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00:00You're watching Essence Now.
00:03I'm your host, Makon Jlovu, and joining us in the studio
00:06is the woman we first fell in love with back in the early 2000s
00:10with hits like Foolish and Always on Time.
00:13Please welcome to Essence Now, Ashanti.
00:15Hey, Ashanti.
00:16Hey.
00:16Hey, girl.
00:17All right, it's been a while since we've seen you.
00:18How have you been?
00:19Amazing.
00:20Yeah.
00:20Now, you have your own record label, Written Entertainment,
00:23and what's it like being an executive producer,
00:25and are you looking for acts to sign?
00:27Um, it's hard because, obviously, I'm an artist,
00:31so I have to be in the middle.
00:33So it's a little bit of a conflict.
00:34As much as I'd love to be in the studio for the whole week,
00:38I have to cut those checks.
00:39You know what I mean?
00:40Yes, yeah.
00:41It's a little bit hard, and you kind of have to balance everything out,
00:44but it's so worth it.
00:46You know, just being able to own your masters and your license
00:48and, you know, be able to be in control of your music.
00:51Right.
00:52Are you looking for acts to sign now?
00:54Um, I am.
00:55I have an idea of the first act I want to do, but it's later.
01:00It's later, and you can't give us any tidbits on what that is.
01:02It's going to be a little bit different for me.
01:05A little different.
01:06Yeah.
01:06Okay.
01:07Well, we can't wait to see it.
01:08Now, you're on tour with Ja Rule right now.
01:10Do you have any plans to record new music or work on your album,
01:14or your own album?
01:15Um, we definitely have been talking about getting in the studio forever.
01:18Obviously, we did the Hamilton project, which was amazing,
01:21went to number one.
01:22Um, and that chemistry, it just never leaves.
01:24Like, we could not see each other for two weeks,
01:26and when we get on stage, it seems like we've been hanging out for months.
01:30You know what I mean?
01:30So, the chemistry is always there.
01:32We definitely want to do something together.
01:33Yeah.
01:34Okay, so you are working with Diddy on the Surat campaign?
01:37Yeah.
01:38Girl, talk to me about that.
01:39Uh, it's honestly a blessing, you know.
01:43Puff is just, like, the ultimate big brother, you know what I mean?
01:46Um, it just feels really good to be doing something empowering, you know,
01:50just with so many dudes in this industry.
01:53Yeah.
01:53You know, and just working with Puff and French on a brand like Ciroc, you know.
01:57It's like a nice lifestyle.
01:58Yes.
01:59You know, excellence.
02:00Yes.
02:00So, are you, like, the ambassador of the brand, or are you featured in a commercial?
02:03It's weird.
02:05The whole commercial thing just exploded into, like, its own thing.
02:10You know what I mean?
02:10And it's organic because, you know, me and Puff and French, we kind of kick it anyway.
02:15So, it just happened.
02:17Like, when Puff called me, he's like, I need you in the two-piece.
02:21I need you coming out of the water.
02:22This is the boderic moment.
02:23Yes.
02:24And I'm like, oh, my gosh.
02:25And it really turned into something really, really awesome.
02:27And it was a boderic moment.
02:29First of all, you look fabulous in that two-piece.
02:32Tells me how you maintain your body because your body is banging.
02:35Oh, thank you.
02:36I just think it's really important to take care of yourself from the inside.
02:40Like, I do a lot of juicing.
02:41I do cleanses.
02:43You know, I eat a lot of greens.
02:44I don't eat a lot of meat.
02:45So, you're vegetarian.
02:47Not a vegetarian.
02:48Pescatarian.
02:48Oh, pescatarian.
02:49I'm trying to go that way.
02:51You know, my trainer, Raheem, he's really, really awesome.
02:55Okay.
02:55So, it's, you know, it's a lot.
02:57It's hard work, but you look good.
02:58All right, let's switch gears.
02:59Let's talk about your love life.
03:01Uh-oh.
03:01Oh, yes.
03:02Fix the hair for that.
03:03Let's fix the hair for that.
03:04Are you single?
03:05Are you dating?
03:06What is happening?
03:07Say less.
03:08Say less?
03:09You gonna say less to Shante?
03:10You gonna say less?
03:11I mean, you could give me a little hint.
03:13Is there someone in your life right now that you're excited about?
03:18You'll have to listen to the album.
03:20Yeah.
03:20The album will tell you.
03:22Yeah, the album will tell me everything.
03:23The single starts to talk about what's happening right now.
03:26Uh-huh.
03:26But the album will tell you.
03:27Okay.
