Image via drenchedinblack.com

Why the Erykah Badu x Jill Scott Verzuz Battle Was Good For The Culture

by Brina Jeffries

May 21, 2020

It has been over a week since the Verzuz Battle on Instagram occurred and I still cannot stop thinking about it. The combination of two black female legends was exactly what people needed during this quarantine season.

If you have no clue about what I am talking about then you probably deleted your social media or you simply live under a rock. On May 7, 2020 at (roughly!) 7 pm, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu “performed” on a joint live together that lasted around 3 hours. The idea is apart of an on-going series created by Timbaland and Swizz Beats that matches up similar R&B/hip hop artists to “battle” online. It is perhaps one of the best things to come out of quarantine.

I remember watching with my sister and her commenting upon when the live was going to end because we had looked at the time and it was already nearing the 10 ‘o’ clock hour but both artists were still at it.

Admittedly, I think many people thought that Scott and Badu were going to actually sing against one another, which caused a stir on Twitter the minute the battle advertising was released. Here are some of the reactions:

With this type of hype surrounding the Battle, it was only destined for greatness. Instead of doing what most thought was going to be a sing-off, both Badu and Scott created a space that was meant for uplifting one another. They played some of each other’s best hits while complimenting the career that one another has shaped.

This energy transpired over to their audience of celebrities, peers, and fans alike, with notable people such as Michelle Obama, Alicia Keys, Marsha Ambrosius, Adele and many others praising these two black queens for always creating music for healing the mind and soul.

It was a masterclass taught by our favorite black aunties and truly a testament of the power of black femmes.

To hear the songs played, the Spotify team has kindly made a playlist at this link: Verzuz Playlist

or to watch the Battle click on this Youtube link: Erykah Badu vs Jill Scott | VERZUZ TV by Swizz and Timberland | Timestamps in Description