There are a handful of good things to come out of the pandemic and most would agree that Verzuz is one of them. The Swizz Beatz and Timbaland-led platform has produced some incredible moments celebrating living legends who've blessed us with countless records. The best part about it? It was free. Fans were able to tune in from the comfort of their home in the wake of lockdown and the absence of live music.
The platform went from partnerships with Apple to Triller while still remaining accessible on Instagram for the masses to view. Unfortunately, it seems that they attempted to fully monetize the event with a paid subscription, beginning with Anthony Hamilton vs. Musiq Soulchild. Additionally, the event would not be streamed on Instagram like previous Verzuz. "This Verzuz will not be on IG. Watch on VerzuzTV.Com with #TrillerVerzPass," the post read.
Twitter immediately predicted the downfall of the platform if they were serious about the paid subscription. Since many have tuned in via Instagram, the accessibility of the event was a huge selling point. The subscriptions included a 14-day free trial with members being charged $2.99 a month afterward.
Swizz Beatz immediately backtracked this morning after the backlash that he, Timbaland, and Verzuz faced from the announcement. He explained that he did not know who made the announcement, nor was he in the country when the announcement was made. The producer went to Instagram where he told his followers that he would "see y'all rite here tomorrow on insta" before plugging the HD version on the Verzuz website.
"I was out the country don't ask me who did it," he wrote with a laughing emoji. "It's fixed. Bless up."
Tonight, Musiq Soulchild and Anthony Hamilton will go hit-for-hit on Verzuz. The event will kick off at 8:30 EST tonight. Who's tuning in?
Check out Swizz Beatz' post below.