Concrete Rose
Studio album by
Ashanti
ReleasedDecember 14, 2004
Length54:56
Label
Producer
Ashanti chronology
Ashanti's Christmas
(2003)		 Concrete Rose
(2004)		 Collectables by Ashanti
(2005)
Singles from Concrete Rose
  1. "Only U"
    Released: October 26, 2004
  2. "Don't Let Them"
    Released: April 5, 2005

Concrete Rose is the fourth studio album by American singer Ashanti, released on December 14, 2004, by The Inc. Records and Def Jam Recordings. In addition to working with frequent collaborators Irv Gotti, Chink Santana, and 7 Aurelius, Ashanti also enlisted new collaborators Malcolm Flythe, Jimi Kendrix, and Demi-Doc, to assist. The album features guest appearances from rappers T.I., Ja Rule, and Lloyd.

The album debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200 in the United States, with first-week sales of 254,000 units. Outside the United States, the album was less successful, with its strongest ranking being in the top 20 in Japan and the top 30 of the UK Albums Chart. Critical reception to the project was mixed, with most deeming the album unoriginal. Nonetheless, the album did receive a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and gained gold status in Japan and the United Kingdom.

Concrete Rose was preceded by lead single "Only U", which received positive reviews and reached the top-twenty in several countries. The album and its promotion was vastly overshadowed by the legal troubles that faced The Inc. and Gotti, who was arrested on money laundering charges only a month after Concrete Rose's release. As a result, Def Jam severed ties with The Inc. in May 2005, and refused to promote the album's second single "Don't Let Them", which only charted moderately in Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Background

Following the success of her sophomore studio album Chapter II, Ashanti confirmed in November 2003 that she had begun planning her third studio album, due to be out in mid-2004.[1] In February 2004, Ashanti said the album had "a new sound, a new flavor", and said she wanted "to touch on more topics that I didn't touch on with the first and the second record." She also confirmed that she had already recorded three songs for the album.[2] By July, Ashanti confirmed she had already finished the record, and planned its release for November.[3]

Singles and promotion

The song "Turn It Up", featuring rapper Ja Rule, was initially released as the lead single off the album. However, it was downscaled to a buzz single after The Inc. decided to release "Only U" as Concrete Rose's lead single instead.[4] The song, released on October 26, 2004, reached the top ten of several countries, including Ireland (#4), Japan (#), and the United Kingdom (#2); the song also reached the top twenty in Germany (#12), New Zealand (#14), Switzerland (#12), and the United States (#13).[4]

The album was largely overshadowed by the legal issues surrounding Murder Inc./The Inc. and its head, Irv Gotti. In January 2003, during recording of Chapter II, the offices Murder Inc. were raided during an investigation into Gotti's ties to gangster Kenneth McGriff.[5][6] In November, Murder Inc. changed its name to The Inc., in an attempt to distance the company from its several controversies.[7][8][9] Between November 2004 and January 2005, Gotti, McGriff, and several employees and associates of The Inc. were arrested on charges of money laundering, racketeering, and murder, regarding to the killing of rapper E-Money Bags.[10][11][12][13][14][15] In April 2005, Ashanti chose "Don't Let Them" to be the second single from the album.[16] However, in May, Def Jam dissolved its partnership with The Inc., and refused to promote the single or give it a music video.[17] As a result, the single failed to chart in the United States; however, the single did chart moderately in Ireland (#41) and the United Kingdom (#38).[16]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic47/100[18]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[19]
Blender[18]
Entertainment WeeklyC−[20]
The Guardian[21]
Los Angeles Times[22]
PopMatters[23]
Rolling Stone[24]
Slant Magazine[25]
USA Today[26]

Concrete Rose received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 47, based on 10 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average" reviews.[18] Andy Kellman from Allmusic found that "disregarding the ill-suited standards, an Ashanti album is always good for a handful of strong singles, as Concrete Rose helps indicate [...] it's no better or worse than her 2002 debut or 2003's Chapter II, with the standout singles, decent album cuts, and filler fluff provided in equal doses."[19] USA Today journalist Steve Jones found that with Concrete Rose Ashanti "sticks closely to her usual formula of engaging beats and airy vocals [...] Still, she is consistent enough to make this Rose bloom full time."[26] Nicholas Tayor from PopMatters called the album "a decent, 54-minute collection of mostly mid-tempo tracks by a decent R&B singer."[23] Billboard noted that "a more confident-sounding Ashanti is onboard for her third time out. Powered by sensual lead single "Only You," Concrete Rose contains several other equally rhythmic jams."[27]

