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.
Mother
Ashanti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause everyting you are to me,I could never let you hurt inside,
You mean so much and I'm so thankful that your in my life,
And I appreciate your love and all sacrifice,
Without you by my side,I never could survive,
I wouldn't be the woman standing here before your eyes,
You taught me strength and you gave me guidance,
Whenever faith was lost you were there to find it,
With all my heart and all my soul I want let you know.
That I thank you and I love you and
I will never place anyone above you,
Said I thank you and I love you,
And I could never ever place no one above you
You have given me life and I just want you to know,
That your the reason im here today I will never let go,
To everything that we shared and nothing can compare
I thank you, I thank you, I thank you is what im saying.
See I've been blessed to be raised by a woman so strong,
Cuz even when I did things wrong,
You would show me just the way that I should carry on.
You kept me safe and you protected me with all you had,
And everytime I was in need you gave your very las
Without you by my side, I never could survive,
I wouldn't be the woman standing here before your eyes.
You taught me strength and you gave me guidance whenever faith was lost you were there to find it.
And all because a mothers love is unconditional,
With all my heart and all my soul I wanna let you know.
That I thank you and I love you and
I will never place anyone above you,
Said I thank you and I love you,
And I never place no one above you
You have given me life and I just want you to know,
That your the reason im here today I will never let go,
To everything that we shared and nothing can compare
I thank you, I thank you, I thank you is what I'm saying.
I remember waking up early Monday mornings,
With my new dress and my new shoes, with the buckles on em
And you would kiss my face and say I love you baby,
And you would be right there to take all of my fear away.
And when he broke my heart you said it was his lost,
And not to think about about your better off with out him.
Remember when they said that I was never gonna make it,
You said it Shows and all you gotta do is go and take it.
Said I thank you and I love you,
And I will never ever place no one above you.
Said I thank you and I love you,
And I will never ever place no one above you.
See you have given me life and I just want you to know,
That your the reason I'm here today I will never let go,
To everything that we shared and nothing can compare
I thank you, I thank you, I thank you is what im saying. x2
The song "Mother" by Ashanti is a tribute to her mother and all the sacrifices she made for her. The song is a symbol of gratitude from a daughter to her mother. The opening lines, "I would never let a tear fall from your eyes, Cause everything you are to me, I could never let you hurt inside," show the depth of the love and care she has for her mother. The song is an ode to a mother's love, which is pure and selfless, and which has the ability to pull someone through the toughest times in life. Ashanti sings about how her mother is the reason she's still standing, and how she wouldn't be the woman she is today if it weren't for her mother.
Ashanti shows her appreciation and love for her mother throughout the song. She remembers the times when her mother was there for her, how she protected her from harm and gave her guidance when she needed it the most. She recalls the times when she experienced heartbreak and her mother was there to offer solace and encouragement. The song is a testament to the unbreakable bond between a mother and daughter, and the powerful effect a mother's love can have.
Overall, "Mother" is a beautiful, heartfelt tribute that celebrates the joys and challenges of motherhood. It's a reminder to everyone that no one can replace the love and care of a mother, and that a mother's unconditional love can make all the difference in a person's life.
Line by Line Meaning
I would never let a tear fall from your eyes,
I promise to always protect you from any pain or suffering and keep you happy and safe
Cause everyting you are to me,I could never let you hurt inside,
You mean everything to me and I could never bear to see you in pain or sadness
You mean so much and I'm so thankful that your in my life,
I'm grateful for your presence in my life and how much you mean to me
And I appreciate your love and all sacrifice,
I value and acknowledge all the love and sacrifices you have made for me
Without you by my side,I never could survive,
I rely on you so much that I would not be able to live without you
I wouldn't be the woman standing here before your eyes,
You have helped me become the person I am today
You taught me strength and you gave me guidance,
You taught me how to be strong and provided guidance when I needed it
Whenever faith was lost you were there to find it,
You helped me find my faith and hope whenever I was lost or struggling
And all because a mother's love is unconditional,
Your love for me is unconditional and without boundaries, like a mother's love
With all my heart and all my soul I want let you know.
I want to express how much I love you and how important you are to me
That I thank you and I love you and
I express my gratitude and love for you
I will never place anyone above you,
No one can ever replace you in my life
You have given me life and I just want you to know,
You have given me the gift of life and I want to remind you of how much that means to me
That your the reason im here today I will never let go,
You are the reason I am alive and I will always be grateful to you for that
To everything that we shared and nothing can compare
Our bond and connection is unique and cannot be compared to anything else
I thank you, I thank you, I thank you is what im saying.
I want to express my gratitude by saying 'thank you' repeatedly
See I've been blessed to be raised by a woman so strong,
I am fortunate to have been raised by a strong and powerful woman
Cuz even when I did things wrong,
Even when I made mistakes or wrong decisions
You would show me just the way that I should carry on.
You would guide me and show me the right path to follow
You kept me safe and you protected me with all you had,
You always prioritized my safety and well-being, and protected me with all your strength
And everytime I was in need you gave your very las
Whenever I needed help or support, you always gave everything you had
Remember when they said that I was never gonna make it,
When others doubted my ability to succeed
You said it Shows and all you gotta do is go and take it.
You encouraged me to believe in myself and take action to achieve my dreams
Said I thank you and I love you,
Once again, I express my gratitude and love for you
And I will never ever place no one above you.
No one can ever replace you in my heart
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ASHANTI S. DOUGLAS, KENNY BABYFACE EDMONDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind