*Swizz Beatz responded to criticism over him and Timbaland teaming with Elon Musk to bring Verzuz to X (formally Twitter).
As we reported earlier, Verzuz was originally launched in 2020 at the height of the pandemic to connect music lovers through virtual rap and DJ battles. Earlier this month, Swizz and fellow producer Timbaland, revealed that Verzuz will be hosted on X as part of a deal with Musk, the platform’s owner.
An announcement post on Instagram shows the trio with cocktails in their hands, and the caption: “LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!!! IT’S OFFICIAL, #VERZUZ IS BACK AND 100% BLACK OWNED AGAIN. LET’S GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT’S BEEN MISSING !!! WE WILL ALSO BE BUILDING NEW ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESSES ON THE X PLATFORM !! WHO SHOULD BE THE [FIRST] KICK OFF SHOW? LETS GO!!! VERZUZ ON X… NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS OR YOUR COMPANY. Happy Juneteenth.”
The announcement sparked criticism from fans amid criticism of Musk’s perceived racism.
“Should’ve done this on another platform,” one individual suggested, Complex reports. “Instagram, Facebook or even Fanbase a Black owned app.”
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This prompted Swizz to remind fans that Verzuz will remain “100% Black owned.”
“Verzuz been on this platform from day one! People want to talk with out doing the homework,” Swizz Beatz said. “The convo always been on that platform King bless up!!”
In a post on X, he told fans and critics, “You will see my intentions as always. We must change what we don’t like, not complain about it. We go hard since the 90s. People will soon see the plan. I understand that people have questions, and they will also understand I’m not a silly person.”
Additionally, Swizz noted the irony of Black critics using X to voice their complaints about the platform’s owner being racist. The musician wrote, “But you’re on X,” and added a laughing emoji.
Last week, Swizz Beatz said in a statement, “We are beyond thrilled to have found the best partner for Verzuz. 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.”
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