Ashanti

Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas (born October 13, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She was discovered as a teenager by record producer Irv Gotti, and signed with his label Murder Inc. Records, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2002. That same year, Ashanti guest appeared on the 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; the latter, with her 2002 debut single "Foolish", made her the first female artist to occupy the top two positions the chart simultaneously.

Ashanti's eponymous debut album (2002) debuted atop the Billboard 200, received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), won Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 singles "Happy" and "Baby". She then co-wrote and provided background vocals for Jennifer Lopez's 2002 single "Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)", which peaked the Billboard Hot 100. Her second album, Chapter II (2003), became her second to peak the Billboard 200 and received platinum certification by the RIAA. It received three nominations at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards, while its lead singles, "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)" and "Rain on Me", peaked at numbers two and seven on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. Her third album, Ashanti's Christmas, was released that same year as a Christmas album; it was met with a steep critical and commercial decline.

Ashanti's fourth album, Concrete Rose (2004), debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 despite mixed critical response. Its lead single, "Only U", peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart—her most successful song in that country. Its second single, "Don't Let Them", saw limited success due to Def Jam's legal issues with Murder Inc. label head Irv Gotti. Her fifth album, The Declaration (2008), was met with moderate reception and became her final release on a major label; her sixth album, Braveheart (2014), was released independently. Ashanti has sold nearly 30 million records worldwide.

Ashanti has acted in several productions, debuting in the film Coach Carter and starring in the TV special The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (both 2005), the latter of which attracted nearly eight million viewers. She also appeared in John Tucker Must Die (2006) and Resident Evil: Extinction (2007).