Swizz Beatz clarified comments he made about Justin Timberlake during the Verzuz session he did with Timbaland.
Swizz and Timbaland, the masterminds behind Verzuz, reunited Sunday for a rematch more than a year after their first session in March 2020. After Timbaland played a string of hits he produced for the b, Swizz made some spicy comments about the former N*Sync frontman.
“Until Justin let the world know that he—” he began. “Justin gotta come out, he’s coming out. … He gotta admit that he loves the Black culture, and he gotta be on this stage. You took from the Black culture. You give to the Black culture. Come to Verzuz and be a part of the Black culture.”
Swizzy was singing a different tune the following day during a recap with Timbaland on Instagram Live. After his co-host told him he was “too hard” on Timberlake, the super-producer claimed there was no beef.
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“Look, man, I had to go hard,” he explained. “Did you hear how them songs were sounding on that stage? You and JT, it was like JT was in the building. I was like, man!” he said. “[I] don’t got no problem with JT. … Shout out to JT, we can’t wait to get you on stage having fun, ’cause you deserve it too.”
Timberlake hasn’t publicly spoken about Swizz’s comments, but he doesn’t appear to be offended. On the same day, the “Cry Me a River” crooner congratulated the pair on their success with Verzuz.
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Timbaland has hinted at Timberlake battling Usher Raymond before, but nothing came of it. In January, he claimed rapper Drake called him about it.
“Justin Timberlake… yes, we know,” the “Try Again” hitmaker told ESPN in January. “It’s so funny. Drake hit me up too about it. He said, ‘we gotta make that happen.’ I’m like, ‘soon to come, soon to come.’”
