The Rise and Fall of Verzuz

When the worldwide catastrof-ck that is the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, it not only resulted in sickness, death, unemployment, and people willing to ingest Lysol disinfectant spray and livestock dewormer for protection. It also resulted in most people staying home under lockdown to avoid the possibility of getting sick. Almost everyone else who chose not to stay home did so because they had no choice, as their employers insisted that they were “essential workers” who needed to be present at their places of employment to perform their jobs. Or because some of those people insisted on their god-given right to eat mozzarella sticks at Applebees, ignore the rules of social distancing, and inexplicably throw ‘bows at one another in supermarkets over toilet paper as if it would never be manufactured or sold ever again.

People began looking for ways to keep their minds occupied and themselves entertained. Books, movies, television shows, podcasts, convincing their friends to sing John Lennon songs with them to everyone on the Internet while telling us that we’re all in this together (which … yes, but … most celebrities trying to keep their heads above water during this pandemic was a vastly different experience from how the rest of us tried and sometimes failed to do the same), all served as ports in this storm (well, everything except that last one, obviously). Even movie studios had to do their part, as they were forced to release some of their upcoming films on streaming services and Video On Demand to ensure that they would still make a profit while movie theaters nationwide were shut down.

Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, two of the most successful producers in the music industry, decided to put an end to their grudge, and they soon joined forces to make the lockdown experience a little less miserable for the public. The result was Verzuz, a friendly online competition between musical artists and groups.

From Variety:

…The years-long rivalry between Swizz Beatz and Timbaland came to an end in 2007. “In one conversation, we put the past behind and moved forward,” Swizz said, according to Variety. They turned competition into collaboration, laying the groundwork for the Verzuz ethos. Soon after Swizz went into “DJ-battle mode,” first with Kanye West and, a year later, with Just Blaze.

But it was the pandemic that really set things off. In March 2020, Tim threw down the gauntlet on Instagram, and Swizz wasted no time loading up his beat machine for a showdown.

Two hours later, Verzuz was born, with the audience going wild in real-time as the producers played their hottest tracks. As Tim put it, “Don’t announce it — just do it.”

Verzuz is a webcasting session with two separate artists or groups known for rap, R&B, or reggae performing on camera opposite each other from their respective homes or studios (or from a studio or arena where they will both perform in the same space). Each artist/group would perform at least ten songs from their catalog (songs that they’ve performed, or songs that they’ve written and/or produced), and would speak a little bit about each song before playing portions of it, and singing/rapping along as well, or just simply letting the songs or instrumental beats play for a minute or two. Sometimes, the artists and groups would reciprocate their admiration and respect for each other during each performance, and other times, there was a good amount of harmless smack-talking that was involved. While the artists were performing, fans and viewers could log in and comment on what they were seeing, and those comments would usually appear onscreen.

Swizz Beatz vs. Timbaland was the first Verzuz performance to kick things off with a Battle of the Beats, but one of the first (and most memorable) episodes was between Teddy Riley and Anita Baker’s archnemesis, Babyface.

Of course, the main reason why it was so memorable was because of the audio and video issues that kept occurring during the episode while Teddy and Babyface were playing their songs. Those issues kept happening so often that this card might as well have popped up:

Teddy Riley vs. Babyface was soon followed by Erykah Badu vs. Jill Scott. That performance went off without a hitch; the two singer-songwriters spent as much time lavishing each other with praise and compliments as they did playing their songs, and it was a great example of what Verzuz could potentially be.

For those who love reggae, and who still hold very fond memories of going to bashments where the speakers would blast dancehall music that had everyone wining and daggering on the dance floor, Bounty Killer vs. Beenie Man was a performance truly worth tuning in for.

If you have parents or grandparents who would only attend Sunday service at church via Zoom when the pandemic started, they were probably just as happy to put on their best church hats as they watched Kirk Franklin perform alongside Fred Hammond on Easter Sunday, with special appearances by Marvin Sapp, Tamela Mann, and Bishop T.D. Jakes.

In honor of Juneteenth, Alicia Keys and John Legend performed on Verzuz, and it left viewers on social media divided. Some fans appreciated what they brought to the table, and others thought that, despite both of the piano-playing artists having impressive catalogs, their actual performances were boring and unmemorable.

Two of the best OGs to ever pick up a mic, Snoop Dogg and the late, great DMX, stepped into the studio to record this episode together. It was so damn fun to watch, and it also served as a reminder of how some current rappers still have much to learn when it comes to being as skillful, charismatic, and talented as Dark Man X and the Snoop D-O-double-G.

Ever since Brandy and Monica collaborated on the classic R&B song “The Boy Is Mine,” there have been longstanding rumors to this day that the two of them don’t actually like each other. So to see both songstresses agree to appear on Verzuz caused many jaws to hit the ground when it was announced, and it certainly seemed at times like Monica was regretting her choices as she occasionally gave off “Ugh, this bitch!” energy. (Or it was just Monica being Monica, and reminding us, as she always has, that she’s not the One or the Two, and that her fans have nicknamed her “Goonica” for a reason.)

