Musicrooms.net: Civil Rights Protesters Get Ashanti Website Removed

Civil Rights Protesters Get Ashanti Website Removed
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Menho Donoghue on 15 June, 2008
 
The promotional site for the track, the video of which portray the R&B star as a
wronged woman who ends up stabbing her cheating boyfriend to death, opened with
news stories about a fake murder, whilst visitors were able to personalise the
site by selecting a murder weapon and choosing a victim.
The aforementioned activists staged protests at the label's LA offices. Head of
Project Islamic Hope Najee Ali, one of the organiser's told MTV that the site
was a "career mistake", and continued: "There are a lot of outraged parents who
feel that the type of message and imagery that promotes violence as a tool for
solving domestic relation problems is inappropriate. Universal should recognise
that they have corporate responsibility for promoting their artists and material
that they want us to purchase".
The star's publicist Michelle Huff immediately released a statement defending
the singer, saying: "The website... is not controlled by Ashanti nor is it her
creative work... It is important to point out that Ashanti's history of creative
expression does not glorify violence at all".
Later, the label took the decision to remove the site, and visitors are now
being redirected to the star's official site. The label released a statement
which said this: "Following discussions with Ashanti, we have jointly decided to
remove the TheWayThatILoveYou.com website that hosts the Gotchagram [the fake
report]. Ashanti and her music have always been about self-empowerment and
addressing the issues that are most meaningful to her. We stand by our artist
and her creative choices".