Verzuz

Swizz Beatz Isn’t Down For A 50 Cent & Lil Wayne “Verzuz”

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One of the hottest topics in hip-hop these days probably won’t pan out, but hope manifested in another way. Swizz Beatz recently expressed that he wouldn’t personally entertain a Verzuz battle between Lil Wayne and 50 Cent. Moreover, the battle series’ creator attended an early screening of Godfather Of Harlem‘s final episode, a show for which he’s Executive Music Producer. At the event, BallerAlert got his thoughts on the hypothetical matchup, which began as a hot debate on Rap Life Radar as people like Lowkey and later Ebro sided with 50. However, even though Swizz shut down its probability, he said he still wants them to appear on the program.

“Me personally, I wouldn’t even do 50 versus Wayne,” the star producer told the publication. “They two different dynamics and two different artists. I would do a different Verzuz for both of them, but we’ll see as we have a lot of things lined up for Verzuz, and hopefully, they are involved. While I can’t give up who I would choose to go against them, just wait and see.”

50 Cent & Lil Wayne Verzuz Not Entertained By Swizz Beatz Amid Debate

Not only that, but the 44-year-old also said that the series will return “ASAP,” and promised that work on it is almost done. Furthermore, he shared excitement for other creative endeavors in the future. Specifically, he spoke about what collaborations he looks forward to, which means a lot considering the extent and caliber of his catalog. “I’ll choose my bro, Lil Durk, because I love what he raps about and how he’s going through it simultaneously,” he said.

“When I was working with DMX, I heard in Durk’s music the situations he was going through in his lyrics – artists like Lil Baby, 42 Dugg, and Durk; there’s so many of them. They, sometimes, overly live through what they saying. I don’t think we should live on the streets just to get back in the streets.” Maybe fans will never truly know the answer to who would win in a Verzuz. Still, hopefully he still works more with both artists in the future. For the latest news and updates on Swizz Beatz, 50 Cent, and Lil Wayne, come back to HNHH.

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Young Guru Claims Lil Wayne Would “Wash” 50 Cent In A “Verzuz”

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Hip-hop culture’s been debating about who would win in a Verzuz battle between 50 Cent and Lil Wayne, and Young Guru is the latest legend to chime in. Moreover, this all started with multiple media personalities giving their thoughts on the subject, including Ebro, DJ Envy, and their respective radio crews. However, considering that he’s Jay-Z’s longtime engineer, his harsh assessment might just ring harder than any previous take. Furthermore, he took to his Instagram Story to try to set the record straight and speak authoritatively on the subject. Whether he’s right or not, perhaps we’ll never know, but it seems like a 50-50 split as to who would claim victory (or 50-Weezy, I guess).

“For the record y’all are crazy. Wayne would wash 50. Period,” the acclaimed audio technician wrote. Also, he said that To elaborate, here are some takes from other figures who recently debated the issue. First up is Ebro, who said that “what Jadakiss did to Dipset…Is what 50 will do to Wayne.” Eddie Francis disagreed on Rap Life Review, saying that a “wash” is impossible. To be fair, it is a tight race (consider this writer in Tunechi’s corner, with all due respect). Still, Lowkey argued on the program that he needs a carefully curated setlist to stand a chance against the G-Unit mogul.

Young Guru: Lil Wayne Would “Wash” 50 Cent

“Wayne don’t have a Get Rich or Die Tryin,‘” Low claimed, and blasphemously so for many (is Tha Carter III nothing to you?). “We’re not talking about what we like… We’re talking about in a crowd. [50 Cent] is a mainstream monster; Wayne is a cultural mainstream monster. But when we talk about these hits? When we talk about these bodies of work? When we talk about these smashes? I ain’t saying 50’s gonna wash Wayne, but if Wayne is not sequenced right and is not positioned correctly, that could be a very long f***ing night for Dwayne Carter.”

