Watch Intimate Portrait online: Episode 13 Ashanti

Ashanti: An Unstoppable Force Ashanti was born on October 13, 1980, in Glen Cove, New York. She inherited a zest for music from her mother, a former dance teacher, and her father, a former singer. Growing up, she took dance lessons and joined the church choir; by the time she hit puberty, her mom was sending out demo tapes of her daughter's vocal talents, which led to a record deal with Jive Records in 1994. Unfortunately, this relationship soured when Jive tried to make the soulful singing teen into a run-of-the-mill pop star. Ashanti regrouped by throwing herself into schoolwork and running on her school's track team, which earned her an athletic scholarship to Princeton. But she put college pursuits aside when Epic Records came calling with a contract in 1998. However, the label's management changes quickly left Ashanti out in the cold. Undaunted, she continued to croon at local New York clubs and began hanging out at the Murder Inc. recording studio, hoping for another big break.

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