Chapter II

1	Intro/Medley 1:18
2	Shany's World / Chink Santana 3:05
3	Rock Wit U (Awww Baby) 3:29
4	What Are They Gonna Say Now (Skit) 0:31
5	Breakup 2 Makeup 3:41
6	I Found Lovin' 4:15
7	Rain on Me 4:57
8	Then Ya Gone / Chink Santana 4:59
9	Living My Life 3:46
10	Black Child (Skit) 1:28
11	Feel So Good 4:31
12	Carry On 3:15
13	The Sugar Shack (Skit) 1:10
14	The Story of 2 4:33
15	Ohhh Ahhh 4:36
16	Shany Shia (Skit) 1:11
17	Sweet Baby 4:08
18	U Say, I Say 4:09
19	I Don't Mind 5:04
20	Outro / Chink Santana 0:58

Barnes & Noble

Like Janet and J. Lo, hip-hop soul princess Ashanti can carry an infectious tune. And while she may never wail like Whitney or Mariah, the 22-year-old remains as charismatic as ever on the follow-up to her multiplatinum, eponymous debut. To remind listeners of her impressive hit list, Chapter II opens with an "Intro/Medley" of Ashanti's 2002 chart-toppers, including "Foolish" and the Ja Rule collaboration, "Always on Time." Like Ashanti -- which jacked beats from DeBarge and the Gap Band -- Chapter II heavily samples old-school R&B gems. Digging deeper in the crates, on "Rain on Me," Ashanti purrs over Isaac Hayes's funked-up version of Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love," and "Feel So Good" glides on the bubbling bass groove of Barry White's "Playing Your Game, Baby." Aside from the production's crisper, classic soul vibe, the most notable difference between Chapter II and its predecessor is the absence of Ja Rule -- perhaps he's salty that Ashanti's star is rising while his (thanks in part to 50 Cent's incessant disses) is dimming. In Ja's place is fellow Murder Inc. labelmate Chink Santana, who lends his lithe, drawled rhymes to several tracks, including the bluesy "Then Ya Gone." While Ashanti is no substitute for the alluring Aaliyah, even haters have to give baby girl props for penning memorable, radio-friendly R&B. Tracy E. Hopkins

Entertainment Weekly

The production (by Gotti) is refreshingly old school. "Rain on Me" gives off a blaxploitation soundtrack vibe, while "Rock Wit U (Awww Baby)" transcends its clichéd title by recalling Minnie Riperton. [B-] Tom Sinclair