After Ashanti's video for "Only U" exploded onto the scene late last year, fueled by producer 7 Aurelius' blazing guitars and director Hype Williams' accomplished camera skills, Ashanti quietly released a second Concrete Rose single, "Don't Let Them."

" 'Don't Let Them' is definitely a love record," Ashanti explained. "[It's] about being in love and having other people interfere. You can't let people obstruct you from what your heart tells you to do."

"Don't Let Them," which hasn't made much noise since its release last month, will be the last single the R&B princess releases from last year's Concrete Rose. But don't fret, fans -- a remix album is slated to drop later this year.

While the Inc.'s Irv Gotti and 7 Aurelius have produced most of Ashanti's past material, she said she's open to other possibilities this time around. "We're taking it one day at a time. We'll see who comes with the hottest beats," she said.

On the acting front, Ashanti is playing Dorothy in "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz," which airs May 20 on ABC (see [article id="1495073"]"Ashanti Wants To Share Her Madness"[/article]). The multitalented "Coach Carter" star is making the Hollywood rounds, too.

"I'm reading a lot of scripts, a lot of irons in the fire," she said. "We'll see. ... I do wanna venture into acting [more]. I definitely wanna keep the records coming, but I wanna explore something different."

Ashanti, who is the spokesperson for Herbal Essence hair products, alluded to other upcoming endorsement possibilities, as well. "There are a couple of things going on," she said, but did not elaborate.

For a full-length interview with Ashanti, check out the feature [article id="121304"]"R&B's Go-To Girl Plants A 'Rose.' "[/article]