- Rain on Me
Single infobox
Name = Rain on Me
Artist = Ashanti
from Album = Chapter II
Released = August 19, 2003
Format =CD single
Recorded =
Genre = R&B, hip pop
Length =
Label = Murder Inc.
Writer =
Producer =
Last single = "Rock wit U (Awww Baby) "
(2003)
This single = "Rain on Me"
(2003)
Next single =Breakup 2 Makeup
(2004)Rain on Me is a single released by R&B/pop singer Ashanti in 2003 from her second album "Chapter II". The single reached number seven on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart in theUnited States and the top 20 in theUnited Kingdom . In the video Ashanti plays a superstar abused by a jealous boyfriend, played by actorLarenz Tate . The video was released onAugust 28 2003 . The video was shot inBarcelona ,Spain , and directed byHype Williams . It contains a sample of "The Look Of Love" ByIssac Hayes . The rap remix found of her "Collectibles" album interpolates "Can I Live?" byJay-Z .Jay-Z used the same sample for his song off his 1996 debut album,Reasonable Doubt . The remix also featuresHussein Fatal and fellowThe Inc. Records labelmates Charli "Chuck" Baltimore &Ja Rule . There are 2 videos for the song. Ashanti does not lip-sync in the first video but she does in the second.In 2004, the song earned Ashanti her sixth
Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.LidRock and the Family Violence Prevention Fund
Ashanti partnered LidRock and the San Francisco-based Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) to raise awareness of the issue of domestic violence during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and to distribute the mini-movie using LidRock’s unique platform. This promotion, in conjunction with heavy rotation on
MTV ,BET , and other music video programs, has brought this film and her cause to the attention of millions of fans. It has also helped to raise money for the cause with proceeds from the $5 mini-disc going toward helping to stop domestic violence. [ [http://www.lidrock.com/ashanti/index.htm LidRock - Ashanti - Do Something ] ]"Nearly one-third of American women (31 percent) report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives", stated Esta Soler, founder and president of the Family Violence Prevention Fund. "When we heard 'Rain on Me' and saw the Ashanti LidRock mini movie, we knew the powerful messages about violence that they artfully convey would speak to a lot of people. Ashanti wrote an amazing song that, by itself, has incredible power and emotional resonance. The LidRock minimovie just enhances the song’s power, as it realistically portrays the complexity of domestic violence and the characters’inspiring strength in addressing the situation", continued Soler. "The Family Violence Prevention Fund is extremely proud to be partnering with Ashanti and LidRock on a project that has such potential to raise awareness about domestic violence and to save lives." http://www.lidrock.com/pr_ashanti.pdf]
Additionally, a
public service announcement about domestic violence featuring Ashanti was aired nationwide onOctober 17 2003 on more than 4,000 film screens atRegal Cinemas ,United Artists Theatres ,Edwards Theatres , andHoyts Cinemas , and is expected to reach millions of people.Lyrics and music video
Ashanti's lyrics for "Rain on Me" address the pains and challenges of facing, and eventually overcoming, an abusive relationship. Wanting to bring her lyrics to life in a cinematically ambitious, narrative driven way, the singer/songwriter worked with LidRock & director
Hype Williams to produce the mini-movie version of the song."We wanted to make a short movie that was 'real' — that showed that no matter if you're rich or poor, black or white, famous or not, domestic violence can touch your life" explained Ashanti.
The Family Violence Prevention Fund
For more than two decades, the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) has worked to end violence against women and children around the world, because everyone has the right to live free of violence. Instrumental in developing the landmark Violence Against Women Act passed by Congress in 1994, the FVPF has continued to break new ground by reaching new audiences including men and youth, promoting leadership within communities to ensure that violence prevention efforts become self-sustaining, and transforming the way health care providers, police, judges, employers, and others respond to violence.
References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.