Speaking to
MTV recently, The INC owner Irv Gotti has controversially gone on record to publicly reveal that he is dropping Ashanti from the label – her recording home for 8 years:
Irv Gotti says he and Ashanti, the Princess of the Inc., will soon be parting company. He said they haven’t been on speaking terms for some time, and the label head/reality-TV star says there’s nothing he can do but end their musical and business affiliation.
“The relationship has run its course,” Gotti explained earlier this week while visiting the MTV offices. “The chemistry of what’s needed — we’re in two totally different places. You’re talking to somebody that took her and shaped and molded her and put her out there for the world, and it blew up. We [hold the record] for the [fastest] selling debut by a female R&B artist — 503 [thousand]. We did it! My views and philosophies and her views and philosophies are not meeting up.”
Ashanti’s last LP, The Declaration — her first in four years — came out in June of last year on the Inc. and was created with virtually no input from Gotti. The album was her first in-studio project not to go platinum. Gotti says it’s because the singer deviated from their winning formula and tag-team effort.
“I personally believe for her to be successful, it took the energy … when you seen her, it was 30 n—as around her, and she’s the princess so nice and pretty walking through,” he said. “The music was great, but it was the energy that was created. It wasn’t just her standing there and singing a song.
“We don’t really speak or talk or anything like that,” he continued. “It’s sad in a way. But in another, it’s like it’s all good.”
Well, maybe not that good. Gotti said it is best for them to part ways.
“I don’t think she can win. She needs some guidance with that,” Gotti added. “But she’s not thinking like that. Really, I couldn’t tell you what she’s thinking. So that relationship has run its course and honestly, I’m gonna just drop her.”
At press time, a rep for Ashanti had not granted MTV News’ requests for comment.
Gotti told MTV News that he’s maintained the rights to all of his artists, including Ashanti, Lloyd and of course Ja Rule. The exec says he’s working on a deal to reunite with his fellow Def Jam alumni Lyor Cohen, Kevin Liles and Julie Greenwald over at the Warner Music Group. He says new albums by Lloyd, new rapper Newz and Rule are in the cooker. He explains the delay of Rule’s The Mirror is because they are trying to craft a classic LP.
Ouch! Granted, I’m sure Ashanti and her team must have had some inkling about this, doing it so publicy is so wrong on Irv’s part. Despite the tanking of ‘The Declaration’ (which is actually a great CD – her best IMO), Ashanti to-date is still the most viable artist on The INC (have you seen Ja Rule, Lloyd etc anywhere recently? Thank you). Hence treating her as such just makes Irv look like a bitter man; one’s whose label is done done done. SMH…
Anyway, what this means for Ashanti’s deal with Universal Motown, which was a joint venture with The INC, is currently unknown. I’m sure a better label would readily scoop her up…wouldn’t they? {Thanks Ms. Helen!}
Your thoughts?
You know the deal; That Grape Juice, once again, wants to see what you all are listening to. 
