Chapter II

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Smooth follow-up album for mature listeners.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the liner notes open up to a centerfold featuring Ashanti in a white bikini. Parents can take this as a hint of the musical content inside: stylish, attractive, insistently sexual.

  • Life seems good or bad, depending on the quality of sexual relations. In "Rain On Me," a love affair gone wrong makes Ashanti despair: "I don't wanna live, I don't wanna breathe/See, I don't wanna hug my pillow late at night no more/ I'm tossin' and turning."
  • In "Carry On," Ashanti's boyfriend punches holes in her walls and puts "glass on the floor." The skit "Black Child" describes murder in hot summer streets.
  • In "Rock Wit U (Awww Baby)," Ashanti seems to endorse non-monogamous sex, singing, "I can't describe what I wanna do to you tonight/Awww baby I'm satisfied even if you're not just mine." "The Story of 2 (Dreammaker)" talks about jumping into bed: "All of my friends say that I'm moving too soon/ I don't care what they say. I want to give myself to you."
  • There are no obscenities, but many frank descriptions of sexual relations, like "Story Of 2 (Dreammaker)," where Ashanti sings, "Dreammaker, here's what we gon' do tonight/ We gon' make sweet love til the morning light, yeah, yeah."
  • The liner notes present Ashanti in five different outfits, complete with expensive gold jewelry, but the songs don't deal with material goods.
  • There are no references to drugs or alcohol.

What's the story?

In his opening shoutout, Chink Santana calls Ashanti "Murder Inc's princess," and that may be a fitting description, at least in the kingdom of R&B. On CHAPTER II, Ashanti sings the gritty "Living My Life" with regal confidence, and mellow tracks like "Rock Wit U (Awww Baby)" and "I Found Lovin'" with soulful assurance. Other standouts include "Breakup 2 Makeup" (not to be confused with the Stylistics' oldie of the same name), "The Story Of 2 (Dreammaker)," and "Feel So Good."


Is it any good?

 

Listeners may question the skits, and fans of her previous album may regret Ashanti's choice of solo R&B over guest artist rap. But when Ashanti takes over, there's a lot to like on this CD. Just keep in mind it's frankly sexual, and not for younger listeners.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about if the sexual content adds to the impact of the CD or if it's more likely to encourage sales.


This review was written by Cynthea Riesenberg

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This review was written by Cynthea Riesenberg
Artist:Ashanti
Release date:July 1, 2003
Label:Def Jam
Genre:R&B
Parental advisory:No

This review was written by Cynthea Riesenberg
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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