Timbaland
As Verzuz Covers Billboard, Consider How the ‘Verzuz Effect’ Is Evolving Music
DMX and Snoop Dogg’s Verzuz battle. (Source: Complex)
Verzuz has evolved from a fun way to listen to hit songs on Instagram Live during quarantine into “a cultural institution [reviving and sparking] new interest in hip-hop and R&B’s legacy songs and artists.” This quote is pulled from the latest edition of Billboard Magazine, which features the Swizz Beatz and Timbaland co-created concept as its cover story. However, most powerful to consider regarding Verzuz’s future is the impact of the event-related popularity surge known as the “Verzuz Effect.”
Verzuz’s explosive potential is transforming key areas of the music industry. April 20’s Teddy Riley vs. Babyface battle resulted in a 115% increase in on-demand streams for both artists combined. Babyface also saw both his Instagram followers jumped from 300,000 to 1 million, plus an increase in sample clearance requests.
Recently, the impact has moved past Instagram and solely streaming music platforms. For new Verzuz partner Apple Music, Verzuz’s placement there has resulted in a reported over half a million concurrent views for each battle, the most-watched of any livestreams held on the platform.
Also, since Memorial Day, Diageo — Ciroc vodka‘s parent company — has signed on as a multimillion-dollar sponsor. Moreover, as also revealed in Billboard, if artists endorse, Apple Music, Diageo’s liquor brands, or any of the other forthcoming potential sponsors, Verzuz will offer artists payment for their battle time.
Already, Verzuz has — via Apple and Diageo — brands worth a Forbes-estimated $1.4 trillion already on board. What has developed during a global pandemic and one of the most shocking eras in the history of modern music is clearly impressive.
Latin and African pop-specific Verzuz battles are reportedly also on the horizon. Key to note here is Apple Music’s recent desire to engage in expansion in the African marketplace. As well, “Latin Music Is Growing Faster Than Overall U.S. Music Market” reads an April Rolling Stone headline. Attaching Verzuz to that growth could have gigantic possibilities, especially for that culture’s classic reggaeton, bachata, and salsa superstars.
“People need to be educated and celebrated. That’s why we say we’ve got a long runway with this thing,” Swizz Beatz notes. Creatives playing music hits over poor Instagram Live connections in the name of avoiding boredom has blossomed into a trillion-plus dollar industry. The “Verzuz Effect” has, and will continue to yield radical, industry-shifting consequences.
Interested in hearing a few classics from the Verzuz battles? Check out Beatsource‘s “Versus Series” here.
Related Post: Verzuz Officially Names Apple Music as a Broadcast Partner: What’s Next?
Richastic Remixes Tweet’s ‘Call Me’: DJcity Exclusive
(Source: Richastic)
German DJ/producer Richastic‘s latest remix is a bouncy flip of Tweet‘s 2002 hit “Call Me.” The Timbaland-produced track was a top-10 Billboard Hip-Hop Chart single.
Richastic’s Latin-flavored house chops are showcased in the production, while the remix is built largely around the flute sample that gave the original its distinct flair.
“I stumbled across the classic when I sorted my Serato crates,” Richastic notes. “The flute caught me, I always loved the song. From then on, I knew I had to remix it.”
Preview the remix below and download it exclusively on DJcity.
Follow Richastic on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Related Post: Mr. Vegas’ ‘Heads High’ Remixed by Richastic: DJcity Exclusive
Verzuz Officially Names Apple Music as a Broadcast Partner: What’s Next?
Verzuz co-founders Timbaland and Swizz Beatz. (Source: Getty Images)
Verzuz, the quarantine-borne Instagram Live streaming producer and artist competition series started by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, will now be available on Apple Music and Beats 1. The forthcoming July 22, 8 PM EST “Battle of the Dogs” between Snoop Dogg and DMX will be the first official Verzuz battle broadcast via the partnership. Previously, Apple Music and Beats 1 live-streamed a dueling piano Juneteenth episode of Verzuz, featuring Alicia Keys and John Legend.
