Concrete Rose

Updated on Dec 27, 2023

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Released December 14, 2004 Length 54:56 Release date 14 December 2004		Recorded 2003–2004 Artist Ashanti Label Murder Inc Records

Producer Ashanti Douglas (exec.) Selan Lerner (exec.) Irv Gotti (exec.) Chink Santana 7 Aurelius Malcolm Flythe Jimi Kendrix Demetrius McGhee Concrete Rose (2004) Collectables by Ashanti (2005) Genres Contemporary R&B, Hip hop music, Pop music, Soul music, Hip hop soul Similar Ashanti albums, Hip hop music albums

Ashanti concrete rose intro concrete rose

Concrete Rose is the third studio album by American R&B singer Ashanti, released by Murder Inc. and Def Jam on December 14, 2004 in the United States. The album involves production by Irv Gotti, Chink Santana, and 7 Aurelius and features guest appearances from T.I., Lloyd and Ja Rule. Concrete Rose spawned two singles: the 7 Aurelius-produced "Only U" and "Don't Let Them".

The album debut at number seven on the Billboard 200 chart in December 2004 with first-week sales of 254,000 units. Concrete Rose was certified Platinum by the RIAA on January 14, 2005.

Critical reception

Concrete Rose received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 47, based on 10 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average" reviews.

Chart performance

Concrete Rose debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 album chart in December 2004 and Billboard's Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart at number one with first-week sales of 254,000 units sold. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA on January 14, 2005 and remained on the Billboard 200 albums chart for 20 weeks. As of December 2005, Concrete Rose has sold over 1 million copies in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Outside the United States the album debuted or peaked at #25 in the United Kingdom, #98 in France, #35 in Germany and #66 in Switzerland.

Singles

"Turn It Up" featuring Ja Rule was originally intended to be the first single but was used as a Buzz single, as the label later decided to release "Only U" instead. The first single from the album "Only U" reached number thirteen on Billboard Hot 100 and number ten Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The single became Ashanti's 13th Top 40 hit Stateside. It was also successful internationally, it reached the top five in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the top ten in Japan, the top twenty in New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany, and the top forty in Australia and France.

Although the album was successful and certified platinum by January 2005, it was all over shadowed by issues with The Inc and Def Jam. Label issues delayed the release of a second single. When it came down to either, "Don't Let Them" or "Don't Leave Me Alone", Ashanti chose her personal favorite and came out of pocket to deliver a music video. The single was only released in the US, where it failed to chart and reaching Number 38 in the UK. "Don't Let Them" was never promoted by the label and was the final single off Concrete Rose.

Credits

Won "Engineer to the Stars" Bee Allen – engineer

Chuck Amos Hair – stylist

David Ashton – engineer

Seven Aurelius – harp

Ashaunna Ayars – marketing

Jerry Barnes – bass guitar

J Money Williams- the boss

William Barnes – guitar

Erica Bowen – recording director

Milwaukee "Protools King" Buck – engineer

Al "Boogie" Carty – bass

Robin Clark – executive assistant

Tom Coyne – mastering

Kenneth Crouch – keyboards

Ashanti Douglas – executive producer

Tinya Y. Douglas – management

Tony Duran – photography

Easy Mo Bee – drum programming, beats

Malcolm Flythe – producer

Stephen George – mixing

Irv Gotti – producer, executive producer, mixing

Deidre Graham – marketing

Terry "Murda Mac" Herbert – assistant engineer

Bashiri Johnson – percussion

Gavin "YG" Johnston – assistant engineer

Terese Joseph – A&R

Jimi Kendrix – producer

Darcell Lawrence – production executive

Trevor Lawrence – drums

Selan Lerner – keyboards

Jerome Leventhal – management

Chris "Gotti" Lorenzo – A&R

Tammy Lucas – background vocals

Deborah Mannis-Gardner – sample clearance

Glen "It's Crazy" Markazi – engineer, mixing

Josh McDonnell – assistant engineer

Demetrius McGhee – organ, strings, bass guitar, keyboards, producer, instrumentation

Rosie Michel – stylist

Fred Moore – A&R

Karen Moskowitz – photography

Rick Patrick – creative director

Tenisha Ramos – marketing

Bill Sample – Hammond organ

Chink Santana – producer

Adam Scheurmann – engineer, assistant engineer

7 Aurelius – vocals, background vocals, producer, associate executive producer, instrumentation

Paul Silveira – engineer

Todd "Shortma" Simms – A&R

Quinshae Snead – personal assistant

Rob Stefanson – assistant engineer

Supa Engineer "Dura" – mixing

Laura Tamburino – art producer

Errol "Breezie" Jr. Vaughn – A&R

Andy West – art direction

Songs

1Concrete Rose (intro)1:17
2Still Down4:13
3Message to the Fans (skit)0:24

References

Concrete Rose Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA