Background

Although they are from a different generation of music, Patti LaBelle’s and Gladys Knight’s music is timeless. A lot of newer musicians grew up on their music, and recognize them as the foundation that music today stands on. Even though that respect and admiration is there, do people really have a full understanding of how big they were?

Gladys Knight has won seven Grammys. She has eleven number 1 singles and six number one albums. Gladys is famous for hit songs like “Midnight Train to Georgia,” “That’s What Friends Are For,” and “Neither One of Us.” Gladys has had success both as a solo artist and a lead singer in a group. She has recorded legendary songs with The Pips and many Motown superstars. She even has records with Patti LaBelle.

Patti LaBelle is considered “The Godmother of Soul.” She has sold over 50 million records worldwide. Patti has won two Grammy Awards and is considered one of the Top 100 vocalists by Rolling Stone. She has also had success in a group and as a solo act, and made various hits during her time with her group Labelle and over her own career like “On My Own,” “You Are My Friend,” “If Only You Knew,” and more.

Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight have both defied many odds and managed to be some of the most iconic women in the music industry. They both have proven to be very diverse as they’ve made hits in R&B, Jazz, Gospel, Soul, and Pop.

Promotion for Battle

@jameswrightchanel on Instagram gave an Apple Music viewing tutorial for the Verzuz battle. This is one of the videos that Verzuz has used to promote the battle, the other two include Patti and Gladys, and can be found on the Instagram page.

Full Verzuz

This was a performance for the ages, both women show that they can still out-sing at least half the music industry. The Verzuz is Available on Apple Music, Youtube, and other platforms.

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Brandy is an R&B legend. She has lent her voice out to many artists and has a feature catalog that quite impressive. She also made the transition from music to television and has even performed in musicals. Brandy has seven studio albums and three of them have sold over a million copies. Brandy’s album, Never Say Never, has gone 5x Platinum and her debut album was 4x Platinum.

Aside from her accolades, Brandy has one of the best live singing voices, which will work to her advantage because most Verzuz battles are now held in person.

Monica is a legend in her own rite. She has hit songs that have lingered in music history like “The Boy is Mine,” “So Gone,” “Don’t Take It Personal,” and more. She has managed to remain present in the culture even when she isn’t releasing music. Her hit song “So Gone” was even made into a challenge not too long ago.

I think this will be a great celebration of music. I happen to love both artists so I really don’t have a pick to win, but I will enjoy watching the show.

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Rick Ross has had one of the better rap careers I can think of and has a catalog that depicts that as a result. Rick is an underrated lyricist. I think he is one of the best scene painters in rap and his beat selection is also above average. Almost every Rick Ross song is about four minutes of him painting a picture of luxurious life to you.

Even though 2 Chainz is being picked as the underdog in this matchup, he is no easy opponent. 2 Chainz has been in the rap game for some years now. Even in his earlier years as Titty Boi, he was able to identify and produce a hit song. He is a very skilled rapper with a playful style. He has reinvented himself in music and currently is one of the biggest rappers around.

The battle was more of a celebration than a battle. Both rappers were very friendly and entertaining throughout and placed a spotlight on southern rap. The Verzuz is available on Apple Music and Instagram.

Verzuz has been thriving since it extended its reach to multiple platforms. They even posted some of the statistics from the last battle.

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DMX is one of the biggest rappers of all time despite his short career. DMX’s album, And Then There Was X, went six-time platinum at a time when that was unheard of in Hip-Hop. DMX broke touring records and drew in some of the biggest crowds in music history. DMX changed the entire culture of Hip-Hop and although his career took a bad turn, his peak is one to rival that of almost any artist.

On the other hand, Snoop Dogg is a name that is hard to stand against or even next to. He is the epitome of a rap legend. A man who has had huge hits like “Gin N Juice,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “Beautiful,” “Sexual Eruption,” and “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang.” He has made hits for over three decades of rap and is a staple in Hip- Hop history.

If I had to choose a winner, I would have to pick Snoop Dogg. Although both artists are extremely talented and accomplished, they are also friends, so the battle should be more of a celebration of their music. The battle will be Wednesday, July 22nd at 5 p.m. and will be available on Apple Music.

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So far Neyo, Ludacris, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Nelly, Babyface, and many more have participated in the competitions. These artists mostly represent the genres of Rap and R&B, but this past Saturday the competition took a different turn by entering the world of reggae/dancehall. They switched up the format a bit and had music legends Beenie Man and Bounty Killer compete in a joint live performance on Instagram live.

These battles are a great source of entertainment and tons of other artists are even looking to join in! Swizz Beats mentioned reaching out to Mariah Carey and other artists as well but, this past battle really stressed the importance of cross-genre unity and even cultural acceptance of different styles of music. There was also another Verzuz battle on Monday evening featuring R&B singing groups 112 and Jagged Edge.

After the battle, Swizz Beats and Timberland got on Instagram and spoke on integrity. They spoke on how they invented Verzuz and why, and that they even have received a million-dollar offer on the business that they rejected.

The Instagram music battles are becoming a major staple in the culture during this quarantined timed, and I expect it to evolve into a major business soon given the positive response by fans.

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