Ja Rule and Ashanti shared the stage during the ‘Fri-Yay’ festivities at Rock The Park in London, Ontario on Friday, July 14, 2023.
Born Jeffrey Bruce Atkins on February 29, 1976, Ja Rule is an American rapper, singer, and actor.
Hailing from Queens, New York, Ja Rule rose to prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s , with his career taking off with the release of his debut studio album, “Venni Vetti Vecci,” in 1999.
The album featured hit singles like “Holla Holla” and “Between Me and You.”
In the early 2000s, Ja Rule collaborated with numerous popular artists, including Jennifer Lopez, Ashanti, and Christina Milian, among others.
Tracks like “Always on Time,” “I’m Real (Murder Remix),” and “Mesmerize” all became chart-topping hits.
Throughout his career, Ja Rule released several albums, including “Rule 3:36,” “Pain Is Love,” and “The Last Temptation.”
Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, actor and author Ashanti is a native of Glen Cove, Long Island.
Ashanti burst onto the music scene with her 2002 smash hit, self-titled debut album “Ashanti.”
It landed the #1 spot on both the Billboard Top 200 and R&B album charts, selling a whopping 504,593 units in its first week.
Her first week showing set a SoundScan record as the most albums sold by any debut female artist in the chart’s history, granting her a spot on Guinness World Records.
With her hit song, “Foolish,” Ashanti also secured the #1 top spot on SIX Billboard charts simultaneously, including Hot R&B/ Hip-Hop Airplay, The Billboard 200, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks, Hot 100 Airplay, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Hot 100! “Foolish” stayed on the Billboard charts for 11 consecutive weeks.
She made Billboard history by having her first three chart entries land in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time. She is the first female to accomplish this feat, previously only attained by the Beatles.
That year she was awarded 8 Billboard awards. Her album “Ashanti” topped the Billboard Album Chart and also won the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album.
In addition, that year she won two American Music Awards and the Soul Train Aretha Franklin Entertainer of the Year Award.
Her follow-up release, “Chapter II,” debuted in the number 1 slot for two consecutive weeks on the Billboard Album Chart and spawned two Top 10 singles.
In addition to her Grammy, she’s also received multiple Soul Train Awards, a MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award, a Comet Award (Grammy Equivalent in Germany), Lady of Soul Awards, a Teen Choice Award and Nickelodeon’s Kid Choice Award, along with many other nominations including an MTV movie award nomination and an NAACP Image Award Nomination for her role as Kera in “Coach Carter.”
Ashanti’s other albums include “Ashanti’s Christmas,” “Concrete Rose,” a remix album titled, “Collectibles by Ashanti” and “The Declaration,” which she Executive Produced.
It was around the time of “The Declaration,” that Ashanti created her own company and label, Written Entertainment. The album was the first release on Written Entertainment, and it was distributed by Universal. Ashanti is the CEO of the company and the first artist on the label.
Since its inception, Ashanti has released numerous projects on the label. “The Declaration” featured producers and artists Babyface, LT Hutton, Diane Warren, Nelly, Jermaine Dupri, Pharell, Robin Thicke, Brian Cox, and Neffu to name a few.
The first single off of “The Declaration,” “The Way That I Love You” won the Music Choice Video of the Year Award in 2009.
More details can be found at http://ashantithisisme.com/.