Grammy and NAACP Image Award-winning singer and songwriter Ashanti recently opened up about fame and self-care, saying, “It’s essential to take care of yourself from within.”

In an interview with XONecole on Aug. 29, Ashanti talked about her rise to prominence during the ’00s and putting herself first.

“I was so new to the game and so young and naive,” she said about her early days in the music industry. The Glen Cove native added that she didn’t even notice how impressive it was to sell half a million copies of her debut album, Ashanti

(2002).

“[I thought] is 500,000 [copies] a good number? Did we do good? I didn’t really know what was going on,” Ashanti said. “I think I appreciate it now more than I did then because now I understand how much it resonated.”

When asked how she was enjoying her fabulous 40s, the singer and songwriter shared some tips on taking care of oneself.

“Putting yourself first has a lot to do with just healthcare and being aware of your body, being aware of your mind, being aware of what goes into your body and being aware of your energy who you keep around you,” she said. “[It’s] just mentally being in a space of peace…it’s essential to take care of yourself from within.”

Later in the interview, she also gave some words of wisdom to up-and-coming artists.

“Be very determined. You have to be confident and strong. You have to believe in yourself first…you have to demand respect…obviously it’s different now than 20 years ago when I first came out. When you’re new, there are certain things you have to go through to get to that level and garner that respect…be open to learning and growing, understand that everything is not gonna perfect…you can’t just give up…if you fall you can’t just lay there you have to get up and keep going.”

Ashanti has been a hot topic lately, as Irv Gotti–the founder of her former label, Murder Inc–recently confessed that he was once in love with her. However, judging by her Instagram page, she seems unbothered by the drama.