Hattie Collins, writing for The Guardian, found that "Ashanti doesn't stray from the R&B rulebook that has so far seen her sell some 7m albums in the US alone – namely a hip-hop backdrop of hard-knock beats tempered by a soul-lite vocal [...] A lack of originality and too much filler mark Ashanti more as a pedestrian than the princess she purports to be."[21] Steve Appleford from the Los Angeles Times wrote that Ashanti and Concrete Rose sound "trapped, sapped of strength and ideas, and buried beneath all the worst cold and calculated production tendencies of her label [...] What follows is modern R&B; formula at its most flat and uninspired. For all her lovesick panting, pleading and purring, Ashanti is never emotionally engaged with the songs, which aren't worth the trouble anyway."[22] Entertainment Weekly's Raymond Fiore remarked that "the thin-voiced vixen's third disc bruises both genres with a slew of mostly midtempo clunkers built with her weapons of choice: faux grit and forced sensuality."[20] In his review for Slant Magazine, Sal Cinquemani wrote: "Ashanti is incapable of doing slinky or sexy and, despite her incessant attempts at vamping, she can't all-out sing either – she's even upstaged by a Hammond organ."[25]

Chart performance

During the week of Christmas, Concrete Rose debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 254,000 units.[28] On the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart the album debuted at number two where it spent a total of 28 consecutive weeks on the chart.[29] On January 14, 2005, the album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for one million shipped units.[30][31] By May 16, 2005, the album had sold about 804,000 copies, according to Nielsen Soundscan.[17] In total, it remained on the Billboard 200 albums chart for 20 consecutive weeks.[32]

Elsewhere, Concrete Rose debuted or peaked at number 16 in Japan,[33] number 25 in the United Kingdom,[34] number 36 in Germany,[35] and number 65 in Canada.[36] In Japan, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).[37] In the United Kingdom, it also peaked at number four on the UK R&B Albums chart and was eventually certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).[38]

Track listing

Concrete Rose track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Concrete Rose" (Intro)
  • Gotti
  • Aurelius
1:17
2."Still Down" (featuring T.I.)
  • Gotti
  • Flythe
  • Jimi Kendrix[a]
4:13
3."Message to the Fans" (Skit)
  • Gotti
  • Aurelius
0:23
4."Only U"
  • Douglas
  • Aurelius
  • Gotti
  • Gotti
  • Aurelius
3:06
5."Focus"
  • Douglas
  • Aurelius
  • Gotti
  • Jerry Barnes
  • Selan Lerner
  • Gotti
  • Aurelius
3:17
6."Don't Let Them"
  • Douglas
  • Gotti
  • Demetrius McGhee
  • Earl Randle
  • Lawrence Seymour
  • Willie Mitchell
  • Yvonne Mitchell
  • Gotti
  • Demi-Doc
4:23
7."Love Again"
  • Gotti
  • Aurelius
4:08
8."Take Me Tonight" (featuring Lloyd)
  • Gotti
  • Jimi Kendrix
4:05
9."U"
  • Gotti
  • Aurelius
3:35
10."Every Lil' Thing"
  • Douglas
  • Aurelius
  • Gotti
  • Gotti
  • Aurelius
3:56
11."Turn It Up" (featuring Ja Rule)
  • Gotti
  • Kendrix
4:16
12."Buck 3000" (Skit)
 0:22
13."So Hot"
  • Douglas
  • Gotti
  • Parker
4:57
14."Don't Leave Me Alone" (featuring 7 Aurelius)
  • Douglas
  • Aurelius
  • Gotti
  • Gotti
  • Aurelius
3:33
15."Sister Stories" (Skit) (featuring Shi Shi)Douglas 0:45
16."Freedom"
  • Douglas
  • Gotti
  • McGhee
  • Gotti
  • Demi-Doc
3:51
17."Wonderful" (Remix) (featuring Ja Rule & R. Kelly)
  • Gotti
  • Kendrix
4:41
Total length:54:56
United Kingdom bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
18."Touch My Body"
  • Douglas
  • Gotti
  • Kendrix
  • Gotti
  • Kendrix
3:30
Total length:58:26
Japan bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
18."Touch My Body"
  • Douglas
  • Gotti
  • Kendrix
  • Gotti
  • Kendrix
3:30
19."Spend the Night"
  • Douglas
  • Aurelius
  • Gotti
  • Parker
  • Gotti
  • Santana
  • Aurelius[a]
3:30
Total length:61:56

