Bow Wow and Soulja Boy throw it back to the 2000s in next Verzuz battle
Soulja #Soulja
Break out your jersey dresses, G-Shock watches and baggy jeans: After weeks of trolling each other online, rappers Soulja Boy and Bow Wow are taking us back to the mid-2000s with Saturday’s Verzuz battle.
Tune in at 5 p.m. Pacific on Triller, Fite TV and the Verzuz Instagram page to watch the “Like You” and “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” hitmakers face off in a friendly battle.
Their matchup is the latest pairing for Verzuz, a Swizz Beatz and Timbaland co-production that brings two music legends together in a musical face-off. Verzuz battle alumni include Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle; Brandy and Monica and the co-creators themselves.
“Ima have to reinstall my Myspace page for Soulja Boy verzuz against Bow Wow Saturday,” one user jokingly tweeted about the event.
To another fan, the matchup brings back memories of middle school in the mid-aughts, complete with “YouTube-2-mp3 websites” and “kids getting in trouble for riding down the hallways in Heelys.”
Bow Wow, born Shad Gregory Moss, entered the rap game at a young age: He dropped his 2000 debut, “Beware of Dog,” at age 13, back when he was still Lil’ Bow Wow. Two years later, he starred in the sports comedy “Like Mike” and continued to release music and make movie appearances throughout the 2000s. He released a new single this year called “My Pain.”
Soulja Boy (real name: DeAndre Cortez Way) also began his music career in his early teens, sharing his tracks online before making a splash in 2007 with his viral hit “Crank That (Soulja Boy).” It topped the Billboard 100 and was nominated for best rap song at the 2008 Grammy Awards. His newest album, “Soulja World,” came out earlier this year.
The two rappers have already been joking around on social media ahead of the Verzuz event. “Big Draco vs Lil Pee Wee,” Soulja Boy commented on a Verzuz Instagram post, followed by a string of cry-laughing emojis. “Soulja is the ben simmons of the rap game. Go rehearse and get off the internet,” Bow Wow shot back on Twitter.
Despite the shade, both rappers agree that their battle should be, first and foremost, a good time. Soulja retweeted Bow Wow’s shout-out Friday:
“Yo years later we still doing what we been doing! U putting out new hits. Im back in the box office #Fast9 hit theaters TODAY! What more could we ask for. Celebration tomorrow! Lets go. @souljaboy”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.