Biography

Her mother, Tina Douglas, named her after the Ashanti Empire in Ghana; in this nation, women had power and influence, and Tina wanted her daughter to follow that model.

Her songs "Foolish", "Always on Time" and "What's Luv" made the top 10 all in one week.

Her grandfather, James, was a civil rights activist who associated with Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s.

Wrote all 12 tracks on her self-titled debut album.

Became the first African-American female to lead a national campaign for Herbal Essence. [2004].

I'm not trying to not do music. There's just a feeling when you create a hot record and have people fall in love with your record. There's nothing like that feeling.

I am not a good decision maker; that's one of the things I don't like about myself.

It's so important to never limit yourself, to find yourself in a box.

Times are completely different now. If you're a brand new artist with a record you want to release to the masses, I would suggest you try and get it hot yourself first. This way you can create your own demand so you'll end up having the option of demanding what you want if you do decide to sign with a label. If you don't and you still get on hot on your own, you then have the ability to reap all of your profits.

I have always been able to write on the spot. It is a talent that I guess comes naturally.