The move is likely aimed at creating greater structure and longevity for the series. Past battles have featured significant technical difficulties, as well as connection issues posed by solely using Instagram Live. As well, the ability to maintain the series as an episodic-style catalog has not been possible. As quarantine moves into its fourth month with no definitive end in sight, Verzuz gaining sustainability as a breakout music industry leader for compelling content feels necessary. Concerns about paying artists and developing live music options are an industry concern. Ideas like simulcasting Verzuz, for free, via Instagram Live, but making it available via paywalled, subscription-only services like Apple Music and Beats 1 begin to solve this issue.
Peak musical content engagement goals during quarantine spiked 400 percent in the 50 days between D-Nice‘s 150,000 peak viewer March 21 DJ stream to Jill Scott and Erykah Badu‘s 750,000+ peak viewer May 9 Verzuz battle. However, top producers like Pharrell Williams and musical acts with Verzuz-ready catalogs like Jay-Z and Beyoncé have yet to be tabbed to “compete.” It is entirely likely that their involvement could potentially raise those numbers well over one million-plus peak viewers. If this were to occur, having multiple live arms for engagement, as well as the ability to both monetize and archive Verzuz, would be valuable.
For more Verzuz information, visit them via Instagram.
Related Post: Music Industry Adapts to Increasing Power of Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch
Madonna’s ‘4 Minutes’ Remixed by Scissors: DJcity Exclusive
Scissors. (Source: Scissors)
The latest from Swiss DJ/production duo Scissors is a high-energy take on Madonna‘s “4 Minutes” featuring Justin Timberlake. Upon its release in 2008, the superstar collaboration became a number one hit worldwide.
“We wanted to do a follow-up remix on “Candy Shop,” which we did a couple of months earlier,” Scissors says. “We were searching for a melody/sound with a hard punch, which also would fit into house music. Going back and forth on what was good from the late 90s and early 2000s, one of us remembered having made a mashup of ‘4 Minutes’ back in the day when it was just released. We searched for the old mashup and instantly knew – this one’s going to be it. A huge lead sound, and the brass, paired with a strong four-to-the-floor drumkit. From talking about it until finishing, not even two whole days passed. ”
Preview Scissors’ “4 Minutes” remix below and download it exclusively on DJcity.
Follow Scissors on Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, and Twitter.
Related Post: Diddy’s ‘Bad Boy for Life’ Gets House Remix From Scissors: DJcity Exclusive
Watch: Timbaland on Getting His Start as a DJ and Collaborating With Superstars
Legendary producer Timbaland recently stopped by the Drink Champs podcast for an interview.
The Grammy award-winner has worked with superstars like Beyonce, Jay Z, and Justin Timberlake, among others. During the interview, Timbaland talked about getting his start as a DJ, the collaborations that defined his career, and more.
On how he got his start in music:
“I was beatboxing… [but] my main passion back then was DJing. And how I got into making beats is… let me try to make a beat so I can blend my records too… so I just took what I had, and I was passionate about sounds. I love noises.”
On first finding success in the industry:
“We weren’t thinking like, you know, ‘this is a hit,’ we’re thinking ‘we’re getting recognized… our passion is getting looked at, it’s not taken for granted…’ because we put in a lot of work, and our work was accepted.”
On working with Dr. Dre, and his influence on hip-hop’s sound:
“Dr. Dre. was the God of rap… he made rap sound clean, he made it sound so clean… I wanted to know like ‘yo how do you mix that drum, how do you get them drums to sound like [that]?’”
Watch the interview above.
Related: Watch: Marley Marl Talks Producing Electronic Music, Current State of Hip-Hop
Justin Timberlake Drops New Single and Video, ‘Filthy’
After teasing it earlier this week, Justin Timberlake has dropped the first single off his upcoming album, Man of the Woods. The aptly-titled “Filthy,” which was produced by long-time collaborators Timbaland and Danja, features funky and futuristic production.
Man of the Woods is slated for a Feb. 2 release. According to a press release, it features collaborations with The Neptunes, Alicia Keys, and Questlove-approved country star, Chris Stapleton.
Download “Filthy” on DJcity and watch the visual for it above.
Related: How Timbaland Revolutionized R&B and Hip-Hop and Reinvented Himself After Addiction
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