Ja Rule. J. Lo. Big Pun. Fat Joe. She's worked with some of the industry's best--writing lyrics and singing hooks that help their records reach the top of the music charts. Now it's time for 21-year-old Ashanti Douglas to take center stage and shine on her very own self-titled debut, the much-anticipated Ashanti . In April, Ashanti hits the scene as the first R&B vocalist on Murder Inc. Although this is a departure for the hip hop powerhouse label that has a roster including rappers Ja Rule, Vita and Charli Baltimore, all indications show that the transition has been more than smooth and successful. Ashanti's lead single, "Foolish," has already made waves at radio--getting heavy rotation on urban stations and galvanizing fans to demand an earlier-than-planned release of her album, a tantalizing blend of edgy hip hop groves and subtle R&B styling. With Ashanti 's clever lyrics and slick production by Murder Inc.'s president Irv Gotti, "Foolish" immediately reminds music lovers of the Notorious B.I.G.'s popular "One More Chance" remix. (True old school heads will remember the familiar melody from DeBarge's 1983 hit "Stay with Me.") Either way, you're sure to be hooked. And that's what Irv's depending on. " Ashanti 's album is full of `one-listens' like `Foolish'," says an exuberant Gotti, whose passion for this project is palpable. "When you hear this song, and other songs on the album like "TK," which is based on one of Scarface's old cuts, you remember it, you're bopping your head to it and you immediately get it." Ashanti 's already well established track record has placed her on the sweet road to success. (Ja Rule's "Always On Time" has broken history as Def Jam's top selling single. Her contribution to J. Lo's "I'm Real" helped give the former fly girl-turned-actress-turned-singer urban credibility.) With her own album, Ashanti continues the saga that is sure to gain her the hip hop/R&B princess crown. And the impact she hopes to make during her reign is simple: "If you're a person who has trouble expressing yourself, all you have to do is pop in this album and it'll speak for you," she says with all sincerity. "When you listen to this album with your man or your girl, everybody will be on the same page." Says a much more boastful Gotti, " Ashanti delivers at the highest level. And she has this personality that makes people love her. She's got too many people feeling her, too many hit records and too much heat for her to stop," he praises. "She can't lose."
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