Meanwhile, DJ Envy agreed on The Breakfast Club, although he said it’s closer than many think. Regardless of all that, it’s still highly unlikely that we’ll ever get to answer this question. After all, 50’s dismissed the idea of doing a Verzuz, especially since it was more of a pandemic thing that hasn’t fully come back. On his end, the Young Money icon said that Roc-A-Fella would be the “best competition” against his label in a battle. As such, fans can only keep their fingers crossed and hope that the two incredible MCs look at all the buzz and say, “You know what, why not?” Come back to HNHH to see if that ever happens, and for the latest on 50 Cent, Lil Wayne, and Young Guru.

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DJ Envy Believes 50 Cent Would Beat Lil Wayne In A “Verzuz” Battle

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Though Verzuz hasn’t made a full comeback post-pandemic, DJ Envy shared his thoughts on a potential battle between Lil Wayne and 50 Cent on The Breakfast Club. Over the past few years, people have suggested opponents for Fif and Weezy separately, though no one really thought a match-up like this would make sense. After all, by the time 50 Cent released Curtis, Lil Wayne was on pace to drop off his biggest commercial success, Tha Carter III. Still, DJ Envy felt as though the Louisiana rapper wouldn’t be able to compete against Fif if they went 20-for-20.

The hypothetical battle initially came up during Apple Music’s Rap Life Review with Lowkey, Nadaska, and Eddie Francis. Lowkey and Francis said that Wayne would need the right sequencing to compete against 50 Cent. “Wayne don’t have a Get Rich Or Die Tryin’,” Lowkey said, explaining that he’s speaking exclusively on a Verzuz battle. “I ain’t sayin’ 50 gonna wash Wayne but if Wayne’s not sequenced right, and it’s not positioned correctly, that could be a very long fucking night.”

DJ Envy Choose 50 Cent Over Lil Wayne

Envy agreed with Lowkey’s assessment of the battle between the two cultural icons but Charlamagne took it as a shot toward the South. “Yes, Lil Wayne doesn’t have a Get Rich but Lil Wayne has massive, massive amounts of hits… One album cannot win you a Verzuz,” he said. However, Envy explained why he sided with Lowkey on the matter. “He is right… Get Rich or Die Tryin’ is a classic album but you can’t sit there and act like Lil Wayne doesn’t have classic bodies of work,” he said.

At this point, Charlamagne explained that people would definitely tune in for that showdown but 50 Cent “would need something more than just Get Rich Or Die Tryin’  to go against one of the top five, potentially top 3, greatest rappers alive.” Charlamagne added that Wayne already had a stacked catalog by the time the Young Money era began. “Now, 50 Cent would win that battle,” Envy stated before Charlamagne interrupted. “It would be 20 and 20. I do,” Envy added. Check his comments above. 

Yung Joc Thinks Diddy Outshines Jermaine Dupri In Knowing What’s “Hot”

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No one is quite sure when Verzuz will make its triumphant return, but fans are looking forward to Jermaine Dupri versus Sean “Diddy” Combs. This pending match-up has been hyped for years, and while there was a time when a look from the two was just gossip, Dupri confirmed it’s in development. The So So Def hitmaker hasn’t been quiet about wanting to face off with his mogul peer. He’s declared himself the underdog in interviews, but Dupri is insistent that his catalog outweighs Diddy’s heat.

However, Yung Joc takes a different stance. He visited Math Hoffa’s My Expert Opinion and spoke on the two icons. “I always felt like Diddy understood how to go to the next level of what he was doing,” said the Love & Hip Hop star. “JD did, too, but JD again was doing so many other things that he didn’t focus on his artistry as much as Diddy did.” Both Diddy and Dupri helped produce classic hits, but they also saw charting success as artists.

Yung Joc Explains Choosing Diddy

The “It’s Goin’ Down” rapper added, “Diddy kinda stands next to what’s hot.” Joc explained that when Diddy is attached to something, “he makes it hotter.” He said, “[Diddy] will acknowledge what’s hot, and his acknowledgment brings awareness to what’s hot. And he blows it up. In theory, you think of all parties involved, and nine times out of ten, who was the bigger party involved? Diddy. So he understands marketing, and that’s the difference that he got over JD.”

