ICYMI, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland recently announced a new partnership between their music battle platform, Verzuz, and Elon Musk’s social media app, X, which has sparked backlash. Addressing the critiques, Swizz Beatz emphasized his positive intentions.
“LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE,” read a joint statement on Swizz and Timbaland’s Instagram accounts, featuring a photo of the producers toasting with Musk. “IT’S OFFICIAL, VERZUZ IS BACK AND 100% BLACK OWNED AGAIN… WE WILL ALSO BE BUILDING NEW ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESSES ON THE X PLATFORM.”
And you all know the backlash was evident in the comments, with one highly liked comment stating, “Trying to force Black people back to Twitter with music while you’ve made the site a playground for straight up white supremacists is an insult to our intelligence — basically saying ‘it doesn’t matter how we treat them as long as we give them a hot beat to dance to.’ NO.”
Get this, Swizz Beatz responded to the criticism, noting, “But nobody said anything before we been on that platform since Verzuz started.” He further addressed concerns on X, saying, “You will see my intentions as always. We must change what we don’t like, not complain about it. We go hard since the 90s. People will soon see the plan. I understand that people have questions, and they will also understand I’m not a silly person.” He also pointed out the irony of critics using X to voice their complaints, adding, “But you’re on X [laughing emoji].”
Unless you were under a rock when the world shut down, Verzuz, created during the pandemic, gained popularity through Instagram Live battles between respected artists. It faced a hiatus in 2022 due to a legal dispute with Triller, which had acquired the platform in 2021. The lawsuit was settled the same year, with Swizz and Timbaland hinting at Verzuz’s return in 2023.
Verzuz has featured many iconic matchups, including Monica vs. Brandy, Gucci Mane vs. Jeezy, Ashanti vs. Keyshia Cole, and Dipset vs. The Lox.
Do ya’ll have an issue with Swizz partnering with Elon Musk? The latter mogul is controversial, polarizing and one would think he is ultimately self serving but one thing is for sure, he cut a deal with Swizz and Timbaland, and they said yes.
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