Ashanti was joined by her collaborators Tichina Arnold and Ja Rule as she gave an emotional speech during the ceremony to install her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“Through the good times, the bad times where it means the most, I am so grateful for our incredible, unbreakable bond. It just means so much, we’ve been through so many dark moments, so to be here today celebrating life together as a family and as a unit, I’m so grateful. It’s still hitting me and I’m still stunned. This is proof to everyone out there that dreams really do come true,” she said, thanking her fans.
Meanwhile, Ashanti recently revealed she is re-recording her Grammy-winning debut album after reclaiming ownership of her masters.
The R&B singer’s 2002 self-titled LP is back in the rightful hands of its creator, and she is “blessed” to be in the position.
“I have an amazing legal team. I was first signed to a record label at the age of 14. Seeing how things have changed so much from then to now; conceptually understanding what you are signing is so important. The fact that I’ll be able to re-record my album and put everything together is such a blessing, I am grateful. The fact that we are still here and living through a pandemic and these blessings are still coming in makes me so humbled,” she said.
The landmark record — which included the hit singles “Foolish,” “Happy” and “Baby” — sold six million copies worldwide and saw the star nominated for three Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best Contemporary R&B Album, the latter of which she took home.
The LP features guest vocals from Gotti, Ja Rule, and the late The Notorious B.I.G.. Ashanti recalled how she recorded the songs in her basement while watching kids’ TV shows.
She recalled: “I wanted to feel like I had my own apartment. So I used to be downstairs in my own section and I would put on the Cartoon Network on mute and I would just write. It allowed me to kind of get into my zone.”
Ashanti followed up her debut album with four more records, her most recent being 2014’s Braveheart. It was released on her independent record label, Written Entertainment.