Joc further argued that Dupri “focused on his strengths as a producer and writer.” However, Diddy was more of an artist or “flagship artist of his brand.” The rapper said, “No matter who he had, he’s branded as the flagship of Bad Boy. JD is So So Def, but the other artists were bigger than JD.” Some believe that Joc isn’t as objective as he portrays; although he resides in Atlanta, where Jermaine Dupri is like a music god, Joc was also signed to Diddy’s Bad Boy decades ago.

A Must-Watch Verzuz

ATLANTA – JUNE 18: Jermaine Dupri, Yung Joc, Bryan Michael Cox, Kid Dupri and Bryan J at The Magnum Live Large Project VIP Party at Ventanas on June 18, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Trojan)

It will be interesting to see how this Verzuz unfolds. Whatever side you’re hedging your bets on, undoubtedly, both men deserve their flowers. They’ve playfully talked that talk to one another on Livestreams to hype their Verzuz appearance, and Hip Hop is looking forward to it. Check out Yung Joc on My Expert Opinion above.

Jim Jones Wants Dipset To Get A “Verzuz” Rematch With The Lox

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Jim Jones says that he wants Dipset to get a rematch with The Lox on Verzuz. The iconic New York rapper discussed The Diplomats’ appearance on the show during a recent interview with AllHipHop TV. The two sides originally faced off at the Hulu Theater in August 2021 with The Lox taking home the victory. This time around, Jones wants the event to be held in Madison Square Garden’s full 20,000-capacity venue.

“I don’t think that energy will ever be duplicated outside of New York unless we go for the rematch, you heard?” the Harlem rapper said. “The way I’m thinking about it is last time, there was a lot going on. The venue was way too small. There were people on my back. There were people on people’s shoulders in there.”

Dipset Vs. The Lox On “Verzuz”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 03: Jadakiss of The Lox and Jim Jones of Dipset perform onstage during Verzuz: The Lox Vs Dipset at Madison Square Garden on August 03, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

Later, Jim Jones described Dipset as Rocky and The Lox as Apollo Creed. He even suggested the two sides score the battle like a boxing match. “I think we need proper respect of doing it in the Garden, the big Garden, with proper security, set up right so everybody have breathing room. Not using it as no excuse, but we need a rematch for the city. I’m puttin’ it out there. I’m puttin’ it out there like Rocky after he lost to Apollo Creed — And we gonna be ready like hot spaghetti,” Jones said. “Let’s score it like a boxing match, let’s get the judges, let’s make it live. Let the people vote live. Let’s do it right. Let’s really go for it.”

Verzuz co-creator Swizz Beatz previously teased a rematch between the two sides on the battle’s one-year anniversary in August. “Music history was made on this day,” he wrote on Instagram at the time. “Who want pt 2.” Over five million people reportedly tuned in for the original battle. Verzuz is set to return with Season 3 later this year.

Jim Jones’ Idea For A Rematch

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Jim Jones Wants A ‘Verzuz’ Rematch After Dipset Got Smoked By The Lox

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The status of Verzuz, the brainchild of powerhouse producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, is currently up in the air. However, that hasn’t stopped legacy acts and fans alike from creating their fantasy onstage battles online or in interviews. In fact, Wiz Khalifa, 21 Savage, and Jermaine Dupri are just a few of the musicians that are open to the idea of putting up their discography to compete against another musical opponent. However, there’s a former participant that is looking to redeem themselves in a second face-off.

Rapper Jim Jones, a proud member of the rap collective Dipset (comprised of Juelz Santana, Cam’Ron, and himself), wants a Verzuz rematch against rap titans The Lox (which is comprised of Sheek Louch, Styles P, and Jadakiss). Back in August 2021, the groups took the stage of Madison Square Garden, where The Lox was declared the evening’s victors unanimously. The landslide victory even birthed several memes and GIFs, which still flood around Black Twitter to this day.

