Ashanti
R&B Singer
Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas is an American singer and actress. She was first discovered as a teenager and later signed to Murder Inc. Records in 2002. That year, she was featured on Fat Joe's "What's Luv?" and Ja Rule's "Always on Time", both of which became two of the biggest hit songs of 2002.
About
Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas, known professionally as Ashanti, was born on October 13, 1980 in Glen Cove, New York. Her mother is Tina Douglas and her father is Ken-Kaide Thomas Douglas. She has two sisters; Kenashia and Shia Douglas. Ashanti's parents divorced when she was a teenager and she moved with her mother to New Jersey.
Ashanti began singing at the age of 12, performing at local events and competitions with her cousin's group called "Charli Baltimore". In 1995, she signed with Jive Records and released her debut self-titled album in 2002 which went multi-platinum. The lead single from the album, "Foolish" topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for ten consecutive weeks and became one of the biggest songs of that year. Ashanti continued to have success over the next few years; releasing her second album "Chapter II" in 2003 which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified double platinum. In 2004, she released "Concrete Rose", her third studio album which also achieved multi-platinum status.
In addition to music, Ashanti has also appeared in numerous films including Coach Carter (2005), John Tucker Must Die (2006), Resident Evil: Extinction (2007), and Beauty Shop (2005). Throughout her successful career, she has won many awards such as four American Music Awards, three Billboard Music Awards, two Soul Train Music Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album for Chapter II in 2003.
Life Timeline
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">1980</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Ashanti is Born</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">On October 13, 1980, Ashanti was born in Glen Cove, New York.</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">1995</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Begins Writing Songs</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Ashanti begins writing songs at age 15.</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">1999</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Signed to Murder Inc. Records</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Ashanti signs to Murder Inc. Records and begins work on her debut album.</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2002</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Debut Album is Released</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Ashanti releases her self-titled debut album that goes on to sell over 500,000 copies in its first week of release.</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2003</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Ashanti wins a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album for her album “Ashanti”.</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2008</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">First Acting Role</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Ashanti makes her acting debut with a role in the film “Coach Carter”.</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2014</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Releases Fifth Studio Album</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Ashanti releases her fifth studio album “Braveheart”, which is her first independent release.</p></div>
Why We Love Them
<div id="" class="whywelove-item"><h3 id="" class="whywelove-title"><span class="whywelove-leter">A.</span> She's an Incredible Artist</h3><p id="" class="whywelove-text">Ashanti is an incredible artist. She has a powerful voice and her music is incredibly soulful. Her lyrics are heartfelt and inspiring, making her songs some of the most popular in R&B. </p></div>
<div id="" class="whywelove-item"><h3 id="" class="whywelove-title"><span class="whywelove-leter">B.</span> She's a Great Role Model</h3><p id="" class="whywelove-text">Ashanti is a great role model for young women. She has always been outspoken about her beliefs and has been an advocate for social justice. She also works hard to promote body positivity and encourages girls to be confident in their own skin.</p></div>
<div id="" class="whywelove-item"><h3 id="" class="whywelove-title"><span class="whywelove-leter">C.</span> She's Achieved Great Success</h3><p id="" class="whywelove-text">Ashanti has achieved great success in her career. She has won multiple awards, including Grammy Awards and American Music Awards. Ashanti has also sold millions of records worldwide, making her one of the top selling female artists of all time.</p></div>
Interesting Facts
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">1.</span> Ashanti is a Multi-Platinum Singer and Actress</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Ashanti is a multi-platinum singer, actress, and songwriter with over 15 million albums sold worldwide. She has also won numerous awards including four Grammy Awards and an NAACP Image Award.</p></div>
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">2.</span> Her Debut Album was Certified 8x Platinum</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">In 2002, Ashanti released her self-titled debut album, which went on to become certified 8x platinum by the RIAA.</p></div>
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">3.</span> Ashanti is the First Artist to Top the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Tracks Simultaneously</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">In 2003, Ashanti became the first artist to top the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Tracks simultaneously with her single "Foolish".</p></div>
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">4.</span> She Was Named Billboard's Top Female Artist of 2002</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">In 2002, Ashanti was named Billboard’s Top Female Artist of the Year, making her the first female artist to ever achieve that honor.</p></div>
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">5.</span> Ashanti has Written Songs for Other Artists</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Ashanti has written songs for other artists such as Jennifer Lopez, Ja Rule, and Mary J Blige among others.</p></div>
FAQs
