Timabland and Swizz Beatz have made their first big move after regaining control of Verzuz last year as they have partnered with Elon Musk on a new distribution deal.
During a conference at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France on Wednesday (June 19), the Hip Hop veterans announced that their brand’s content will be released exclusively on the billionaire’s social-media platform, X (formerly Twitter).
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“We are beyond thrilled to have found the best partner for Verzuz,” the Ruff Ryders beatmaker said. “Not only are we excited to have Verzuz on X, we’re excited to help X build the biggest entertainment company in the world. I would like to thank Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Brett Weitz, Mitchell Smith and the entire X team for believing in the Verzuz vision. We can’t wait to get to work.”
Timbo added: “We are thrilled to partner with X, the most innovative platform globally. Our goal has always been to bring Verzuz to the world which we can now do bigger than ever.”
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In a joint social-media post, the duo also stated that they plan on building new “Entertainment Businesses” on the platform.
About the alliance, X chief executive officer Linda Yaccarino said: “X is so proud to partner with trailblazing creators, artists, and entrepreneurs Swizz Beatz & Timbaland. Our platform stands at the forefront of innovation, and Verzuz defines the essence of an innovative content experience. As we continue to work with the most exciting voices to bring premium content to X, there is no better fit than this series. Together we will redefine how consumers engage with their favorite entertainment, one Verzuz at a time.”
Swizz Beatz and Timbaland merged Verzuz in a lucrative deal with Triller in 2021, following which they became shareholders. However, trouble arose when they filed a $28 million lawsuit against the company the following year.
Both titans claimed that the video-sharing service failed to hold up the financial end of their pact. Court documents obtained regarding the matter show that Triller defaulted on the agreement after just two payments. Though the producers settled with them soon after, the company allegedly failed to pay the full balance.
In early 2024, they reacquired the brand and are now in full control of it.
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In September, the Virginia native promised to bring back the battle platform while teasing that fans are going to be delighted with the concert series’ new lineup.
“Verzuz is still a baby,” he said in an interview with AllHipHop. “It was something that was built in the pandemic that’s now a household name. Look how you saying it. Now we back open. To make it have the longevity that we need it to have, we have to reorganize the ship.”
He continued: “I believe that we’re gonna drop some good ones before the end of the year. We’re trying to get at least one good one before the end of the year to recalibrate what Verzuz is going to be in the future.”
Prior to that, his peer from New York City teased an epic return for Season 3 that will apparently be well worth the wait.
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“We’ve been changing the infrastructure because when we started, it happened in the garage and then moved to a significant platform,” he told REVOLT. “Now, we changed the whole way we’re moving but not entirely, so people won’t feel like it’s not the same.
“We have a fantastic lineup with people they wanted to see and even battles they think wouldn’t happen. Announcements will be coming soon.”
