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Photo by: Rick Kern/Contributor

To continue, #WomensHistoryMonth Ashanti is making history through a new medium as her famous eponymous first album approaches its 20th anniversary!

The importance of ownership has been highlighted in Ashanti’s most recent stages of her career. Her most recent announcement is by her strategy, as she is the first Black woman to co-find a Web3 company.

“I’m so ecstatic to be the First Black female Artist to be a partner and co-owner of such an Amazing Web3 tech company as EQ Exchange,” Ashanti exclaimed. “Focusing on music and NFTs, EQ is built on CELO, the world’s first carbon-negative blockchain.”

According to the New York Times, Web3 is the term given by some engineers to the concept of a new type of internet service based on decentralization of blockchains, the shared ledger systems used by cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, and Ether.

According to Complex Magazine, the singer is teaming up with EQ Exchange, a woman-owned company whose main goal is to ensure that artists own their intellectual property and connect with their intended audience more directly.

“It’s so important to me to get the message out that artists should own their intellectual property,” the 41-year-old explained.

She continued.

“By empowering myself through new technology, I’m trying to help other women avoid going through the things that I’ve been through. The future belongs to those who take control and make it their own.”

Ashanti stated last year that she was in the middle of recording her self-titled first album, which will be turning twenty years old this year.

She’s re-recording the album so she may have complete control and ownership of the finished product.

Ashanti and EQ Exchange are also focusing on giving her followers a more customized experience that includes music and gifts.

“We’re focused on a mutual exchange of gifts… Love to and from my fans!”

Janice Taylor, the company’s founder outlined some of her aims for the tech company, such as solving financial inequality in a video message released in January.

“If you’re a woman, if you’re a person of color, if you come from a diverse group anywhere in the world and the financial system has not benefited you, you need to come here and we can all learn together,” Taylor said at the time.

The official launch of EQ Exchange is set for March 25th.

Congratulations, Ashanti on the amazing milestone!

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