Allison Marie

R&B singer and songwriter Ashanti performed on the Suburban Park Stage at the Great New York State Fair on Monday, August 31.

A light rain and mist fell over the fairgrounds as R&B sensation Ashanti took the stage a little after 8:30 p.m., but the weather did little to keep fans away. An estimated crowd of around 19,000 gathered at Suburban Park for an evening filled with songs covering more than two decades of her career.

Dressed in a black and yellow jacket, leather shorts – paired with black leather thigh-high boots, Ashanti took the crowd back to the early 2000s with a set filled with the R&B hits and collaborations that made her one of the most recognizable artists of the era.

One thing Ashanti made clear throughout the evening was her role behind the music as well as behind the microphone. She reminded the audience that she had a hand in writing ALL the songs she was performing, adding another layer to her catalog that has remained familiar to fans more than two decades later.

The set included “Baby,” “Rain on Me” and “Rock Wit U (Awww Baby),” along with “Foolish,” the breakout single from her 2002 self-titled debut album. The crowd sang every word along with her through the mist as one familiar hook followed another.

Ashanti also worked through some of the collaborations that became an equally important part of her career, including Fat Joe’s “What’s Luv?,” Lloyd’s “Southside” and “Body on Me,” originally recorded with Nelly and Akon.

The performance served as a reminder of just how much of the early-2000s R&B and hip-hop soundtrack Ashanti helped create. Rather than relying on one or two recognizable hits, the evening unfolded as a run of songs the crowd already knew, often word for word.

Between the hits, Ashanti shared a few more intimate moments with the crowd, opening up about heartache, pain and the lessons that come with love and relationships. Those conversations gave the evening a more personal feel, connecting many of the songs fans have known for years to the real-life emotions and experiences behind them.

Ashanti also spoke about where life has taken her today, including her marriage to longtime love Nelly and becoming a mother to their son, Kareem “KK.” The couple’s relationship is now documented in the Peacock reality series Nelly and Ashanti: We Belong Together, which follows their second chance at love, marriage, parenthood and life in the spotlight. The series has officially been renewed for a second season, set to premiere this fall.

More than two decades after her self-titled debut reached No. 1, Ashanti’s catalog still had thousands singing along at Suburban Park. Even with the light rain continuing throughout the evening, the crowd remained packed around the stage as she delivered a nostalgic trip through the music that helped define an era.