Ashanti's new album, BraveHeart, is out now.

Ashanti Raises Indie Flag For 'Braveheart'

Soundcheck | Mar 11, 2014

In the early 2000s, R&B singer Ashanti was a franchise player for the rap and R&B label Murder Inc. She provided the slinky guest vocals on hits by Fat Joe (“What’s Luv") and Ja Rule (“Always on Time”) and her debut set a first-week sales record for a female solo artist. One single, "Foolish," spent 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100.

As Murder Inc. grew increasingly mired in rap beefs and legal problems, Ashanti stuck by the label's founder, Irv Gotti. But for her first solo album in more than five years, Ashanti has released Braveheart through her own independent label.

In this interview with Soundcheck host John Schaefer, she talks about the album's title, her relationship with Nelly, the landscape for women in R&B, and working with Rick Ross, French Montana and others.

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