LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥 Swizz Beatz and Timbaland are bringing the 鈥淰erzuz鈥 series back with a new major platform for viewers to watch musicians face off in a song-against-song battle.
The legendary producers announced Wednesday that Verzuz cemented an exclusive partnership for independent distribution with the social media site X.
Swizz Beatz said he's looking forward to the new chapter for Verzuz, which became popular during the coronavirus pandemic.
鈥淣ot only are we excited to have Verzuz on X, we鈥檙e excited to help X build the biggest entertainment company in the world,鈥 he said in statement before he thanked several X executives including owner for believing in their vision. 鈥淲e can't wait to get back to work.鈥
Both companies agreed on a 鈥渕utually beneficial alliance鈥 where Swizz Beatz and Timbaland maintain full ownership and creative control, while X receives exclusive distribution rights.
Timbaland said he鈥檚 thrilled to expand their viewership through X, which has more than 300 millions monthly active users. Viewers will be able to watch 鈥淰erzuz鈥 for free.
鈥淥ur goal has always been to bring Verzuz to the world which we can now do bigger than ever,鈥 he said.
鈥淰erzuz鈥 came to life in 2020 after a between Swizz Beatz and Timbaland on social media started off to entertain homebound fans during the pandemic. But their platform eventually evolved into a place where some of music鈥檚 biggest stars competed against each other in the same fashion.
The series had grown from a novel event to bridging music's past and present. It began on Instagram Live to having in-person battles in front of an audience.
Some of the most epic battles have included John Legend vs. Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu vs. Jill Scott, Gladys Knight vs. Patti LaBelle, Gucci Mane vs. Jeezy, Brandy vs. Monica and Snoop Dogg vs. DMX. An April battle between Babyface vs. Teddy Riley to audio issues but was completed another night.
The series was acquired by Triller in 2021, but Swizz Beatz and Timbaland sued the social video platform company for breach of contract. The producers settled with Triller in 2022.
鈥淥ur platform stands at the forefront of innovation, and Verzuz defines the essence of an innovative content experience,鈥 said X CEO . 鈥淎s we continue to work with the most exciting voices to bring premium content to X, there is no better fit than this series.鈥
