ASHANTI - ASHANTI NOT PREPARED FOR FAME

R+B singer ASHANTI felt "overwhelmed" when she was catapulted to fame in 2002, because she was unprepared for the sudden change in her lifestyle.

Ashanti first tasted widespread success when she duetted with JA RULE on ALWAYS ON TIME, but it was the release of her hit FOOLISH later that year (02) that consolidated her name.

She tells ALLHIPHOP.COM, "It was kind of overwhelming. I never really got a chance to sit down and soak it all in until probably the end of that year (02), the beginning of the following year (03), because it was so much, so fast.

"And with me, personally in my life, I've had a lot of let downs via my first two record deals - it would have to take a lot to convince me, so it took a while for it to kind of sink in. But when it did sink in, it was a wonderful feeling."