Verzuz

Tony Yayo Says 50 Cent Will “Never Do A ‘Verzuz’”

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Tony Yayo says that he doesn’t think 50 Cent will ever participate in “Verzuz.” Speaking with VladTV, the G-Unit rapper recalled Busta Rhymes challenging 50 and Yayo to go against him on the show.

Yayo explained that the three of them were at a club together when the friendly banter started.

“I wasn’t — I don’t feel like it was a challenge,” Tony Yayo said in part. “You know Fif told him: ‘I could do this shit better than,'[inaudible mumbling lyrics], you know, I’m spitting Busta shit. N****s just fucking around, but I mean, I think 50’s on the level where he’ll never do a Vezuz bro.”

HOLLYWOOD, CA – JANUARY 30: Tony Yayo attends Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s Star Ceremony on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame on January 30, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

From there, he explained: “I just think, you know, that guy sold a lot of records. He gets a lot, a lot of money.”

Yayo also said that he’s not trying to disrespect Verzuz or any of the artists who appear on it either.

“I think for a lot of artists, yeah it’s a dope thing. But what was the last dope Verzuz?” Yayo added. “That was Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, who’s the last one?”

When Vlad retorted with the Dipset and The LOX, to which Yayo replied: “Yeah, I think Verzuz is more of a thing like when we was in the house for COVID.”

He continued: “It’s still dope you know, shout out to Swizz [Beatz] and Timbaland. What they did, and they make money and, you know, created a big company so salute to them, like they get money so I can’t knock them.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Yayo reflected on a studio session with Dr. Dre, 50 Cent & Eminem, earlier in his career, as well as his thoughts on Tory Lanez’s recent trial.

Check out Tony Yayo’s comments on 50 Cent participating in Verzuz below.

[Via]

Jermaine Dupri Thinks “Hip Hop Is Hurting & Needs Reviving”

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He’s one of the most celebrated artist-producers in Hip Hop, so when Jermaine Dupri speaks on the culture, many stop to listen. The So So Def icon has been in the industry for decades, shaping the careers of legendary hitmakers. His classics remain club favorites, and Dupri’s contributions are unmatched. While he has a deep love for the ebbs and flows of Hip Hop, he also has a few criticisms that he recently shared with Vibe.

During their interview with Dupri, Vibe asked why it seemed as if, in recent years, he’s moved away from Hip Hop to mostly R&B. “I feel like Hip-Hop is definitely hurting and needs reviving,” he said. “I have to go ahead and say this: For the last 20 years, Atlanta’s always had at least five to six top rappers at one time. Right now, Atlanta’s dropped down to two top artists: Lil Baby and Future.”

ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 07: Bryan Michael Cox, Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri, Juan Farmer and DJ Ruckus attend Sea Salt Seafood Howell Mill Grand Opening at Sea Salt Seafood Howell Mill on November 7, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
Read More: Jermaine Dupri Responds To Claims That He Stole Beats In The 90’s: “Get The F*** Outta Here With That”

Dupri added that he still sees “a lot of talent in the city.” Yet, the days of “top tier” artists are a thing of the past.

“Ludacris, Jeezy, 2 Chainz, Migos, Future, Lil Baby—I mean, at one point, all of this was Atlanta. This was where all the top-tier rap artists came from,” he stated. “I’m not talking about artists that just make records, but No. 1 songs. Artists that people feel like define the game.”

“Rap to me became a little stale, but I’ve never stopped making rap records,” Dupri also said. He then shared he plans to release “a rap project with Curren$y.”

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: Bow Wow Explains Jermaine Dupri’s Role In His Career: “This Ain’t The TV Show The Rap Game”

Elsewhere, Dupri also spoke on the impending, rumored Verzuz against Diddy.

“Well, one, Verzuz in itself is an East Coast-driven platform. I feel like, personally, anytime Jermaine Dupri is mentioned in the same space as any producer from New York, people start saying no against me and it’s fair enough, I get it. A lot of records that I made might have been Southern records that people didn’t hear in the city. A lot of times I was in New York, I used to be like, ‘Damn, I got a number one record, but I don’t hear my record on Hot 97 the way it should be.’”

He also claimed that people underestimated his catalog during the “Bow Wow era.”

Do you agree with Jermaine Dupri’s assessment of the current state of Hip Hop?

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Triller Is Reportedly Being Sued Yet Again, This Time By Universal Music Publishing For Unpaid Licensing Fees

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Triller
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Video content-sharing application and streamer Triller is at the center of yet another lawsuit. This time, it comes via Universal Music Publishing.

After the company’s acquisition of Verzuz, co-founded by music titans Swizz Beatz and Timbaland in March 2021, they have faced several lawsuits. After Triller allegedly defaulted on the deal after two payments, the pair took the company to court in August 2022 to retrieve the remaining $28 million balance. The following month, the parties reached a settlement.

