As quarantine rages on, Instagram battles continue to be a gift that keeps on giving. This time around, multi-platinum super-producer Scott Storch (set initially to battle T-Pain) faced the original architect of the Cash Money Records sound, Mannie Fresh.
The 20-round battle saw the two producers smack each other around with endless flame emojis.
Organized by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, this battle in particular sported a major upgrade: scorekeeping by DDot Omen.
“Swizz saw my commentary during the Sean Garrett vs. The Dream battle,” DDot tells HipHopDX of how he got involved, adding that his detailed breakdown of the Ne-Yo and Johnta Austin battle eventually earned him the role.
Ultimately, according to the scoreboard, Scott Storch came away with the dubya. While Mannie went hard, scoring a draw in at least five rounds, Storch had more hits under his belt.
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One of the biggest highlights, aside from Storch randomly playing keys throughout (notably on Roddy Rich’s “Down Below” and The Roots’ “You Got Me”), was the smack talk. Mannie had a multitude of interludes ranging from low-key hilarious to disrespectful — referencing his past issues with addiction that once saw him squander $30 million in six months.
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At one point, Storch looked right at the camera and remarked, “You have skits, but you don’t have hits.”
After the battle — which topped 200,000 viewers — Storch created yet another moment by previewing a brand new song from his album featuring Tyga and Ozuna, the “New King of Reggaeton.”
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This is just the latest in a string of battles that appears to have been the brainchild of Timbaland and Swizz. It’s a wave that Tim noted in an IG Live with Storch in late March was poised to shift culture.
“We doin’ this for the culture, we startin’ something,” he said. We startin’ a whole culture movement.”
Check out some clips from Mannie Fresh and Scott Storch’s Instagram Live battle below.
