How Verzuz DJ Battles Became a Lockdown Phenomenon: Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, Jill Scott Explain

Dancehall icons Beenie Man and Bounty Killer easily earned their best streaming days of 2020 in the wake of their showdown on the popular Instagram Live ‘Verzuz’ series on Saturday (May 23), according to preliminary reports to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.

(CNN)Sometimes a celeb will tell a story about a fellow star which is just too delightful not to share. Such is the case with singer Jill Scott and her experience with legendary singer Patti LaBelle.

As life in quarantine trudges on, one thing keeping hip-hop heads and R&B fans entertained each week is Verzuz TV's weekly Instagram battle.

Right before Memorial Weekend came to a close, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland looked to treat music lovers once again with a massive R&B showcase. On Monday night (May 25), powerhouses 112 and Jagged Edge squared off in a two-hour battle for the latest edition of Verzuz.

It’s the late ’90s all over again! R&B groups 112 and Jagged Edge were the latest pairing to face off in Timbaland and Swizz Beatz‘ viral Verzuz battles, and it was one for the ages! Despite on-going sound issues — seemingly a common theme with Verzuz battles — celebs like LaLa Anthony, Diddy, Missy Elliott and Tamar Braxton were jamming away! “I can listen to this EVERYDAY!…Forever classic,” LaLa exclaimed as 112 played the song “I’ll Be Missing You.” She added in another spot, “A complete

Why was this night different from all other Verzuz battles? Streamed live from Kingston, Jamaica, the Memorial Day “Soundclash Edition” of Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s flagship IG Live series was easily the most exciting and entertaining yet, as well as the first to delve into dancehall reggae.Considering the fact that Jamaican sound systems pioneered the sort of “beat battles” have made Verzuz a social media sensation well over half a century ago, the creative decision was more than fitting.

Another week, another Verzuz battle! Beenie Man, 46, and Bounty Killer, 47, were the latest duo to face off on Saturday, May 23 and thousands of fans — including Rihanna, 32, were here for it. The dancehall edition had the Instagram and Twitter verses boogying away on their couches, until a brief pause when the police showed up! RiRi was not about to let the cops stop the party, and hilariously had some words for them in the comments.

The ultimate celebration clash is set for Saturday (May 23) at 8 p.m. ET between dancehall music's titans Beenie Man and Bounty Killer. The Jamaican champion sounds will ring throughout the world via Instagram for the reggae loving masses. Ever since the whole Swizz Beatz an

Could there be drama on the forefront ahead of Monday’s much-anticipated “Verzuz” battle between Jagged Edge and 112? 

This Memorial Day weekend, "Verzuz" fans are getting two battles.That's right, following Beenie Man and Bounty Killer's face-off on Saturday (May 22), Jagged Edge will take on 112 on Monday. "Breaking News Just added to the Memorial Day Weekend madness," co-founder Swizz Beatz announced on Instagram.

This Memorial Day weekend is about to get a little more reggae.Dancehall stars Beenie Man and Bounty Killer are facing off in the latest installment of Verzuz battles on Saturday. Swizz Beatz and Timbaland announced the "sound clash edition from Jamaica" a few days ago, and encouraged viewers to dress in theme.Beenie Man, the self-proclaimed "King of Dancehall" broke into the scene as a child with his debut album, Invincible Beenie Man: The Ten Year Old DJ Wonder.

For the last two-plus months, few things have kept us from going totally stir crazy as much as the Verzuz Instagram battle series, co-helmed by legendary hip-hop producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland.Starting as a 20-song showdown between evenly matched producers, the series has also come to encompass writers and now performers, as hip-hop and R&B fans have been glued to their IG feeds on countless weekend nights to watch the drama and bangers unfold.

TSR Exclusive: Break out the throwbacks and the matching jersey dresses, we have a battle for the books in the near future as sources exclusively tell us Jagged Edge and 112 will face off in an upcoming ‘Verzuz’ battle!

Thousands of y’all tuned in for a little nostalgia whenLudacris and Nelly battled out their hits on Instagram live, and for those of y’all that got to the party a little early, you got to hear one of Luda’s new tracks!

Who do you think would take home the win?

The Timbaland-produced track references R. Kelly, Bill Cosby, and Roseanne Barr

Another page has been added to the book when it comes to the “Verzuz” battles, which are presented by Timbaland and Swizz Beatz. On Saturday, Nelly and Ludacris faced off in a highly anticipated battle. Their battle came with a few technical difficulties at the beginning, but they made it through to put on an amazing battle for their fans.

Ahead of tomorrow’s (May 16) #Verzuz Instagram Live battle between hip-hop heavyweights Nelly and Ludacris, Billboard revisits the pair’s chart careers to pinpoint some likely candidates to make each act’s showdown set list.On one side of your screen, Nelly, who established St. Louis’ commercial viability in hip-hop with an impressive streak of hit albums and singles in the 2000s.