They created Verzuz. And now Timbaland and Swizz Beatz are ready for another battle
Swizz #Swizz
It’s a rematch for the ages: Swizz Beatz and Timbaland are again taking the stage in a Verzuz battle Sunday.
The legendary producers are Verzuz royalty, co-creating the popular online series last year at the start of the pandemic and facing off in its debut battle.
Their first showdown — on March 24, 2020 — lasted five hours and spawned a phenomenon that regularly attracts millions of viewers eager to see legends from R&B, rap and hip-hop perform their hits in a friendly matchup.
Verzuz has hosted several memorable pairings over the last year, including Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle, Brandy and Monica and Redman and Method Man.
Today’s battle with Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, airing live from Miami, starts at 5 p.m. Pacific and can be watched on Triller, Fite TV and the Verzuz Instagram page.
“Swizz and Timbaland’s verrry first Verzuz is my favorite pandemic memory hands down,” said one Twitter user. “I remember being gluuuued to my phone wondering if Swizz would ever find a proper internet connection, my mind exploding every song b/c I hadn’t heard it in years. What a time.”
Verzuz has hyped the event with clips of the duo’s first faceoff, which was part battle and part walk down memory lane as the producers fired off some of their most memorable tracks. Gold crown and fire emojis were liberally sprinkled throughout.
Swizz Beatz and Timbaland shaped some of the most iconic songs from the 1990s and 2000s. “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem?” “Pony?” You have these two to thank.
Timothy Zachery Mosley, a.k.a. Timbaland, also gifted us bangers like “SexyBack” (performed by Justin Timberlake), along with “Apologize” and “The Way I Are” from Timbaland’s 2007 album, “Shock Value.” His production credits range from Rihanna and Kanye West to Mariah Carey and Aaliyah.
Swizz Beatz, born Kasseem Dean, found a longtime friend and collaborator in DMX, who died in April. Their final collaboration, “Exodus,” DMX’s posthumous album, was released Friday. Produced by Beatz, the album features guests such as Jay- Z, Nas and Bono.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.