This weekend, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu’s sisterly celebration of each other’s catalogs for the beloved Verzuz series soothed our spirits and souls. Fans of the Instagram Live event and shakin’ their asses are in for a treat, as the next battle will switch gears entirely, promising to bring the heat.
The official announcement of ‘Nelly Verzuz Ludacris’ was made by the series’ creators Timbaland and Swizz Beatz shortly after the conclusion of Scott and Badu’s battle this past Saturday. The hip-hop event will occur on Saturday, May 16, and as Swizz Beatz said during his announcement, “it’s not a fuckin’ game.”
“Ludacris called me and said he wanted the smoke...ATL, St. Louis, Country Grammar versus Southern Hospitality,” he said, while Timbaland added that the event is sure to be a “big ass party.”
Nelly began his solo career in the year 2000 with his aforementioned debut album Country Grammar, which featured the top 10 hits “Ride Wit Me” and the project’s title track. Throughout his time in the industry, he’s accumulated 14 top 10 hits including “Air Force Ones,” and four No. 1 hits, including the Neptunes-produced “Hot In Herre.”
Ludacris’ first album Incognegro dropped in 1999, and since then, he’s released eight more albums. Throughout his career, he’s garnered 12 top 10 hits (including “How Low” and “Money Maker”), three number-one songs (including Usher’s “Yeah!”) and earned three Grammy awards.
The creators also said on their IG Live that they’ve got at least “50 more battles” in the works, and can’t wait for everyone to see what’s cooking up.
“Verzuz is the only place! Anyone disrespecting themselves outside of Verzuz, don’t talk to us,” Swizz continued.
My money is on Ludacris for this one (although I’d enjoy hearing Nelly play “Nasty Girl” during the battle), but let us know what you think by dropping some thoughts in the comments below.