03:28Would you be open to dating someone in the public eye again?
03:32Um, probably.
03:35Yeah.
03:35You know, I just think that you have to take your time with how you do things, you know,
03:39because everyone has an opinion, you know.
03:42But, you know, I'm really not into other people's opinions about what makes me happy.
03:47Yeah.
03:47You know what I mean?
03:47Yeah, yeah, yeah.
03:48So, you mentioned the album.
03:50When is the album?
03:50Do we have a tentative date for the album dropping?
03:52Not yet.
03:53So, you're still working for it?
03:54Still working.
03:55The album is coming out incredible, though.
03:56I've been working with so many people.
03:58Metro Boomin', Tory Lanez, Swae Lee, Jeremiah, LT Hutton, J-Rock.
04:06So many people.
04:07Yeah.
04:08So, the person in your life is a employee.
04:09Chubby.
04:09Chubby is singing.
04:10Okay.
04:10Well, we can't wait to hear about it, because you're not going to give us the tea.
04:13We've got to listen to the album.
04:14That's right, Hanny.
04:14All right, so a lot of people have been approached to do reality TV, right?
04:18Is that something that you would be interested in, or have you been approached before?
04:22You know what's so funny?
04:23I was approached a very long time ago, and recently, too.
04:26I'm not going to lie.
04:28It just, I feel like, for me, I would really have to have full control on the perception
04:36and what goes out there and what people see.
04:38Yeah.
04:38You know what I mean?
04:39Yeah.
04:40It's the gift and the curse.
04:42So, if you were an executive producer, for instance, perhaps you could do it?
04:46Probably.
04:46Okay.
04:47It just would have to be done the way that I want it to be done.
04:49Yeah.
04:50You know what I mean?
04:50Yeah.
04:50Like, it had to be a little different.
04:52Okay, so we'll watch out for that.
04:54What about acting?
04:54Are you doing more acting?
04:56Is that something that you're interested in as well?
04:57Yeah.
04:58I'm actually executive producing a film called Stuck, and we shot it about two years ago
05:03now in the summertime.
05:04Amy Madigan, Giancarlo Esposito, amazing, amazing cast, and basically about seven different
05:12people from seven different walks of life, seven different cultures being stuck on a subway
05:17train in New York City in the summertime.
05:20Okay.
05:21So, all those, you know, those stereotypes and those, yeah, it comes out.
05:26And it's crazy because when we were filming, it was so relevant and was so needed, and
05:31we didn't know it was still going to be that relevant and that more, you know, it's like
05:36we need it more.
05:37We need that message out there more now.
05:38When does it drop?
05:40It will drop hopefully by middle of next year.
05:43Middle of next year.
05:44Well, we'll be watching.
05:45We can't wait for the movie and the new music.
05:47Ashanti, thank you so much for joining us.
05:49And remember, you can buy Ashanti's new song, Say Less, featuring Thai Dolla Sign everywhere
05:53music is sold.
05:55And coming up, if you're looking for a great Christmas gift for the girl in your life who
05:59is always up on the hottest tech trends, we got you.
06:02Our Black Girls Gadget Gift Guide is up next, so don't move.
06:06I'm your host, Makon Dlovu, and the holiday shopping season has officially begun.
06:11But what can you get that tech-savvy BFF or for mom in your life?
06:15Well, here with some gadgets that are perfect for Black women is tech and lifestyle expert
06:19Stephanie Humphrey, better known as Tech Lifestep.
06:23Hey, Stephanie, thank you for joining us.
06:24Thanks for having me.
06:25All right, now, before we get started, are there any pointers that you can share when
06:28it comes to shopping online for electronic devices?
06:30Do your research, definitely.
06:32Lots of places out there offering the same products at different price points.
06:36Don't necessarily go for the cheapest one, because if the deal looks too good to be
06:39true, it probably is.
06:40That is great advice.
06:41Now, let's dive right in, talk to me about this fun product here.
06:45Well, first up, we have the HP Sprocket, and it's taking you back to those days when
06:49you actually used to print photographs out, and it is just a really fun way to capture
06:55those memories and capture those moments.
06:57The prints take less than a minute, so we're going to take a quick selfie.
07:00Can we?
07:01You connect the printer to your phone via Bluetooth, and then you download the HP Sprocket
07:06app.
07:06So we will take a quick selfie.
07:08Let's do it.
07:09Now, does it come with batteries included in it, or do you have to?
07:11No, you have to charge it.
07:13You have to charge it.
07:13You do have to charge it.
07:14Get my good, get my...
07:16I love it.
