Ashanti most recently spoke about the emotional grief she was feeling on the passing of Irv Gotti in a poignant and personal discussion of her heartache. While sitting down for an intimate chat with Angie Martinez on the IRL podcast, the R&B vocalist opened up about her relationship with the former Murder Inc. music mogul, their history, and her regrets about not getting back together before his death.
Ashanti, who revealed that she was inundated with conflicting feelings after hearing the sad news, is still finding it hard to process the passing of Gotti. It was a lot of different feelings and emotions,” she said, the gravity of her words showing how much their working and personal relationship meant to her.
While Ashanti recounted the well-documented friction between herself and Gotti over the years, she stressed that she always wanted Gotti to do well, even through the turbulence. “I know in my heart that all I ever wanted was peace for both of us,” she said. “For us to be cordial. And I wished Gotti peace and prayed for him to feel at peace.”
This was more than a musical endeavor for Ashanti; it was a pivotal moment in her life. One of the most successful duos of the early 2000s, she and Gotti created some of the era’s signature hits, like “Foolish” and “Mesmerize.” A collaboration between them yielded multi-platinum records, Grammy nominations, and an indelible imprint on R&B and hip-hop history. Ashanti said. “My son’s going to know we made these records together.”
Beyond the accolades and success, there was always the hope that their rift could be mended. Ashanti said she had reached out to Gotti and tried to make amends while there was still time. “I do know that I offered the olive branch, and I attempted to just wanted my shit to be cool,” she acknowledged, sounding genuinely remorseful.
While the reconciliation has never fully come to fruition, Ashanti has turned to close friends and associates such as Ja Rule in the wake of Gotti’s death. She has also reached out to Gotti’s loved ones, sharing their grief and remembering the man who had once played such a pivotal role in her career.
Regardless of how much the public scrutinized their union, Ashanti was determined to handle things gracefully and was simply grateful for what remained rather than bitter about when it ended.
Her words are nothing short of a beautiful testament to the complexity of inter-human dynamics and how love and pain, joy, and struggle can exist simultaneously. Although time left them unable to reconcile their relationship fully, Ashanti’s poignant reflections will ensure that the legacy the couple created together remains long after both are gone onstage and in our memories.
Watch the full interview below.
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