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. Wonderfulโwith Ja Rule and R. Kellyโpeaked 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 releaseโSwitch featuring Nelly, and Hey Baby (After the Club) featuring Mario Winansโdid 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 โ 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 โ 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 clichรฉs 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, โSay Lessโ feat. Ty Dolla $ign.
Leaving (Always On Time Pt Ii
Ashanti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always a lie and never the truth
Now as for me, I'm moving on
You'll always be my baby
Baby, I just gotta let you go for now
Thought I could take it for a while
Maybe you'll make it back around
Can't see me changing for a while
Hope I can make it back around
Anything that I want, I can get it, boy
You know you turn me on and on
That's why I switch my frame of mind
Of being there when you call, always on time
I'm looking to spread my wings and party
Everything and for everybody
Need my space, my time alone
It's like our hearts don't match no more
Still everything that you want, you can get it, boy
You know I still got love for you
In court I'll plead the fifth, my baby (baby)
Baby, I just gotta let you go for now
Thought I could take it for a while
Maybe you'll make it back around
Baby, I just gotta live my life for now
Can't see me changing for a while
Hope I can make it back around
When you was cheating, you was probably thinking
I won't sense a thing
But love got a funny way of catching up to lies
And your lies can't look me straight in the eyes
I'm not surprised that you would hurt me, baby
Though why me, baby?
Just let me breathe
And I'll fly freely
If you were me, what would you do?
Always a lie and never the truth
Now as for me, I'm moving on
You'll always be my baby
Baby, I just gotta let you go for now
Thought I could take it for a while
Maybe you'll make it back around
Baby, I just gotta live my life for now
Can't see me changing for a while
Hope I can make it back around
Yo, yo, why in the world would you wanna leave me, girl?
Is there something out there
That you feel is better than what's here at home?
And I know a bitch can do bad on her own
You're not alone, the way you hurt me, baby
Shit, why me, baby?
I feel your pain a little, but I know that love is real
And as long as I let you go that you feel
The need to come back to me, baby
Who else gon' hold you and sex you crazy?
R-U-L-E
Come on back, holla at me, baby
Baby, I just gotta let you go for now
Thought I could take it for a while
Maybe you'll make it back around
Baby, I just gotta live my life for now
Can't see me changing for a while
Hope I can make it back around
Baby, I just gotta let you go for now
Thought I could take it for a while
Maybe you'll make it back around
Baby, I just gotta live my life for now
Can't see me changing for a while
Hope I can make it back around
If you were me, what would you do?
Always a lie and never the truth
Now as for me, I'm moving on
You'll always be my baby
In the song "Always on Time" by Ja Rule featuring Ashanti, the lyrics depict a woman who is tired of being lied to and cheated on in a relationship. She has decided to move on and live her life independently, but acknowledges that her ex-lover will always hold a special place in her heart as "her baby". The lyrics reference the struggles of maintaining a relationship while trying to find one's own path and the pain of being betrayed by someone they thought they could trust. The chorus repeats the sentiment of letting go and hoping that they will eventually reconcile.
The first verse reveals the singer's realization that she can no longer tolerate the constant lies in her relationship. She has decided to move on and focus on her own happiness. The second verse underscores her determination to break free, highlighting her desire for independence and personal growth. In the chorus, she acknowledges that her soon-to-be ex will always hold a place in her heart, but she must let go for now in order to live her life fully.
The bridge shifts the focus to the male perspective, with Ja Rule questioning why the woman would want to leave him for someone else. He pleads with her to come back to him, citing their shared history and the fact that he knows how to make her feel good. The song ends with the chorus repeating, emphasizing the singer's determination to move forward with her life.
Overall, "Always on Time" is a powerful ballad that speaks to the complex emotions involved in romantic relationships. The lyrics explore the pain of betrayal, the need for independence and personal growth, and the hope of reconciliation.
Line by Line Meaning
If you were me, what would you do?
I am wondering what actions you would take if you were in my position.
Always a lie and never the truth
You never tell me the truth and always lie to me.
Now as for me, I'm moving on
I have grown tired of the constant lies and have decided to move on with my life.
You'll always be my baby
Even though I am leaving you, you will always hold a special place in my heart.
Baby, I just gotta let you go for now
I need to take some time for myself and let you go for the time being.
Thought I could take it for a while
I believed that I could endure your lies and stay with you for a period of time.
Maybe you'll make it back around
Perhaps in the future, we will find our way back to each other.
Can't see me changing for a while
I am not ready to change my way of life or perspective any time soon.
Hope I can make it back around
I am hopeful that we will eventually reconcile and be together again.
Anything that I want, I can get it, boy
I am fully aware of my attractiveness and can have any man that I desire.
You know you turn me on and on
You know that I am attracted to you and you have a physical effect on me.
That's why I switch my frame of mind
That is why I have changed my way of thinking and am more focused on having fun and enjoying myself.
Of being there when you call, always on time
I used to always be there for you when you needed me, no matter what time it was.
I'm looking to spread my wings and party
I want to explore my options and have a good time, not be tied down to one person.
Everything and for everybody
I want to experience everything and be with anyone that I desire.
Need my space, my time alone
I need some time to myself to figure things out and enjoy my own company.
It's like our hearts don't match no more
It feels like we have grown apart and our hearts are no longer in sync with each other.
Still everything that you want, you can get it, boy
Even though I am leaving you, you are still capable of getting anything that you desire.
