Ashanti (singer)

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{{Infobox_band | band_name = Ashanti | image = Image:Concretepromo6.jpg | caption = | years_active = 2001-present | music_genre = R&B, Pop, Hip-Hop | record_label = The Inc. Records }} Known professionally as Ashanti, Ashanti Shequoyia Douglas (born October 13, 1980), is an American R&B singer/songwriter, actress, producer, and author who rose to fame during the early 2000s.

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Biography

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Early life

Ashanti was born on Glen Cove, Long Island to Ken Kaide and Tina Douglas. Upon graduation from high school, Ashanti was accepted into Hampton University & Princeton University, but turned down a Track & Field Scholarship to pursue her singing career. During her search for fame, Ashanti trained as a dancer at the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center, learning a number of dance styles. She danced most notably in Disney's Polly, which starred Phylicia Rashad, and also appeared in a number of big-name music videos, in addition to other dance work. As an actress, she made a name for herself with roles in Spike Lee's Malcolm X and Who's da Man before that.

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Early career

Ashanti was brought into the public eye as a featured background vocalist on Big Pun's "How We Roll" and on tracks from The Fast and the Furious Soundtrack. Vita's 2001 hip-hop remake of Madonna's "Justify My Love" & Ashanti's "When A Man Does Wrong". After |Big Pun's joint Fat Joe got Ashanti to do a track titled "What's Luv?", Ashanti moved on to record "Always on Time" and then "Foolish". Ashanti also sang background vocals on the 2001 Collaboration between Jennifer Lopez and Ja Rule, I'm Real (Murder Remix).

The big break, however, did not come until early 2002, when, almost simultaneously, Ja Rule released "Always On Time" and Fat Joe released "What's Luv?". They were two of the biggest pop and urban hits of the year, and both featured Ashanti. At one point, her hit with Ja Rule sat at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart while her Fat Joe collaboration was at #2. She was the first female to occupy the top 2 positions on the Billboard 100 as a featured female artist. - Info from The Inc Recordings

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Debut album: Ashanti

Image:Ashanti - Ashanti.jpg

Shortly after the success of her collaborations with Fat Joe and labemate Ja Rule, Ashanti released her debut single, "Foolish", containing a sample of the 1983 song "Stay With Me" by DeBarge (also utilized by The Notorious B.I.G. in his 1995 #2 hit "One More Chance"). This accomplishment made Ashanti the only artist, other than The Beatles, to have his/her first three chart entries in the top 10 simultaneously. "Foolish" also became 2002's biggest hit according to Billboard, spending ten weeks at #1, due in part to a remix titled "Unfoolish", which featured a rap by The Notorious B.I.G. and received heavy pop, rhythmic, and urban radio airplay. The new artist released her self-titled debut album, Ashanti, on Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. record label in 2002. Ashanti debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling an astounding 504,000-plus copies in its first week (the most successful first week sales for a debut female artist). The album sold well over 2 million copies a month after it's release. With all this chart-topping, Ashanti set some sales records and her success continued.

Ashanti's follow-up singles, "Happy" and Baby, were just as huge as "Foolish" both reached Number 1 respectively. During the summer of 2002, Ashanti also appeared on a Ja Rule's "Down 4 U," along with labelmates, female rappers Vita and Charli Baltimore. The song appeared on a Murder Inc compilation titled Irv Gotti Presents The Inc. There is no doubt that Ashanti was the biggest debut artist of 2002. Earning her self a rack of awards including 8 Billboard Music Awards 3 MTV Video Music Awards, 2 American Music Awards, 2 MOBO awards, Soul Train: Aretha Franklin Entertainer of the Year Award, and 3 Grammy Awards. From 2002-2005 Ashanti has already been awarded many music awards for her achievements. She also had one of the biggest selling albums of the year selling more than four million copies of Ashanti. Also being the best selling female artist of 2002. Reaching all of this success after just a few months in the business.

In early 2003, Ja Rule and Ashanti teamed up again and scored a massive pop hit with "Mesmerize". The music video for the hit single was a parody to a scene of the movie Grease. Later that year Ashanti also teamed up with Fabolous on the track Into You, the track reached #4 on U.S. Billboard. Ashanti was replaced by singer -Tamia in the video, due mostly to scheduling problems.

Ashanti's debut album has sold 7 million copies worldwide, according to SoundScan figures.

