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Exclusive: Ashanti Shares on VERZUZ Battle with Keyshia Cole and New Music

Thursday night the long-awaited first VERZUZ battle of the year between Ashanti and Keyshia Cole took over the timeline, Apple Music and Instagram. The legendary celebration of the R&B Divas was…

Thursday night the long-awaited first VERZUZ battle of the year between Ashanti and Keyshia Cole took over the timeline, Apple Music and Instagram.

The legendary celebration of the R&B Divas was sponsored by CÎROC White Grape, in which Ashanti created a signature drink for the battle in the CÎROC 235 Splash.

After exchanging hits like “Foolish,” “Rain On Me,” and “Happy” with Keyshia Cole’s “I Should’ve Cheated,” “Love” and “Last Night,” Ashanti spoke with The Source to let fans know how the battle came together, the history of Keyshia Cole and more.

How was this VERZUZ battle first presented to you and how does it feel to be one of the first major music events of the New Year?

Apple reached out to my team on behalf of Swizz and Timbaland and it’s an amazing feeling starting off 2021 with this energy and celebration, especially after the unprecedented year we’ve all experienced in 2020. I am excited to hit the stage and raise a glass of CÎROC with the fans.

You have an entire catalog of hits, is there one that you can’t wait to play or have seen fans requesting heavily and how did you strategize for this event?

I’m super humbled to have my catalog and I’m grateful to see so many different requests from fans. I’ve seen a lot of requests for “Foolish,”“Rock With You” and “Baby.” I listened to a lot of my music and it brought back memories of touring worldwide. I also listened to a lot of Keyshia Cole’s music to catch a vibe and get into that celebratory mood.

A part of these celebrations of music has been the presence of CÎROC. You have a signature drink, the CÎROC 235 Splash, what makes this your go-to cocktail, and are there any others that you lend your bartending skills to?

With this battle being the first of the year, I was excited to create a signature cocktail using the limited-edition CIROC White Grape for fans to celebrate with! The name is inspired by my new single “235 (I Want You),” and the cocktail itself is easy-to-make – perfect for those tuning in at home!

You and Keyshia Cole collaborated on the 2012 single “Woman to Woman,” how did your relationship start and how has it developed over the years?

Keyshia reached out about an idea for a record after we saw each other at Platinum Studios. She ended up playing me the song at a different studio a few days later. I loved the concept and song. I even wrote my verse right there and recorded it that night!

We love all of your classics and we catch you on features today, are there any projects in music or elsewhere, that fans can look forward to receiving from you?

Yes, absolutely! My new single, “235 (I Want You)” is coming! I can’t wait for everyone to hear my new music. I’m definitely putting out lots of new music this year.

The post Exclusive: Ashanti Shares on VERZUZ Battle with Keyshia Cole and New Music appeared first on The Source.

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Celebrity

A$AP Rocky Brings Rihanna and Son Riot Rose Onstage During Copenhagen

A$AP Rocky turned his Copenhagen tour stop into a memorable family affair when Rihanna and their son, Riot, joined him onstage during the European leg of his “Don’t Be Dumb” tour on Friday, September 18.

Closing out the show in Denmark, Rocky performed “Lord Pretty Flacko Joyde 2” and brought out Rihanna and Riot Rose to join him onstage. Livebitez captured the moment on camera and posted it to Instagram. In the clip, Rocky performs with his signature energy while Rihanna sits with Riot on her lap and enjoys the show.

Rihanna and Riot, along with several other family members and friends, have attended Rocky’s shows on tour, and their Copenhagen appearance is the latest example of the family showing up for the rapper’s latest run of performances.

Meanwhile, speculation about Rocky and Rihanna has continued to swirl with rumors of the superstar couple being shot down in various ways time and time again. But their appearance in Copenhagen gave a glimpse of the family sharing a moment as Rocky continued his European tour.

The “Don’t Be Dumb” tour is still going strong, so fans will have to wait and see if Rihanna, Riot, or other members of Rocky’s family and circle make another appearance before the tour ends.

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Celebrity

recent leak of Kanye West and Jay-Z’s “Living So Italian” brings back the legendary Watch the Throne mystery.

One of the most longed unreleased tracks from the album era is Watch the Throne, and 15 years after Kanye West and Jay-Z dropped it, it has reappeared online. Another fleeting peek of a long untouchable song: a new nine-second clip of “Living So Italian” is rumored to have leaked.

Beyond the officially released material, Watch The Throne is also long linked to unreleased songs that have become highly sought-after among fans. “Living So Italian” is one of those songs that has had bits and pieces emerge online over the years, but never the full song.

Even in that short clip, the snippet adds another piece to the long-running mystery around the track. The production has a lavish European feel, which suits the song’s title and the material associated with West during the Watch The Throne era.

The possibility of hearing Jay-Z alongside West on the full production has also added to the track’s appeal. The two artists have since fallen out, and a collaboration between them is unlikely. Their official collaboration “Jail” has been described as possibly their last, adding another layer of suspense to older material from their collaborative period.

The new snippet also raises a bigger question of what unreleased material from the Watch The Throne era could still be out there. “Living So Italian” is one of many unreleased songs from that period, and many of those recordings may never be heard.

But for now, fans have another nine seconds to wait instead of the whole track. Yet the emergence of a new snippet after years of leaks and rumors shows that the Watch The Throne vault still has material that can garner attention long after the album’s original release.

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