Swizz Beatz Addresses Backlash From ‘Verzuz’ Partnership With Elon Musk’s X App
Swizz and Timbaland announced the platform’s newly inked partnership with X on Juneteenth.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 21: Swizz Beatz attends The Gordon Parks Foundation’s Annual Awards Dinner And Auction Celebrating The Arts & Social Justice at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 21, 2024 in New York City.
Arturo Holmes/Getty Images the Gordon Parks Foundation
After Swizz Beatz and Timbaland made their announcement that Verzuz has locked in a partnership with Elon Musk‘s social media app, X, the news was met with some backlash. Swizz has now addressed the critiques about the deal, claiming that his intentions are in the right place.
“LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE,” began a joint statement shared on Swizz and Timbaland’s respective Instagram accounts. The attached photo showed both super producers sharing a toast 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.”
One of the top-liked comments under the Instagram post reads, “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.” Many other comments echoed the same sentiments.
Swizz hopped in the comments and replied to someone, pointing out that Verzuz has been on X since its inception. “But nobody said anything before we been on that platform since Verzuz started,” he wrote.
According to Baller Alert, the “On To The Next One” producer also responded to someone on X, typing, “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.”
In another tweet, Swizz simply quipped at another critique by pointing out hypocrisy, writing, “But your on X [laughing emoji].”
The beloved music “battle” platform was born during the pandemic through organic traction. The platform was based on two respected artists going song-for-song on Instagram Live while letting the viewers ultimately decide who will reign victorious. In 2022, Verzuz went on a hiatus due to a legal battle with Triller, which had previously acquired the platform the year prior. Swizz and Timbo filed a lawsuit against Triller due to missed payments. The two sides settled that same year, with the duo teasing the return of Verzuz in 2023.
Verzuz has hosted a plethora of iconic match-ups featuring the culture’s most loved pairs, such as Monica vs. Brandy, Gucci Mane vs. Jeezy, Ashanti vs. Keyshia Cole, Dipset vs. The Lox, and many others.
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