Christmas is right around the corner. As the most wonderful time of the year quickly approaches, a new festive movie will soon be available for your viewing pleasure.
A New Diva’s Christmas Carol is a new holiday-themed comedy picture. According to ThatGrapeJuice, it tells the story of a “mean-spirited singer.” In an attempt to change her attitude, three ghosts take her on a journey through Christmas’ past, present and future.
The flick is a modern twist on the classic 1843 film, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
A newly released trailer shows off the star-studded cast. “Foolish” singer Ashanti, actress Vivica A. Fox and TV personality Eva Marcille lead the stacked crew.
Furthermore, Spice Girls member Mel B and Head of the Class actress Robin Givens will also appear in the flick.
None of these personalities are new to providing entertainment tailored to this festive time of year. Ashanti previously starred in Christmas Winter Song, while Fox starred in this year’s Holiday Hideaway.
Additionally, this won’t be Marcille’s first festive role this year either. A few months back she starred in A Christmas Fumble.
In other recent news, Ashanti has been stirring conversations about her intimate performance with ex-lover Nelly. The duo appeared on stage together for Power 98.3 and Power 96.1‘s “Under The Mistletoe” concert just over a week ago.
The production for their collaborative 2008 hit, “Body On Me” was rather steamy. It subsequently caused some fans to take to social media to gossip about their potential reunion.
Nelly and Ashanti putting that old chemistry to use performing their track “Body On Me” last night
Even though she’s over two decades into her career as an entertainer, the 42-year-old is certainly staying relevant.
Ashanti’s latest project is finally set to premiere on VH1 on Wednesday (December 14). English actor Idris Elba serves as the executive producer and Rusty Cundieff is directing.
Will you be tuning in to watch A New Diva’s Christmas Carol this holiday season? Let us know in the comments.
Ashanti is not shy about blessing her 7.4 million Instagram followers with flawless pics of her bikini clad body. Every now and then, the “Happy” singer will share a photo of herself soaking up the sun on the beach. On Tuesday, Ashanti shook the ‘net once again with brand new body serving pics.
The 42-year old donned a black see-through two-piece bikini set, with a black floppy hat and dark shades to match. Fans flooded the comment section to gush over the sun kissed pics. “If there’s sun, the beach and amazing weather, you’ll find Ashanti there just glowing,” one fan wrote.
PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS – JULY 16: Ashanti preforms at Atlantis Paradise Island Music Making Waves concert on July 16, 2022 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Atlantis Paradise Island)
S followers criticized the songstress for frequently being photographed in exotic locations. While others came to Ashanti’s defense. “If you follow her you’ll actually see she’s performing at the majority of the locations where you see her in bikinis, ” one fan wrote. “She carved out a career of working in exotic locations.”
It isn’t the first time this month that Ashanti had the Internet in a frenzy. She joined ex-boyfriend Nelly on Saturday during Power 96.1‘s “Under The Mistletoe” concert for a steamy performance. Ashanti donned a bottomless, magenta ensemble as she dropped in low in front of her ex-beau. Nelly was pleased with the “Rain On Me” singer’s dance moves. He was as smiles as the pair performed their 2008 smash hit, “Body On Me.”
Ashanti also made headlines after revealing that a producer wanted to shower with him in exchange for beats. “We did two records together. He was like, ‘OK, I’m not gonna charge you, you’re my homie,’” she recalled on the Breakfast Club. “When it came time to put it on the album, he was like, ‘Well, let’s take a shower together and I’ll give you the records. If not, I need 40 racks per record.’” Ashanti did not reveal the identity of the producer.
Shortly after Ashanti revealed that a music producer asked her to shower with him in exchange for records he worked on for her, Akademiks entered the chat with his own opinion.
Saying that the singer is doing a disservice to other women by not name-dropping the unknown producer, the hip-hop commentator also brought up rapper Latto to validate his point.
“Here’s my problem with her saying this, I wish she revealed the name. It’s like when Latto said this…And then everybody thought it was Kodak.”
Prior to the release of her 777album, Latto shared that a man she collaborated with refused to clear the record after she rejected his advances. Though some fans suspected Kodak Black, she never confirmed who the artist was.
“It’s like, yo Ashanti. You’ve been in the industry for 20 years now. Just say the name,” Akademiks fired at the New Yorker on his live stream. “Just say the f**king name. You know what I mean? Because I don’t think you do any service to any other woman who might work with this n***a later.”
“If some sh*t like that happened and you’re trying to speak about it on an interview for awareness, why not just say the n***a name?” the podcaster added.
