Teenage star Ashanti is the hippest thing on the RandB block right now, having topped the US charts with the single 'Foolish' and sold more than half a million copies of her eponymous debut album. While she immodestly styles herself "the princess of hip-hop" however, there's reason to doubt whether she has the necessary grit to stay the course. The Long Island native's airily sweet soprano voice is certainly as radio-friendly as they come, but most of the 17 songs here are distinctly on the lightweight side and the album as a whole is hampered by a scarcity of memorable melodies. A few well-chosen samples vary the mood successfully, but overall Ashanti comes across as a cutesy novice with little life experience, who has a long way to go before she can hope to emulate more mature rivals such as Mary J Blige. Still, a talent worth keeping an eye on.