In a joint statement, Swizz and Timbaland said, “We’re glad to come to an amicable agreement with Triller and continue giving fans the music and community that they’ve come to know and love from the brand.”

Unfortunately, Triller’s legal woes didn’t stop there. At the same time, Sony Music filed a lawsuit against the company for violating their and the artists signed to their label’s intellectual property rights. In the suit, Sony Music stated after Triller “historically failed to make payments in a timely manner,” representatives for the label attempted to contact Triller but only resulted in “near-total radio silence,” forcing the company to terminate its licensing agreement with Triller on August 8, 2022. But the company refused to take down Sony Music artists’ songs from their library for app users.

Now, according to Rolling Stone, Universal Music Publishing is alleging Triller has “repeatedly failed to deliver on its promises” “despite its contractual obligations.”

Attorneys for Universal Music Publishing list in the suit Triller failed to pay the fifth, sixth, and seventh quarterly installments of the licensing fees totaling $3 million, equating to $1 million per quarter.

Triller has not issued a public statement regarding the matter.

Usher Reacts To G Herbo Claiming He’s A Better Singer

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Usher is not fazed by G Herbo’s claims that he can “outsing” the legendary crooner. The Chicago rapper recently made bold claims that he could beat Usher in a singing competition. Herbo jokingly shared his rendition of the Grammy Award winner’s  hit song “Superstar” in an Instagram video. 

“That was decent wasn’t it, though?” Herbo gushed in the clip. “That was decent. That boy good!” He challenged the “OMG” singer’s vocals by captioning the video, “@usher can’t f**k wit me on my worse day.” Usher caught wind of Herbo’s video after The Shaderoom reposted it. He shared his thoughts on Herbo’s claims with a simple “cap” emoji. 

Usher
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 26: Usher performs onstage during the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Read More: Usher Dismisses “Verzuz” Because He’s “Cut From A Way Different Cloth”

Usher has never shied away from defending his crown as one of the best R&B singers off all time. Rumors began to circulate over the summer about a potential Versus battle between the Confessions singer and Chris Brown. However, Usher denied the speculation in several interviews. “Nah, there’s no Verzuz,” he told E! News. “I don’t think y’all ready for nothing like that. You might be ready for something like that on stage, maybe in the future. Stay tuned.”

In an interview with People’s Everyday podcast, Usher spoke doubled down on his denial to battle any artist in a Verzuz.  “I think if you ever came to my show, you would understand that I don’t even think a Verzuz could handle all of the songs that I have to be honest. He even entertained a possible Verzuz-one-man show. “It’s like, I could do it by myself, but I don’t wanna do that. That’s not the purpose of Verzuz, me versus me.”

Read More: G Herbo Vents About His Personal Struggles

The platinum selling singer went on to boast about his incomparable talent. “I’m a different animal, man. I’m cut from a way different cloth man. And when you put those songs on, I’m telling you, I don’t think anybody in the world would want smoke with them songs.”

Let us know which artist you think could go hit for hit with Usher. 

Wiz Khalifa Revealed Which Two Rappers He Would Want To Battle In A ‘Really Fun’ ‘Verzuz’ Challenge

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Wiz Khalifa
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Wiz Khalifa recently did an interview with DJ Superstar Jay in support of his newest album, Multiverse, where he revealed who his dream Verzuz opponents would be. The discussion, which happens around the 14-minute mark, brought up the popular series.

He picked two rappers who he thought would make a fun competition: Lil Wayne and Kid Cudi.

“Wayne – I think that would be really fun,” Wiz said. “Because Wayne’s a really dope performer, so it’s like, me and him going back and forth, performing bangers – that shit would be hard. And we both smoke hella weed. I think that would be more like a concert than a VERZUZ.”

As for why he picked Kid Cudi, he shared some sweet words about the fellow rapper. “He’s somebody who is like me…” he added. “We’ve got a multifaceted audience, and then he’s got some classic, like, core stuff – the same way that I do.”

Fans in the comments on the video interview also had some thoughts about the potential pairings.

“He really does smoke the best weed to think that. Him VERZUZ tyga or rocky would be cool tho,” one wrote.

Another named all the hits that Wiz has had, from “Black And Yellow” and “See You Again” to “Young, Wild And Free” as evidence for his Verzuz impact.

“those just his most mainstream sh*t lmao y’all tweaking thinking wiz can’t at the very least hang,” they commented. “the only difference is wayne is a little more versatile and has a couple extra years on his résumé!  I don’t think y’all give wiz the credit he deserves culturally.”

Wiz Khalifa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Wiz Khalifa Says He Wants To Face Lil Wayne In A Verzuz Battle

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Wiz Khalifa has been a staple in the hip-hop game for over a decade now.

At this point, he’s stacked up quite the impressive discography sprawling across countless mixtapes, albums and collab projects.

