Ashanti

Ashanti is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was discovered as a teenager by record producer Irv Gotti and signed to his label, Murder Inc. Records, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings, in 2002. That same year, she appeared on the hit singles “What’s Luv?” by Fat Joe and “Always on Time” by Ja Rule, which peaked at numbers two and one on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. Alongside her debut single “Foolish,” which spent ten weeks at number one, Ashanti became the first female artist to simultaneously hold the top two spots on the Billboard Hot 100.
These chart-topping hits laid the foundation for her self-titled debut album, Ashanti, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and has sold over six million copies worldwide. For her achievements, she was awarded a Grammy Award.
In 2005, Ashanti shifted her focus toward acting, landing a role in the film Coach Carter and starring in the TV special The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, which drew nearly eight million viewers. She later appeared in John Tucker Must Die (2006) and Resident Evil: Extinction (2007).

Ashanti’s early life had a significant influence on her music career.

• Ashanti's full name is Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas.
• She was born on October 13, 1980, in Glen Cove, New York.
• Ashanti's mother named her after the Ashanti Empire, which ruled in Ghana from 1670 to 1957.
• At the age of 12, Ashanti’s mother discovered her full singing potential when she overheard her singing Mary J. Blige’s “Reminisce.”
• While attending high school, Ashanti began writing songs.
• As a teenager, she performed in local talent shows and at several small festivals.
• She got her first taste of acting as a child extra in Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1992) and Ted Demme's Who's the Man?.
• She also made minor appearances in music videos, including KRS-One's "MC's Act Like They Don't Know" and 8-Off's "Ghetto Girl.”
• Despite being courted by several record labels, including Bad Boy and Jive, Ashanti struggled to find success as a singer.
• Nevertheless, she continued performing around New York and began spending time at the Murder Inc. recording studio, hoping for her big break.
• Ashanti’s potential was soon noticed by Irv Gotti, a producer at Murder Inc.
• He invited her to write hooks for his rap artists and perform duets with them.
• She was first featured as a background vocalist on rapper Big Pun’s song “How We Roll.”

Ashanti comes from a family with a musical background.

• Her mother, Tina Douglas, is African American and a former dance teacher.
• Her father, Ken-Kaide Thomas Douglas, is also African American and a former singer.
• Ashanti is the eldest of their children and has a younger sister named Kenashia "Shia" Douglas.
• Ashanti dated rapper Nelly from 2003 to 2013 after they met at the 2003 Grammy Awards.
• The two rekindled their relationship in 2023.
• In December 2023, it was reported that the couple were expecting their first child together.
• They married on December 27, 2023.
• In April 2024, Ashanti confirmed both her pregnancy and their engagement in Essence magazine.
• On July 18, 2024, the couple welcomed their first child.