Notes

  • ^a denotes additional producer

Sample credits

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Concrete Rose
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[37] Gold 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[38] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[48] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ Reid, Shaheem (November 23, 2003). "Ashanti To Drop Remix LP, DVD; Planning New Studio Album". MTV News. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  2. ↑ Wiederhorn, Jon (February 20, 2004). "Ashanti Promises New Sound, New Flavor On Next LP". MTV News. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  3. ↑ Reid, Shaheem (July 20, 2004). "Ashanti Shows Lloyd The Inc. Ropes, Picks Up The Pace On New LP". MTV News. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Valdés, Mimi (December 1, 2004). "Escape From The Crackhouse". Vibe. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Report: Feds Raid Murder Inc. In Irv Gotti Probe". Billboard. January 6, 2003. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  6. ↑ Oh, Minya (January 16, 2003). "Drugs, Friends & Allegations: Inside The Murder Inc. Raid". MTV News. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  7. ↑ Reid, Shaheem (November 14, 2003). "Murder Inc. Drops The Murder". MTV News. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  8. ↑ Reid, Shaheem (December 3, 2003). "Irv Gotti Explains Label's Name Change, Won't Forgive Eminem". MTV News. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  9. ↑ Arango, Tim (December 4, 2003). "'Murder' Dead; Infamous Label Now Just The Inc". New York Post. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  10. ↑ Rashbaum, Alyssa (November 9, 2004). "Inc. Bookkeeper Charged With Money Laundering". MTV News. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Charges Filed Against Murder Inc. Employee". Hits Daily Double. November 9, 2004. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  12. ↑ Rashbaum, Alyssa (November 18, 2004). "Ja Rule's Manager Arrested On Money-Laundering Charges". MTV News. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  13. ↑ Fiasco, Lance (November 18, 2004). "Ja Rule's Manager Arrested". Idobi. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Feds Expected To Make Murder Inc Arrests". AllHipHop. January 24, 2005. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  15. ↑ Mar, Alex (January 26, 2005). "Irv Gotti Surrenders to FBI". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  16. 1 2 Taylor, Chuck (April 16, 2005). "Billboard Picks". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  17. 1 2 Arango, Tim (May 16, 2005). "Hip-Hop Homeless Time For Murder Inc. & Gotti". New York Post. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  18. 1 2 3 "Concrete Rose by Ashanti". Metacritic. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  19. 1 2 AllMusic review
  20. 1 2 Fiore, Raymond (December 20, 2004). "Concrete Rose". Entertainment Weekly. p. 71. Archived from the original on November 25, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  21. 1 2 Collins, Hattie (10 December 2004). "CD: Ashanti, Concrete Rose". The Guardian. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  22. 1 2 Hochman, Baz Dreisinger; Steve Appleford; Steve (2 January 2005). "Something gets lost in Em's mix". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 29, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. 1 2 Taylor, Nicholas (September 18, 2003). "Ashanti: Concrete Rose". PopMatters. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Rolling Stone review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 7, 2008. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
  25. 1 2 Cinquemani, Sal (26 December 2004). "Review: Ashanti, Concrete Rose". Slant Magazine. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  26. 1 2 Jones, Steve. "'Concrete Rose' has consistency". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Concrete Rose". Billboard. December 18, 2004. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  28. ↑ Hasty, Katie (June 11, 2008). "Disturbed Scores Third Straight No. 1 Album". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  29. 1 2 "Ashanti Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  30. ↑ "RIAA > Gold & Platinum Search". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Memory Lane Music Group". www.memorylanemusicgroup.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2005. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  32. 1 2 "Ashanti Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  33. 1 2 コンクリート・ローズ (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  34. 1 2 "Ashanti | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  35. 1 2 "Offiziellecharts.de – Ashanti – Concrete Rose" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  36. 1 2 "Albums : Top 100". Jam!. January 30, 2005. Archived from the original on February 7, 2005. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  37. 1 2 "Japanese album certifications – アシャンティ – コンクリート・ローズ" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 2017-06-12. Select 2004年12月 on the drop-down menu
  38. 1 2 "British album certifications – Ashanti – Concrete Rose". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  39. ↑ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 17 January 2005" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. January 17, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 23, 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2023 – via Pandora.nla.gov.au.
  40. ↑ "ARIA Urban Chart – Week Commencing 7th March 2005" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (784): 17. March 7, 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2023 – via Pandora Archive.
  41. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Ashanti – Concrete Rose" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  42. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Ashanti – Concrete Rose". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  43. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  44. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Ashanti – Concrete Rose". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  45. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  46. ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2005". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  47. ↑ "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2005". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  48. ↑ "American album certifications – Ashanti – Concrete Rose". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
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