Ashanti is a mega-famous vocalist, who even counted Michael Jackson as a fan.
“I was super excited to perform at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. He flew me and my crew in on a jet,” the “Only U” singer, 42, exclusively recalls in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “I didn’t meet him that day, but I did speak to him on the phone later. That was pretty iconic.”
Jackson — who died in 2009 at the age of 50 — had invited Ashanti to his California residence in 2003, where she performed a cover of his song “Rock With You.” Ashanti later sampled Jackson’s “The Girl Is Mine” on her 2008 single, “Good Good.”
Ashanti’s run-in with the King of Pop isn’t the only thing that fans might not know about her. Keep reading for more fun facts:
1. I’m dying to go to Ghana — because it’s so amazing and that’s where my name originates from — Greece and the Maldives.
2. My secret talents are that I can sing opera and push water through my teeth while smiling.
3. My first car was a 1990 Nissan Sentra. It was my grandmother’s.
4. The short period of time that I was in college, I wanted to major in business and minor in forensic science.
5. I was in English Honors classes. I always liked to write.
6. My favorite wardrobe item is a belt for that extra waste cinch.
7. Some of my favorite books are A Raisin in the Sun and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
8. On Saturday nights, nine times out of 10, I’m on a stage somewhere.
9. On Sunday afternoons, I’m mostly likely on a flight leaving from a concert or on the way to another one.
10. My favorite room is my bedroom because I hardly see it anymore, That’s where me and my Frenchie kick it the most.
11. My celebrity crushes growing up were Big Daddy Kane and Ginuwine.
12. I was super excited to perform at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. He flew me and my crew in on a jet. I didn’t meet him that day, but I did speak to him on the phone later. That was pretty iconic.
13. I liked working at the daycare center when I was in high school, so for an alternate profession, I’d [do] something like that.
14. I just finished a new record called “We Made Up,” produced by ATL Jacob. It’s loaded with many personal memories.
15. My favorite guilty pleasure TV shows are The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Married at First Sight and Love Is Blind.
16. I’m a pescatarian, but I only eat fish once or twice every few months.
17. I’m really trying my hardest to become a straight vegetarian. I’m almost there.
18. My go-to karaoke song is “Scenario” by A Tribe Called Quest.
19. To decompress, I take a super-hot shower, then hit the sauna and melt into my bed.
20. The one beauty product I can’t live without is Aura Body Butter by Wife of Creation.
21. My ideal comfort food is Caribbean food: rice and peas.
22. The Color Purple and The Notebook are two of my favorite movies.
23. My favorite meal to cook is cabbage, sweet corn, cauliflower rice and fried fish.
24. My go-to mantra is positive energy. Everything happens for a reason; the stars are aligning perfectly for my journey.
25. I had the most [incredible] time at Bermuda Carnival. It poured rain, and I danced in the street with the people, so it was such an amazing experience.
