Now, this is what we’re talking about! After taking the pandemic-filled world by storm last year with the virtual phenom that is Verzuz, the series’ co-creators and mega-producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz will be stepping into the ring for a rematch battle of their very own.

As many hip hop fans know, the two music titans duked it out on the Summer Jam 2018 stage in the first Verzuz showdown ever, as they went hit for hit for the thousands of attendees at the annual music event for New York’s hip hop radio station Hot 97. Who would’ve thought that just a couple of years later, Timbo and Swizz would take to the virtual stage, due to Coronavirus shutting the world down, and later make such a cultural impact this way, too?

From Monica and Brandy to Nelly and Ludacris, Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond, Ne-Yo and Johnta Austin, Beenie Man and Bounty Killer, Method Man and Redman, Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle, Snoop Dogg and the late great DMX, and many more, millions of people from around the world have tuned in to watch every battle thus far and give their flowers to some of our musical greats.

Confirmation that Swizz and Timbo will be doing a Verzuz rematch is very exciting. Back in March, we learned that a re-do was forthcoming at the same time that The Isley Brothers and Earth, Wind and Fire; and well as Redman and Method Man’s battles were revealed. Many wondered who the rematch will be between, so this big news was definitely worth the wait.

Back at the 2020 REVOLT Summit, Swizz opened up about conceptualizing the series during “The Verzuz Effect” discussion, “The idea came up a couple of years ago in just wanting to celebrate creatives, and myself wanting to celebrate with Timbaland…”

He continued, “It was more of a live component than an online component. But, [when] the pandemic hit, it just changed the whole narrative of what we was thinking….”

And my how it’s grown – and continues to.