There was a time when Ashanti was criticized and accused for “trying to be like or take over the lanes” of her music peers. In the early 2000s, the R&B world was still grieving from the sudden loss of music darling Aaliyah and Beyonce was making a big name for herself. So, when new singers would come on the scene, they would get the brunt of judgement — just ask Ciara. The comparisons were brutal.
Ashanti wasn’t necessarily the loudest singer or hardest dancer but, she had a niche. There were many appealing traits that she possessed that had Beyonce and Aaliyah fans low-key admiring her — we just couldn’t say it yet. Beautiful and more than capable of writing her own music, Ashanti was making hit after hit, but people were still playing down her greatness, merely dismissing her as Ja Rule’s sidekick.
Despite the pressure, Ashanti not only stuck to her own lane, but she stayed consistent for years as the female staple of label Murder Inc. Now, nearly 20 years later, fans — including the undercover fans — are finally embracing Ashanti (and her thighs) for what she is — a graceful powerhouse survivor of the tumultuous music industry. She represents strength, all while keeping herself up by taking care of her mind, body, and soul.
We’ve seen this light within her shine many times. While our beloved J. Lo claimed credit for a song that Ashanti wrote, Ashanti maintained that same class she’s always had. When Nelly acted a complete fool with one of the best things that ever happened to him, Ashanti didn’t do like his previous girlfriends and defame his name all over the blogs. Even with the recent business tug of war with longtime associate Irv Gotti about her remaking albums from her early career for master ownership purposes, Ashanti addressed the situation and still kept it classy.
We’re sure she has her own weaknesses and flaws, but it doesn’t even matter because Ashanti never presented herself as perfect — just human. Ashanti deserves her flowers. That realization was even more apparent with her latest performance of hits at the Soul Train Awards where she was honored as “The Lady of Soul.”
Her first song on the setlist? My personal favorite… “Happy.” (Shoutout to Glo!)
See the nostalgic performance below:
