Just finished watching the Eve vs Trina Verzuz. I've watched all of them ever since DJ Premier vs RZA. I really love the format and was just thinking who could hypothetically get the most viewers. I know most if not all of these would probably never happen but it's fun to speculate. The biggest ones so far are Jeezy vs Gucci with 1.8 million concurrent viewers and Brandy vs Monica with 1.4 million.

I think Beyonce vs Rihanna would be the biggest and could probably pull 25 million live viewers which is huge. My guess is Kanye and Drake could do 20 million. You think that's an overestimation or underestimation of the numbers? The Super Bowl does like 100 million but Verzuz is worldwide so who knows maybe they could do 50 mil or maybe they'd only top out at like 10 or 15.

Am I missing anyone, Timberlake vs Usher, 50 Cent vs Ja Rule, Eminem vs Lil Wayne. If we went outside of hip hop / R&B would Taylor Swift vs Adele or BTS vs Blackpink or Madonna vs Mariah Carey be big in 2021? I just don't see anyone beating Rihanna vs Beyonce. They should do it.

Poll question: Who would be the biggest Verzuz?

Poll result (29 votes) Beyonce vs Rihanna (14 votes) Vote Kanye vs Drake (5 votes) Vote Nas vs Jay Z (6 votes) Vote Kendrick vs J Cole (1 votes) Vote Nicki Minaj vs Lil Kim (1 votes) Vote Puffy vs Dr Dre (2 votes) Vote

so that one

That's a great one that I didn't think of, added it to the list.

Pharrell vs Everybody

Jay-z Vs Beyonce

Verzuz is at its best when it reaches back on nostalgia but still connects with culturally relevant artists...

Usher vs Timberlake could do numbers as well (esp since Swizz called him out)

Yeah the Neptunes vs anyone would be big. Pharrell vs Kanye or Puffy or Dre. Or Daft Punk (if they were still together) vs The Neptunes. Maybe the biggest internationally would be Pharrell vs will.i.am.

Good thought on the Jay Z vs Beyonce, that might have more of a chance of actually happening than vs Rihanna because there would be less at stake.

I hear you. I'm glad that Swizz and Timbaland don't seem to be basing things on numbers as much and are doing a lot of these for the culture. Would love to see KRS myself. Unfortuntely the lowest viewed Verzuz since it hit the mainstream is Ghostface vs Raekwon which had just over 100,000 concurrent viewers. The biggest draw so far in terms of numbers seems to be female R&B which is why I think Beyonce vs Rihanna would be the largest audience. I know not everyone cares about that aspect of things I just find it fun to track.

So give me:
Rakim/Kane
Cube/Face
Nas/Jay
maybe LL/KRS

Numbers whse

"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

Jodeci’s main 3 albums are loaded with hits, and that comeback album had a few joints too. If they’re allowed to use the K-Ci and JoJo stuff too, then they might have the edge.

I’d give TTT the edge as an overall act with better albums, but if this is just about 20 songs? Jodeci can hang IMO.

Either way, I just don't see a path to victory by Jodeci.

man....
I'd actually watch that joint...

just based off of current “popularity”

Dre vs Puff would be huge for the old heads tho

did this happen?

Nope. Although it would be a good idea maybe on MJ's birthday or something like that. They could do it just with DJ's like D-Nice is MJ and Questlove is Prince etc. or maybe have Morris Day host for Prince's side and The Jacksons (the brothers or the kids) host MJ's.

are white artist allowed to do verzuz? lmao

Those two have the most IG followers of any Black artists, and both have loyal fanbases that would log in to see it.

I do think you're overestimating the potential numbers...even with huge fanbases there are a lot of people who just don't like the format of watching something like this on the IG app (or having to download a specific app separate from YouTube to watch on a home theater system.) I can't see more than 5-10 million tops tuning into any battle.

I don't know if Jeezy and Gucci can do 2 million than 10+ seems easily doable with Beyonce vs RiRi. Also I think with one on that level they would have a TV deal with it, maybe it would be simulcast on like BET and Revolt or even MTV.

aspect along with the pandemic last year made some of these lightning in a bottle type events - where as more people tune in it shows up on feeds of connected people.

Even if they put it on TV the only way I think it would blow up large would be if both artists were truly performing live.

Just because I was curious I checked the numbers for the BET Awards, which might be the closest comparable. At it's peak in 2009 the BET Awards had 10 million viewers, and it hasn't gone over 5 million since 2015. Verzuz doesn't cast nearly as wide of a net as MTV's VMA awards, and the VMAs peaks at 12million in 2011 and haven't been over 5 million since 2015. There's no way at ALL a Verzuz even on broadcast TV gets 25 million like you mentioned in the OP.

Unfortunately we'll probably never have the chance to find out but I'll agree to disagree. I think with the worldwide fanbases of the two women if it was promoted a month or two in advance and they both took it seriously and made it a performance (like most Verzuz people have) those numbers are possible. Plus it would be 25 mil combined with IG, TV, the apps, Youtube etc.

Even though the pandemic is waning the numbers are still pretty good, Trina/Eve with little promotion/hype got 335,000 strictly on IG with no Triller/Fite TV/unofficial Youtube numbers included.

Beyonce's performance at Coachella back in 2018 was huge at the time - PLENTY of promotion, one of her biggest live performance events, spawned an album and documentary, etc. It broke records for viewershp at Choachella - and was the most viewed Coachella performance ever. How many viewers was that? 458,000.

https://fortune.com/2018/04/17/beyonce-coachella-youtube-performance/

How Beyonce’s Coachella Performance Broke Records
BY
KIRSTEN KOROSEC
April 17, 2018 5:31 PM EDT

Beyoncé made history this weekend at the annual, Coachella music festival—and on YouTube.

She not only became the first black woman to headline Coachella, the singer broke viewership records on YouTube. Beyoncé 105-minute set on Saturday attracted 458,000 simultaneous global viewers at its peak, ranking it as most viewed Coachella performance ever, according to a YouTube spokeswoman.

I remember that Beyonce's set at Coachella was on really late on the East Coast so I had to watch it the next day on repeat. Most Verzuz are at 8 pm east coast time which I think helps worldwide viewership. Also those numbers actually show the power of Verzuz, SWV & Xscape did more viewers than Beyonce with 460,000 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verzuz and they have way less name recognition than Bey.

I think Verzuz is really special with what it has captured. The biggest battles so far have been some with some underlying rivalry, Gucci/Jeezy and Brandy/Monica. There has always been some tension between Beyonce and Rihanna (at least in public perception) so people would be a lot more interested in seeing them battle than seeing them in a straight concert or award show. If viewers wouldn't show up for that battle then Kanye/Drake would definitely pull in a huge audience that are interested in the drama on top of those interested in the music.

With Rihanna having no music for 5 years her doing a music event would be huge. The built up anticipation is there. She could tease and perform a new song or do it on the day of the release of a new album. Anyways I could be way off with 25 mil but I still think it could happen. Verzuz in 2020/2021 is really a phenomenon, pulling in ratings that rival TV shows just on IG. With a hypothetical simulcast on IG, BET, Revolt, Youtube, Triller, Fite TV and the right hype beforehand from Rihanna and Bey herself or Kanye and Drake themselves I can't see it doing under 10 mil and higher numbers are definitely possible.

She most likely would have done multiples more than that if it happened in primetime.

Plus, the Verzuz episodes, and IG live broadcasts in general dwarf live concert performance streaming numbers in general. So it's not apples to apples.

That's super interesting. Would the boomers show up online for that if it wasn't simulcast on TV. Who knows, the Patti vs Gladys and EWF vs Isleys did well so they probably would. Would be fun, as I say I've enjoyed every single one of the Verzuz just being a fan of music.

that might be cool.

how bout Zeppelin vs Floyd

Robert Plant and Jimmy Page vs Roger Waters and David Gilmour

won't happen but I'd watch

I don't know that there's much room for growth in Verzuz at this point unless it's Beyonce vs Rihanna. I mean some of these will draw numbers, but I'm not sure Verzuz continues after this summer/fall

obviously.

or

Busta vs. Nas


Producers

Kanye vs Pharrell

Some fan-voted tournaments
Record label vs record label
Era vs era

I’d watch a behind the scenes doc on probably most of them. I haven’t watched a full show since Lil’ Jon vs T-Pain.

Biggest selling acts where all members of group re still alive.

