Ashanti

Biography

Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas was born on October 13, 1980, in Glen Cove, New York. Her mother, a former dance teacher, and her father, a former singer, influenced her artistic upbringing. Her mother named her after the Ashanti Empire in Ghana, a civilization where women held positions of power and influence. From a young age, Ashanti took dance lessons and was a member of her church choir. Her vocal talent became apparent at age 12 when her mother heard her singing Mary J. Blige's "Reminisce".

Music Career

Early Career and Breakthrough

After being discovered by producer Irv Gotti of Murder Inc. Records, Ashanti began her professional career by writing hooks and performing on tracks with the label's rap artists. She was featured on "What's Luv?" by Fat Joe and "Always on Time" by Ja Rule, both of which became major hits in 2002. These collaborations propelled her into the spotlight. That same year, she released her debut single, "Foolish," which soared to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This made her the first female artist to hold the top two positions on the chart simultaneously with "Foolish" and "What's Luv?".

Debut Album and Success

Ashanti's self-titled debut album, "Ashanti," was released in 2002 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales exceeding 503,000 copies, a record for a debut female artist at the time. The album, which featured the hit singles "Foolish," "Happy," and "Baby," was certified triple platinum in the United States. It earned her numerous accolades, including a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2003, eight Billboard Music Awards, and two American Music Awards.

Subsequent Albums

Her second album, "Chapter II" (2003), also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum. It included the top-ten singles "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)" and "Rain on Me". Later that year, she released a holiday album, "Ashanti's Christmas". Her third studio album, "Concrete Rose" (2004), debuted at number seven and featured the successful single "Only U".

Acting Career

Ashanti expanded her career into acting, making her feature film debut in the 2005 movie "Coach Carter," starring Samuel L. Jackson. In the same year, she played the lead role of Dorothy in the television film "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz". Her other notable film credits include "John Tucker Must Die" (2006) and "Resident Evil: Extinction" (2007).