One of the very best episodes in Verzuz history featured two of the best singers in all of history: Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle. (Fortunately for Patti, this was not hosted by Tyra Banks, which could’ve resulted in yet another experience that would tap-dance all over Patti’s very last nerve.) Not only did Patti kick off her shoes while hitting the high notes as only she can, but Dionne Warwick also showed up as it was winding down.

There are very few artists out here with the talent or musical catalog to perform opposite D’Angelo for Verzuz (or anywhere else, for that matter). So instead, Verzuz promoted this episode as simply “D’Angelo and Friends,” with the singer-songwriter performing his songs, featuring guest appearances by H.E.R., Method Man, and Redman.

Two of the Wu-Tang Clan’s greatest MCs, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, performed at the St. George Theatre on Staten Island, a.k.a. Shaolin Island, and viewers were very happy with what they got.

Another classic Verzuz performance was Earth Wind and Fire vs. The Isley Brothers, hosted by Steve Harvey. Not only was it classic because of the songs performed by both groups, but because Steve Harvey (who was rocking a hat and suit that made him look like Darkwing Duck) kept going on and on, and wouldn’t shut the f-ck up when interviewing both groups, and Black Twitter was not shy in letting it be known that he needed to shut the f-ck up. That noise from social media got so loud that when Steve Harvey and both groups came back from break for the second half of the show, it was obvious that Steve was big mad about whatever feedback he got from producers behind the scenes, as he was insistent that grown folks talk to one another, and the people at home should be talking less about what the grown folks are doing.

Redman and Method Man, rappers and stars of the comedic masterpiece How High, were also guests on Verzuz, and on 4/20, no less.

We also got to see Keith Sweat vs. Bobby Brown. Sadly, Bobby didn’t show up for this episode via helicopter, and then jump-kick towards the camera while arriving on the stage to make his entrance.

The LOX performed opposite Dipset for Verzuz at Madison Square Garden, where it didn’t take long for things to get slightly heated and adversarial between them. It took just as long for everybody watching in the Garden and at home to realize that Dipset had their asses handed to them by The LOX, who were clearly not f-cking around when it came to preparing for the event, and putting on a show worth watching. Depending on who you ask, Jadakiss put in plenty of work when it came to demolishing Dipset on stage, and he made it clear that anyone who had something to say could find him right there in New York to run up and get done up, if they so choose. (“This is Kiss! I’m outside!”)

Don’t believe me? Just ask Desus and Mero, back when the brand was strong, and before they chose to go their own way, bringing their friendship/partnership to an end.

The LOX vs. Dipset also gave us another memorable line, courtesy of Fat Joe discussing the impact of that matchup, and how it not only resulted in streams of The LOX’s music increased by 215%, but also in Jadakiss renegotiating his contract with Def Jam: “Yesterday’s price is not today’s price.” (Though I admittedly have to remind myself that it’s Fat Joe who said this, and not any of the characters from The Wire, as it really does sound like something that one of the characters on that show would say.)

There were plenty of other matchups on Verzuz that fans tuned in for: Nelly vs. Ludacris; Scott Storch vs. Mannie Fresh; 112 vs. Jagged Edge; Rick Ross vs. 2 Chainz; Ashanti vs. Keyshia Cole (which was postponed from an earlier date because Ashanti had been around the world like lisa Stansfield and tested positive for COVID as a result); Eve vs. Trina; SWV vs. Xscape (which left some people wondering if Xscape member Tameka “Tiny” Foster would or should be involved, considering her legal issues with her partner, rapper Clifford “T.I.” Harris); Bow Wow vs. Soulja Boy; Chaka Khan vs. Stephanie Mills, Mary Mary vs. BeBe and CeCe Winans; a rematch between Swizz Beatz and Timbaland; Fat Joe vs. Ja Rule; and KRS-One vs. Big Daddy Kane.

Verzuz became increasingly successful and soon outgrew the intimate, small-scale productions that made it appealing to fans in the first place. Other brands decided they wanted to be in business with them, like Ciroc, who became a sponsor, and had their bottles appear on camera for the host and guests to drink from. The NFL teamed up with them for a four-day event called The NFL Pro Bowl Verzuz, where players went against each other for ten rounds on who had the better highlights on and off the field, with fans deciding the victor. Apple Music struck a deal to stream Verzuz episodes through their service and Beats 1, while also offering a deal to purchase the brand entirely. That offer from Apple Music was turned down in favor of the video network app Triller, who were willing to write a much bigger check for Verzuz compared to Apple. Not everyone was happy about this, and some fans expressed their disappointment in Swizz Beatz and Timbaland for being too focused on making themselves rich rather than owning and caring about something that their people needed and adored and could stand the test of time. Swizz and Timbaland laughed off the complaints, and pointed out to all of the naysayers that they now own Triller, as they became brand managers for the Verzuz management team at Triller, and also became larger shareholders as a result of the deal.

