10 PHOTOS

The Hotness: Ashanti

The Hotness: 10 Ashanti Pics That'll Make You Drop Your Phone

Published Sun, February 6, 2022 at 6:00 PM EST

quotes
Everyone is different, but I was raised by a family that was humble and filled with lots of love. Whether I wanted to be an artist or a farmer, my family would love and support me the same. It just starts with that. I’m super blessed to have a genuine family. I’ve seen a lot of sad things in this industry – relationships getting torn apart, trust issues and broken loyalty. I know that it’s really a blessing to have a family to help me stay grounded. It’s just never been my thing to become a completely different person because of all of...this."

- Ashanti, (HYPEBAE interview, 2018)

She's one of the most accomplished R&B stars of her generation, and Ashanti has earned her spot. She's topped the charts as a commercial force, but also became a style maven and sex symbol along the way. The "Foolish" singer has the awards, the clout and the legacy to be considered one of the defining stars of our time. And her influence stretches across pop and R&B.

And in the age of Instagram, you'd be hard-pressed to find a singer over 40 who can get the Web to stop and stare like Ms. Ashanti Douglas. The songstress works Instagram better than some half her age; and she proves that beauty is forever and Black most definitely don't crack. We've got the pics to prove it.

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Empowering Women

"I'm just a huge advocate of women empowerment. Just being a young female in this very male-dominated industry it's just so hard sometimes to garner that same respect. And still respect yourself and go in and be focused on music and not be distracted by other things going on."

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"I Try To Get In My Crunches..."

“Oh my gosh, my daily diet?” Ashanti shared with 11Alive’s Francesca Amiker back in 2019. “I’m on a juice cleanse right now! It’s all plant-based, beyond burgers, asparagus, veggies, stuff like that. And I try to get in my crunches and jump rope in.”

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Trust Yourself

"I think just learning to trust myself [is important], learning to be motivated to say, 'Hey, your future is in YOUR hands and YOUR destiny,' is really important. You have to kind of be in the driver's seat and know what's going on. It's very hard being the executive AND the artist."

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A Lady Of Soul

"I'm honored to be recognized as [2021]'s Lady of Soul honoree. This is a full-circle moment for me because I received the Aretha Franklin Entertainer of the Year Award at the Lady of Soul Awards in 2002."

5 of 10

A Gift and A Curse

"The good thing [about the music business] is that people are a lot more forward, a lot more to the point, a lot more willing to take risks and do things that are a lot more outlandish and different. I guess that’s kind of a gift and a curse."

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"I Wasn't Expecting It"

“Listen, I wasn’t expecting it," she told Fat Joe of her unexpected Verzuz reunion with ex-bf Nelly. "And that’s the crazy thing! I seen his eyes get big and I didn’t know what was gonna happen. I didn’t know what to expect. It was positive.”

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"Love Yourself First..."

"You have to be happy from within. So if you’re happy with a big butt or if you’re happy with a little butt, as long as you are happy, that’s what matters. You have to be confident and love yourself first and demand that respect regardless of what anyone else thinks or has to say about it."

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Determination

"I think you have to be very determined, I think you have to be motivated, you have to have a thick skin and you have to have an incredible drive. Not everyone is going to like you. You're definitely going to get rejected before you get accepted, and as long as you're able to maintain your expectations, you should be okay."

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A "Sea Of Blue Checks" In Her DMs

“Baby!… Listen,” Ashanti told Black America Web last year. “It’s a sea of blue checks. It’s a sea of not blue checks. Nah, but it’s kinda crazy. It’s definitely a party going on in my DMs.”

10 of 10

Being A Force In Your Field

"My mom has been a huge inspiration to me," she shared in 2018. "It's weird because I grew up watching her in a business suit, with a briefcase, going to work and it was very different from what I'm doing in my career. So I think the path is just being a very powerful, strong woman going into the workforce. And that's kind of the same mentality that I have."

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