Verzuz Sells to Triller

3.11.21

Triller Network Acquires Triller March 2021

If you are like me, the Verzuz TV battles have been the highlight of the pandemic. I am still having random Ashanti days in my car on the way to work. People are still talking about the Gucci Mane and Jeezy battle in shock that it really happened. It is such a beautiful way to celebrate music and have the idea of a concert during times where they want us to shut them down. What started as a small idea to pass the time from Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, has now turned into a massive business move, as the two sell Verzuz to Triller Network.

Off the bat, it may seem a bit of an uneasy move to fans. We love how raw and intimate these battles were. We loved that each battle included legends in which we felt the need to literally dress up in our living rooms as if it was a real life concert. They were easily accessible, on Apple Music and Instagram Live. The people behind it, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, they understand the culture and what we want. Will this all change?

According to Swizz and Timbaland, not much will change, and it is all for the better. They have shared that the battles will remain free, as they will still stream on Instagram Live, as well as Triller. Additionally, Swizz and Timbaland will still be involved as they will oversee Music Strategy at Triller. I would have to assume that this means they will still be using their knowledge and connections to continue to bring us the epic match ups that we know and love up to this point in time.

Finally, what is most exciting about this deal, is that every artists whom has done a Verzuz battle so far, is now a shareholder in Triller Verzuz. This year, so many artists have brought to life their difficulties in their contracts, and if you do not own your music you basically have nothing (which is so rare because of labels). The fact that Swizz and Timbaland created such an incredible platform, that breaks records in numbers every time they do a show, and are willing to give shares to each and every artist whom has participated so far, is incredible. It shows that everyone is doing it because of their love for music, which is something that should be continued to be celebrated.

Triller is quite similar to TikTok. While it has not blown up as largely and quickly as TikTok, I personally feel like it is the more “cool” version. It certainly is a lot more in tuned with the hip-hop space, and sees a lot of hip-hop artists active on the platform. A quote from Triller shareholder Ryan Kavanaugh shares, "With this acquisition, Triller continues its evolution to be at the center of culture and the center of music. Who better to help shape Triller's music future than the top artists in the world overseen by Timbaland and Swizz?"

I think this is an excellent move for Triller, and I personally am much more of a fan of this platform, because I can definitely see how they are trying to be the center of culture and music and it evolves through the new generation. Additionally, Verzuz has been going on for about a year now. The team went from completely virtual, to having the artists in one room, back to completely virtual. Not all of the tech was perfect, and there were some mishaps from time to time. I definitely feel like without this acquisition, Verzuz would have eventually had to come to an end. Now, I believe they will continue put on excellent shows and keep the battles live, which have really helped so many during this wild pandemic.

Almost immediately after the announcement that Triller Network has acquired Verzuz TV, the next battle was announced. On March 30th at 8PM EST, we will receive our first TrillerVerzuz, between Raekwon and Ghostface Killah. I feel like this is the perfect way to start off this new transition, with two massive throwback name, with hits for days. I literally just put on Ghostface in the car today and then read that he will be up in the next Verzuz battle, and it really just got me ready to see how this transition will go. From Raekwon’s Wu-Tang classics, to Ghost Face’s hard hits to his Ne-Yo legendary track, and not to forget their hit song together Ice Cream, this is sure to be a battle for the ages.

I really cannot say whom I am voting for at this point in time, or assuming who will win. We’ll definitely have to see what they bring to their rotation, and of course we’ll have a For The Soule round-for-round rating on who takes home the first TrillerVerzuz crown.

Stay tuned for an epic battle, and potentially a new vibe, with the Triller family.