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Chapter II

Image:Ashanti - Chapter II.jpg

In 2003, Ashanti released her sophomore album titled Chapter II. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with more than 326,000 copies sold in the disc's first week of release causing Beyoncé Knowles' "Dangerously In Love" disc to fall to #2 that same week. In only a few weeks, Ashanti's Chapter II was certified Platinum. Chapter II's first single, "Rock Wit U (Awww Baby)", became one of the summer's biggest hits peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, singles chart. Its steamy video, which showed Ashanti in a bikini frolicking on a beach and riding an elephant, was nominated for 2 2003 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Female Video And[[MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video|Best R&B Video] but was shut out by beyonce song " crazy in love". The second single and video, "Rain On Me", was released in the fall of 2003. The video featured her second celebrity leading man, Lorenz Tate. Although the single was just as successful as "Rock Wit U" at pop radio, it still managed to reach the top 10, peaking at #7 on Billobard's Hot 100. Ashanti also appeared and performed at the 2003 Divas Live in May '03. She performed her hit single Rock With You (Aww Baby), performed a duet with legend Stevie Wonder and with the Isley Brothers on a newer version of their hit Who's That Lady?.

Ashanti released the third single from Chapter II, "Breakup 2 Makeup"; its almost complete lack of video and radio airplay along with the flop of her 2003 Christmas album, Ashanti's Christmas, called for Ashanti to make few appearances for the rest of the year. Chapter II's Platinum success had been somewhat eclipsed by all the negative drama surrounding the Murder Inc. camp at the time (including an FBI investigation).

Despite selling over 3 million copies of Chapter II, compared to her debut album, Ashanti's sophomore album did meet the expectations of critics and fans. She was also the top selling artist on her Murder Inc. label.

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Concrete Rose

Image:Ashanti - Concrete Rose.jpg

In 2004, Ashanti appeared in three more collaborations. Her first, with male R&B newcomer and labelmate Lloyd. The duet, "Southside", was released as his debut single; it was a moderate hit at American radio and video channels during the summer reaching the top 20 on Billboard 100. Ashanti was then featured, along with R. Kelly, on Ja Rule's single "Wonderful". The single was a success for Ja Rule peaking at #3 on the Billboard 100. The third collaboration featuring Ashanti was with rapper Shyne on a song called "Jimmy Choo". The video reached #1 on the BET countdown 106 & Park.

Ashanti released her third studio album, Concrete Rose, in December of 2004. Although neither the album nor its singles were as successful as her previous work, the album did manage to debut at #7 in the Billboard 200 with more than 254,000 copies sold its first week. Its first single, "Only U", went Gold and reached the #13 of the Hot 100. In the UK, the single became the highest peaking single of her career so far, making #2, just missing out on the top spot. The follow-up single "Don't Let Them" did not fair well. It only a managed a #38 peak in the UK, her lowest position to date and it did not even chart in the U.S. The single's video, however, managed to climb to number 2 on TRL. Concrete Rose went Platinum. Once again, she was the highest selling artist on her label.

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Collectables

Image:Ashanti collectables.jpg

On December 6, 2005, Ashanti released a compilation album titled Collectables by Ashanti. The album features six remixes of her previously released tracks and four newly recorded songs including the single "Still On It" featuring rappers Paul Wall and Method Man. Ashanti's "Collectables" did not collect many records sales during its first week online struggling to land at #59 on the Billboard 200 selling about 36,000 copies in its first week.

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Fragrance/Clothing line

Ashanti has followed in the footsteps of her fellow peers by launching her own new fragrance line, Precious Jewel by Ashanti on October 2, 2005. In 2005 Ashanti also signed an exclusive deal with Sears to release her own brand of jeans titled Delicious Curves. The jeans quickly became another instant hit for Ashanti selling out in no time.

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Voice

Unlike many other singers with the ability, Ashanti, while possessing a clear, girly, coloratura soprano voice, has built a career singing in the lower and middle ranges of her voice, especially when a featured guest vocalist on a rap artist's track. This had caused a degree of speculation that Ashanti could not really sing, had limited range or that she was a studio creation of Ja Rule and Irv Gotti. In fact, as of late, Ashanti has used her head register so infrequently, many who haven't heard her sing before she signed with Murder Inc would mistakenly classify her as a classic example of a soubrette as defined by her girly, light vocals, combined with her slender appearance.


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Acting Career

After having success with her music career, Ashanti has also ventured into acting.

In 2004, she appeared in the Gurinder Chadha-directed English-language Bollywood movie Bride and Prejudice where she sang "My Lips Are Waiting". In January 2005, Ashanti made her feature film acting debut in the movie Coach Carter alongside Samuel L. Jackson. The movie entered at #1 at the box office pulling in $24 million opening weekend. The movie grossed over $67 million. She is slated to star in a new movie John Tucker Must Die in 2006, starring alongside Desperate Housewives star Jesse Metcalfe. John Tucker Must Die is scheduled to be released in US theaters July 28, 2006.

