&B Album in 2003, she has also picked up seven BillboardAwards, two American Music Awards, The Lady of Soul Aretha FranklinEntertainer of the Year Award, and a 2002 BET Award for Best NewArtist.
She returned in 2004 with 'Chapter II', topping the US Billboardalbum chart on the heels of its lead single, "Rock Wit U (AwwwBaby)", which also simultaneously topped the Billboard Top 200chart. The album's success was somewhat eclipsed, however, by allthe negative drama surrounding the Murder Inc. camp at the time(i.e. the FBI investigation and the G-Unit feuding).
A Christmas album followed late that year, and her most recentoffering, 'Concrete Rose' appeared in December 2004, alongside herfirst big-screen starring role in the film "Coach Carter".
So join us this week as we shine the spotlight on Ashanti andcelebrate the release of her Greatest Hits album by making her ourMTV European Artist Of The Week.
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