Swizz Beatz is defending his and Timbaland‘s decision to make X the official platform for Verzuz.
At the height of the pandemic, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland joined forces to create Verzuz. It quickly took off as it provided an innovative way for music lovers to enjoy their favorite artists as they battled it out song for song on Instagram Live. Some of the most memorable battles included T-Pain vs. Lil Jon, Monica vs. Brandy, Teddy Riley vs. Babyface, Keyshia Cole vs. Ashanti and Bounty Killer vs. Beenie Man. It became so popular that they landed a deal with Apple Music and Beats 1 so the public could stream the battles.
On June 19, which happens to be Juneteenth, Swizz Beatz posted a photo on Instagram showing himself, Elon Musk and Timbaland toasting to commemorate their new partnership. X will be the new home for all future Verzuz battles.
“LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!!! IT’S OFFICIAL, VERZUZ IS BACK AND 100% BLACK OWNED AGAIN⚡️ LET’S GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT’S BEEN MISSING,” Swizz wrote. “WE WILL ALSO BE BUILDING NEW ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESSES ON THE X PLATFORM !! WHO SHOULD BE THE 1St KICK OFF SHOW? LETS GO!!! VERZUZ ON X 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀 Full story link in bio.”
Folks were surprised and disappointed by their decision to collaborate with Musk, calling them sellouts.
“The moment I really understand that our ‘favs’ are nothing more than tools of capitalism chosen to sell us shit. Their wealth is theirs. They are in that class now with those people. They are not like us guys. Seriously. Happy Juneteenth?TFOH bro,” one person said.
“Another example of how Black capitalism won’t save us,” another commented.
“The culture is fractured. Grifters will grift when the right opportunity is presented for them to prosper. This is all about I and not about We. Don’t be fooled. And the audacity to announce this on today is laughable,” a third person chimed in.
On June 21, Swizz posted what seemed to be a response to the criticism. He posted a picture of himself and Timbaland wearing matching Black sweats with the Verzuz and X logos. He also captioned his post with, “We will show you better than tell you. Blessings to all.”
Through Swizz and Timbaland’s new alliance with X, folks can watch upcoming Verzuz battles for free, according to Complex.
“We are beyond thrilled to have found the best partner for Verzuz. Not only are we excited to have Verzuz on X, we’re excited to help X build the biggest entertainment company in the world,” Swizz said in a statement. “I would like to thank Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Brett Weitz, Mitchell Smith and the entire X team for believing in the Verzuz vision. We can’t wait to get to work.”