Now that the pain of defeat stings a little less, Capo admitted to AllHipHop TV that, as a group, they could’ve done better. The “Back In My Prime” rapper was honest with the host revealing that they did not practice but if offered the chance to do it again, things would be different.

“I think we need proper respect of doing it in the Garden, the big Garden, with proper security, set up right so everybody have breathing room. Not using it as no excuse, but we need a rematch for the city. I’m puttin’ it out there. I’m puttin’ it out there like Rocky after he lost to Apollo Creed — And we gonna be ready like hot spaghetti,” said Jones.

The entertainer also had suggestions on how the rematch should be scored, saying, “Let’s score it like a boxing match. Let’s get the judges. Let’s make it live. Let the people vote live. Let’s do it right. Let’s really go for it.”

Watch the clip above.

Jim Jones Wants A Hitmaka & Hit-Boy Verzuz

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Jim Jones and Hitmaka stopped by Ebro In The Morning to discuss their new album Back In My Prime and a potential Verzuz against Hit-Boy. Moreover, those comments came after the latter dissed Hitmaka and other producers in a song tease. Of course, that blew the Internet up, both with impressed reactions to disappointed responses. However, it was Hitmaka who started the whole debacle in this interview by talking about radio play on Hot 97. But more interestingly, Jones knew where they could settle things: a Verzuz battle.

“Do I smell a Verzuz?” the Dipset legend asked. Furthermore, his proposal prompted excited reactions from the rest on his on-air colleagues. “We can settle this fast. Tell Za on the zone we got some za. I would give them L.A.” Despite this debate, Hitmaka did admit that Hit-Boy’s been at the game longer than him. “He’s been running longer than I’ve been running in this field,” the Chicago producer explained. Even with all that, the Hot 97 crew were surprised that Hitmaka took things in that direction.

Jim Jones Wants A Hitmaka & Hit-Boy Verzuz

“I’m on the radio. Hit-Boy not on the radio,” he said before saying that he still has love for the King’s Disease producer. “If you play the soundtrack to your life for the past four, five years on radio – I know it’s gotta be frustrating with ‘em my name is so similar, my brother.” After these comments went viral, Hit-Boy released a snippet where he dissed Hitmaka, Metro Boomin, and others. “I just seen Yung Berg smoke on the wave/ I should do him like Trick Trick and snatch Hit out his name,” he rapped against Hitmaka. “I’m like Debo on this cruiser/ How you got no credits without co-producers?” In fact, the producer clapped back at Hit-Boy’s comments, calling him a “terrible artist.”

Meanwhile, Metro Boomin seemingly responded to these disses in a cryptic way. He tweeted out a picture of Kendrick Lamar lyrics from the Mr. Morale cut “Rich Spirit.” “Stop playin’ wit me ‘fore I turn you to a song,” the lyrics read. Still, Jones isn’t wrong in assuming that a Verzuz could truly squash things between them, at least commercially. After all, Hit-Boy has more impressive albums to his name, despite Hitmaka dominating air waves. Regardless, check out the Hot 97 interview above and stick around on HNHH for the latest on Hitmaka, Jim Jones, and Hit-Boy.

Jadakiss Reflects On Positive Opportunities & Outcomes From Iconic “Verzuz” Battle

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The Verzuz battle between The Lox and Dipset might go down as the series’ best, and Jadakiss recently spoke on the positive opportunities it brought to his veteran career. Of course, the battle captivated so many, and a large part of that audience had Jada to thank. The Lox MC gave a stellar performance that secured his group’s win, and he recently spoke on the I Am Athlete podcast on how it brought him much success. Even though he mentioned things like increased booking prices and press opportunities, he seemed most touched by the respect from the game’s youngest.

