Since the beginning of this global quarantine, we’ve depended on social media to keep us informed, entertained, and basically sane. The sane part may change if I see one more off beat #SomethingNewChallenge. Elbow, elbow, shake, clap. It’s not that complicated. On a cooler note, legendary producers Timbaland and Swizz Beats started hosting a friendly beat battle competition called VERZUZ, connecting the biggest names in Hip-Hop and R&B to fan’s Instagram Live.
There’s been epic battles between Timbaland vs. Swizz, DJ Premier vs. RZA, Scott Storch v. Mannie Fresh, The-Dream vs. Sean Garrett, and Lil Jon vs. T-Pain. The most recent – and arguably the most iconic to date – was the battle of The Wedding vs. The Reception: Grammy award winning producers Teddy Riley and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmond. I’m pretty sure many of us millennials were conceived to one of the songs played Sunday night, but all this to say, it was an amazing night for Black music.
With all of these battles popping up, I’m slick offended that we haven’t seen any Memphis producers in the ring to battle. But, what if we hit up Swizzy and Timbo, and put our own Memphis match together? Who would it include? Tay Keith, DJ Squeeky, Hot Rod, DJ Paul, Blackout, Carlos Brody, Jazze Phae, or Lil Lody? We could name all of the 901 producers, but in my opinion, the most epic Memphis battle would have to be between Juicy J and Drumma Boy. They’re the only two in the city with decades of hits that can go blow for blow. So just in case we never see this battle come to life, we decided to take a look at how it could play out.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Manes and Junts, welcome to VERZUZ: Memphis Edition.
In the Red Trunks, hailing from North Memphis, Tennessee … One of the founding members of Three 6 Mafia, Tear Da Club Up Thugs, and Hypnotize Camp Posse. You may have heard his signature adlibs “We Trippy Mane”, “Yeah H*e” or “Shut the F*ck Up”. We introduce to you, Oscar winner, Juicy J.
In the Blue Trunks, hailing from Cordova, Tennessee … He produced his first major album for Memphis Hip-Hop legend, Tela, at the age of 12. You may have heard his drops “Aye Yeeeah Boy” or “Listen to this Track B*tch”. We introduce to you, Mr. D-Boy Fresh, Drumma Boy.
Let’s get ready to rumble!
Like I said, an epic battle. Good luck on picking a winner. However, if you want to host the most iconic virtual party with your fellow Memphians, here’s the playlist on Tidal and Apple Music.
