Beenie Man and Bounty Killer’s Verzuz: The most unforgettable moments
The two reggae legends went head-to-head for the latest installment of “Verzuz.”
Today (May 23), fans were able to enjoy a “Verzuz” battle between reggae greats Beenie Man and Bounty Killer, who decided to switch things up by trading songs from within the same room. Together, the Jamaican giants were able to perform their biggest classics in front of hundreds of thousands of fans, all with their cultural flag behind him mid-performance. Here are the biggest takeaways from the match-up.
The fact that they battled in the same room:
The most obvious takeaway from the night is the fact that, unlike other “Verzuz” battles, the two legends went head to head in the same room, essentially making the match-up more of a live concert than anything else. The two giants shared mics and delivered the classic hits that fans have known them for for the past couple of decades, making for the perfect back-and-forth that fans have hoped for.
Beenie Man’s use of T.I.’s “I’m Serious”:
Before he became the hip hop legend that he is now, T.I. was crafting dope cuts as a artist signed to Arista. As part of his debut studio album I’m Serious, the Atlanta hip hop veteran connected with Beenie Man for The Neptunes-produced title track, which acted as a reminder of Tip’s humble but high-quality beginnings.
The competitors’ fashion choices:
It would be an absolute failure not to mention Bounty Killer’s clothing choice. Win or lose, the Kingston reggae veteran came to the battle in prime fashion. Added to that, Beenie Man’s meshing of brands ensured that this battle was easily the most Jamaican stream of all time.
Truthfully, both Bounty Killer and Beenie Man showed up to the dance with their best threads, ensuring that this Verzuz match was the most fashionable ever.
“Girls Dem Sugar”:
To keep it a buck, Beenie Man had an edge over the entire battle thanks to his chart-topping pop hits. Of them all, I would be amiss not to mention his use of the Mya collaboration “Girls Dem Sugar,” which appeared on Beenie Man’s 2000’s release Art And Life. Needless to say, a lot of rounds were won by Beenie off his commercial sensibility alone.
Instagram’s increasingly strict rules:
One thing we’ve taken from the latest “Verzuz” is the fact that Instagram is working harder than ever to stop full streams of records owned by major labels, even if the artist is playing their own hits. As a result, the artists were relegated to 90 seconds of their song choices maximum.
The jokes were flying:
As with all the previous battles, Twitter comedians were out in full force for Beenie Man and Bounty Killer’s extravaganza. Below lies a few of the night’s greatest hits.
The police:
One of the funnier moments during the battle happened when law enforcement apparently made an attempt to shut everything down. It is of no surprise to see the artists respond in defiant fashion.
Jamaican pride:
What might be considered the biggest takeaway from the night is how Jamaicans all over were united in the name of beautiful music and culture. If you’re truly into the reggae and dancehall genres, then you’re probably aware of these two legends’ longstanding beef. Fans have witnessed the artists feuding as far back as the early 90’s — 1993’s Sting clash is a moment in history, to say the least. To see Bounty Killer and Beenie Man come together for what has to be one of the best streams during this unfortunate quarantine brings a sense of pride for all who bears the Jamaican bloodline (such as this writer). It’s definitely an event that we’ll all be talking about all summer long.
Drinks by Ciroc:
The lit night wouldn’t have been as fun as it was without everyone getting nice off of the Ciroc that REVOLT Media & TV’s very own chairman, Sean “Diddy” Combs, supplied for the first dancehall Verzuz battle. Thanks, Puff.
You can enjoy the playlist of song choices that Beenie Man and Bounty Killer chose to utilize below.