On her career coming to a halt in 2005:
“That was the worst part—not having a say as to what’s happening in my own life,” she says. “To a singer, that’s like telling them they’re dying. It was tragic.”
On finding it hard to watch artists like Fergie and Rihanna fill her void:
"I’d hear a song on the radio and wish mine was next. But I respect a lot of the artists who’ve come along since I was out, especially Rihanna. She’s smart and she’s worked the business instead of having the business work her.”
Back in action now, Ashanti is even more driven, and not just with career. Having two children with her boyfriend and fellow artist Nelly, she says thoughts are turning to marriage.
“I’ve been planning my wedding in my head since I was a little girl, and it just keeps getting more elaborate. I’m a huge fan of the Caribbean, so if I don’t get married in New York, it would have to be on the beach.”
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