Wiz Khalifa performs onstage during “Vinyl Verse Summer” tour at Cellairis Amphitheatre. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

During a recent interview with Superstar Jay, he discloses who he would want to face in a Verzuz battle. “Wayne. I think that would be fun, ’cause Wayne’s a really dope performer. So it’s like, me and him going back and forth performing bangers, that sh*t [would] be hard. And we both smoke hella weed. I think that would be more like a concert than a Verzuz,” he quickly replied to the question.

Both artists certainly have their own fair share of hits throughout their decorated discographies. Both Wiz and Weezy have yet to participate in a Verzuz battle as the main performer, so maybe this could become a reality.

The duo did, however, both make appearances in the legendary face-off between Three 6 Mafia and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony last year.

Earlier this year, the Pittsburgh native dropped off his seventh studio album, Multiverse. With features from Girl Talk and THEY., the 17-track project continues Wiz’s legacy as one of the game’s most consistent rappers.

In fact, this was his third full-length release of 2022. He started the year off by dropping another collab album with Juicy J, Stoner’s Night in February.

His second album of the year arrived just two months later in the form of a collab album with Big K.R.I.T. and Girl Talk, Full Court Press.

Earlier this month, he appeared on the official remix of Fetty Wap’s new hit, “Sweet Yamz.” Obviously, the 35-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down.

Who do you think would win if this battle were to actually go down? Sound off in the comments down below and make sure to stay tuned to HNHH for the latest hip-hop updates.

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Ice Cube Explains Declining “Verzuz” With LL Cool J & Scarface

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Ice Cube has undoubtedly made his fair share of hits throughout his decorated career. However, he declined to participate in a Verzuz battle with both LL Cool J and Scarface.

His reason? Because it’s all love on his side.

 Ice Cube speaks during SiriusXM and Pandora Playback with Mount Westmore including E-40, Too Short & Ice Cube at SiriusXM Studios on December 07, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

In a recent appearance on the Bootleg Kev Podcast, Cube explained he has an entirely different concept for the famous battles. 

The “No Vaseline” rapper was asked about whether or not he has any desire to compete in a head-to-head hit battle. His answer remains no. 

His preferred concept is just for him and his opponent to play each other’s favourite songs of theirs. Of course, this ultra-friendly format isn’t exactly how the Verzuz battles actually go down.

Currently, artists go head-to-head in the popular web series by choosing the best of their own hits. After going back and forth over 20 rounds, the viewers determine the winner on their own terms.

As a result, the N.W.A. star is not interested. “I can’t go against people I admire. LL is an OG to me in the game, so I can’t see it. Me and Scarface love each other, but we don’t communicate enough to do a Verzuz together. I don’t want it to be competition,” says the 53-year-old. 

Just last year, the Houston native funnily made similar comments about the possibility of a Verzuz clash against his friend. In an interview with The Breakfast Club, the “Smile” rapper claimed he would beat Cube by playing his favourite “Cube sh*t.” 

In other recent news, Ice Cube has dropped his new album as a member of MOUNT WESTMORE. The supergroup finds the Ride Along actor uniting with three other West Coast hip-hop legends – Snoop Dogg, E-40 and Too $hort.

SNOOP CUBE 40 $HORT officially dropped just last night (December 9). The project had been teased since last year.

What do you think of Ice Cube’s proposed format for a Verzuz battle? Comment down below, and check back in with HNHH later for more hip-hop news updates.

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Ice Cube Explained Why He Rejected ‘Verzuz’ Offers With LL Cool J And Scarface

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Throughout the pandemic (which is still ongoing, despite relaxed safety precautions), the Verzuz battle series has been an uplifting constant. The show, which highlights classic artists and their catalogs, brought hip-hop and R&B fans together when we were still in the house, then gave us a reason to get back out there with its live shows. However, there have been a few names missing from the fun, such as Busta Rhymes and Jay-Z, for whom the show’s producers have had a tough time finding a match, and West Coast gangsta rap pioneer Ice Cube.

That’s not for lack of trying, though. Cube explained why he turned down offers from Verzuz to do battles with both LL Cool J and Scarface during a recent episode of the Bootleg Kev Podcast. According to Ice Cube, “They was talking LL at one point, they was talking Scarface at one point. I said, ‘No.’ Verzuz is good, but my concept would have been, ‘Yo, I’m a fan. You do this song for me.’ Like, okay, I get to have LL do my favorite LL songs and he gon’ have me do my favorite Ice Cube songs, and it’s not Verzuz, but it’s love. It’s like, ‘Yo, do this, and he do ‘Rock the Bells,’ and he asks me, ‘Yo, do ‘Once Upon a Time in the Projects.” That would have been my concept.”

As he put it, “I can’t go against people I admire. LL is an OG to me in the game, so I can’t see it. Me and Scarface love each other, but we don’t communicate enough to do a Verzuz together. I don’t want it to be competition.”