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Biography
Born in Glen Cove, New York to mother and former dance teacher Tina Douglas and father and former singer Ken-Kaide Thomas Douglas, Ashanti has a creative upbringing. She attended the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Centre at a young age where she studied dance including tap, jazz, ballet and hip-hop, and later in her teens began singing regularly at various New York shows.
The singer’s big break came in 2002 when discovered by hit maker Irv Gotti, who teamed Ashanti up with Fat Joe and his single “What’s Luv?” and Ja Rule’s “Always on Time”. The two singles were released simultaneously and led to Ashanti being the first female artist to occupy the top two positions in the chart. Before long she released her debut solo single entitled “Foolish”, which became instantly popular, the single was her biggest to date, spending ten weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.
With the success of her first three singles Ashanti and Irv Gotti’s Murder Inc. record label released Ashanti’s debut album “Ashanti” in April 2002. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart, has been certified triple platinum in the U.S. and catapulted the singer to a mainstream world of magazines covers and publicity. Before the end of 2002 Gotti produced a remix of “Foolish” with the Notorious B.I.G. which again hit the charts and represented Ashanti’s domination of the R&B world in 2002.
Her follow-up “Chapter II” in 2003 saw the singer reach the top of the charts once again, largely due to the success of the lead single “Rock wit U (Awww Baby)”. However due to Irv Gotti’s Murder Inc. label coming under some intense scrutiny by the FBI and a feud with 50 Cent’s G-Unit the album got ignored somewhat. The same year the singer released her first Christmas album entitled “Ashanti’s Christmas” and her third full-length LP “Concrete Rose” came a year later in 2004 with the lead single “Only U”.
In 2005 Ashanti made her acting debut in the film “Coach Carter” which opened at No. 1 at the U.S. box office. In 2008 came her fourth studio album “The Declaration” which unlike her debut album which she wrote the majority-of herself, Ashanti enlisted the help of Akon, Babyface and Mario Winans in production. The album debuted at No. 6 in the albums chart led by singles “The Way That I Love You” and “Good Good”.
After a time focusing on her acting and musical appearances including staring as Dorothy in a stage production of “The Wiz”, Ashanti released her fifth album “Braveheart” in March 2014, two years after its initial single was released.
Live reviews
Two of the biggest R&B/pop crossovers of the early noughties came from Ashanti; her collaborations on ‘What’s Luv’? with Fat Joe and ‘Always on Time’ with Ja Rule would lead to the latter describing her as “the new princess of hip hop and R&B.” Signing to Murder Inc. Records after being spotted by label boss Irv Gotti, she was seen as crucial to their strategy for crosing over into the mainstream. Her self-titled debut record was a huge success, selling six million copies worldwide and spawning hit singles including ‘Foolish’ and ‘Happy’. Since then, though, Ashanti’s struggled to replicate that success; follow-ups Chapter II and Concrete Rose struggled, primarily because of the lack of a big single (although I maintain that the Jay Z-sampling ‘Rain on Me’ from the former is one of her finest moments). With her first record in six years, Braveheart, meeting with a strong critical response and cracking the U.S. top ten earlier this year, though, she might well be poised for a comeback; she’s back out on the live circuit with a full band, with a couple of well-received UK shows late last year setting the stage for a more high-profile return to these shores - expect Murder Inc.-era classics as well as a slew of new material.
Joeg_67
The commercial success of Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas is often overlooked due to the fact she has not topped the Billboard charts since her first two albums 'Foolish' and 'Chapter II'. Yet many do not tend to notice the fact that the following three releases all charted within the top 10, no easy feat in a constantly changing US market. Now an R & B superstar in her own right, the fanbase do not care if the albums chart at #1 or #101, they will have their copy and will be at the front of the barrier to sing along with Ashanti.
She really does bring a show every time she steps onto stages with an array of backing vocalists, rappers, musicians and dancers creating a real experience for the fans. All the fan favourites including 'What's Luv?' and 'Down 4 U' are included this evening yet the new tracks such as 'She Can't' and 'Early in the Morning' are jams in their own right. She entertains for an energetic set pushing 90 minutes and finishes on an electric rendition of 'Always on Time' which receives screams and cheers from the audience.
sean-ward
To:Ms, Ashanti, My Daughter; Princess, Elizabeth. Has requested an birth'day date style, star studded birth'day party appearance by ashanti on 1/19/2020, at another location! Mr. Lonnie Legree Haynes, Major Investor, (former) Chair'man & Chief Executive Of'ficer, of Smith Barney & Company. Mr. Lonnie Legree Haynes, Major Investor, (future) Chair'man & Advisor, of Smith Barney Trust Services.Thank you Sincere'ly, for your time & Consideration. From: An Old Mutual Friend. (Mr.LLH)
lonniehaynes1953
Absolutely fantastic! She was fierce and slayed them routines...she looked and sounded amazing!! Loved loved it ! Brought back my Teens, 20's ....however it must have been brought to her attention that the venues were just too small for how many were crammed in, it was accident waiting to happen! Ashanti should be doing arenas or at least CityHalls...she wud sell out! oldSkoolRnb rocked Rock city Notts. <3
MissLCno57
To: Ashanti. From: Mr. Lonnie Legree Haynes, Major Investor, (former) Chair'man & Chief Executive Of'ficer, of Smith Barney & Company. Mr. Lonnie Legree Haynes, Major Investor, (future) Chair'man & Advisor, of Smith Barney Trust Services. Thank you Sincere'ly, for your time & Consideration. (Mr. LLH) an Old Mutual Friend!
lonniehaynes1953
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