Diddy & Jermaine Dupri Facing Off In ‘Hit For Hit’ Battle

Swizz Beatz and Timbaland are in a legal battle with Triller over Verzuz, and it’s unclear when the series will return. When Irv Gotti visited Drink Champs, he stated that the only label that could compete with his own would be Bad Boy Records, but Diddy had another challenge already planned. Jermaine Dupri has been requesting a “Verzuz” against Diddy, but while the platform is in the midst of a legal battle, Diddy makes a counteroffer.

After nearly a year of back-and-forth, Diddy and Jermaine Dupri have agreed to square off in a Verzuz-style event. On Thursday night (August 18), Puff went on Instagram Live and decided to invite Dupri into the session. Diddy, feeling positive about his chances in a fight, said, “JD, if you want that smoke, you can get that smoke anytime.”

Before agreeing to set up an event in Atlanta, Jermaine Dupri, who was seated next to his production partner Bryan-Michael Cox, told Diddy to “relax.” Instead of a battle, they want to highlight the history of their respective labels, Bad Boy Records and So So Def Recordings, by simply playing all of their hits without any drama. “Since we ain’t f*cking with Verzuz no more since ’cause they f*cking around with our boys, we don’t need to be going against each other,” Diddy said.

“Let’s come together and do that Bad Boy, So So Def in Atlanta. It ain’t no Verzuz, it’s just hit for hit.” Dupri replied: “Let’s do it.” Diddy’s remark about “f*cking around with our boys” alludes to the $28 million lawsuit Swizz Beatz and Timbaland recently filed against Triller regarding their Verzuz platform.

According to the lawsuit obtained by TMZ, they claim that after agreeing to buy Verzuz in January 2021, the video-sharing service failed to pay them the full amount. In September 2021, Jermaine Dupri challenged Diddy to a Verzuz battle for the first time. Diddy quickly responded, declaring that Dr. Dre was his only worthy opponent and telling Dupri, “Your arms too short to box with God.”

Following the exchange, the pair got into an Instagram Live shouting match, with Diddy playing some of his biggest records, including Biggie’s “One More Chance,” to prove his dominance. Jermaine Dupri responded by bragging about being a Hall of Fame Songwriter during a visit to Atlanta’s V-103 radio station. Jermaine Dupri stated in January on the New Rory & Mal podcast that a Verzuz battle between him and Diddy was unlikely.

“I am in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Puff Daddy’s not in the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. Steve Stoute and the Trackmasters are not in the Hall of Fame. I shouldn’t have to play nothing. I am in a seat that Puff Daddy can’t pay for.”

“I feel like it’s a performance-based thing now and the majority of Puff’s records, who’s gonna perform? Yeah, [you can bring out] The LOX, but you can’t have nobody do Big’s verses! And I don’t know that Ma$e would come out with him no more, so I don’t think that it would happen based on that. All my people, we rockin’ and we coming’ with a whole lot of energy!”

Despite his doubts, Dupri is confident that So So Def would outperform Bad Boy’s catalog.

“Puff — and anybody else that thinks about this battle — they try to downplay the Bow Wow era. When we get into the 2001, 2002, 2003 era of So So Def, I don’t know that Bad Boy was even in existence… I never seen a Bad Boy record No. 1 on 106 & Park.”

“[The] Emancipation of Mimi came out in 2007. People be forgetting about that whole little patch of records. I’m telling you, I don’t give a f*ck what nobody say; Puff Daddy ain’t got nothing for 2007 — not on Bad Boy!”

So, finally, it’s happening. Fans must be anticipating it with bated breath. To get the latest updates, keep an eye on Thirsty.

What’s your opinion on this one? Let us know in the comments!