GETTING TO KNOW: ASHANTI

Ashanti

Fresh off her dramatic turn in the movie Coach Carter, Ashanti moseyed on down down to Texas to film her next feature role...Heather, head cheerleader extraordinaire, in the new comedy John Tucker Must Die. The singer/actress is having a blast taking a break from her music career to do the Hollywood thing, but don't worry fans, a new CD is not too far off. Our friends at Teenmag recently spoke to the double-threat and have shared their interview with us...

TEEN: What about John Tucker Must Die appealed to you?
Ashanti: It was a totally different character from me. I had just come off Coach Carter and I wanted to show that I was diverse and this is a different demographic -- its younger and [I wanted to do] a light-hearted comedy.

TEEN: Was it hard to revisit those dark years of high school?
Ashanti: It was easy, but I must say my high school years were cool -- it wasn't dark for me. I had a good time.

TEEN: Did you ever seek revenge on an ex-boyfriend?
Ashanti: Yes, but not as good as these girls. I wish I would have done it a little better. But I have. I kind of just overly, overly ignored him. If he was sitting right there I would just walk right past him and say, "Hi, how are you?" to all of his friends and I never returned his calls or anything like that. I went out of my way to be overly nice to everyone around him except for him.

TEEN: Did your high school have a John Tucker type?
Ashanti: There were a few John Tuckers in my high school. I didn't date them!

TEEN: What message would you have for all of the players out there?
Ashanti: Oh, it's going to come back around 10 times harder, believe me!

TEEN: Is it hard for you to meet guys who can look past the fact that you're a celebrity?
Ashanti: Well, what I look for is just sincerity, humor is a must for me, you've gotta be able to make me laugh, and just being genuine. This world is so filled with smoke and mirrors. I'm a very down-to-earth person so I appreciate sincerity.

TEEN: Were you a cheerleader in high school?
Ashanti: Yeah, I was, but I was a totally different type of cheerleader. I wasn't that character that Heather portrays. It wasn't my life. With Heather she thought cheerleading was her life!

TEEN:What's happening with your music career?
Ashanti: We're in the middle of recording, we're taking it slow and mellow. But I'm kind of sliding over into the Hollywood movie scene right now.

TEEN: Is it a natural transition from music to acting?
Ashanti: For some people it is, other people are comfortable and feel better just sticking with singing and performing. For others, naturally you want to get more of a challenge.

TEEN: How have you grown as an artist and an actress over the past several years?
Ashanti: I'm not a good decision-maker. That's one of the things I don't like about myself. I think that growing up forces you to make certain decisions in this industry. So that's one of the things that I have accomplished.

TEENDo you try to balance your career with fun and having a personal life?
Ashanti: One thing that Ja Rule told me very, very early in my career was never let this become a job, never let it become a nine to five because you might as well just be doing a nine to five. Its so important to try to have fun and get those life experiences in while you're doing so much work. Being an artist and an entertainer is 24/7 and you have to constantly be thinking, even when you are on a vacation its very important to keep that balance and remember that you're doing this because you love it and its your passion.