Ultimate Ashanti: March 2012

RADIO INTERVIEW: ASHANTI CHATS WITH RUSS PARR

Ashanti visited 'The Russ Parr Morning Show' to talk about her new music, her rumored deal with Cash Money Records, her relationship with Nelly and whether she plans to acquire JaRule for her new label upon his release. Listen to the interview below:

RADIO INTERVIEW: ASHANTI CHATS WITH 92Q JAMS

Ashanti stopped by 92Q Jams in Baltimore to chat about her video, her forthcoming studio album and the hardships of being an independent artist. Listen to the interview below:

ASHANTI APPEARS ON BET'S '106 & PARK'

Earlier today (March 13), Ashanti's appearance on '106 & Park' aired and in the interview, she talked about her new label, her new music video and her new album 'Brave Heart'.

MUSIC VIDEO: ASHANTI - 'THE WOMAN YOU LOVE'

BEHIND THE SCENES: ASHANTI - 'THE WOMAN YOU LOVE'

NEWSDAY.COM: ASHANTI MAKES A BOLD RETURN

NEWSDAY.COM: ASHANTI MAKES A BOLD RETURN

Ashanti is ready to write the next chapter of her career. And it's going to be a doozy.

At a recent listening session, the Glen Cove native previewed songs from her upcoming "Braveheart" -- the first release on her own Written Entertainment label and distributed by Port Washington-based eOne Music -- and showed that she is ready for a full-on return to music. "It's been tough," she says about working to reintroduce herself to radio with her single "The Woman You Love," featuring Busta Rhymes. "I've been away four years."

However, "The Woman You Love" is already climbing the hip-hop/R&B charts and the process of returning to regular radio rotation should get much easier once programmers and, more important, her fan base get to hear what she's been up to when the album comes out April 17. Ashanti has several tracks that are far more pop-oriented than ones she's had in the past, especially the bubbly "Perfect So Far," which welds a hip-hop vibe to an upbeat, Motown-influenced bass line to create an irresistibly fun future single. On "Never Should Have," she taps into the European dance vibe that has been sweeping hip-hop, crafting a new sound -- like Robyn remixing Murder Inc. classics -- that still somehow sounds familiar.

Ashanti also pushes the envelope in other directions. "This is my street song," she says, cuing up the edgy hip-hop anthem "Get It," produced by Cool & Dre, longtime collaborators with Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes and Fat Joe. The song features a hard groove and the most adult language she has used on record, but it's also catchy enough to be booming out of cars all summer long. "I've done street songs," she says, laughing. "But I've never gone this far before. This is new for me."

ASHANTI REVEALS FIFTH ALBUM TITLE, 'BRAVE HEART'

ALBUM LISTENING SESSION: THE BOOM BOX

Ashanti's fifth album shares the same name as a popular '90s film, but that's all The BoomBox can divulge at the moment. Fans will have to wait until Thursday (March 8) to learn the name of her forthcoming opus, which will debut in the video for her Busta Rhymes-assisted single 'The Woman You Love.'

The 31-year-old chanteuse disclosed that information during an album listening session Wednesday (March 6) at Jungle City Studios in New York City. Dressed in a tan ensemble, her wrists and fingers adorned with glittering jewelry, Ashanti went through 11 tracks, noting the sonic change in her current project compared to 2008's 'Declaration.' "I think there are songs that are very different," she tells The BoomBox. "'Declaration' told a story -- read the tracklisting. This record, I went for drum-heavy and melodies. There are more street records."

Her mother, Tina Douglas, who wore a gold necklace sporting the words "momager," was also present, chiming in on her daughter's accomplishments. "It's been a long process," she said of Ashanti's year-and-a-half-long recording time. "She wears two hats now -- as a CEO and as an artist. It's all about [her new label] Written Entertainment."

Before she served listeners with the partial product, Ashanti prefaced the listening by saying she's "90 percent" sure the songs played will appear on the final effort. As with any album, there's paperwork to finish and tracks to be mixed and mastered.

'Mine,' produced by Mansur, came up first. A sexy mid-tempo number with a chaotic beat, Ashanti gets catty and risque with lines like, "She ain't got that goodie goodie... She don't know what to do with it, but I know how to drop it." Another Mansur-produced song, 'Never Should Have,' finds the singer cooing of a former lover she now regrets. Her lyrics settle over a marching band-driven beat that could easily sit on the pop charts.

'Paradise' details an unhealthy relationship -- "You still got your pieces on the side, so I went out to get mine" -- but one she falls back into -- "all it took was one kiss." 'Foolish' 2012 it is not, but the sentiments are there.

Rico Love co-wrote the guitar-laden track 'Perfect So Far,' a tune celebrating a significant other, and R. Kelly shines on the Lil' Ronnie-produced 'That's What We Do,' which showcases Kellz and Ashanti in a soulful duet about the trials and tribulations of a romance, but one that works for those involved. When debuting that song, she revealed that R. Kelly still had the original track because "he's particular about his vocals." The product she played was actually an iPhone recording.

The closer, 'R.I.P.,' is a departure for Ashanti, who said it was first time she recorded with live instruments. The grown-up ballad rides the concept of finally putting a relationship to rest, with a burial, black dress and roses included.

Perhaps what will be one of the project's most refreshing works is one that was never heard: the Jerry Wonda-produced song 'Woman to Woman.' Ashanti snagged studio time with Keyshia Cole, who was recording the track for her new album of the same name.

Ashanti's new album is set for release this spring.

Check out the full tentative list of songs set to appear on Ashanti's forthcoming album below.

01. 'Mine'
02. 'Get it'
03. 'The Woman You Love' feat. Busta Rhymes
04. 'Perfect So Far'
05. 'Don't Tell Me No'
06. 'Paradise'
07. 'Three Words'
08. 'Never Should Have'
09. 'Bona fide Survivor'
10. 'That's What We Do' feat. R. Kelly
11. 'R.I.P.'
12. 'Woman to Woman' feat. Keyshia Cole