And here is the part where we discuss the $28 million lawsuit that Swizz Beatz and Timbaland filed against Triller in August 2022 regarding lack of profits.

From Variety:

[Swizz Beatz and Timbaland] founded the popular Verzuz virtual battle series in March 2020 on Instagram Live, then less than a year later agreed to sell it to Triller for undisclosed terms. Swizz and Timbaland received equity in Triller, part of which they said would be allocated among 43 artists who had appeared on Verzuz, including John Legend, Alicia Keys, 2 Chainz, Rick Ross, Too $hort, Patti LaBelle and Gucci Mane.

According to the lawsuit, after Triller failed to make a large payment to Swizz (Kasseem Daoud Dean) and Timbaland (Timothy Mosley) in January 2022, the company agreed to a settlement requiring Triller to pay them $18 million ($9 million each) by March 20, with $1 million per month for the following 10 months. Triller has not made any of those promised payments, the suit alleges.

“To date, Defendants have failed and refused to make any payment to [Swizz Beatz and Timbaland] of the past due sums due and owing,” according to the lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. “The aforesaid defaults constitute material breaches of the Agreement by Defendants.” In response, a Triller spokesperson said that the company has paid “over $50 million” in cash and stock to Swizz and Timbaland to date. The dispute concerns earn-out payments — and, according to Triller, the duo have not met the threshold for receiving the additional money.

“This is nothing more than a performance dispute,” the Triller rep said in an emailed statement. “Only one payment of $10 million was in question. We don’t believe they have met the thresholds for that payment yet, but have been trying to resolve it amicably.”

The Triller spokesperson continued, “It is unfortunate they elected to elevate this to the press as a ‘legal shakedown,’ and it ignores the fact that they have deliverables which include, but are not limited to, delivery of a set number of Verzuz for 2022. We hope this was just overzealous lawyers jumping the gun … If this does proceed in court we look forward to a judgment that weighs all the facts.”

Both Swizz Beatz and Timbaland settled their lawsuit with Triller a month later, though the exact terms were not disclosed when it was announced. According to the original announcement that was made about said settlement: “[It] will increase the ownership stake given to the artists that Timbaland and Swizz Beatz brought to Triller as part of the original deal.”

Despite their claims about how glad they were to resolve the matter with Triller to everyone’s satisfaction, the two producers filed another lawsuit against them this past March. From AllHipHop:

…New court filings obtained by AllHipHop reveal that Swizz Beatz and Timbaland are now seeking a judge’s order to secure additional payments amounting to $565,000 in attorney’s fees from Triller.

According to the court documents, under the settlement terms, Triller was mandated to make an initial payment of $100,000, a commitment it failed to honor, resulting in a default.

Consequently, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have escalated their claim, leveraging an Affidavit of Confession of Judgment to accelerate the due balance.

This legal maneuver entitles them to a judgment of $565,000 plus an interest calculated at 9 percent per annum from February 16. The calculated total, inclusive of interest, now stands at $568,343.68.

The lawsuit against Triller, combined with its sale, as well as episodes now occurring in stadiums instead of home studios, marked the end of Verzuz. (It also didn’t help that some of the more recent battles on Verzuz weren’t all that exciting or impressive, and did little to stoke the enthusiasm of fans on social media.) During the time that Verzuz saw the bloom coming off its rose, NPR Tiny Desk quickly took its spot as the musical concert series that fans watched and couldn’t stop talking about. Though the Tiny Desk Concerts series has been a beloved mainstay for NPR since 2008, its popularity (particularly with Black Twitter) grew even more, thanks to some of the artists invited to perform in honor of Black Music Month, which is celebrated every June, and those artists included Juvenile, Charlie Wilson, Chaka Khan, Babyface (with Chanté Moore and Tank on backup), Tems, Meshell Ndegeocello, and last but never least, U-S-H-E-R R-A-Y-M-O-N-D.

Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have stated their desire to bring Verzuz back, even though its time has likely come and gone, and there is no guarantee that it would achieve the same level of popularity now that it did back in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was rumored that one of the matchups to occur if and when Verzuz returns would be Jermaine Dupri vs. Sean “Diddy” Combs. But for reasons that have become painfully obvious, we’ll all be waiting until the 12th of Never for that to happen.

Verzuz, much like D-Nice hosting his Club Quarantine series on Instagram Live, was something that brought some joy to people who truly needed it most. To people who needed a brief reminder that the world wasn’t completely going to sh-t, and who were given the opportunity to sing along and dance to music they love in the safety and comfort of their own homes, and connect with other fans online while doing so. Even if it did become a sign of things to come, in the form of rich people taking something that provides information, entertainment, and pleasure to millions and then using their greed and ineptitude to f-ck it all up.