Instagram followers of legendary producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz got treated to a beat battle, 10PM yesterday, March 24.
As the world shuts down due to the growing coronavirus outbreak, musicians are bringing their sound to the fans online via multiple platforms such as YouTube and now, Instagram.
The faceoff started brewing with Timbaland's video Tuesday night, saying that "it's official" and that they will be doing it "for the culture".
"Me and Swizzy gon' go at it 10 o'clock, baby. IG Live. I done have the red blood in me. It's gonna be a good one".
Swizz responds with an image on his IG page, telling his 2.8M followers to "Tell TIMBO I'm getting the wine ready for the Zone like he asked".
Before starting the beat battle from their respective studios, Swizz explained to fans how the online event would go down. The first round, according to the 41-year old DJ and producer, would be back-to-back classic beats. Meanwhile, the second round would be "certified joints" fans have never heard.
Timbaland fired the first salvo with Jay-Z's "Picasso Baby" followed by Aaliyah's "Try Again." Swizz responded with samples from The Lox's "Fuck You" and Jadakiss' "All for the Love."
The IG event was paused as Swizz Beatz moved to his car for a better WiFi connection. Both DJs return in an exchange of hits mostly by Jay-Z, including "Come and Get Me", "Ultra", and "It's Hot (Some Like It Hot)."
At one point in the IG Live, more than 20,000 fans and celebrities tuned in to this Battle of the Greats. According to Complex, celebrity viewers include rappers Sean Combs, better known as Diddy, Fat Joe, Hitmaka, DJs Don Cannon and Young Guru, and actor Ben Baller.
Timbaland's Career
Timbaland, born Timothy Zachary Mosley, worked on the late Aaliyah's "One in a Million" album as well as Missy Elliot's debut album "Supa Dupa Fly". Later on, he would produce hits for Justin Timberlake, starting with 2002's "Cry Me a River" and going with Timberlake's next LPs like "FutureSex/ LoveSounds" and "The 20/20 Experience". He is credited with the hits associated with these works.
Swiss Beatz Career
On the other hand, Kasseem Dean, professionally known as Swizz Beatz, is the one behind hits such as Beyonce's "Ring the Alarm" and "Upgrade U", Jay-Z's "Girl's Best Friend", and Busta Rhymes' "Touch It", among others. His works have prompted recognition, including The Source's "20 Greatest Producers". Aside from producing hit songs, Dean is also known in the fields of fashion design and art collection. He also married singer Alicia Keys back in 2015.
Timbaland and Swizz Beatz's online beat battle is another episode in the increasing online performances by musicians around the world in response to the mounting coronavirus pandemic. The outbreak has postponed various events, from sports, to film, to music. Recently, D-Nice held a virtual dance party attended by multiple celebrities. Also, EDM music fest Beyond Wonderland pushed through the celebration with a "Virtual Rave-a-thon" live-streamed on YouTube.
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