07:19There we go.
07:20Now, what is the price point of this?
07:21Because I think I'll be buying it.
07:22This is $129.99, and again, super portable, really lightweight.
07:26It takes about a minute for the photos to print out, so it's really quickly, you just want
07:31to keep it down.
07:31Keep it out.
07:31Oh, yes, yes, yes.
07:32Oh, they're going to come right out through the back way.
07:34Yeah, right out the bottom there.
07:35How many can you print out at a time?
07:36You can print out as many as you want at a time.
07:38It'll go for...
07:39So you need to have it like that.
07:40Yeah.
07:41It'll go for 50 prints before you'll need to recharge it, and it recharges via a typical
07:46USB cable, so you just plug it right in.
07:48Very nice.
07:48And you can edit your photos.
07:50There's one on here that we edited.
07:51You can add borders and text and different stuff like that, filters and all of that.
07:56And it uses what's called zinc technology, which stands for zero ink.
08:01So it's very similar to how Polaroids operated back in the day.
08:04So there's no actual ink in the printer itself.
08:07The ink is in the photo paper.
08:08That's amazing.
08:09And the printer heats it up and makes the picture for you.
08:12Yeah.
08:12And what is the price point of that?
08:13This is $129.99.
08:15$129.
08:15I love it.
08:16So great for girls' night out, for bridal showers, for, you know, just to have that memory.
08:21We cute, girl.
08:24And it's so crisp and clear.
08:26It is.
08:26It's a great photo.
08:28And this is also sticky, so you could take the backing off and you can stick it up on
08:33the wall and make, you know, a collage or something like that.
08:35So really cool.
08:36Okay.
08:36Hint for my husband.
08:38This is a Christmas gift right here.
08:39This is the one I want.
08:40Yes.
08:40Now, let's move on to the next product that you have for us.
08:43Talk to me about this one.
08:44This is from a company called Roar for Good, and it's the Athena Safety Wearable.
08:48And I love this one because it really is going to give women, you know, their power back.
08:53You can connect it to your jewelry.
08:55You can connect it to your handbag or your backpack or if you're going out running to
08:59your sport bra or something like that.
09:01But what it does is it connects via app and you can press this button if you're feeling
09:07unsafe.
09:08You designate a group of trusted contacts, friends or family, and you press this button
09:12three times if you're feeling unsafe and they'll get a text message.
09:15So say you're in the club and there's that guy that just won't leave you alone because
09:19he bought you that one drink.
09:20You can press this button and your girlfriend on the other side of the club can come and
09:24get you and say, hey, girl, come in back and with me.
09:26And if you really need emergency help, you press and hold it.
09:30So is it like call, does it call 911 or?
09:32They're actually adding that.
09:34They're adding that functionality.
09:34But that's the emergency feature.
09:37Yeah.
09:37Oh, wow.
09:38That's your emergency feature.
09:39So we're going to turn that off.
09:41So you can turn it on and off from your phone.
09:43Exactly, exactly.
09:45And the thing I love about this is that your contacts actually don't need to have the app
09:49on their phone.
09:50A lot of products like this, both parties need to have the app.
09:53Some people don't download it.
09:54They will get a text message to know that you need their help.
09:56That is lovely.
09:57So you can clip it onto your phone or you can clip it onto your pants or your jeans.
10:00Clip it onto your jewelry, your pants, anything.
10:01All right.
10:02Now, the third product is a little something for the fashionista.
10:04A little something for the fashionista.
10:05This is fabulous, right?
10:06Yeah, very much so.
10:07It's a Q bracelet.
10:08It's by a company called Q Designs.
10:10And, you know, by day, just a gorgeous, high-polished, stainless steel bracelet.
10:15But by night, it is your phone's charger.
10:19Won't you look at that?
10:19Right.
10:20Because the phone always dies.
10:21The phone always dies.
10:23And you don't always have your charger with you.
10:25So is it compatible to all types of phones?
10:27Because I see this as an iPhone.
10:29It's just iPhone, yeah.
10:29We need an Android version, please.
10:31No, it has a lightning connector, so you can only use it for iPhone.
10:34But you can see your phone is charging.
10:36And it's great because, again, you may not necessarily have your cable with you either.
10:40And you don't need the charging cable with this.
10:42So a really beautiful piece of jewelry.
10:44Very nice.
10:45But also very functional.
10:46And it's very lightweight.
10:47Yeah.
10:47It doesn't feel very, very heavy.
10:49Lightweight, stainless steel, comes in great colors.
10:52So, yeah, that's for the fashionista in your life.
