Since Verzuz’s inception, Dr. Dre has been among one of the most highly requested contenders for a forthcoming battle, but creators Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have been unsuccessful in securing his placement in a matchup. During a recent interview with “The Breakfast Club,” Swizz revealed that the rapper/producer was actually down to participate in the celebratory competition series until he witnessed the technical difficulties experienced in one of the earlier battles.

“When Dr. Dre wasn’t feeling the sound from Teddy Riley and Babyface, that hurt our heart,” Swizz confessed. “If you go back, Dre was at the Teddy Riley one, he came at the end. He was supposed to announce that he was going to do Verzuz that night!”

Since many, including Swizz, have desired to see the California star compete against fellow emcee/producer Diddy, DJ Envy asked whether he was Dre’s intended matchup. The Ruff Ryders star responded, “I don’t think he was going to announce who he was battling…He was going to announce, ‘I’m ready, I’m coming.’”

Unfortunately, the audio quality put a damper on their plans. “[Dre] got on the phone like, ‘Man, I can’t be a part of nothing that sound like that. My legacy is quality.’ I was like, ‘We just lost Dre over the sound?” Swizz said. “That one felt pretty crazy. But since then, the energy has been pretty good.”

Verzuz — which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary — has come a long way since the Teddy Riley and Babyface showdown. The platform was recently acquired by Triller, which has already proved to be a great deal for Swizz, Timbaland and other creatives. Over the weekend, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon kicked off the show under the new partnership. Isley Brothers will face Earth, Wind and Fire on April 4, and Method Man and Redman are slated to hit the Verzuz stage on April 20.