Ashanti is most famous for her eponymous Grammy Award-winning debut album Ashanti which featured the hit song Foolish. The album set a Soundscan record as the most albums sold by any first-time female artist in the chart's history, outselling debuts by Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill. Later that year, she was acclaimed as the "Princess of Hip-Hop & R&B" by the media and capped off her successful debut by winning eight Billboard awards and two American Music Awards.
Ashanti cites Mary J. Blige and Ella Fitzgerald as her musical influences. Praised as a gifted songwriter by her peers and critics alike, Ashanti has written/co-written the bulk of all her music. She is currently an independent artist on her own record label entitled Written Entertainment.
It was when she was noticed by Murder Inc. mastermind Irv Gotti that Ashanti began to blossom. Gotti noted her dancing and acting abilities in addition to her vocal skills. In 2001, Ashanti was first featured as a background vocalist on rapper Big Pun's song How We Roll. In the same year, Ashanti was featured on fellow labelmate Caddillac Tah's singles Pov City Anthem and Just Like A Thug. She also appeared on the 2001 The Fast and the Furious soundtrack as a featured artist on Vita's 2001 hip hop remake of Madonna's Justify My Love and on the solo track When a Man Does Wrong. She appeared as a background vocalist on I'm Real (Murder Remix), a collaboration by labelmate Ja Rule and Jennifer Lopez (she also appeared in the music video for Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix), the 2nd duet between Lopez & Rule), and was featured on Fat Joe's What's Luv? and Ja Rule's Always on Time. What's Luv? and Always on Time were released simultaneously and became two of the biggest hit songs of 2002. Ashanti became the first female to occupy the top two positions on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart when Always on Time and What's Luv? were number-one and number-two respectively.
Following the success of her collaborations with Ja Rule and Fat Joe, Ashanti released her debut single, Foolish, which contained a sample of the 1983 song Stay With Me by DeBarge (also utilized by Notorious B.I.G. in his 1995 hit One More Chance). She became the second artist (after the The Beatles) to have their first three chart entries in the top ten of the Hot 100 simultaneously. Ashanti's self-titled debut album, Ashanti, was released on Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. record label in April 2002. It debuted at number-one on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart, selling over 503,000 copies in its first week (the most successful first week sales for a debut R&B female artist up through that point--record later broken by Mary J. Blige's The Breakthrough). The album has been certified 3x platinum in the U.S and platinum (300,000 copies) in the UK. The album has sold over 6.5 million copies worldwide. Ashanti penned all 12 songs on the album, most written on-the-spot in the studio.
Ashanti's follow-up singles, Happy and Baby, were not as successful as her debut single but did peak in the top ten and top twenty in the U.S. respectively. During the summer of 2002, Ashanti appeared on Ja Rule's Down 4 U with labelmates, female rappers Vita and Charli Baltimore. The song appeared on a Murder Inc. compilation titled Irv Gotti Presents The Inc. Ashanti's debut album earned her many awards including eight Billboard Music Awards, two American Music Awards, a Lady of Soul Award for "Aretha Franklin Entertainer of the Year," and a Grammy Award.
In July 2003, Ashanti released her second album, Chapter II, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 326,000 copies in the U.S.. The album went Platinum, selling 1.5 million copies in U.S. The album's success was somewhat eclipsed, however, by all the negative drama surrounding the Murder Inc. camp at the time (i.e., the FBI investigation and the G-Unit feuding). Chapter II's first single, Rock wit U (Awww Baby), became a hit, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Its video, which showed Ashanti in a bikini frolicking on a beach and riding an elephant named Bubbles, was nominated for two 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. A remix of the song contains interpolations of Michael Jackson's Rock with You. The second single, Rain on Me, reached the number-seven spot on the Hot 100 and number two on the Hot 100 R&B Songs chart. Chapter II was nominated for a 2004 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album, and Rock wit U (Awww Baby) and Rain on Me were nominated in the categories of Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, respectively. At the end of 2003 in November, Ashanti performed at The American Music Awards and was nominated in two categories.
In November 2003, Ashanti's Christmas album, Ashanti's Christmas was released. The album containing 10 Christmas songs, six classic covers and four she wrote herself. To coincide with the release Ashanti premiered a Christmas Medley video for the album. While on BET's 106 & Park, Ashanti said the concept of the Christmas Album came from a guest spot she did on Steve Harvey's radio show. While playing a game with Stevie Wonder, he began playing Christmas medleys on the piano and Ashanti began singing them, giving her label head the idea to push for a Christmas Album. Ashanti went into the studio to record the album during the summer of 2003. According to soundscan, the album sold just around 100,000 units in the U.S.
Before Concrete Rose was released, Ashanti did some major promotion for her single Only U, when she premiered it at the 2004 Vibe Music Awards. In 2004, Ashanti was invited back to perform at VH1's Divas 2004. She appeared on stage with Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Jessica Simpson, and others. She performed Diana Ross' single "I'm Coming Out", and she performed a soul-influenced rendition of Chaka Khan's funk driven "Ain't Nobody. Later that year Ashanti collaborated with male R&B newcomer and labelmate Lloyd on the song Southside, which was released as his debut single and was a moderate hit. Wonderful—with Ja Rule and R. Kelly—peaked at number five in the U.S. and at number one in the UK, and Jimmy Choo with rapper Shyne reached number fifty-five on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. Alongside artist such as Wyclef Jean, Mary J. Blige, Eve, Brandy, Fabolous, Jadakiss, Missy Elliott, and many others, Ashanti participated in a cover of "Wake Up Everybody" in support of ACT, the left-leaning political action committee.
In December 2004, Ashanti released her third studio album, Concrete Rose, the title of which took on Tupac Shakur's pseudonym "The Rose That Grew from Concrete". The album debuted at number seven in the U.S with first week sales of 254,000 copies, and eventually became her third platinum certified album; according to Nielsen SoundScan, it has sold 871,000 copies. The first single, the gold-certified Only U, reached number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and became her biggest hit in the United Kingdom, peaking at number two. A second single, the ballad Don't Let Them, garnered little chart success after Def Jam refused to fund a music video due to Irv Gotti's legal troubles during his money laundering trial. Ashanti used her own money to deliver the second video to her fans, with Gotti acting as director. The single was released only in the U.S., where it failed to chart, and the UK, where it reached the lower end of the top forty. In 2005, Ashanti graced the stage at the MTV Japan Music Awards, where she performed her hit single, Only U. She also won a Style award during the show. She performed alongside huge acts like Mariah Carey and Korean star Rain.
In December 2005, Ashanti released a remix album of Concrete Rose titled Collectables by Ashanti. It features six remixes of previously released tracks and four newly recorded songs, including the single Still on It, which features rappers Paul Wall and Method Man. The album was an opportunity for her to fulfill her contract with Def Jam (and have the option of working with another label), and did not fare well on the charts.
Her fourth studio album, The Declaration, was released on June 3, 2008. Ashanti ventured out and acquired producers and collaborators primarily outside The Inc. for the first time. She said the album was a representation of the freedom she felt she had at that time in her career. "I'm steering my own ship and taking the lead on everything. You can definitely hear the growth; I'm working with producers I've never worked with before". Irv Gotti was quoted as saying, "she's having her little Janet Jackson Control moment. Every artist has their moment when they feel they need to take over their own music and this is hers".
The album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 with sales of 86,000 copies, Ashanti's lowest first-week sales for a studio album. As of September 2008, The Declaration had sold 230,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. Two singles released during 2007 in advance of the album's release—Switch featuring Nelly, and Hey Baby (After the Club) featuring Mario Winans—did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Hey Baby (After the Club) reached number eighty-seven on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and the third single, the L. T. Hutton-produced The Way That I Love You, reached number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and peaked at number thirty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The final single, the Jermaine Dupri-produced Good Good, became a minor urban hit, peaking at number thirty on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Also featured on The Declaration is the Nelly collaboration Body on Me, which is the third single from his 2008 album Brass Knuckles.
