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.
Helpless
Ashanti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like the way I came here
Rule
Shanti
Lin (woo!)
Baby, I'm helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit, I'm
Down for the count, and I'm drownin' in 'em
I ain't never been the type to try and grab the spotlight
We were at the revel with some rebels on a hot night
Laughin' at my sister as she's dazzling the room
Then you walked in and my heart sang
Tryin' to catch your eye from the side of the ballroom
Everybody dancin' and the bass top volume
Grind to the rhythm as we wine and dine
Saying to myself, baby
"This one's mine"
Shorty made her way across the room to you
And I got nervous, thinking, "What's she gonna do?"
She grabbed you by the arm, I'm thinkin', "I'm through"
Then you look back at me and suddenly I'm
Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit, I'm
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I'm drownin' in 'em
Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit, I'm
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I'm drownin' in 'em
One week later, I'm writin' a letter nightly
Now my life gets better, every letter that you write me
Laughin' at this girl, 'cause she wants to form a harem
No, I ain't sharin'
Two weeks later, in the living room stressin'
My father's stone-faced while you're asking for his blessin'
I'm dying inside, as you wine and dine
And I'm tryin' not to cry
'Cause there's nothing that your mind can't do
My father makes his way across the room to you
I panic for a second, thinking "we're through"
But then he shakes your hand and says "be true"
And you turn back to me, smiling, and I'm
Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit, I'm
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I'm drownin' in 'em
Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit, I'm
Helpless, (so helpless) baby
Down for the count, and I'm drownin' in 'em
Ashanti, I ain't got a dollar to my name
An acre of land, a troop to command, a dollop of fame
All I have's my honor, a tolerance for pain
A couple of college credits and my top-notch brain
Insane, your family brings out a different side of me
Peggy confides in me, Angelica tried to take a bite of me
No stress, my love for you is never in doubt
We'll get a little place in Queens and we'll figure it out
I've been livin' without a family since I was a child
My father died, my mama cried, I grew up buck wild
But I'll never forget my mother's face, that was real
As long as I'm alive, Ashanti, swear to God
You'll never feel so (baby, I'm)
Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit, I'm
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I'm drownin' in 'em
Helpless, yeah (I'm so helpless)
Look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit, I'm ('cause you know that I'm)
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I'm drownin' in 'em
Baby, I'm (yeah)
Mm, so into you (so into you)
Ashanti's song "Helpless" is a love ballad that explores the feeling of helplessness that one experiences when they fall in love. The lyrics tell the story of a woman who meets a man and immediately falls for him, despite her reservations about being in the spotlight. The first verse sets the scene at a party where the singer is with her sister, and her heart sings when the man she falls for walks in. The second verse reveals that the man she fell for is equally smitten and they begin to correspond, which leads to the singer falling even deeper in love. As their relationship progresses, we see the singer's vulnerability deepen as they ask for the father's blessing. The song reaches its climax when Ashanti confesses that with this man, to whom she is helplessly devoted, she feels she can achieve anything.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, I'm helpless, yeah
I am completely smitten and unable to resist your charms.
Look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit, I'm
When I gaze into your eyes, I feel like anything is possible and the world is my oyster.
Down for the count, and I'm drownin' in 'em
I am completely overwhelmed and unable to resist your charms.
I ain't never been the type to try and grab the spotlight
I am typically not one to seek attention or be the center of attention.
We were at the revel with some rebels on a hot night
We were at a party with some edgy, non-conformist types on a warm night.
Laughin' at my sister as she's dazzling the room
I was amused and impressed by my sister's ability to captivate the room.
Then you walked in and my heart sang
When you entered the room, my heart was filled with joy and excitement.
Tryin' to catch your eye from the side of the ballroom
I was attempting to get your attention from across the room.
Everybody dancin' and the bass top volume
Everyone was dancing and the music was very loud.
Grind to the rhythm as we wine and dine
We were dancing and enjoying food and drink in time to the music.
Saying to myself, baby 'This one's mine'
I was thinking to myself that I wanted to pursue a relationship with you.
Shorty made her way across the room to you
Another woman came over to you.
And I got nervous, thinking, 'What's she gonna do?'
I became anxious thinking about what this other woman might do.
She grabbed you by the arm, I'm thinkin', 'I'm through'
She took hold of your arm, and I thought that I had lost you.
Then you look back at me and suddenly I'm
When you looked back at me, I was immediately overcome with emotion.
One week later, I'm writin' a letter nightly
A week later, I found myself writing you letters every night.
Now my life gets better, every letter that you write me
My life improves with every letter I receive from you.
Laughin' at this girl, 'cause she wants to form a harem
I am amused by another woman's desire to form a group of women to please a man.
No, I ain't sharin'
I am not willing to share your attention or affection with other women.
Two weeks later, in the living room stressin'
Two weeks later, I was feeling anxious in the living room.
My father's stone-faced while you're asking for his blessin'
My father was unemotional and serious while you asked for his blessing.
I'm dying inside, as you wine and dine
I am feeling a great deal of anxiety and discomfort as you entertain my father.
And I'm tryin' not to cry
I am making an effort to hold back tears.
'Cause there's nothing that your mind can't do
I am confident that you can handle anything that comes your way.
My father makes his way across the room to you
My father approaches you and catches your attention.
I panic for a second, thinking 'we're through'
I feel a moment of panic, thinking that our relationship is in jeopardy.
But then he shakes your hand and says 'be true'
My father shakes your hand and advises you to always be true to yourself.
And you turn back to me, smiling, and I'm
You look back at me with a smile, and I am filled with joy and relief.
Ashanti, I ain't got a dollar to my name
I do not have any money to my name.
An acre of land, a troop to command, a dollop of fame
I do not have any land, followers, or fame.
All I have's my honor, a tolerance for pain
I only have my integrity and the ability to withstand suffering.
A couple of college credits and my top-notch brain
I have completed some college courses and I am intelligent.
Insane, your family brings out a different side of me
I behave differently around your family compared to others.
Peggy confides in me, Angelica tried to take a bite of me
Your sister Peggy trusts me with her secrets, while your other sister Angelica has made a pass at me.
No stress, my love for you is never in doubt
I am certain of my love for you and am not worried about our relationship.
We'll get a little place in Queens and we'll figure it out
We will find a small home in Queens and we will work through any issues that arise.
I've been livin' without a family since I was a child
I have not had a family since I was a child.
My father died, my mama cried, I grew up buck wild
My father passed away, and my mother was distressed. I grew up without any guidance or support.
But I'll never forget my mother's face, that was real
I will always remember my mother's genuine love and concern for me.
As long as I'm alive, Ashanti, swear to God
I promise, on my life, to always love and support you.
You'll never feel so (baby, I'm)
You will never feel alone or unsupported, because I am devoted to you.
Mm, so into you (so into you)
I am completely infatuated with you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind