After showcasing her swooning voice on Big Pun's "How We Roll" and the Fast and Furious soundtrack - both in 2001 - Gotti put Ashanti to work on her debut album, which he produced. The multi-talented vocalist was causing quite a stir, and Gotti did what he could to bring her into his Murder Inc. As an actress, she made a name for herself with roles in Spike Lee's Malcolm X and Who's da Man before that. She danced most notably in Disney's Polly, which starred Phylicia Rashad, and also appeared in a number of big-name music videos, in addition to other dance work. She trained as a dancer at the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center, learning a number of dance styles. The New York producer took notice of Ashanti initially because of her beauty, dancing, and acting. Her presence was inescapable.Īshanti's overnight jump to superstardom followed that of Ja Rule, a similar urban music sensation helmed by Gotti. It didn't take the young vocalist long to make a name for herself though: her debut album topped the Billboard album chart just as her debut solo single, "Foolish," was topping the Hot 100 chart. ("Unfoolish") - contrasting the tough-guy male perspective with her own. Ashanti built her reputation with duets, where she would complement an already popular rapper - Ja Rule ("Always on Time"), Fat Joe ("What's Luv?"), the Notorious B.I.G. She quickly became a sensation, gracing the covers of magazines and dominating urban radio. With hitmaker Irv Gotti at the helm, Ashanti blasted into the urban music scene in 2002, topping the charts with multiple singles at once.
Born: Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas on in Glen Cove, NY
0 kommentar(er)
