Ashanti

Ashanti

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 2, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Def Jam
• ASIN: B000063UMO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (314 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,933 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

These days, R&B girls are a dime a dozen, but Ashanti Douglas is a step ahead of the pack. Youthful appeal and a pleasantly dreamy voice complement the 21-year-old singer/songwriter's ability to pen her own radio-friendly verses. However, Ashanti's young'un status shows itself through her treatment of the usual R&B-girl subject matter: love standing strong, love gone bad, and the search for love of self. Songs like "Foolish," "Happy," and "Baby" are as simple and agreeable as their one-word titles suggest, while "Call," "Movies," and "Over" take a slightly more earthy approach.

Ashanti is definitely R&B for the under-30 set, and as such it's bouncy and playful. This debut, as is to be expected of a Murder Inc. release, features a strong hip-hop element, including two duets with Irv Gotti's golden child, Ja Rule, and the sampling of a controversial Notorious B.I.G. composition in "Unfoolish." The kids should love it. --Rebecca Levine

Product Description

She Has Worked with Some of the Biggest Names in Pop: Ja Rule, Big Pun, J-lo, Fat Joe... Now, She is the First R&B Signing of the Infamous Murder Inc. Record Label. Ja Rule Has Helped Position her for Multi Platinum Success. This European Edition Includes Four Tracks Not on the Us Version: 'fight (Over Skit)', 'shi Shi (Skit)', 'dreams' and 'thank You'.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars MADE-FOR-"106 & PARK" R&B, April 3, 2002

By	J. Johnson "capricornrising1" (CT) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ashanti S. Douglas is a pretty girl as her self-titled debut's heavily airbrused album cover and her television apperances prove BUT she does have a sweet yet light voice which is pleasant and she writes most of her own material(she also co-wrote Jennifer Lopez & Ja Rule's #1 collabration "Ain't It Funny").But even with good looks and a knack for songwriting,
Ashanti's debut isn't anything new.

This is radio-ready,"106 & Park"-tailored R&B.Stricly for the kids not fans of earthy soul or trendy folks.
Ashanti-who wrote much of "Ashanti"-talks about about three things:love,love,and more love.Groundbreaking...

Sugary,radio-friendly cuts like the first single "Foolish"
(already a hit),"Baby","Call"(featuring her labelmate,Ja Rule)
are pure polite,cutesy teen-R&B fare with easy,elementary,easy-to-sing lyrics to boot.It sounds like these aren't neccesarily songs Ashanti wants to sing,but songs she thinks a photogenic,cute young girl SHOULD sing.And that's the problem,
there seems be no real respect for R&B and it shows.
Since this album was produced by Irv Gotti(like Ja Rule,Ashanti is a Murder Inc. artist;she's the crew's first non-rap artist),
it shows that the folks here are on the more street,hip hop tip and they feel that R&B is just folks singing about love.

Ashanti never passes the line of "R&B Girl",which I think she can easily pass-with more mercurial material,that is.
Fourtnaly,tracks like "Over","Rescue",and "Movies" are a little more earthier than the sweeter songs on here.

Ashanti will most likely become a star.She should.But why does mainstream music have to be so predictible?

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars She is NOT the princess of Hip Hop & R&B, AALIYAH is!!!, April 18, 2002

By	k love (Detroit) - See all my reviews

Ashanti first stepped on the scene with a song on the Fast & the Furious Soundtrack. She then sang on Ja Rule's, "Always on Time." Ja was riding off the success of his collaboration with J-Lo and that song topped the pop charts as it was dwindling down the hip-hop chart. It's all about timing. Ashanti then debuted the solo song, "Foolish," using the Biggie's sample of Debarge's "stay with me." How do you sample a sample?

The video debuted the song. It sold that song. Then you turn around & she's on Fat Joe's "what's luv." Ashanti was on every video and every radio station. She became the first female to have 3 songs in the top ten at the same time. Her album debuted at #1 with 500,000 sold, but does that say she talented or should the marketing department at Murder Inc. get a huge bonus for the good job they've done?

She does write songs that this generation can relate to. They are simple lyrics, but it still gets the point across. "Scared", Movies", "Baby", and "Over" are some stand out songs. The songs on the CD sound good, but I was disappointed when I first heard her live. She did not sound too good, but I dismissed that performance. The 2nd time was just as bad, nothing like the recorded songs.

I gave this 3 stars because I potential in her in the years to come. If she takes some vocal lessons & survive the sophomore jinx, maybe then can she be Hip-Hop & R&B's new princess.

37 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ASHANTI is here to STAY!, April 2, 2002

By	rnbqueen1 - See all my reviews

"See my days are cold without you but I'm hurting while I'm with you and though my heart can't take no more, I keep on running back to you." Words that seem to fit right into the daily picture of many women. Giving their all and getting little in return...being Foolish. Maybe that's why Ashanti's debut single is unstoppable on both urban radio or on music video countdowns across the board, because so many can relate to it. Maybe it's the hypnotizing beat originally sampled from Debarge for the Notorious B.I.G.'s "One More Chance-Remix". Or maybe it's Ashanti's skyrocketing popularity due to show-stealing appearances on Fat Joe's smash `What's Luv" or her label-mate Ja Rule's "Always on Time". Whatever it may be Ashanti seems to be the next big R&B Superstar. Her self-titled album only certifies the star potential that the girl has. From beginning to end Irv Gotti's new money maker drops 14 tracks and 3 skits of music that are destined to blow up. Irv's blockbuster production touch (ala "I'm Real-Remix" and "Ain't It Funny Remix") laces every track on the album and almost ensures that Ashanti will remain in every ones speaker for a long, long time. The next singles "Happy" and "Rescue" have hit written all over them and the extra bonus of Biggie Smalls on the "Unfoolish" remix only add extra value to an already blazing album. While the album includes a couple of bright and sun-shiny moments, "Thank You" and "Dreams", most of the album's length concentrates on love gone wrong. On "Over" Ashanti cries out "Although I know what we had wasn't perfect babe, fooled around, but see that minute didn't phase me I thought by staying, trying to change you would be worth it babe, but now I see that trying to change you only changed me." Stories of a broken heart....many can relate. Even if you can't you can feel the pain through the speakers.