Ashanti Speaks On J Lo Almost Taking Her Spot On "What's Luv?"

BYAlexander Cole5.4K Views
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Ashanti
Ashanti has no hard feelings about what Irv Gotti was plotting behind the scenes.

For many, Fat Joe's "What's Luv?" is an iconic song of their childhood and it is made especially strong by the likes of Ashanti, who delivers a spectacular vocal performance. Surprisingly, Fat Joe revealed earlier in 2020 that Ashanti wasn't always supposed to the one on the track. When Irv Gotti and Ja Rule first showed the track to Fat Joe, they claimed that they wanted Jennifer Lopez to replace Ashanti so that it would be a more Latino record. Fat Joe eventually argued against it, and thus a hit was born.

Now, Ashanti is gearing up to go up against Keyshia Cole in what should be a spectacular Verzuz battle. While speaking to The Shade Room, Ashanti was asked about the J Lo "What's Luv?" connection and what she thought about the whole ordeal. As she explained, Ashanti believes it had a lot to do with wanting more money.

"I feel like as an executive, he was probably chasing the bag more, and at that time, I wasn't even signed to Murder Inc," Ashanti said. "For him I think it was you know J Lo is just a huge huge artist. She still is. So he was probably on 'Let's get the money.'"

J Lo's inclusion in the song is definitely one of those "what if" moments although we're glad it was Ashanti who got the final call. As for her Verzuz tonight, let us know who you think is going to win, in the comments below.

Ashanti Speaks On J Lo Almost Taking Her Spot On "What's Luv?"
Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Frito-Lay

About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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