You may have seen hot new talent Ashanti in music videos and heard her debut album. Although the singer is a fresh-faced chanteuse, who admits that at 22 she hasn't really been betrayed or had her heart broken, she's been able to capture those experiences in song. Her sultry voice tinged with bittersweet knowledge of innocence lost, New Yorker Ashanti croons about the foolish things we do for love like a woman experienced beyond her tender years. When TBW caught up with her in Los Angeles, however, she was clear. She may not have as yet weathered those relationship storms, but she's very definite about what she'd do if her man acted like the one in "Foolish" giving her the blues after all these years.

TBW: Have you ever experienced betrayal?
ASHANTI: I don't want to jinx myself but I've never had my heart broken. I've gotten into terrible, terrible arguments and bad
things happen but I've never gotten my heart broken. No one has done me dirty yet.
TBW: If something like that did happen, how would you handle It?
ASHANTI: I would keep it in God's hands and try to deal with it the best way that I can. You always have to follow your heart but you can't be taken advantage of. I've seen a lot of things happen to other people. Real-Iife experiences I've gone through, but, like I said, I haven't had my heart broken yet but I'm praying that it doesn't happen. But I have seen it happen to people close to me.
TBW: What advice would you give to women in this situation?
ASHANTI: Don't be foolish. Learn to love yourself first and then he'll respect you and he'll miss you when you're gone.
TBW: What do you think about the trend in songs today challenging men to be better fathers, lovers and husbands?
ASHANTI: I think it's great. I am so glad they are carrying those positive messages because a lot of the men today need to hear that. They really do. So neo-soul is cool. 
TBW: Will you be adding your voice and doing anything like that? 
ASHANTI: That's not really me. That's not my thing. It's not where my heart is. But I'm glad they have that vein. I'm glad it's here in the industry with us.
TBW: Is it easy for you to trust men?
ASHANTI: I always have my guard up. I'm cool with people. How I deal with guys is by being myself. I'm an open person and I'm cool with people, but I just keep my guard up, but not in a mean way. 
TBW: Where are you from? 
ASHANTI: I'm from Glen Cove, Long Island located in New York.
TBW: How did you get started In the business? 
ASHANTI: I actually started singing when I was 12 or 13. I did my first talent show and my mom and my co-manager pursued and got me a deal later on. I started from there and got my first deal around 14.
TBW: Did you always want to do this? 
ASHANTI: Actually, it's so weird. It was an accident. I was doing chores one day and I was vacuuming and my mother said, 'No radio while you're doing your chores.' She came down the stairs yelling and screaming, 'I thought I told you not to turn on the radio.' Actually, I was singing. When she came flying down stairs she says, 'Wait a minute you mean that was you singing?' She says, 'Let me hear it again?' It was Mary J. Blige's 'Reminisce.' Then she called my dad downstairs and I sang it to him, He says, 'Oh, man, I think she has something. We have a gifted child.' 
TBW: Do you have other siblings? 
ASHANTI: Yes, I have a 12-year-old sister and she is right behind me. 
She won at the Apollo when she was six years old on Showtime Kids. She 
was number one in the nation. She won a trip to Disney World all expenses paid. She's on her way. 
TBW: How has the business treated you so far? 
ASHANTI: I am in heaven. I'm in awe of how everything is turning out 
right now. It's just crazy so me. Sometimes I sit and wonder if it's real or not. Let me pinch myself Just to make sure I'm really living this. The struggle was really, really hard. It took a long time coming. And it's just amazing to be living now with all the success and everything turning out positive because there were a lot of people that doubted in the beginning. I had doubts because it was taking too long. TBw: Do you like the traveling? 
ASHANTI: It's bittersweet. I love the traveling, but I'm so close to my family; I miss them a lot. But it is excellent; we all have a good time together. 
TBW: With the hectic schedule you have, what do you do to relax? 
ASHANTI: I like to just layout and chill listening to mellow music. I love the warm weather. When I used to get stressed out at home, I used to get in the car and go to the beach and just sit in the car and watch the water.
TBW: Do you see yourself doing films?
ASHANTI: Definitely. I'm interested in movies.
TBW: What have you done up to this point? 
ASHANTI: My co-manager introduced me to Mario Biaza and Mario
Biaza has a label, Ham Records. Mario introduced me to Irv Gotti. So I 
signed with Ham Records, and, since he introduced to me to Irv, he and I have been doing all the music together and I landed on Murder Inc. From there we did the Big Pun record and we did the record with Cadillac Tah, Ja Rule's' Always On Time' and Fat Joe. So since I've been at Murder Inc., it's been crazy to say the least. 
TBW: Where do you hope your career will take you in the future?
ASHANTI: Longevity. I hope the career takes me to where I reach people and people feel and understand my lyrics. That's really how I want to make a difference. Everything that I write is just so real life. I want to touch people with my lyrics. So far it's working.