In Search of...Ashanti

For about three weeks back in 2002 Ashanti was bigger than Beyoncè. Hard to fathom now, but the former Murder Inc. songstress was riding high at the top of the charts with “Foolish”, “Baby”, “Happy” and a slew of collaborations with Ja Rule. I was disappointed in America, but folks seemed to really dig her and I’m sure she believed that a long, successful career was a head of her.

A funny thing happened along the way to legendary status, Ashanti became collateral damaged as 50 Cent dismantled Ja Rule and the Feds took down Murder Inc. You know what, let me stop, the girl can’t sing and at some point that makes a difference! How many Puffy samples were Irv and the boys gonna use to hide the fact that the girl couldn’t handle a tune? It didn’t help that her dance moves were tired as well and the little girls who dug her music started to grow up a bit and realized her shortcomings.

After Chapter II was released, it seems her walls came tumbling down at the FBI raided Murder Inc. offices and they went to trial, 50 Cent went into the stratosphere and Beyoncè went solo. That’s three strikes for a marginally talented singer. So, as the INC. picked up the pieces and video snippets and rumors about an affair with Irv Gotti spread, she still tried to release music…bad music. Next, she tried to go the Beyoncè route and hook up with a hugely successful rapper, Nelly. Too bad his star was falling too, so no one really cared, plus Nelly seems more interested in a “tip drill” than updating his sound and staying relevant.

For a couple years they were fodder for gossip sites and anyone beat enough to care. I think Ashanti released an album a couple years ago, but I can’t recall a song at all. She parted ways with Irv Gotti and Murder Inc., broke up with Nelly and Ja Rule is struggling to get 20 people at a concert, she can’t even make a run as the non-talented singer because Rihanna has that locked down. If she’s on Twitter, someone tell her to holla at me, I need to know what she’s up to, don’t want her doing porn…

Leave a respond