Ashanti’s melodious voice and successful track record has placed her on the road where she meets the success at every step. Ashanti Douglas was born in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York. Her family was a musical one in which her father was singer and mother, a dance instructor. Ashanti started singing at the mere age of 6. With her growing up her talent began coming out to make the world aware of birth of a greatest singer. She did not grow only as a singer but also as a song and story writer. She wrote stories in form of songs.
Ashanti’s Journey in the music world started when she was 13 and she scored a record deal. However, the deal could not be finalized. So she did what any teenager would do. Ashanti went to high school, hit the books and became the star of the track team. A few athletic scholarships were offered (Princeton, Hampton University), but Ashanti turned them down to concentrate on her music. 

 

Ashanti made her presence in the world of music when she released her big hit “How We Roll” in 2001. Because of her catchy and melodious voice she came to the attention of Murder Inc. Record company owner Irv Gotti who had already discovered many singing talent and he approached Ashanti to sign a contract with her. Initially showing a bit of hesitation she finally signed the contract. The marketing team of Murder Inc. made comprehensive promotion for her debut release.
Ashanti appeared as the first R&B vocalist on Murder Inc. Ashanti’s lead single foolish made waves at urban station radio by getting heavy rotation and electrified the demand by her fans for the release of her next album before the scheduled plan. So a blend of hip hop groves and subtle R&B styling came into being which hit the market with a great success.
She was featured on Ja Rule Smash “Always on Time” which snatched most of the airwave and video exposure. Additionally, she lent her voice to reigning Don of the Terror Squad, Fat Joe, for his big hit "What's Luv?” Ashanti took the songs away from the thug rappers and formed such a drone only to release her debut and self titled album early before its schedule April 9, 2002. The first single "Foolish" ripped the airwaves and topped the charts and caused the heavy rotation of of the video also.

As a result of all this Ashanti could sell more than half a million copy in the very first week and reached the top of the single chart—a great achievement of a relatively unknown singer.
At one time Ashanti dominated the single chart and her self-titled debut album was released and broke sales records for female R&B artists. The “Foolish” and “Happy” remained on the top of the chart for several weeks in 2002. Ashanti wrote 12 songs for her debut album just not to forget where she had come from. “I want to create something so real and reflective that people just sit back and listen like, ‘damn, was she in my window last night, because this really happened to me,’ ” says the eldest daughter of a dancer and singer. “Everyone has gone through something that’s on this album, and I want to be able to articulate their feelings” Ashanti says.