Ashanti to Perform at Fire’s Home Opener
- Portland Observer
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Grammy winner to perform May 9 in Portland
The Portland Fire announced that Grammy Award-winning artist Ashanti will perform at halftime of the team’s season opener on May 9 at Moda Center. American singer-songwriter and actress Justine Skye, known for her hit single “Collide” and for her role as Annika Longstreet on the television show “Grown-ish” will sing the national anthem.
A defining pop-R&B force of the early 2000s, Ashanti serves as a timeless connection between the original era of Fire basketball and today’s team. At a time when the Fire were carving out their identity, her music dominated the cultural landscape, an influence that still resonates just as powerfully now. Known for her unmistakable voice and songwriting, Ashanti was the Billboard Music Award winner for Female Artist of the Year in 2002 and took home the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2003.
“Ashanti’s music has long been the soundtrack defining culture, including when the Fire team first took the court in the early 2000s,” said Fire Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Kimberly Veale. “Having her perform at our home opener is about honoring that era of our team’s history while celebrating the energy and momentum of today’s team and creating a meaningful connection between the two for our fans.”
In 2002, Ashanti made history as the first female artist to hold the top two positions on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously with “Foolish” and “What’s Luv?,” while her debut album sold over 500,000 copies in its first week. She has also had a robust acting career, appearing in films such as “Coach Carter,” “John Tucker Must Die,” “Resident Evil: Extinction,” and “The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz.”
Ashanti continues to influence the cultural landscape through new music and high-profile collaborations. She partnered with Michelle Obama on the #Let’sMove campaign to promote physical activity for children and improve access to healthier food in schools and contributed to The Hamilton Mixtape alongside artists like Alicia Keys and John Legend. In recent years, she has collaborated with a new generation of artists, including Ty Dolla Sign, Lil Wayne, Jermaine Dupri, and Nelly, showcasing her range across multiple genres, while her earlier work continues to find new life through samples and reinterpretations in contemporary hits.
As one of music’s most exciting emerging cross-genre voices, including for her hit single “Collide”, Skye recently debuted her new EP, “Candy”. She is also a passionate mental health advocate, committed to promoting wellness, fostering community, and helping de-stigmatize conversations around mental health.
