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Meeting Sisqó
Date range assessed by the fact that Michael had spent “days… in Virginia Beach” by the time that it was reported by Daily Press on “Wednesday”, April 11, 2001. This was most likely around the time that Michael met Sisqó.
Sisqó, Deseret News (June 23, 2001)
Shaking Michael Jackson's hand was nothing like Sisqo imagined.
The rapper, who was nominated for a Grammy this year for the "Thong Song," talked during a Thursday appearance on MTV's "Total Request Live" about meeting Jackson.
"That was cool, man. When I first walked in, he was chillin' with his son, Prince," Sisqo said. "I reached out to shake his hand and I thought he'd be kinda cold and clammy. . . .
"It was kinda rough, like he'd been lifting weights or something."
Celebrity Big Brother housemate Sisqo has revealed that Michael Jackson once flew him out because he wanted to meet the Thong Song singer.
In a conversation with Stephanie, who has also met the King of Pop, Sisqo explained that Michael sent for him to meet up at an arcade in West Virginia back in 2001.
He said: "I will never forget that day. He was my hero. He introduced me to his kids, not Blanket but Paris and Prince Michael, and he took me to an arcade and he had the whole arcade shut down just for him.
"I will tell you two things about that man. One his voice was not that high pitched and two he was not a frail dude like everyone made out. When he shook my hand I could feel power."
“Vibe” Magazine (September 23, 2014)
Vibe: What was meeting Michael Jackson like?
Sisqó: I was maybe 4 or 5 years old when I saw Michael Jackson do the moonwalk and that’s when I was like that’s what I want to do. Michael Jackson flew me out to meet him in 2001 and he told me, ‘Man you’re really talented and you’re going to go very far in this industry.’ To be honest, after he told me that I was the shit, I didn’t really care about doing another album (laughs).
Vibe: Like on some “Nobody could tell me nothing.”
Sisqó: They couldn’t and you know what’s the worst part about that? If you noticed after 2001, [there was] this negative connotation of who I am as an artist. That nobody could tell me nothing. Even though I never really said that, that may have been the aura I was giving off because I was like, ‘Michael Jackson flew me out.’
Vibe: Where did he fly you out to?
Sisqó: It was Virginia Beach and me, him and Teddy Riley were down there together and hung out. I met his kids and that was when Teddy had worked with me on my second album. He did my first single “Can I Live” and I got the photo too.
Vibe: So you mean to tell me Michael Jackson really bumped “Thong Song”?
Sisqó: He clearly knew my music but we didn’t talk about that. I was just wondering why he wanted to meet me, like, ‘Dude you’re freaking Michael Jackson.’ Everybody else goes to meet him. And just for the record, a lot of the preconceived notions of who Michael Jackson was as a person were literally upside down. His voice was deeper and when I went to shake his hand, he gave me a pound and he’s like a sturdy dude. He seemed like he could whip your ass for real. He was brolic. He was the first dragon. I’m the last dragon.