| Chene Park Detroit: Ashanti's energetic 45 minute performance was four stars of a possible four stars. Her stage show rocked the packed house at Chene Park and had everyone on their feet partying from start to end. At times her performance felt like a Janet Jackson/ Bad Boy revival yet those similarities where quickly glanced away as she proved she's a musical phenomenon. |
Ashanti at the age of 14, was discovered by P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records. After being impressed by her singing ability, Diddy later signed her to a development deal, but, due to a bad contract, Ashanti did not sign with Diddy. This ultimately led to a Record deal with Jive Records in 1994.
Ashanti debut studio debut album was released on April 2, 2002 by Murder Inc. and Def Jam Records. The album features guest vocals from Gotti, Ja Rule, and the late The Notorious B.I.G. Fat Joe's "What's Luv?" and Ja Rule's "Always on Time". "What's Luv?" and "Always on Time" were released simultaneously and became two of the biggest hit songs of 2002. Ashanti became the first female artist to occupy the top two positions on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart simultaneously when "Always on Time" and "What's Luv? It earned Ashanti three Grammy nominations for Best New Artist, Best Contemporary R&B Album, and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
