Media Outrage

Ashanti attended the “Ultimate Prom” hosted by Hearst Magazines and Universal Motown on Friday at the Grand Hyatt in NY. Ashanti gets sexier and sexier with every passing event. Ashanti’s long awaited album “The Declaration” hits stores Tuesday. Who’s copping it?

Here are excerpts from her interesting interview with S2S Magazine:

Jamie: People are saying Irv was saying you were trying to deny him while Murder Inc. dealt with the FBI investigation?

Ashanti: [laughs] You know what? It’s just really weird because it was a very bad time. It was a very upsetting time for everyone—all the artists signed to Murder Inc. And going through the trial was tough on everyone’s personal life, on everyone’s career. You know, and it’s very—you saw me at the trial—

Jamie: You were there?!

Ashanti: Yeah, I was there. Ja [Rule] was there, Lloyd was there; everyone was there. I’ve said this numerous times: Sometimes, Irv—he gets very emotional. Sometimes it’s a good thing and sometimes it’s not a good thing. In this business there’s really no room for emotion because it can mess a lot of things up.

Jamie: So tell me about [the movie] John Tucker Must Die!

Ashanti: I was actually in Jamaica when I got the call about John Tucker Must Die. I was in the studio with Sean Paul. It was a long, long, long time ago. I got the call and at first I was like, hmmm, I don’t know.

Jamie: Why would you feel like that?

Ashanti: Because it was so different for me. It was like, “Hi, I’m Heather the cheerleader.” You know what I’m saying? [laughs] It was a completely different character. But then when I thought about it I said, you know, this would definitely open up my demographic. You have to be versatile and show the world that you don’t want to get pigeonholed into one character.

Jamie: What do you do to get ready for your acting?

Ashanti: [laughs] I do have an acting coach. If I’m preparing and I know I’ve got the film, I’ll go in and brush up and try a few things here or there. But it’s all about bringing that character to life from inside.

Jamie: Who are you now? How do you compare to Ashanti on the first album?

Ashanti: Oh my gosh! I was so naïve. I was so naïve.

Jamie: About what? Life?

Ashanti: About everything. About life. About this music. About people in general, who to trust, who not to trust. To understand that this is business at the end of the day, please don’t take anything personal, regardless of what it is. Wow, when I think about my first album and going to the studio and just learning the business aspect of everything, I was naïve.

Jamie: What did you think?

Ashanti: I thought it was peaches and cream. [laughs] Oh my gosh; I mean it’s crazy because before I got into it, I had already had two failed record deals. So I knew everything wasn’t just rosy. But once I got in it I was like, oh okay, this is how it goes.

Jamie: Some people think that once the contract is signed, they go in the studio and, hey, it’s over. That’s it.

Ashanti: Oh, no! That doesn’t happen.

Jamie: It’s a lot of work.

Ashanti: It’s a lot of work. I think Ja was like 6 million in by the time I got up there. It was just a test for me. Could I fit in with these dudes? Could I really write? I still had to do my chit’lin circuit, I still had to do my studio rat, you know? It took like a year. I wasn’t even signed when “Foolish” came out. Big Pun to Fat Joe to “Always on Time” to “Foolish,” I still didn’t have a deal. I wasn’t signed. If I would have known that back then! Whooa! [laughs] Whooo! Baby! Oh my gosh. I would have added at least 10 more zeros to that deal.

Jamie: But you know now.

Ashanti: Exactly.

Jamie: And you were a studio rat. Studio rat is like, “Hey, come in and sing on a song?”

Ashanti: No, no, no. Studio rat was, “Yeah, yeah, yeah; come to the studio and we’ll see what happens.” It’s nothing but dudes and dice and smoke and old food and video games and loud music and chicks. You’re just in a corner, like, I’m here. [laughs]

Jamie: But Mom was with you?

Ashanti: Mom wasn’t there. Mom came sometimes, but I had to be me. I had to go and I had to fit in and I had to see what it was all about.

Jamie: Okay. Now you know. [laughs] How did you raise [your mom]. ‘Cause I know you raised her.

Ashanti: [laughs] Um, let me see. Me and my mom, we have an amazing relationship. And it’s weird because we’re more like friends as opposed to a mother-daughter authoritative relationship. Now, don’t get it twisted: I got punished, I got yelled at, screamed on and all of that good stuff. But I always felt comfortable with my mom from being super, super young. Our relationship has only gotten better with time.

Jamie: It’s gotten better, but how? Can she still be Mom and you still be her daughter? Or does she tell you what to do? How do you all work that out?

Ashanti: I would say we work together. I voice my opinion, she voices her opinion; obviously at the end of the day I make my decision. And I’m an adult, so—

Jamie: So, did you ever go against her?

Ashanti: Of course.

Jamie: Now why wasn’t Ja Rule on this album?

Ashanti: It’s so expected for me and Ja to do a record, so we both kind of took control of our projects and wanted to do something very different this time. It doesn’t mean that we’re never going to do another record together. ‘Cause you know we have an amazing chemistry.

Jamie: What the hell happens to them? Did he make a song about you named “Judas”?

Ashanti: You know, I spoke to Ja about the record. And again, it was that emotional thing. Ja was upset about a couple of things, about a year or two ago, and we spoke after it. But my thing is, we’re adults. You got my numbers, I got your numbers. If there’s a problem just holla at me. You know, it’s very simple.

Jamie: How do you feel when that comes at you? This generation of artists is just crazy because you’ve never seen artists talk about one another like this generation—like the rappers and everything. I know a lot of times they think it increases sales, but I think it hurts; it hurts the families, it hurts the friends around that artist and it hurts the artists. And yet, you all still have to be out there, keep your face up. Right?

Ashanti: Yeah, you’ve got to keep your game face on at all times; it doesn’t matter how bad something has hurt you. It’s crazy because at the end of the day we’re all regular people; we hurt just like everyone else.