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Filmography

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Film

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TV

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Discography

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Albums

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Singles

Year Title Chart Positions Album
US Hot 100 US R&B/Hip-Hop UK Singles
2002 "Foolish" #1 (10 weeks) #1 #4 Ashanti
2002 "Happy" #8 #6 #13 Ashanti
2002 "Baby" #15 #7 - Ashanti
2003 "Rock Wit You (Awww Baby)" #2 #4 #7 Chapter II
2003 "Rain On Me" #7 #2 #19 Chapter II
2003 "Breakup 2 Makeup (Remix)"
(featuring Black Child) 		- #76 - Chapter II (Original Version)
Collectables by Ashanti (Remix)
2004 "Only U" #13 (Gold) #10 #2 Concrete Rose
2005 "Don't Let Them" - - #38 Concrete Rose
2005 "Still On It"
(featuring Paul Wall & Method Man) 		- #55 - Collectables by Ashanti
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Featured/Duets

Year Title Chart Positions Album
US Hot 100 UK Singles Chart
2001 "Always On Time"
(Ja Rule featuring Ashanti) 		#1 (2 weeks) #6 Pain Is Love
2002 "What's Luv?"
(Fat Joe featuring Ashanti) 		#2 #4 Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)
2002 "Down 4 U"
(Irv Gotti presents Ashanti,
Ja Rule, Charli Baltimore, & Vita) 		#6 #4 Irv Gotti Presents The Inc
2003 "Mesmerize"
(Ja Rule featuring Ashanti) 		#2 #12 The Last Temptation
2003 "Into You"
(Fabolous featuring Ashanti/Tamia) 		#4
#18 Street Dreams
2004 "Southside"
(Lloyd featuring Ashanti) 		#25 - Southside
2005 "Wonderful"
(Ja Rule featuring R. Kelly & Ashanti) 		#5 #1 R.U.L.E.
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Grammy Award history

Career Stats

  • Career Wins: 1
  • Career Nominations: 8
Year Category Genre Title Result
2003 Best New Artist General "Ashanti" Nominated
2003 Best Contemporary R&B Album R&B "Ashanti" WON
2003 Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Rap "Always On Time" Nominated
2003 Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Rap "What's Luv" Nominated
2003 Best Female R&B Vocal Performance R&B "Foolish" Nominated
2004 Best Female R&B Vocal Performance R&B "Rain On Me" Nominated
2004 Best R&B Song R&B "Rock Wit U (Awww Baby)" Nominated
2004 Best Contemporary R&B Album R&B "Chapter II" Nominated
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Awards

Below are a list of awards received by the R&B singer Ashanti.

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2002

  • MOBO Awards
    • Best R&B Act
    • Best Hip Hop Act (Ashanti with Ja Rule)
  • Billboard Music Awards
    • Female Artist of the Year
    • Top New Pop Artist of the Year
    • Hot 100 Singles Artist of the Year
    • R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
    • R&B/Hip-Hop Female Artist of the Year
    • New R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year
    • R&B/Hip-Hop Single of the Year ("Foolish")
    • R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Artist of the Year
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2003

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2004

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Ashanti Facts

  • She has written a book called Foolish/Unfoolish Reflections on Love, which is now in it's sixth edition.
  • Her first two albums debuted at #1 on the charts .
  • Her debut album, Ashanti, had the best first-week total for a R&B DEBUT female artist with 504,963 copies sold.
  • Ashanti is the only artist, other than the beatles, to have her first three debut singles all in the top 10 of Billboard Hot 100, at the same time.
  • Ashanti is also dating Multi-Platinum Grammy Award winner Nelly
  • Ranked #25 on BET's 25 Hottest Couples
  • Ashanti still holds the record for being the only Murder Inc. artist to have ever won a Grammy
  • Ashanti's cousin was tragically killed in an accident. The incident occured when her twenty year old cousin, Quinshae Shead, was running an errand for her and she was rear-ended by a 17 year-old drunk driver. The driver was arrested and hospitalized. Ashanti withdrew from a concert in Johannesburg, South Africa after hearing the news.
  • Is 3/8 Dominican. Ashanti's mother is 3/4 Dominican.
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Endorsements

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Books

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See also

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FanPage links

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Other links

de:Ashanti Douglas es:Ashanti Douglas fr:Ashanti (chanteuse) nl:Ashanti Douglas ja:アシャンティ pl:Ashanti Douglas

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