Ashanti addresses Keyshia Cole backlash following ‘Verzuz’ battle
Ashanti felt it was her responsibility to keep the energy high while waiting for Cole to show up
If you weren’t an Ashanti fan before this month’s Verzuz battle, chances are you probably are one now following the applause the singer has received for being a “class act” during the broadcast with fellow singer Keyshia Cole.
But while Ashanti has gotten nothing but love, Cole has in stark contrast faced some backlash due to her tardiness and overall attitude during the twice-canceled showdown that took place on Jan. 22.
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Wednesday, during an appearance on HOT97’s Ebro in the Morning, Ashanti gave her thoughts on the battle. She continued to show Cole some grace – even after some of her shadier moments went viral.
“I obviously thought she was gonna be there a little bit sooner,” she said, explaining that she felt it was her responsibility to her fans keep the energy high even during the delays and technical difficulties.
“I just felt like as women camaraderie, if someone is late, you know, you hold on a little bit. I didn’t even realize so much time was going by, and we were sitting in the dressing room and I got a call like ‘Yo, we’ve got to figure out what’s going on’ and ‘Oh she’s not ready,’ whatever it is that was happening you know?”
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“I think there was something with her screen, or the sound, or something,” she recalled of the egregious 90-minute delay. “I didn’t even know what was going on. I was like, OK, I have to go out because there’s just people sitting there. This thing has been already up and down—the cancelations, the postponements, now it’s late. So, I said, ‘I’m going to wait a bit longer, and then I’ll go out.’ So I did.”
“Everyone has their days, you know what I mean?” the singer said of Cole’s demeanor. “There was probably a lot of stuff going on. It’s a lot of pressure. When you think of that many people with eyes on you, you know what I mean? If her stuff wasn’t together, of course, you’re going to be frustrated. So on top of being nervous and then having to deal with all of that, of course, you’re going to be a little flustered. So I would just assume that played a part into it.”
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