Hip Hop

Swizz Beatz Says A Tribe Called Quest and Outkast Verzuz Battle In The Works

Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz

A Tribe Called Quest and Outkast could be gearing up for a Verzuz battle.

The Verzuz battles, which started in March as a way to help the entertainment industry and fans cope with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is continuing to produce some real gems. One of the organizers, Swizz Beatz, recently hinted that a battle between two stalwarts of the rap game A Tribe Called Quest and Outkast may grace the virtual stage. The unintentional slip was made by Beatz during an interview and posted on Twitter by IG: istillloveher.de.

“We got A Tribe Called Quest and Outkast. [It’s] pending. I wasn’t even supposed to say, I might have just f*cked that all up,” Swizz said. He added: “Q-Tip is my brother, but that man. Andre 3000, but that man.”

The last battle was between two veterans in R&B and Soul, which was Gladys Knight vs. Patti LaBelle in September. Fans are also extremely hyped up for the next scheduled battle T.I. vs. Jeezy, on Nov. 19th.

In September, Billboard announced that Jamaican artists Beenie Man and Bounty Killer topped a poll they conducted for the best battle so far. That battle, which was held on Memorial Day weekend, was voted the all-time favorite. According to their poll, the battle won 88% of the vote, with 44.6% of the tally’s total votes coming from fans in Jamaica. They were also considered pioneers in the format as they were the first two artists to perform in the same room and IG Live feed.

Verzuz has continued to rake in the numbers when it comes to views and fan reactions, and Swizz Beatz also announced that he intends to make the format a permanent one, which indicates that he may be thinking of reaching out to more artists in different genres.

“Verzuz is not just something for the pandemic. It’s something for the culture permanently.” He added, “We got so many lined up, we ain’t even start yet.”