Happy 20th Anniversary to Ashanti’s eponymous debut album Ashanti, originally released April 2, 2002.
Ashanti may have been the self-titled debut album and formal introduction to the female R&B sensation from New York, but the R&B and hip-hop worlds already knew who she was. Ashanti was discovered by P. Diddy & Bad Boy Records when she was just 14 years old. Although Diddy knew there was a tremendous talent with Ashanti, the parties involved were never able to come to terms on an official contract. Ultimately, this setback resulted in Ashanti pivoting to sign with Jive Records in 1994. In hindsight, she was likely better off sticking with the development deal Diddy had on the table, because Jive’s rather myopic vision was to cultivate her into a pop singer. Thank goodness for R&B that this never happened.
As Ashanti attempted to find her identity and the right fit for her musical talents, she appeared as a background singer on the Murder Remix of "I'm Real" by Ja Rule and Jennifer Lopez in 2001. She would subsequently make various appearances as a featured artist here and there, but when she sang the hooks on two of 2001’s biggest songs—Fat Joe's "What's Luv?" and Ja Rule's "Always on Time” —the big break that she had coveted finally materialized. Not to mention that her instantly memorable contributions to these singles solidified Ashanti as the first female artist to occupy both the #1 and #2 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 charts at the same time.
Capitalizing on these opportunities, Murder Inc. Records invested in showcasing Ashanti’s true talents as a solo artist, beyond songwriting and feature spots. Early in 2002, the label released the lead single for her debut project, “Foolish,” which to this day is her most successful solo record. “Foolish” spent 10 consecutive weeks at #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts. It was a breakthrough record for Ashanti for many reasons, not least of which was its immediate resemblance to The Notorious B.I.G.’s “One More Chance” (Remix) due to the songs’ shared sampling of DeBarge’s classic 1983 track “Stay With Me.” Only this time, the sample was accompanied by a song written from a woman’s perspective by Ashanti herself. She would later unveil a remixed version of the song titled "Unfoolish,” featuring the late Notorious B.I.G.’s verse from his 1997 track “F**k You Tonight.”
Driven by the combined impact of her previous features and the success of “Foolish,” Murder Inc. pushed the pedal to the medal in support of her debut studio album. The project’s second single “Happy” arrived in June of 2002 as a manifestation of Ashanti’s newfound contentment with her burgeoning career and life in general. The single became her second top ten hit as a solo artist, providing additional momentum behind the promotional push for Ashanti.
A few months later, the project’s third and final single arrived in the form of “Baby,” which stands as my personal favorite track from the album, with the piano imbued interpolation of Scarface's "Mary Jane" instantly catching my ear upon hearing it for the first time. Ashanti’s songwriting chops are also on glorious display, right from the first verse: “I got this jones forming in my bones (from a man) / Who indeed took over my soul (understand) / I couldn't breathe if he ever said (he would leave) / Get on my knees 'til they bloody red (baby please) / See I don't know if you get it yet (just don't know) / He's like a lighter to my cigarette (watch me smoke) / I never knew another human life (didn't know) / Could have the power to take over mine, So baby.”
Beyond the album’s three official singles, there are a handful of quality moments and deep cuts throughout the rest of the record. Most notable among these are “Scared” and “Rescue,” which capture the reality of a newfound relationship and define the ups-and-downs of young romance.
Ashanti dominated R&B in the early 2000s, with her debut LP topping the Billboard charts and remaining a chart fixture for 55 consecutive weeks, on its way to securing platinum status. “At that time I didn’t know the difference between top 40, rhythmic, and urban,” Ashanti told VIBE back in 2017. “I just knew that we went in and made a record that I love, and it exploded across every format.”
After a triumphant year in 2002, Ashanti received a huge opportunity as an opening act on Mariah Carey's Charmbracelet World Tour in 2003, in conjunction with the release of her second studio affair Chapter II, auguring many years of success to come for Ashanti.
As we look back upon her debut album 20 years later, put some respect on it when it comes to including it in the conversation about the best R&B debut albums ever.
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