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The rules came together on the fly through trial and error.
Verzuzis fun, simple, and wide open maybe a little too wide open.
The audience is mostly in charge of the scoring, and theres rarely a consensus on points.
Regional bias and generational schisms creep up.
Theres nothing wrong with a slugfest, but its draining hearing people trash timeless classics.
you’re able to score points with records mostly made by someone else.
If youve cultivated a relationship with an A-list artist, youre almost guaranteed the win.
Its also teaching fans how many heads it can take to make a hit record.
That said, hits being repeated also highlighted a need for greater variety in the cast of contestants.
But questionable bookings and problematic song selections are foregone conclusions now.
Is this thing cashed or is it just at a crossroads?
That said, he showed up late mugging lasciviously at the camera and letting records rock too long.
(This is why contestants are only allowed to play a song up to the first chorus now.)
Who won?The crowd swore Garrett smoked Dream, but what really happened is that he pulled aRocky.
He ate shots through the early rounds and came out swinging near the end when his opponent wound down.
But this isnt boxing.
It matters that Sean blew the first hour.
Sean won … but it was close.
112 was discovered by Diddy as Bad Boy Records took flight on memorable albums from Faith Hill and Biggie.
Jagged Edge, a quartet fronted by identical twins, found Georgia producer Jermaine Dupri.
Both groups benefited from having a world class producer and label owner with a solid roster in their corner.
Both groups charted strongly through the early 2000s, often in competition.
Youd hear Jagged Edges Where the Party At in the same urban radio block as 112s Peaches and Cream.
But the Memorial Day battle illuminated the differences between two groups with very similar career trajectories.
Its the breakout hit of the spring, drawing an average quarter million heads every time.)
Who won?Tory Lanez has chops, but French has connections.
French won by a mile.
The streak continued in the next decade with T.I.s Front Back and Big Things Poppin.
But Storch did take this one in the end.
Boi-1da vs. Hit-Boy
Whats the rundown?The secondVerzuzevent paired two hitmakers whove impacted the last ten years.
Torontos Boi-1da has worked with Drake since his 2007 debut mixtape,Room for Improvement.
Miss Me, Headlines, 0-100/The Catch-Up, and Over all him.
The catalog also includes Eminems Hot 100 topper Not Afraid and scorchers with everyone from Rick Ross to Rihanna.
This seemed like an even matchup until everyone realized just how endless Boi-1das stash of Drake classics is.
Both artists are masters of tasteful love songs with hot streaks lasting through the mid- to late aughts.
This was an easy test.
(Do you ever imagine what could have been if Jay-Z got the Breathe beat?
Saturday nights main event drew the pregame excitement of a Tyson fight for the grown and sexy crowd.
Ross was accompanied by twerking dancers and got a shirtless massage bothVerzuzfirsts.
Either way, its theVerzuzthat feels most like a promotional music-industry event.
If you know, you know.
Who won?Ross, but it shouldnt have cut his way as easily as it did.
Ludas porn-rap anthem Whats Your Fantasy?
completed his pivot from Atlanta-area radio host to airplay mainstay.
(Peace to the Ying Yang Twins, though.)
is currently fieldingaccusations of sex trafficking and sexual abusefrom over a dozen women.
For the night, neither did anyone else, really.
DJ AOne played Tip and the audience got amnesia about Tinys still-unfolding troubles.
On Mothers Day, art was separated from the artist as the two groups squared off.
But the presence of singer-songwriter andReal Housewives of Atlantastar Kandi Burrusstipped the scales.
Who won?In spite of Xscapes aces, SWV had the upper hand.
Franklin and HammondsVerzuzmeet wasnt a battle so much as a necessary moment of calm led by intergenerational talents.
As Kirk said at the beginning of the night, Hes the goat, and Im the alpaca.
Flaky audience notwithstanding, Swizz and Tims second Verz went the same as the first.
The legends talked shit but didnt tell any stories.
Who won?LIV.
Do with that information what you will.
Music signee Legend over the years on songs including Blame Game and They Say.
Both performers have worked in other mediums.
Keyss memoir,More Myself: A Journey, was released this spring.
Legend outsang her in the room, but she walked away with more points.
But the duo synced up as energetic performers and lets be honest purveyors of problematic rap.
Otherwise, mess was thankfully at a minimum.
Who won?It was a lock for Snoop the minute they announced his sparring partner.
The battle wasnt the blowout fans mightve expected, but the West Coast legend ran off with it.
Puff, kindly and thanks.)
Virginia innovator Timbaland was the eras other go-to.
This was true from Jay-ZsVol.
2: Hard Knock Lifeto DrakesThank Me Laterand beyond.
The inauguralVerzuzbattle is the longest and hardest to call.
But Swizz is a wild card willing to play parts no one with better chops would dare.
Run back Jay-Zs Jigga My Nigga.
The melody doesnt make sense.
Its hard as nails!
Trash talk is key.
Relations between the pair have been frosty at best ever since, such that whenT.I.
Or you could argue that letting the worst jab of the night go unanswered is a kind of loss.
Their histories and discographies are almost inseparable.
Who won?Boodah.
TheirVerzuzbattle was a master class in old friends with unresolved business.
It seemed as if they hadnt spoken in years before sitting down in front of the cameras.
There isnt a drop of excess in his three-album solo catalogue or his illustrious list of guest spots.
Method Man and Redman showed up forVoodoos Left and Right, and later, H.E.R.
stood in for Lauryn Hill onThe Miseducations Nothing Even Matters.
Who won?Soulquarians, baby.
Ghostface has a knack for emotional honesty and upbeat absurdism thats matched by Raekwons sterner, harsher mafioso tales.
Put the two in a room for any amount of time, and youll be entertained.
Who won?Ghostface and Raekwon do not compete with each other.
They complement each other.
Wu-Tang mastermind RZA and Gang Starrs DJ Premier stepped up.
Their competition was a clash of rap titans thatll go down in history.
This one was too close to get hung up on scoring.
The winner is anyone tuned in to hear the story of New York hip-hop song by iconic song.
(That said, Im siding with RZA.)
Both singers have made movies.
Their meet was more a reunion and a Mothers Day celebration than a proper battle.
Throughout the night, the singers shared memories and matched vibes with their musical selections.
You came away feeling uplifted, which is the mark of top-tier entertainment in quar.
Who won?Earth, chakras, angels, babies.
Who won?Blackness won.
Singers who sound better than their records 50 years later won.
If you have not done this,you have your homework.
