by Jeroslyn JoVonn
June 22, 2024
Swizz Beatz and Timbaland are under fire after announcing the return of Verzuz via a new deal with X owner Elon Musk.
Swizz Beatz and Timbaland are under fire after announcing Verzuz’s return via a new deal with X owner Elon Musk.
The hip-hop producers and Verzuz co-founders took to social media on June 19 to announce the comeback of Verzuz after a two-year hiatus.
“LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!!! IT’S OFFICIAL, VERZUZ IS BACK AND 100% BLACK OWNED AGAIN,” Swizz and Timbaland captioned the post. “LET’S GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT’S BEEN MISSING !!! WE WILL ALSO BE BUILDING NEW ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESSES ON THE X PLATFORM !!”
“WHO SHOULD BE THE 1St KICK OFF SHOW? LETS GO!!! VERZUZ ON X 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀 Full story link in bio. NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS OR YOUR COMPANY 🤲🏾Happy Juneteenth 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤,” they added.
While most rejoiced over the news, Verzuz’s new partnership with X, formerly known as Twitter, rubbed many the wrong way. The photo announcement shows Swizz and TImbaland with big smiles while toasting drinks on a yacht with Musk. With the news coming on Juneteenth and involving the controversial businessman, Swizz and Timbaland have faced a fierce backlash from many of their followers.
“Posting with Elon Musk on Juneteenth is wild,” one critic wrote.
“The moment I really understand that our “favs” are nothing more than tools of capitalism chosen to sell us sh*t. Their wealth is theirs. They are in that class now with those people. They are not like us guys. Seriously. Happy Juneteenth? TFOH bro,” another user quipped.
A tweet shared more details about the business deal, which was first announced at the Cannes Lions conference in France on Wednesday. Now, Verzuz will roll out new entertainment-based businesses with X and announce the next matchup soon.
IT’S OFFICIAL, #VERZUZ IS BACK AND 100% BLACK OWNED AGAIN⚡️
LET’S GIVE THE PEOPLE WHATS BEEN MISSING !!!
WE WILL ALSO BE BUILDING NEW ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESSES ON THE @X PLATFORM !!
WHO SHOULD BE THE 1ST KICK OFF SHOW? LETS GO!!#VERZUZ ON X 🚀🚀🚀https://t.co/eAHF1iDYZ9
— VERZUZ TV (@verzuzonline) June 19, 2024
As part of the new agreement, Swizz and Timbaland retain full ownership and creative control of the Verzuz platform, while X secures exclusive distribution rights. With X distribution, Verzuz will reach an audience of over 550 million active users and allow viewers to watch exclusively on X for free.
“We are beyond thrilled to have found the best partner for Verzuz. Not only are we excited to have Verzuz on X, but we’re excited to help X build the biggest entertainment company in the world. I would like to thank Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Brett Weitz, Mitchell Smith, and the entire X team for believing in the Verzuz vision,” Swizz said. “We can’t wait to get to work.”
“We are thrilled to partner with X, the most innovative platform globally. Our goal has always been to bring Verzuz to the world, which we can now do bigger than ever,” Timbaland added.
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