In recent months, Ashanti has begun pulling back the curtain on the misogynistic and predatory power imbalances she and many women have encountered working with men in entertainment in the past two decades.
Her latest divulgence arrived during an appearance on the Breakfast Club, where she reignited claims that an unnamed producer offered her the ultimatum of having shower sex with him or handing over $80,000 in exchange for two songs they worked on together.
“We did two records together, he was like, ‘Okay, I’m not gonna charge you, you know you my homie,’” she recalled. “When it came time to put it on the album, he was like, ‘well, let’s take a shower together.’ I thought he was joking, and then he was like, ‘Nah, I’m dead serious. Let’s go out, or let’s take a shower together, and I’ll give you the records. If not, I need 40 racks per record.’”
Ashanti explained that she had only worked with the producer for a few weeks when the suggestion was made. When she first spoke about the incident briefly in a 2018 interview with Access Live, she shared that “it felt disrespectful, obviously,” and added that she had heard similar stories from other women in the music industry. “It’s really creepy, it’s really, really sad,” she added.
In 2020, she provided an update on the claim during an appearance on SiriusXM’s Conversations with Maria Menounos. “The way that apology came in, I actually got three records for free,” she said, though the apology allegedly was only issued after she made a number of calls to friends and family to confront the producer. “And I got two of them mixed and mastered for free also.”
Ashanti recently spoke out against her past collaborator Irv Gotti, who founded Murder Inc. and produced a number of the singer’s earliest records, after he made unsupported claims on Drink Champs that they had been in a romantic relationship.
“Irv has flat-out lied about a lot of things,” Ashanti told Angie Martinez on the IRL podcast in October. “I definitely feel like manipulation played a heavy part in me and Irv’s situation.” The singer explained that the “narcissistic” producer would tell her, “I made you fuckable,” in addition to retaliating against her dating Nelly by withholding studio access. She added: “You know what he said to me? He said, ‘Nah, you want to be with Nelly? Go sign to Derrty Entertainment. We don’t want you.’”
Men and women are rarely ever actually “friends” when the woman is attractive. The man will say something to lure you in, then he later switches it in lust.
Truthfully more men would get the pussy they want, if they just give them woman what she wants, play it cool and smooth the take her out to celebrate. Demanding a woman’s body is a NO NO. A real man knows to let his work work for him.
It’s a turn on when a man can keep it 100.
Al B. Sure! is launching legal action against the author of an unauthorized biography about Kim Porter, the late model…
RIP Rich Homie Quan. Rich Homie Quan, best known for hits “Flex,” “Type of Way,” and his feature on Rich…
On Thursday, August 29, 2024, neighbors reported a foul smell in the 3300 block of Broadmoor Avenue in Columbus, Ohio.…
"I know you want to leave me. But I refuse to let you go." Judge Mathis is out here singing…
TEMPE, Arizona — An investigation is underway after a Wells Fargo employee died while on the job. A new timeline…
All Hail King Tyrese! He has high expectations. According to the 'Sweet Lady' superstar, his interview with Shannon Sharpe on Club…