If you’ve been eagerly awaiting the perfect night to whip out those “Long Heel Red Bottoms,” and “Turn Your Swagg On,” then boy, have I got some good news for you!
On Wednesday, the official Verzuz Twitter account released the slate for the next two Verzuz battles, the first of which will see “Gotta Man” rapper Eve go head-to-head with “Da Baddest Bitch” Trina next Wednesday night in partnership with Vibes on TBS.
“Let’s get this summer started,” the tweet read in part, accompanied by several fire emojis (which could be symbolic of the heat that these upcoming artists are gonna bring to the battles and the actual summer heat because WOW, has it been hot lately. I might have to renege on being outside this summer; the sun seems to be making up for lost time.)
Additionally on June 26, Verzuz will also “Take Ya Home” with a showdown between Bow Wow and Souljah Boy, the ink finally seeming to dry on the two matching up after days of back and forth between the two artists online.
When initial rumors started swirling of a potential toe-to-toe (largely spawned by Souljah Boy’s own tweet,) the “Outta My System” rapper pushed back against Souljah’s claims, saying that he’d only be involved after contracts are signed. What ensued next was a barrage of trolling between the two, Souljah Boy even going so far as to wager giving up one of his Lamborghinis to Bow Wow if he beats him in the battle. (Though I guess potentially losing a Lambo should probably be the least of his worries, given the recent lawsuits and allegations brought against him.)
But according to Bow Wow, win or lose, the jokes and jest are all in good fun:
“Please get this clear! Soulja is my brotha for life,” he tweeted on Tuesday. “We will never in life beef. This is fun and games. I see fans like awww man here they go.... thats my dawg and thats why we can bag on each other the way we do. You guys have nothing to worry about.”
Verzuz also teased a third showdown in partnership with Essence, presumably to help kick off this year’s EssenceFest, but it remains to be seen who will show up.
Whether you’re a diehard fan of any of these artists or just want to tune in for the culture’s sake, be sure to mark your calendars for June 16 and June 26. The Verzuz battles are available to watch on their official Instagram page and Triller.