Ashanti S. Douglas is a pretty girl as her self-titled debut's heavily airbrused album cover and her television apperances prove BUT she does have a sweet yet light voice which is pleasant and she writes most of her own material(she also co-wrote Jennifer Lopez & Ja Rule's #1 collabration "Ain't It Funny").But even with good looks and a knack for songwriting,
Ashanti's debut isn't anything new.

This is radio-ready,"106 & Park"-tailored R&B.Stricly for the kids not fans of earthy soul or trendy folks.
Ashanti-who wrote much of "Ashanti"-talks about about three things:love,love,and more love.Groundbreaking...

Sugary,radio-friendly cuts like the first single "Foolish"
(already a hit),"Baby","Call"(featuring her labelmate,Ja Rule)
are pure polite,cutesy teen-R&B fare with easy,elementary,easy-to-sing lyrics to boot.It sounds like these aren't neccesarily songs Ashanti wants to sing,but songs she thinks a photogenic,cute young girl SHOULD sing.And that's the problem,
there seems be no real respect for R&B and it shows.
Since this album was produced by Irv Gotti(like Ja Rule,Ashanti is a Murder Inc. artist;she's the crew's first non-rap artist),
it shows that the folks here are on the more street,hip hop tip and they feel that R&B is just folks singing about love.

Ashanti never passes the line of "R&B Girl",which I think she can easily pass-with more mercurial material,that is.
Fourtnaly,tracks like "Over","Rescue",and "Movies" are a little more earthier than the sweeter songs on here.

Ashanti will most likely become a star.She should.But why does mainstream music have to be so predictible?

Ashanti first stepped on the scene with a song on the Fast & the Furious Soundtrack. She then sang on Ja Rule's, "Always on Time." Ja was riding off the success of his collaboration with J-Lo and that song topped the pop charts as it was dwindling down the hip-hop chart. It's all about timing. Ashanti then debuted the solo song, "Foolish," using the Biggie's sample of Debarge's "stay with me." How do you sample a sample?

The video debuted the song. It sold that song. Then you turn around & she's on Fat Joe's "what's luv." Ashanti was on every video and every radio station. She became the first female to have 3 songs in the top ten at the same time. Her album debuted at #1 with 500,000 sold, but does that say she talented or should the marketing department at Murder Inc. get a huge bonus for the good job they've done?

She does write songs that this generation can relate to. They are simple lyrics, but it still gets the point across. "Scared", Movies", "Baby", and "Over" are some stand out songs. The songs on the CD sound good, but I was disappointed when I first heard her live. She did not sound too good, but I dismissed that performance. The 2nd time was just as bad, nothing like the recorded songs.

I gave this 3 stars because I potential in her in the years to come. If she takes some vocal lessons & survive the sophomore jinx, maybe then can she be Hip-Hop & R&B's new princess.

"See my days are cold without you but I'm hurting while I'm with you and though my heart can't take no more, I keep on running back to you." Words that seem to fit right into the daily picture of many women. Giving their all and getting little in return...being Foolish. Maybe that's why Ashanti's debut single is unstoppable on both urban radio or on music video countdowns across the board, because so many can relate to it. Maybe it's the hypnotizing beat originally sampled from Debarge for the Notorious B.I.G.'s "One More Chance-Remix". Or maybe it's Ashanti's skyrocketing popularity due to show-stealing appearances on Fat Joe's smash `What's Luv" or her label-mate Ja Rule's "Always on Time". Whatever it may be Ashanti seems to be the next big R&B Superstar. Her self-titled album only certifies the star potential that the girl has. From beginning to end Irv Gotti's new money maker drops 14 tracks and 3 skits of music that are destined to blow up. Irv's blockbuster production touch (ala "I'm Real-Remix" and "Ain't It Funny Remix") laces every track on the album and almost ensures that Ashanti will remain in every ones speaker for a long, long time. The next singles "Happy" and "Rescue" have hit written all over them and the extra bonus of Biggie Smalls on the "Unfoolish" remix only add extra value to an already blazing album. While the album includes a couple of bright and sun-shiny moments, "Thank You" and "Dreams", most of the album's length concentrates on love gone wrong. On "Over" Ashanti cries out "Although I know what we had wasn't perfect babe, fooled around, but see that minute didn't phase me I thought by staying, trying to change you would be worth it babe, but now I see that trying to change you only changed me." Stories of a broken heart....many can relate. Even if you can't you can feel the pain through the speakers.

Ashanti, the most hyped and anticipated debut album ( or any album for that matter ) since Aaliyah's self titled release last year in July. Does she deliver? You bet she does. At first when I heard Ashanti was dropping an album I immediately thought it was gonna be garbage. I wasn't too impressed with her singing on songs like Big Pun's How We Roll or Always On Time by Ja Rule. I thought of her as just another fine dime in the videos trying to sing the hook. I especially didn't appreciate her trying to make her first hit over a beat that has been sampled numerous times; most popularly by the Notorious B.I.G. I was wrong. Dead Wrong. While also appearing on Fat Joe's What's Luv, where her singing skills really skyrocketed, she drops the solo joint. For one thing her singing is excellent and vastly improved on this cd, I was really surprised and impressed. The songwriting is superb as well. The highlight of this album is the production. Every song is tight production wise.

In the booklet she promoted t-shirts that said Princess of R&B and rightfully so. This record sounds very similar to how a Mary J. Blige cd would sound. When I say sound I mean the type of beats and the way she sings them. In fact this is the closest thing to a Mary cd that I own ( the only thing it lacks is the raw pure emotion ). For example the song `Happy' sounds a little like Mary J's Love Is All We Need. For me, this type of sound is excellent because I love Mary J and her sound. Other standout songs include Leaving feat. Ja Rule, a nice sequel to Always On Time, Rescue, Scared, Over etc. etc. `Movies' could possibly be the best song on the album. Beautiful singing and production. Unfoolish features Notorious B.I.G. who drops the same verse from his song F. You Tonight. Dreams is basically dreamy; a nice feel good song.

Ashanti's album delivers through all the hype. An impressive debut if I must say. As a matter of fact I wouldn't hesitate to call this the best female R&B album of the year (so far). I definitely recommend it to all fans of the songs she is on right now and to all who like contemporary R&B.

Predictable Artists&Acts today are like your Daily ROutine you know how&where everything is gonna land&where it all shall go.Ashanti bit the Debarge Hook for "Foolish" that Biggie Used a few years back.safe formula.and Her whole Presentation&Vibe reminds me of watered down Aaliyah but just going through the Motions.there will be 99 more Ashanti's within the next year.this Formula is really Safe but it Makes Dollars&as the saying goes if it ain't broke don't try fixing it.