Ashanti will be dropped from The Inc

May 8, 9:45 AMR&B Music ExaminerSamantha Greaves

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Ashanti will say goodbye to The Inc, I wonder if she knows this.

It has been confirmed by a source that Ashanti, the proclaimed "princess of R&B", will be dropped from her label The Inc, formerly known as Murder Inc.

Ever since the start of the year, it seems like artists are having a tough time hanging on to their labels. Kelly Rowland, who got her start as 1/4 (which later dwindled down to 3) of Destiny's Child, was reportedly dropped by her label Columbia Records conveniently after firing longtime manager (and Beyonce's father) Mathew Knowles. Then Hip-Hop's trio G-Unit were rumored to have gone kaput with the recent dropping of Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo from their label Interscope Records; and now Ashanti is added to the list of artists that will be label homeless.

It's been smooth sailing for Ashanti since she debuted her first album which was self-titled in 2002. The album went on to be a success selling 503,000 copies in it's first week making her one of the top selling R&B artists in the U.S. Ashanti released three more albums soon after, that also went on to be successful selling albums. All three albums are certified Platinum.

Irv Gotti, The Inc's head honcho, sat down with MTV to express his thoughts on he and Ashanti's souring relationship saying that the relationship "has run it's course",

We don't really speak or talk or anything like that," he continued. "It's sad in a way. But in another, it's like it's all good. 

Gotti feels that he is the reason why Ashanti is where she is today. Since his involvement in her career has gone from working very closely with her to mold her into a superstar to not being involved at all, he is ready to cut the cord,

I don't think she can win. She needs some guidance with that. But she's not thinking like that. Really, I couldn't tell you what she's thinking. So that relationship has run its course and honestly, I'm gonna just drop her.

Irv Gotti definitely has a point. His involvement in Ashanti's career has allowed us to know who Ashanti is--and for most of us-- grow accustomed to her releasing hit records. Her four albums went on to sell very well with Irv's guidance as appose to the very last album Ashanti released in 2008 titled The Declaration that went on to move lukewarm units making this her first album that failed to go Platinum.

However, with that said, Irv has to also take accountability for the reason why their relationship went south. He and Ashanti, according to him, had a very intimate/personal as well as a business relationship that he felt he needed to make public (without her consent or prior knowledge) on a very popular radio show. She must have been mortified that he almost tainted her image by inviting people into a personal life better left unvisited; that would make any person with a pulse want to cut all ties with the individual that deceived them.

At the end of it all, it is probably the best thing for Ashanti to find another label home because at The Inc, her welcome has clearly expired.