The cool sound of Ashanti

Things may seem different in the local hit charts but it cannot be denied that R&B music and its other forms reign supreme in many parts of the world. And among its main proponents is the phenomenal 21-year-old beauty from Long Island, New York named Ashanti. It is said that she strikes a perfect middle-ground between the formidable Mary J. Blige and the sensuous J. Lo and she certainly sounds even sweeter than diva Diana Ross.

Ashanti is one artist who made number one in the hit lists long before she had released an album and people had any idea who she was. This is because she started out doing guest slots in the recordings of artists like Ja Rule Always on Time and Fat Joe, What’s Luv? In fact, it is sometimes said that Ashanti’s light and smooth crooning provides a desirable balance with the gritty delivery by Ja Rule and Fat Joe. She brings in the kids and the girls and she is considered the major factor that turned those songs into huge number one sellers. Of course it also follows that all those who loved those tunes could not wait enough for Ashanti’s solo outing.

Ashanti finally got to drop the "featuring" tag before her name in those earlier recordings with the release of her solo album also titled Ashanti. And what a debut it turned out to be! Ashanti unseated Celine Dion when it entered the charts at number one last February, set a record for female artists when it sold half a million copies on its first week in the stores, and spawned a number one single with Foolish. Like all of the 17 tracks contained in her album, Ashanti co-wrote the song, which contains samples from Stay with Me, which was first popularized by DeBarge.

Of course, now that she is on her own, Ashanti’s mentor Ja Rule is only too glad to take on the "featured" role in her album with Leaving (Always on Time Part 1). P. Diddy is also in for the ride with the remix of the single Foolish titled Unfoolish (No More), where aside from Debarge’s Stay with Me, samples of Puff Daddy’s F***in You Tonight were included. Other cuts are the Intro, which incorporates bits of Always on Time, Happy, Narrative Call (Skit), Call, Scared featuring Irv Gotti, Rescue, Baby, Voodoo, Movies, Fight (Over Skit), Over, Shi shi (Skit), Dreams and Thank You.

Foolish still No. 1

Ashanti’s Foolish is still number one in Billboard Magazine’s Hot 100 singles list where it has been in the top 10 for the past 16 weeks. It is also what has been keeping P. Diddy’s new single from making it to number one. This week’s top 10 are: Foolish by Ashanti; I Need a Girl (Part One) by P. Diddy featuring Usher & Loon; What’s Luv? by Fat Joe featuring Ashanti; U Don’t Have to Call by Usher; A Thousand Miles by the latest piano-playing pop diva, Vanessa Carlton; Without Me, the new release by Eminem; Hot in Here by Nelly; The Middle by Johnny Eat World; All You Wanted by Michelle Branch; and Blurry by Puddle of Mudd.

The top 10 albums are the following: P. Diddy & Bad Boy Records Present – We Invented the Remix by Various Artists; Come Home with Me by Cam’ron; Maladroit by Weezer; 18 by Moby, Juslisen (Just Listen) by Musiq; Vapor Trails by Rush; Ashanti by Ashanti; A New Day Has Come by Celine Dion; Now 9 by Various Artists; and C’mon, C’mon by Sheryl Crow.

New R&B compilations

For more great R&B sounds check out R&B Xpress, a new compilation that features 18 of the brightest and most influential stars of today. Top pick here is Dirty Dancin by Product G&B featuring the great Santana. The album should also introduce the suave charm of Luther Vandross to today‘s generation of R&B fans with the sexy Take You Out.

The other big names included are Ja Rule featuring Case in Livin’ It Up, Alicia Keys and Rock wit U, Mary J. Blige and Family Affair, Afroman with Because I Got High, Outkast and Ms. Jackson, India Arie with Video, Babyface and There She Goes, Busta Rhymes with Break Ya Neck, Eminem and The Way I Am, D12 with Purple Pills, Pink and Split Personality, Angie Stone and Brother, TLC with the huge selling No Scrubs, Nelly featuring City Spud with Ride Wit Me and Sisqo featuring Beanie Sigel for Unleash the Dragon.