Swizz Beatz Backtracks After Verzuz Shifts To Paid Service Model

Verzuz battles have been a big sensation among rap fans. The hip-hop wars always drew big audiences as fans were curious to see how their favorites fared. The COVID-19 pandemic sparked the popularity of Verzuz, as viewers were excited to see any kind of new content. That honeymoon nearly came to an end after somebody made a very bad decision.

Verzuz announced that the upcoming Anthony Hamilton vs Musiq Soulchild battle would be part of a new pay model for the platform. Swizz Beatz, who started the events along with Timbaland, originally had balance. The battles were available on Instagram for everyone to view in addition to partnerships with Apple and Triller.

The Hamilton vs Soulchild Verzuz battle will be the first to fall under the paid subscription model recently introduced. No longer will fans be able to check it out for free on Instagram like in the past. The backlash was strong and immediate. Swizz Beatz went into damage control, immediately backtracking on the announcement via Instagram.

“See y’all rite here tomorrow on insta @verzuztv  Who y’all rocking with @anthonyhamiltonofficial or @musiqsoulchild ? You can also watch in HD on verzuztv.com . I was out the country don’t ask me who did it it’s fixed bless up love y’all”

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The public immediately started predicting the end of Verzuz once the announcement was made. It didn’t take long for Swizz to backtrack. Tonight’s battle will once again be available on Instagram for free.

The attempt to fully monetize the events was an absolute failure. Swizz Beatz might be telling the truth and he might not. In any event, he now understands that unless Verzuz is available for free on Instagram, it might not be a viable business.

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