You know I still got love for you
I still care for you and have feelings of love towards you.
In court I'll plead the fifth, my baby (baby)
I will refuse to answer any questions about you or our relationship, in order to protect our privacy.
When you was cheating, you was probably thinking
When you were being unfaithful to me, you were likely not considering how it would affect our relationship.
I won't sense a thing
I didn't initially realize that you were cheating on me.
But love got a funny way of catching up to lies
Eventually, the truth always comes to light and the consequences of lying are felt.
And your lies can't look me straight in the eyes
You are unable to look me directly in the eyes when you lie to me, showing that you are not being completely truthful.
I'm not surprised that you would hurt me, baby
I am not shocked that you have caused me emotional pain and distress.
Though why me, baby?
I am still unsure why you chose to hurt me in particular.
Just let me breathe
Give me some space and time to process my emotions and thoughts.
And I'll fly freely
Once I have some distance and perspective, I will be able to truly move on and live my life freely.
Yo, yo, why in the world would you wanna leave me, girl?
Why would you want to end our relationship and leave me behind?
Is there something out there
Are you searching for something that is missing from our relationship?
That you feel is better than what's here at home?
Do you believe that there is something or someone better than me out there?
And I know a bitch can do bad on her own
I understand that you are capable of succeeding and living your life without me.
You're not alone, the way you hurt me, baby
While I am leaving you, you are not alone in feeling pain and hurt from the relationship.
Shit, why me, baby?
I still do not understand why you have hurt me in this way.
I feel your pain a little, but I know that love is real
While I understand that you are also hurting, I believe that love can overcome the pain and difficulties in a relationship.
And as long as I let you go that you feel
I think that if I give you space and time to yourself, you will eventually come back to me.
The need to come back to me, baby
I believe that you will eventually realize your love for me and come back to me.
Who else gon' hold you and sex you crazy?
Who else will be able to give you the type of physical and emotional pleasure that I can provide?
R-U-L-E
Ja Rule's signature phrase or representation of himself in the song.
Come on back, holla at me, baby
Please come back to me and let me know if there is still a chance for our relationship to work.
Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jeffrey Atkins, Ashanti Douglas, Marcus Vest, Irving Domingo Lorenzo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@esmeraldavaldez8257
[Intro: Ashanti]
If you were me, what would you do
Always a lie and never the truth
Now as for me, I'm moving on
You'll always be my baby
[Chorus: Ashanti]
Baby, I just got to let you go for now
Thought I could take it for a while
Maybe you will make it back around
Baby, I just got to live my life for now
Can't see me changing for a while
Hope I can make it back around
[Verse 1: Ashanti]
Anything that I want, I can get it, boy
You know you turn me on and on
That's why I switch my frame of mind
Of being there when you call, I'm always on time
I'm looking to spread my wings and party
Everything and for everybody
Need my space, my time alone
It's like our hearts don't match no more
Still everything that you want, you can get it, boy
You know I still got love for you
In court I'll plead the fifth, my baby
[Chorus: Ashanti]
Baby, I just got to let you go for now
Thought I could take it for a while
Maybe you will make it back around
Baby, I just got to live my life for now
Can't see me changing for a while
Hope I can make it back around
[Verse 2: Ashanti]
When you was cheating, you was probably thinking
I won't sense a thing
But love got a funny way of catching up to lies
And your lies can't look me straight in the eyes
I'm not surprised that you would hurt me, baby
Though why me, baby?
Just let me breathe
And I'll fly freely
[Pre-Chorus: Ashanti]
If you were me, what would you do
Always a lie and never the truth
Now as for me, I'm moving on
You'll always be my baby
[Chorus: Ashanti]
Baby, I just got to let you go for now
Thought I could take it for a while
Maybe you will make it back around
Baby, I just got to live my life for now
Can't see me changing for a while
Hope I can make it back around
[Verse 3: Ja Rule]
Why in the world would you wanna leave me, girl?
Is there something out there
That you feel is better than what's here at home?
And I know a bitch can do better on her own
You're not alone, the way you hurt me, baby
Shit, why me, baby?
I feel your pain a little, but I know that love is real
And as long as I let you go that you feel
The need to come back to me, baby
Who else gon' hold you and sex you crazy?
R-U-L-E
Come on back, holla at me, baby
[Chorus (2x): Ashanti]
Baby, I just got to let you go for now
Thought I could take it for a while
Maybe you will make it back around
Baby, I just got to live my life for now
Can't see me changing for a while
Hope I can make it back around
[Outro: Ashanti]
If you were me, what would you do
Always a lie and never the truth
Now as for me, I'm moving on
You'll always be my baby
@Fatimathefearless
I can honestly remember how blue the sky was and how beautiful the sun was when I first heard this song .....I can actually hear it and feel it in the music ....things ain't the same
@yasey908
๐๐๐๐
@josephbattleyii8070
Fatima the fearless omg me too
@ThePrincesspickle88
Amen, sis!!!
@kareemabdul9270
I agree
@kadeencayenne1663
I so agree ...
@taylorharris1796
This album was played from beginning to end with NO SKIPS!!! This was my favorite song on the album and is still a bop.
@zykauesoneal6364
Factz my fav song even now listen to this before that new shyt
@j.edwardmilleriii4637
Most definitely! This album was straight fire and videos from it popping off successfully too.
@PancakesnWhiskey
This and Thank You.