Entertainment Europe: Ashanti - Fans crowd to R&B star's CD signing
TAPE: EF02/0383
IN_TIME: 14:05:44
DURATION: 4:36
SOURCES: APTN/Universal Music Intl Ltd
RESTRICTIONS: music video/performance rights must be cleared
DATELINE: New York, 3rd May 2002
SHOTLIST
1.CU Ashanti signs CD's
2.WS Ashanti signing CD's
3.CU of Ashanti signing CD's and crowd
4. Pan of crowd to Ashanti
5. CU of Ashanti and crowd
6. Ashanti shakes her hand
7. CU of Ashanti signing CD
8. Clip video "Foolish", Ashanti
9. SOT: ASHANTI (English) "I was downstairs, doing chores, vacuuming and my mom was like no television,
no radio, just do what you have to do, so then she comes flying down the steps yelling at me, I thought I told you no radio and I'm like mom that was me singing and she said what let me hear that again so I actually sang "Reminisce" by Mary J. Blige and after that we started doing local talent shows, shopping a deal, got a deal at 14 with Jive Records."
10. Ashanti on stage with City Official
11. Pan of sign
12. WS Ashanti receives award
13. CU man takes picture
14. Clip video "Foolish", Ashanti
15. SOT ASHANTI (English) "I had to keep lining my name up with the number two make sure it was right, so I set myself up for number 2 you and they told all right, Celine Dion, she dropped her album, you know it's going to be a tough one so I'm like all right number two is not bad and when they told me you know, we actually made
number one, I was ecstatic."
16. Ashanti handed flowers
17. CU of Ashanti with flowers
18. WS of crowd
19. VOX POP Alyssa Andrews, Ashanti fan, "I like her singing, I like her music, everything."
20. VOX POP Ashleigh, Ashanti fan, "Her music inspires me and she's beautiful and I just love her."
21. VOX POP Delandis Browan 21 year old Ashanti fan, "Some of the songs is like touching, you know what I mean, touch your heart."
22. Ashanti on stage with city officials and mother/manager, Tina Douglas
23. WS of group with Ashanti
24. SOT TINA DOUGLAS, Mother/Manager (English): "She can relate to kids, she can relate to adults, she can relate to people that are confident in themselves and she can relate to people that don't have a lot of confidence."
25. CU of girl with Ashanti CD
26. WS Ashanti signing CD's
27. SOT ASHANTI (English): "I belive what we did, Irv Gotti, Murder Inc. Records, Ja Rule, I believe what we did is we kind of shifted R&B, we changed it a little bit, a nice fresh look right now, lyrically and with the beats that they are coming up with, I think we're edging a little bit."
28. Clip video "I'm Real' Jennifer Lopez feat. Ja Rule
29. SOT ASHANTI (English): "I wrote a song for her and I also referenced, "I'm Real" for her and they left my background vocals on the record." (SOT Reporter: "And people, they say, you know, are you the ghost voice for her? Have you heard that?") SOT Ashanti: "Yes, I heard that but I referenced the record for her which is done a lot in the music industry and they left my background vocals on there so." (SOT Reporter: "And that's the end of it, you're not the ghost voice are you?") SOT Ashanti: "I'm not the ghost voice of J-Lo."
30. Clip video "Foolish" Ashanti
ASHANTI GIVEN KEY TO HOME TOWN
The 21 year old singing sensation, Ashanti came home on Friday to Glen Cove, New York to be honoured with the key to the city and sign autographs of her new album CD, 'Ashanti.'
It is a triumphant return for several reasons.
The star has been on an amazing roll with chart topping duets over the last few months, first with Ja Rule and his hit, 'Always on Time.' Her success with that song equalled, if not topped with her duet with Fat Joe and his hit, 'What's Luv.'
Her first single alone, 'Foolish' also topped the charts - topping off the amazing feat of Ashanti's first three chart entries all hitting number one in America. The only other musical act to achieve that success on the charts was the Beatles back in the mid-1960's.
If that was not enough, her recently released solo CD, 'Ashanti' debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with sales of over 503,000 in the first week. That makes her CD the biggest selling R&B release of all time, even surpassing Lauren Hill's "The Miseducation of Lauren Hill".
Ashanti may only be 21 but she set out on the road to stardom when she was much younger. She began singing with her church choir at just 6 years old.
Her parents hoped she would grow up to become a dancer but when Ashanti explains when she was 14 her voice caught her mother's attention.
"I was downstairs, doing chores, vacuuming and my mom was like no television, no radio, just do what you have to do, so then she comes flying down the steps yelling at me, I thought I told you no radio and I'm like mom that was me singing and she said what let me hear that again so I actually sang "Reminisce" by Mary J. Blige and after that we started doing local talent shows, shopping a deal, got a deal at 14 with Jive Records."
The Jive Records deal did not lead to success for Ashanti, and neither did a second record contract a few years later. But her recent deal with Murder Inc. Records has more than made up for the slow start.
The owner of Murder Inc., Irv Gotti has personally managed her career and can be easily be credited with much of her success. He paired her with Ja Rule and Fat Joe to slowly introduce to her a public hungry for young talent.
Ashanti believes that "What we did, Irv Gotti, Murder Inc. Records, Ja Rule, I believe what we did is we kind of shifted R&B, we changed it a little bit, a nice fresh look right now, lyrically and with the beats that they are coming up with, I think we're edging a little bit."
Ashanti has been writing music for a number of years now, even helping Jennifer Lopez out.
"I wrote a song for her and I also referenced, "I'm Real" for her and they left my background vocals on the record."
When asked, "And people, they say, you know, are you the ghost voice for her? Have you heard that?" Ashanti said, "Yes, I heard that but I referenced the record for her which is done a lot in the music industry and they left my background vocals on there so."
The star laughed off a more direct question. "And that's the end of it, you're not the ghost voice are you?"
Ashanti said "I'm not the ghost voice of J-Lo."
Ashanti has been busy making a name for herself creating some of the most memorable music in years.
Her next release is the follow up single to 'Foolish' entitled, 'Happy,'. Ashanti had been working on the track's music video all day, before her appearance outside the Roosevelt Field Mall.
CLEARANCE DETAILS
TITLE: FOOLISH
ARTIST: ASHANTI
LABEL: Muder Inc./Def Jam
PUBLISHER: Universal Music International Ltd
TITLE: I'm Real
ARTIST: Jennifer Lopez
WRITER: No Details
PUBLISHER: No Details
LABEL: Sony Music