Ashanti and Singing?

Can Ashanti really sing? I know, your first thought is who cares. Just like me, whenever her name comes up, I draw a blank. Thank God the days of listening to her and Ja Rule damage the air waves are threw. The whole creation and success of "Murder Inc." made me ill. Call me a "hater" if you'd like, but I just thought they were the clear representation that the music industry no longer cares about talent or hard ambition - all you need to be is a drug dealer with an in.

Ashanti's particular rise to stardom was disturbing because ...well..she couldn't sing. At all. It was like listening to Britanny(sp?) minus the ability to dance. Doesn't that leave you with nothing? Pretty girl, yes. But so are a million others who can actually hold a note. But here is why she really irked me - Christina Millian - exDisney star- had a contract with Def Jam. She released a very cute song for teenage girls (something like from sundown to sun up or something). Video was appropo. Then she made the fatal mistake that changed music for the next 5 years. She did a duet with Ja Rule. And it was a tremendous hit, his first huge hit actually. So, what did Def Jam do? Entered into a contract with Murder Inc (which I think it was a subsidiary, not a joint venture) and gave Ja Rule and Irv Gotti (what a foolish thing to name yourself. Try reading some history books, jerk) full cache to what ever they wanted. And they happened to have Ashanti in their camp - (who, we later found out, was having an affair with Irv Gotti, although she was a baby).

Long story short. Def Jam dropped Christina. Murder Inc replicated Christina's sound with a lighter watered down version, Ashanti, put over the old Biggie "One More Chance" beat. And voila'!! A manufactured hit. Containing an infintessimal amount of talent. And they kept coming, duet after duet, sing song after singsong making me finally turn away from "urban radio" and look away in embarassment at award show after award show. When the Grammy's bowed down and awarded the nonsense, I felt sorry for every true musician out there.

And then - between 50 Cents and NY District Attorney's office, they were able to obliterate the choke hold Murder Inc had on the music industry. And after regurgitating years of nonsense, true musicians were once again given a platform...

So, I say all of this to say, that I haven't missed Ashanti. About a 3 months ago, this wonderful song began playing on the ready. "The Way That I Love You." It starts out with a beautiful piano run tha treminds me of a waterfall and then a girl soulfully singing about being replaced by the man she loves. I loved it immediately. My husband and I agreed it was a hit, wondered who the girl was. A new Mary J? Another soulful Kisha Cole? Maybe Sunshine Anderson was getting another chance.

The more I heard the song, the more I loved it. I had to find out who it was. Today, as I was driving to work (on a Saturday - don't ask) Big Tigger played it. I was jammin, muisic loud and singing hard and then he announced that it was Ashanti's latest hit.

Huh?

Wait...Huh?

I wanted to hate the song, but I have spent months trying to find the singer. Now, I find it impossible to reconciliate my intense dislike of her music with this song that I love. Could it be that she actually could sing all along? Was she another Murder Inc victim (like Charlie Baltimore and Veda - geesh, Murder Inc was the worse), just doing what she was told to be in the spotlight?

I don't know. This is all the time I have allotted to this particular issue. Because she is still very low on my totem pole (would much rather talk about Hancock, uhhh Will smith, some more). But, I have to admit, I found myself amazed today, that a singer I despised for so long was unknowingly able to turn me into a fan...

Bet On Will Smith

Will Smith and the Fourth of July. Its not longer a bet, its a guarantee. How he did it, I don't know. But yesterday, the movie theater was PACKED with white and black movie goers to see Hancock. But not just white and black hip hop heads - from the very old the the very young. Will has transcended race and cultural biases in a way that even Denzel has not quite mastered.

People were pleased to see him. THe old white couple in front of me (and a couple of seats to the left, giving me a good view of their faces) were simply delighted when he came onscreen. I am telling you, it is a shocking thing to behold.

At first I was a bit un impressed with his decision to use Charlize Theron in the movie. I find it difficult to swallow that she is South Afrikan - born and raised during apartheid, folks. So, when she received an award and gave her beloved country a shout out a couple of years ago, my like for her quickly faded to dust. I know, I know, we are loyal to America, and look at all its dirt. But its a stereotype I have a hard time dealing with-and when i look at her she is the picture of that Arian supremacy thing.

However, Charlize played the hell outta this role. She and Will took it up a notch...that's all I'll say without giving away the plot.

But WIll has done it again, I loved Hancock. Just when it felt predictable, they threw in a round of monkey wrenches that turned this into a special film. And seeing the brotherman superhero - in genuine Will Smith wonder - damn...how much more can this man do to make a sistah proud...?