As HotNewHipHoppreviously reported, the “Foolish” singer recently stated on The Breakfast Club that an unnamed music producer requested a shower or a date with her in exchange for a musical working relationship.
“We did two records together. He was like, ‘Okay, I’m not gonna charge you, you know you my homie.’” But when she was assembling her album content, he then switched up and asked her to shower with him.
“I thought he was joking,” she then shared. “And then he was like, ‘Nah, I’m dead serious. Let’s go out, or let’s take a shower together, and I’ll give you the records. If not, I need 40 racks per record.’”
What are your thoughts on Ashanti’s account? Do you agree with Akademiks that she should drop the name of her past producer?
When Irv Gotti appeared on Drink Champs, he likely didn’t expect an anecdote about Ashanti to go viral. But after it did, he had the unfortunate task of reliving his admittedly inappropriate relationship with the former Murder Inc. artist in multiple interviews while fielding backlash for his comments. Even his former artist Ja Rule spoke out, admonishing him for the way he talked about Ashanti.
So, on Sunday, when Gotti was asked about his responses by The Shade Room at the MTV VMAs, he was candid about why he kept talking about Ashanti. “That’s why,” he replied when the reporter asked. “You keep asking me. Did I bring Ashanti up? You did it. Here’s what I’m going to say: I wish Ashanti nothing but the best. I’m not hooked on her, like, ‘I can’t get over her.’ It’s none of that sh*t. I got paid to do a documentary on my life and on Murder Inc. If I didn’t talk about Ashanti, you’d be like, ‘What type of bullsh*t is this?’ She’s too important to Murder Inc. and his life.”
He then said he felt like “they tried to #MeToo me,” referring to the wave of accusations of sexual misconduct that took place a few years ago. While the situation is a little different — fans critical of his relationship with Ashanti have noted the unbalanced power dynamic between label head and artist, as well as a large age difference (Irv was also married at the time) — it’s clear he felt as though he was being accused of sexual misconduct.
In the comments of The Shade Room’s Instagram post, Irv elaborated, saying, “Please believe. It’s gonna be NO COMMENT from here on in. But I felt like at least trying to make y’all understand. Moving forward. it will be limited interviews and no comments. I tell the truth cause I want the people to know the real. But honestly. Y’all don’t give a f*ck about the truth. Y’all gonna say and do whatever y’all want. So why keep giving y’all the real? It’s better to be like everyone else. Lie to y’all. Alter the truth. Or don’t say sh*t to y’all and keep you in the dark. Hahahha. I got slandered for telling y’all the absolute truth. Lol.”
After the drop of the Murder Inc. Documentary, Black Twitter is not letting up on Irv Gotti after disturbing comments of his were directed at Ashanti. The Murder Inc. CEO is being bashed on Twitter for his comments about his former artist, Ashanti, in the Murder Inc.Story. In a tweet by @TheJessiewoo, she stated she […]
While everyone was discussing the Murder Inc, documentary “The Murder Inc.Story” on BET with Irv Gotti, Ashanti was on the road doing what she does best, performing. The singer, songwriter, and author, along with former label mate Ja Rule was in Boise Idaho at the ICCU Grandstand at the Western Idaho Fair singing all their hits, Ashanti even gave her fans of some new music. While waiting backstage for her set to begin, the Grammy Award winner went on LIVE to give her fans a glimpse of what it’s like backstage pre-show and to do her occasional check-in with her supporters. We watched as she was getting herself hyped to perform and clearly enjoying Ja Rule’s performance and she sang along. After a quick phone check, she then realizes that she had a few touchups that needed to happen stating “Wait I have to lay my sideburns down and asks her mother to spruce them up before she went on stage. Her mom then appears with the go-to tools to lay sideburns down like a toothbrush and gel and proceeds to work on them, Ashanti had specific instructions on how she wanted them done “You don’t have to do a swirl” meaning she prefers then straight and not swooped. She also revealed how hot it was out there saying “it’s on fire” the temperature when we checked the temperature in Idaho was a steamy 96 degrees at 6 pm. To stay hydrated Ashanti can be seen sipping from a carton of coconut water, a staple drink amongst many for its nutritional and health benefits like hydration, supporting water retention, and a great energy booster. Take a look at her full live below and the products that will get you through the rest of the summer.
Business mogul and producer Irv Gotti, born Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. has been in a number of headlines recently revealing details of his past relationship with Ashanti, the early days of his career in the music industry, and the creation of Murder, Inc. just ahead of The Murder Inc Story five-part documentary series premiere.
The Murder Inc Story premieres on Tuesday, August 9 at 9PM ET on BET.