In May 2009, Irv Gotti announced that he was officially releasing Ashanti from The Inc. Records, stating that "The relationship has run its course. The chemistry of what's needed — we're in two totally different places. You're talking to somebody that took her and shaped and molded her and put her out there for the world, and it blew up. We [hold the record] for the [fastest] selling debut by a female R&B artist — 503 [thousand]. We did it! My views and philosophies and her views and philosophies are not meeting up." Gotti also admitted that he and Ashanti have not spoken to each other in a long time. A rep for Ashanti did not respond.
BraveHeart, her fifth album on March 4, 2014. Upon release, the album garnered favorable reviews, with music critics describing Braveheart's sound as an "evolution of R&B" and praising the themes of empowerment, but criticizing the romantic clichés and lack of interesting moments on the album. On the charts, Braveheart opened at number ten on the U.S. Billboard 200, becoming Ashanti's fifth consecutive top-ten album, as well as her first Independent Albums chart topper. It also debuted in the top-thirty of the UK R&B Albums Chart and top-forty of the UK Indie Albums Chart.
In 2017, she announced her seventh studio album, set to be released in 2018 or 2019. On November 6, 2017, she released the first single, “Say Less” feat. Ty Dolla $ign.
Breakup 2 Makeup
Ashanti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a long time it brought out
All these feelings that I never
Knew I had inside seeing you
With another girl it didn't sit
With me too well and I'm mad
At myself cause I love you and
With or without you I'm going through hell
I don't think that I could shake ya
So baby can we make up I know
That this is kinda crazy but
Baby I want to make up
I don't think that I could shake ya
So baby can we make up I know
That this kinda crazy but
Baby I want to make up
I never knew I could love you
How I love you
I thought that
I was through with you so glad
That I could be single now I'm
Caught thinking about the past and wish
That we could just go back
And I'm mad at myself cause I love you and
I really want you to come back
I don't think that I could shake ya
So baby can we make up I
Know that this is kinda crazy but
Baby I want to make up
I don't think that I could shake ya
So baby can we make up I know
That this is kinda crazy but
Baby I want to make up
I don't know if I'm crazy but all
The pain and the heartache you gave me
That only made me want to get back with
You oooo you held her hand the way
Ya held mine you felt her uhhhh
The way ya felt mine
And all the fighting
That we went through, see
I was already used to it
I don't think that I could shake ya
So baby can we make up I
Know that this kinda crazy but
Baby I want to make up
I don't that that I could shake ya
So baby can we make up I know
That this is kinda cray but
Baby I want to make up
In Ashanti's song, Breakup 2 Makeup, the lyrics describe the emotions felt by someone who unexpectedly runs into an ex-lover for the first time in a long time. When the singer sees her ex-boyfriend with another woman, it stirs up unexpected feelings that she did not know existed inside of her. The singer reveals her sadness and frustration at herself for still loving him and feeling like she is going through hell, whether she is with or without him. Even though she cannot shake her feelings for him, she suggests that they could make up and start over again. She admits that it may seem crazy to want to rekindle their relationship, but she still wants to give it a try.
The singer reflects on how much she loves her ex-boyfriend in a way that she did not think was possible. She thought she had gotten over him and was happy to be single, but seeing him with another woman has made her realize that she still has feelings for him. She wishes they could go back to how things were before their breakup, and she is frustrated with herself for wanting to get back together with someone who has caused her so much pain and heartache. In the end, despite all the fighting and turmoil they have been through, the singer still wants to make up with her ex and start anew.
Line by Line Meaning
Saw you again for the first time
I saw you again after a long time and it brought out all these feelings I never knew I had inside after seeing you with another girl.
In a long time it brought out
After a long time of not seeing you, seeing you with another girl made me realize how much I still love you.
