VERZUZ

Jay-Z is not humbling down his success and talent as an artist, and when it comes to “Verzuz” the New Yorker recently let it be […]

Timbaland paved his own way as a hit-making producer for elite acts like Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z, but now he’s creating a lane for aspiring music creators to collaborate with the industry’s biggest performers.

Verzuz: Music artists go head-to-head When the pandemic shut down live concerts, pioneering hip hop producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland wanted to give people a show, and developed what became a viral online music battle series: Verzuz, in which noted musical artists (such as John Legend and Alicia Keys) perform head-to-head. Contributor Kelefa Sanneh talks with two musical legends, Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight, about their recent matchup.

Last year, for the first time, they went head-to-head, comparing their greatest hits as part of an online music battle series called Verzuz. Verzuz was created by two pioneering hip hop producers, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. Hip hop producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, creators of Verzuz. CBS NewsThey started Verzuz on a whim, with Swizz Beatz vs. Timbaland. "And there's music and genres that we're gonna cover that's gonna be amazing."

What started as some entertainment during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic has turned into one of the must-see Instagram Live shows. The premise is pretty simple: two R&B singers or rappers go head-to-head in a friendly battle on Instagram Live, and thousands of people get to sit back at home and enjoy. While the performances are so much fun to watch, what really makes “Verzuz” so entertaining is the chit chat between the stars, as well as the comment section on Instagram Live. It’s pretty surreal to see comments pop in from First Lady Michelle Obama, Oprah, Mariah Carey and Viola Davis, but they were watching the same Instagram Live stream as everyone else. We don’t know who will be up next for a “Verzuz” battle, but here’s to hoping we’ll get to witness another epic night.