Rihanna vs Eminem would be the next.

snoop did a dj set on tidal, he’s not a dj but he totally killed it. overall, V is boring to me. it needs better production.

It'd just be a matter of 'virality' and sheer exposure. Way more people, spanning multiple generations, would be aware of it than any other Verzuz listed, IMO. They just have more people already within the app that are ready to drop whatever they are doing and come be a part of their events.

The fact that Beyonce holds the live concert streaming record, and did it at 3 AM EST on a Saturday/Sunday already speaks to her individual drawing power.

Then you have the informal promotion from all of the high powered celebrity stans who have millions of followers as well.

I could see people like Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Ellen Degeneres, Adele, Nicki Minaj, etc. hyping it up.

I'm sure some fashion and lifestyle brands would be sponsors and basically advertise the placement and get people to tune in too.

Plus, with that type of star power, it most likely wouldn't just be a normal Verzuz. It'd prolly be closer to a live concert with a live band and have a star studded list of feature artists and guests in the crowd, which would draw in even more viewers.

It'd just be on a completely different level.

Thizz off

Up for Bobby Brown vs Keith Sweat tomorrow, figure some people might have missed the announcement because of the short notice.

https://www.instagram.com/verzuztv/

>Up for Bobby Brown vs Keith Sweat tomorrow, figure some
>people might have missed the announcement because of the short
>notice.
>
>https://www.instagram.com/verzuztv/

Bobby was (much) bigger but Keef had a (much) longer run as a solo act?

Either way, could be a mountain of jams depending on how stuff gets ordered.

>Bobby was (much) bigger but Keef had a (much) longer run as a
>solo act?
>
>Either way, could be a mountain of jams depending on how stuff
>gets ordered.

This was my first thought too. Off jump, I got Bobby but Keith won't be easy to knock off.

I thought that was one of the doper dynamics to the Xscape vs SWV battle. Part of the competition became who sounded the best when they actually start sanging. That one girl from Xscape (Latosha?) blew it open with that one run on "Do You Want To?".

He ain't Luther. But have you heard Bobby live lately?

>He ain't Luther. But have you heard Bobby live lately?

I have not.

That’s easily two of my favorite R&B acts that I was alive for.

Bobby is the obvious favorite, but Keith has a hell of a catalogue and he can put up a solid 20. This will be fun.

...friction about a Chaka battle that was sort of mishandled (which Swiz denies)..but Stephanie's manager is trying to get it done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe4ttNs2rWA

Whitney, but since she aint here, Mariah Carey should not even do it.

My reply is inspired by an article I saw that said Toni Braxton wants to do verse but only with Mariah Carey or Mary J. Blige. No way! Toni vs Mariah seems lopsided. Maybe MJB, but I even think there are better candidates for MJB.

I think the best thing about Verzuz has been the love shown between the participants who were often competing against each other back in the day.

There's probably still some raw emotions involved but it would be incredible if you could get Dre, Snoop, Puffy, Lil Kim, Faith, etc all one stage to go through their catalogs but show love to each other as well.

Fuck all that "this is a celebration" shit.
Gimme some Manny Fresh "You a crackhead, Scott Storch" shade
Some Gucci "We smokin on yo dead homie" greasiness

Gimme 2 artists that don't really fw each other

Remixes, B-sides and (and maybe) Duets ONLY!!!

Over 3 million viewers tuned in across Instagram, Fite TV and Triller to watch the two face off in front of a live audience — the latest sign that as fans return to in-person concerts, Verzuz isn’t going anywhere.

https://www.billboard.com/amp/articles/business/9610648/timbaland-swizz-beatz-rb-hip-power-players-executives-of-the-year-interview/

I saw a clip on Instagram of Lil Romeo comparing the trio of himself, Bow Wow, and Soulja Boy to Lebron, MJ, and Kobe

boy did I lafffffff at that

i hate to say this but R. Kelly vs John Legend would've been nice as far as musicianship, lyrics, melody, arrangements...yet Kelly's lyrics have always made me suspicious growing up.

Raphael Saadiq vs D'Angelo <-this would be so dope to see them onstage together.

Dave Hollister vs Jaheim

Carl Thomas vs Joe

Usher vs Ginuwine

Maxwell vs Tyrese....I think Maxwell said no to any Verzuz w/ a previous artist...oh well would've been nice.