“We did the Verzuz,” the Yonkers native began. “The very next morning, Ye called, sent a jet. He sent a jet, we flew to Atlanta to the arena, did a song for his last album. Then it was just like a trickle down of opportunities coming left and right. Magazines, Rolling Stone, this and that. Shoutout to Fat Joe for ‘Yesterday’s price is not today’s price!’ The numbers on my featurings, performances, hostings, everything automatically shot up. My whole albums shot up on Apple and all of them platforms. A lot of the young artists called me that next day. That’s- more than any money that I received or any of that, the next day, a lot of them reached out to me.”

Jadakiss Speaks On The Positive Effects Of His “Verzuz” Battle

Granted, respect for the 47-year-old lyricist was long overdue from the younger generation and casual hip-hop fans alike. Since that event, The Lox’s legacy and Jadakiss’ reputation as an MC saw newfound public appreciation. For example, he recently praised a new mural of the rap collective in the Bronx. “This s**t mean!” he said of the artwork in an Instagram video.

Meanwhile, Jada is just as rooted in his career’s history as he is appreciative and cognizant of its newfound glory. After Kanye West’s series of bigoted and scrutinized public remarks during the fall of last year, the New York rapper emphasized empathy. As many hip-hop heads know, their mutual respect for one another is longstanding. “Prayer,” he responded to a TMZ reporter’s question on what Ye needs to move forward. “Everybody needs to pray for Kanye and let the lord work it out. It’ll be alright.” He went on to say that he supports artists no matter what and that Kanye should apologize “whoever he offended.” Regardless of your take on his perspective, stick around on HNHH for the latest on Jadakiss.

Swizz Beatz Gives Verzuz Update, Jermaine Dupri Confirms Diddy Match-Up

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There has been a lull on the Verzuz front for some time as Timbaland, Swizz Beaz, and their team map out their next steps. During the 2020 quarantine, the world was under lock and key due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. People found solace through connecting in new ways via social media, and Verzuz emerged as a thriving concept. Tens of millions of people tuned in to watch their favorite artists revisit classic tracks. Icons and legends received their flowers, and many also earned a massive increase in streaming numbers.

However, Verzuz was growing faster than anyone could imagine. Soon, the at-home virtual performances—or just artists in their home studios—became huge productions. Tickets were sold, crowds were gathered, and a new era of Verzuz was upon us. The Triller deal upped the ante, but there was a legal hiccup that caused Verzuz to take a pause. In a new interview with Revolt, Swizz offered an update about the series.

Read More: Sheek Louch Says He’s Glad Styles P & Cam’ron’s Heated “Verzuz” Moment Didn’t Escalate

“We’ve been changing the infrastructure because when we started, it happened in the garage and then moved to a significant platform,” he said. “Now, we changed the whole way we’re moving but not entirely, so people won’t feel like it’s not the same. We have a fantastic lineup with people they wanted to see and even battles they think wouldn’t happen. Announcements will be coming soon.”

Elsewhere, Jermaine Dupri was making some confirmations of his own. He recently visited the I Am Athlete podcast, where he mentioned rumors about him and Diddy facing off on Verzuz. The two hitmaking producers have teased the pairing in the past, even (playfully) going at it on Livestream about who would take the crown. Although Dupri has said this Verzuz would never come to fruition, he now claims we can expect to see the show this year.

ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 13: Sean Combs and Jermaine Dupri attend Revolt Weekend Kickoff at Allure on September 13, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
Read More: Tony Yayo Says 50 Cent Will “Never Do A ‘Verzuz’”

It’s unclear if this is a Durpi vs. Diddy show or a So So Def vs. Bad Boy extravaganza. We’re sure there will be a little bit of both, considering Dupri and Diddy are both artists and producers, and their reaches go far beyond their own labels. It will be an interesting one for Hip Hop, and a celebration unlike any other Verzuz has produced. Who are you rooting for in a Jermaine Dupri vs. Diddy match?