Initially recognized for her beauty, her dancing, and her acting, New York vocalist Ashanti eventually caught the eye of big-money rap producer Irv Gotti. After showcasing her swooning voice most notably on Big Pun's "How We Roll," as well as scoring a sneak-peek appearance on the Fast and Furious soundtrack, Gotti hooked Ashanti up with his Murder Inc. crew and put the wheels in place for her debut solo album.

Given Gotti's track record with success-story artists such as Ja Rule along with Ashanti's limitless talents, success came quickly for the young singer/actress/dancer. A duet with Ja Rule, "Always on Time," hit number one on Billboard's Hot 100 chart in early 2002 just as a duet with Fat Joe, "What's Luv?," was creeping toward the same number one chart position. These two airplay-heavy singles, of course, set the stage perfectly for Ashanti's self-titled debut release. The album's lead single, "Foolish," raced up the Billboard chart, entering the Top Ten in March alongside "Always on Time" and "What's Luv?," giving her three Top Ten songs in the same week.

Of course, Ashanti isn't an overnight sensation. Her music career began back in 1994 when her performance at a talent show caught the eyes of industry insiders. It wasn't long before she signed with a management team and began getting increasingly higher-profile gigs, eventually landing the opportunity to work with Gotti. In addition to her singing talent, Ashanti also trained as a dancer at the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center, learning a number of dance styles. She danced most notably in Disney's Polly, which starred Phylicia Rashad, and also appeared in a number of big-name music videos, in addition to other dance work. As an actress, she made a name for herself with roles in Spike Lee's Malcolm X and Who's da Man before that.

- barnseandnoble.com