10:54Very nice.
10:55So your battery never dies out.
10:56You'll get up to a 50% charge with that as well.
10:58Up to 50%.
10:59Because that was going to be my next question is, how many times can you use this to charge?
11:02So you can use it as many times as you need to, but it'll get your phone charged up to 50% from zero.
11:08Yeah.
11:08Very, very nice.
11:09I love that it's lightweight.
11:10It is amazing.
11:11All right.
11:11Let's move on to that.
11:13Keep that on my wrist.
11:13Let's do it.
11:14Let's put it on.
11:14There you go.
11:15And what is the price point for this?
11:16This is $149.
11:18$149.
11:19Very nice.
11:19All right.
11:20And then finally, yes, I love this one because this is just a cute gift.
11:24If you need a stocking stuffer or you have a secret Santa gift and you have a price limit
11:29that you can't go over, this is the Plug Life Smartphone Lighted Makeup Mirror.
11:35And what you do, it's for iPhone only, unfortunately.
11:37I know.
11:38There's a bias happening here.
11:39There is.
11:40There is definitely a bias happening.
11:41Yes.
11:42How does it work?
11:42What you do is you plug it into, when you need that selfie.
11:48Yep.
11:50I know, let me turn my phone over.
11:50Once you've charged your phone, right?
11:52Once you've charged your phone up.
11:53Now it's time to take the selfie.
11:55Exactly.
11:55But you need the light because you're in the club and it's dark, right?
11:57And you want to fix that makeup.
11:59Let's see.
12:00That's very nice.
12:00You get that close-up.
12:01You get those brows on point.
12:03You get the lip gloss popping.
12:05Yeah, it's just great because you're carrying around a makeup mirror anyway.
12:08And sometimes you do need a little light in the club or at nighttime.
12:11And this is only 20 bucks.
12:1320 bucks is a great deal.
12:15Exactly.
12:15And since it sticks to your phone, you don't actually need any batteries for it.
12:19There are three settings, so a little brighter if you need it.
12:22If it's a darker situation.
12:23Oh, so you can even, oops, sorry.
12:24So we can actually even turn it up a few notches.
12:26Exactly.
12:27So let's take a selfie.
12:28Let's see how that would look like with the light.
12:31See if it really enhances.
12:32Does it come with any filters or is it just the light?
12:34This is actually just a makeup mirror.
12:36Oh, I see.
12:36Okay.
12:37Yeah, yeah, yeah.
12:37So really good, again, for those stocking stuffers, for that, you know,
12:41for that makeup lover in your, in your light.
12:44Can I test it out?
12:44Yes.
12:45I'm going to see how strong the light is and if it really, we should take a selfie together.
12:49Let's go back to the, to the, yes, there we go.
12:52The camera.
12:53See how it looks.
12:54Let's turn it around.
12:56I'm definitely an Android user.
12:57I do not know how to use the iPhone.
12:59Let's take our photo.
13:00Oh, wow.
13:00Look at that.
13:02Beautiful.
13:03And it will give you a little more light if you need a little more light for your selfie,
13:06but you can also get close up when you got to get those lip gloss pops.
13:09Perfect.
13:09And then we can print it out.
13:10And then we can print it out.
13:10Exactly.
13:11That light.
13:12Stephanie.
13:12Everything.
13:13Everything.
13:14All right.
13:14Now, there you have it.
13:16Our Black Girls Gadget Gift Guide has lots of great gifts for the tech-loving women in
13:21your life.
13:21I might pick these up for myself.
13:23Honestly, real talk.
13:24Thanks to Tech Life Steph and all our guests for stopping through.
13:27If you missed any of today's show, stick around for the replay airing shortly on essence.com.
13:32And remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all our videos.
13:36I'm Makon Jlovu, and I'll see you right here next Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern for an all-new
13:41Essence Now.
13:42Take care.
13:43I want all of these.
13:45Everything.
13:46Every single time.
14:02Every single time.
14:03Every single time.
14:04Every single time.
14:05Every single time.
14:06Every single time.
14:07Every single time.
14:08Every single time.
14:09Every single time.
14:10Every single time.
14:11Every single time.
14:12Every single time.
14:13Every single time.
14:14Every single time.
14:15Every single time.
14:16Every single time.
14:17Every single time.
14:18Every single time.
14:19Every single time.
14:20Every single time.
14:21Every single time.
14:22Every single time.
14:23Every single time.
14:24Every single time.
14:25Every single time.
14:26Every single time.
14:27Every single time.
14:28Every single time.
14:29Every single time.
14:30Every single time.
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