Ja Rule, Ashanti to share main stage at Musikfest
On one night at Musikfest’s main stage, you’ll have the chance to see not one but two award-winning artists.
Ja Rule and Ashanti will perform together on Aug. 12 on the Wind Creek Steel Stage at PNC Plaza. That leaves only one main stage concert announcement left for the Valley’s largest music festival, which will run Aug. 5-14.
Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. Tuesday for ArtsQuest members and to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday on musikfest.org.
Over the course of his career, Ja Rule has sold more than 30 million records worldwide. He made his debut in 1999 with his single “Holla Holla,” on the platinum-selling album “Venni Vetti Vecci.” He quickly topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart with hits “Between Me and You” featuring Christina Milian, “I’m Real” and “Ain’t It Funny” both featuring Jennifer Lopez.
Ja Rule joined forces with R&B singer Ashanti for songs “Always on Time,” “Mesmerize” and “Wonderful,” gaining four Grammy Award nominations and two American Music Award nominations.
Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, actor and author Ashanti debuted with her self-titled album featuring hit song “Foolish,” in 2002. Her album landed her at the top of the Billboard charts by selling 504,593 in the first week of its release.
She was named to Guinness Book of World Records for the most albums sold by any debut female artist and still holds the record today. Over the course of two decades Ashanti has recorded six studio albums, receiving an array of awards
including eight Billboard Awards, a Grammy Award, two American Music Awards, two Soul Train Awards and six ASCAP Awards.
In 2005 Ashanti starred as Dorothy in “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz” followed by roles on “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Army Wives,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and films such as “John Tucker Must Die” and “Resident Evil Extinction.” Dipping into the entrepreneurial pool she partnered with AMC Beauty and was the first Black woman to land a national campaign with Herbal Essence. She
recently wrote a book of poetry “Foolish/Unfoolish: Reflections on Love” set to be released this year.
Musikfest is the nonprofit arts organization’s biggest event, a 10-day music festival that draws nearly 1 million visitors every year. Other headliners:
Boyz II Men: Aug. 4
Kip Moore: Aug. 5
Willie Nelson & Family: Aug. 6
Poison: Aug. 7
Counting Crows: Aug. 8 Ziggy Marley: A Live Tribute to His Father: Aug. 9 Kelsea Ballerini, Aug. 11 Alabama: Aug. 13
Olga Tañón: Aug. 14