All these feelings that I never
I had never felt like this before, and I didn't even know I was still capable of feeling this way.
Knew I had inside seeing you
I realized that there were still deep feelings that I had for you that I didn't even know existed until I saw you again.
With another girl it didn't sit
Seeing you with another girl made me upset and uncomfortable.
With me too well and I'm mad
I'm mad at myself for still loving you even though we're not together anymore.
At myself cause I love you and
I feel like loving you is causing me pain and I don't know how to stop it.
With or without you I'm going through hell
Even if we're not together, I'm still struggling to move on and it feels like I'm going through hell.
I don't think that I could shake ya
I don't think I can get over you or move on from our relationship.
So baby can we make up I know
I know it sounds crazy, but I want to try to get back together with you.
That this is kinda crazy but
I know it might not be the best idea, but I still want to try to work things out with you.
Baby I want to make up
I want to try to make things right between us and move forward together.
I never knew I could love you
I didn't realize the depth of my feelings for you until I saw you again.
How I love you
I love you more than I realized and it's hard to let go of those feelings.
I thought that
I believed that I was over you and didn't need you in my life.
I was through with you so glad
I was happy to be single and without the complications of our relationship.
That I could be single now I'm
I felt good about being single but now I'm second-guessing that decision.
Caught thinking about the past and wish
I find myself thinking about our past together and wishing we could go back to that time.
That we could just go back
I wish we could go back to when things were simpler and easier between us.
And I'm mad at myself cause I love you and
I feel frustrated with myself because I still love you even though being with you is causing me pain.
I really want you to come back
I want us to be together again and try to make our relationship work.
I don't know if I'm crazy but all
I feel like I might be making a mistake by wanting to try again with you, but I can't help it.
The pain and the heartache you gave me
I remember the hurt you caused me in our relationship and how difficult it was to deal with.
That only made me want to get back with
Despite the pain you caused me, I still want to try to make things work with you and get back together.
You oooo you held her hand the way
I noticed how you held her hand and it made me jealous and upset.
Ya held mine you felt her uhhhh
Thinking about how you held my hand in the past and how you're now holding hers makes me emotional.
The way ya felt mine
I remember how it felt to be with you and how much I enjoyed being close to you.
And all the fighting
Our relationship was always full of conflict and disagreements.
That we went through, see
I remember all the arguments and difficult times we had in our relationship.
I was already used to it
Our fighting had become normal to me and I didn't know how to be in a relationship without it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ashanti Douglas, Irving Lorenzo, Andre Parker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jessicawilliams1176
I love this song, I love her voice, and I love this album. ❤🔥 Happy 20th Anniversary to this amazing album and to one of the greatest albums of its time, Chapter II! ❤🎉7/1/2023
@Minja58
She has a unique beauty. Always looking so sweet but so hood at the same time and yet still feminine. Plus she's very stylish, with a nice body and voice. Not that I'm fangirling over her but she is a PERFECTION lol :)
I'm sad that Iggy is more popular than her ughh makes me so mad! This woman has CLASS! just beautiful, and I love this look with the curls 3:05 #FRESH
@yell0wberry
Irv gotti sure agrees with you, lol
@Dniizy2fresh
I’ll never understand why the original song wasn’t released as the single
@igetthatgoodjugg
Irv Gotti
@LuckyTaaru
Gotti wanted it to be a rap/r&b fusion probably
Honestly Black Child wasn’t that bad on this song, I thought he would pull a Ja Rule and get all cheesy
@evahill38
Ashanti was snatching wigs back in the early 2000s & her vocals are everything on that woman to woman song with keyshia cole i never liked her voice before but she has improved SO much hope she can not only come back with GREAT music but get recognized for it as well
@elicordero4019
Black child killed it 🔥 🔥 🔥
@henrywillis3272
This is one of the best record labels back in the days. Miss old times. IT's MURDA!! still
@mizzjacquettaxx6974
I used to fall in love this beat😍💗