The five-part documentary will examine Irv Gotti’s initial success as a music executive at Def Jam and how he masterminded a new label that would forever shift and influence the music industry for generations to come.
Murder, Inc. Records played a pivotal role in launching careers of some of the most influential voices in Hip Hop, Soul, and R&B, including Ja Rule, Ashanti, Lloyd, Charli Baltimore, Vita, Black Child, Caddillac Tah, and many more.
The documentary will not only cover the music of Murder, Inc, but also the drama surrounding the label. From feuds with Aftermath, Shady and G-Unit Records, along with the federal charges he faced, Gotti, 52 is finally ready to reveal his authorized untold story of the rise, sudden fall, and redemption of his iconic record label..
The Source’s KimSoMajor caught up with Irv Gotti via zoom from his home in New York for a passionate and transparent discussion on the future of his company, Visionary Ideas Entertainment, learning what his purpose is, the upcoming Murder Inc. docu-series, why he would not do a reunion tour without Ashanti and much more.
What’s the biggest reason that you wanted the Murder, Inc. documentary to come out and why now?
The biggest reason is I felt it was a great time for me. I felt the ups and downs. The story needed to be told. Because people have been wanting me to do a doc — Been because they just like how I run my mouth. I’m a pretty good interview piece cuz I just keep it real. Right. But I felt this cuz, I knew I was on my way back up Kim. And I’m on my way back up. Even bigger than the legendary sh*t that I’ve done. Because now I’m doing it, not only in music, but movies and films and I’m owning it, you know?
When people say, ‘the universe is aligning,’ you know, when you hear that kind of bullsh*t —it is aligning for me. Yeah. [Laughs] That bullsh*t is, it’s kind of real for me and things just started falling into place and they’re continuing to fall into place with this doc and Tales following the doc, the one, two punch, I love Tuesday 9 and 10 PM on BET. So I just felt like it felt right. It felt right to tell my story because I have the come up part. I have the success. I have the Def Jam. Then the feds, Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, the downfall. What should have been my downfall of 50 [Cent] bombing on me. If the feds wasn’t enough, it’s 50 bombing on me. I’m supposed to be buried and done. And then low and behold I’m coming back like a hundred times stronger.
Also, I wanted to tell my story as an inspiration and I know this is gonna sound corny, but it’s real. I wanted kids and my ni**as to see and hear my story because when I was filming it, one of the execs at BET —I almost moved to tears cuz she was like, I want my son to see this. My son has to see this. And I was like, why? “Cuz” she said, “Yo, you’re saying everything that he’s going through.” And what I was saying was until my dad got laid off, I was f**king off life.
I wasn’t applying myself. I wasn’t taking it serious. So what I said to the viewers and everyone that watches, it’s like, I take myself out of being Irv Gotti, and I basically compare myself to them and I’m like, Yo, I was just like you, I’m 22 years old. I’m playing f**king John Madden 93 for money at a barber shop. And that’s my day. I’m f**king off life. I’m not taking it serious. I had the same talent that I have now, but I wasn’t applying myself. I wasn’t going for it.
That’s what launched you into a savage?
Yeah, my dad was gonna get a pension and his job fired him and I’m at home. And I don’t know why God put me to see this, but he put me to see this. And you know, my dad is talking to my mom and he’s like, “I got no education like that.” He says, “Like, I don’t know what’s gonna happen to us or me,” and that sh*t just put a fire in me, Kim, that still burns right now.
I’m glad that you mentioned that because I wanted to ask you what you felt your meaning and the purpose is. But just taking it back to those earlier moments, I seen a clip where you gave your dad the keys and just the emotion over it. I wanted to tear up. What was that feeling like?
I’m gonna talk about my dad. If I start crying, I start crying, but you know, my dad, —I just, love the f*ck out of him, Kim, him and Nene. ….So that moment is an immortal moment for me because it was the first time I seen my dad cry. He’s crying and he was hugging me and he was like, “My boy, my boy,” he was so f**king happy. And it wasn’t about the car. It was about, my boy is a man. He was like, my boy is a man.
It meant the world to me. He means the world to me. And I give him and Nene all of the credit and all of the props for me because I could honestly say if my dad didn’t get fired, I probably would’ve still been in that stupid ass barber shop playing Sega. And it wouldn’t no Irv Gotti.
Check out the full interview where we get into Irv’s $300M deal and his plans for his company, Visionary Ideas Entertainment and more.
Be sure to catch Tales , following the The Murder Inc Story Tuesdays at 9PM ET on BET.
