Update: Ashanti's Label Pulls Controversial Promotion

Date: 06/11/08 | Singersroom News
Filed under: R&B News, Ashanti

Ashanti R&B singer Ashanti and her record label Universal/Motown has pulled the offending "Gotchagram" promo from her web site for her "The Way That I Love You" single in less than 24 hours after taking heat from a coalition led by the civil rights organization Project Islamic Hope.

As Singersroom recently reported, Project Islamic Hope and the Industry Ears organization protested video and parody, calling it a “glorification of violence as a tool to settle disputes.”

"Following discussions with Ashanti, we have jointly decided to remove the TheWayThatILoveYou.com website that hosts the Gotchagram," read a statement issued from the singer's label Wednesday. "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."

According to one of the protest leaders, the decision came after his group threatened to picket Ashanti's performance at Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Sunday.

Paul Porter of the nonpartisan media justice think tank Industry Ears said he was pleased with the rapid response, which he said came from the top. "I just got off the phone with [Motown Records President] Sylvia Rhone," he told MTV News, just before the statement was issued. "And she said they were going to pull it down, and that was the goal, so we're happy about that."

As of 12:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the link to the Gotchagram was still on Ashanti's official site, but it redirected users to her official homepage instead of the offending one.