Chart Beat

'FOOLISH' BEAT: As if she hadn't made enough chart history already, Ashanti continues to build her resume. This issue, she becomes the first female artist to own the top two positions on The Billboard Hot 100. With the decline of "Ain't It Funny" (Epic) by Jennifer Lopez Featuring Ja Rule to No. 3, the only question was which Ashanti single would assume pole position.

"What's Luv?" (Terror Squad/Atlantic) by Fat Joe with Ashanti as featured artist stands pat at No. 2, so it's "Foolish" (Murder Inc./Def Jam) that leapfrogs to the top, giving Ashanti that lock on Nos. 1 and 2. While she is the first woman to accomplish this, she is the fifth act in the rock era to do so. The others are the Beatles (who occupied the top five in the week of April 4, 1964), Bee Gees, Puff Daddy, and Ja Rule, who was No. 1 and No. 2 only a few weeks ago with "Ain't It Funny" and his own "Always on Time," which features Ashanti.

"Foolish" is Ashanti's second No. 1 hit. She was on top only seven weeks ago with "Always on Time." The last artist to have two No. 1 hits in a short period of time was Ja Rule, when 16 weeks separated "I'm Real" from "Always on Time." Before that, six weeks separated the first two No. 1 hits by Shaggy, "It Wasn't Me" and "Angel."

One difference between Ashanti's feat and what Ja Rule and Shaggy accomplished is that Ashanti pulled off this double with her first two chart entries. The last artist whose first two chart entries went to No. 1 was Christina Aguilera in 1999-2000 with "Genie in a Bottle" and "What a Girl Wants." Nineteen weeks separated the two RCA singles.

In 1990, Mariah Carey and Wilson Phillips had No. 1 hits with their first two chart entries. There were 10 weeks between Carey's "Vision of Love" and "Love Takes Time" and 13 weeks between Wilson Phillips' "Hold On" and "Release Me." Stepping back further in time, 11 weeks separated Tiffany's first two chart entries, the No. 1 hits "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Could've Been."

If holding down the top two spots on the Hot 100 isn't enough for Ashanti, her eponymous debut album enters The Billboard 200 at No. 1 and repeats that opening mark on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Ashanti is the first solo female artist to have a No. 1 album with her first release since Alicia Keys spent two weeks at the top of The Billboard 200 with Songs in A Minor during summer 2001. Oddly enough, Ashanti's real name is Charlene Keys.

Ashanti is the fourth solo female artist to have an album advance to No. 1 in 2002, following Lopez, Alanis Morissette, and Celine Dion. Only one solo male artist has had a No. 1 album in 2002: Alan Jackson.