NEWS
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Artists Timbaland and Swizz Beatz attend day 1 of REVOLT Summit x AT&T Summit on September 12, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for RevoltLooks like the word on the curb is out about co-founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s popular Verzuz brand finding new partners to play music with, in social media app Triller. Last week, rumors unexpectedly swirled about Verzuz separating from their Apple Music relationship. In an early morning post (March 9th) to Instagram, Swizz Beatz exclaimed, “Finally something that the creatives own officially!!!! @timbaland it’s showtime!! By the artist for the artist with the people!!!”
Triller, launched in 2015 by co-founders David Leiberman and Sammy Rubin, allows users to take snippets of songs and create quick shareable clips that span the length of their imaginations. Boasting downloads in the 100 million range, Triller seems to aim at playing close to celebs and record labels that distribute the tracks that all the youngins flock to rock. Can Verzuz find the footing needed to expand the battle brand in uncharted ways with Triller? We’ll all have to wait and see.
A typical Verzuz battle, which has featured dozens of match-ups with the likes of DMX vs. Snoop, Bounty Killer vs. Beenie Man and even Gladys Knight vs. Patti LaBelle, routinely scores collective social media viewing numbers into the millions. During the height of the pandemic lock down in 2020, Swizz and Timb’s competitive creation gave much needed light hearted moments and brought back the love of songs from times past.
What this post means as far as deal points between the artist challenge platform that pits music stars catalogues against one another, is also yet to be explained. In the meantime, Swizz got busy after the posting, in seemingly celebrating the news by launching into an IG Live playlist party dubbed “Zone Radio (also born out of the pandemic times like Verzuz).” This edition by Swizz was also in honor of International Women’s Day, “Let’s shout out all the women!”
He didn’t address his announcement about the deal in the live feed, but we are sure to hear more in the coming days, if not sometime later today. Let’s give the fellas a moment to get the announcement all the way explained, as we are sure Swizz is bursting to get the info out. More details to come.
MGK has unveiled his high energy new single “Fix Ur Face” featuring Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst.
The intense collaboration sees the rapper turned rocker dive deeper into the hard hitting sound he has been refining over the past few years.
Fusing the raw edge of 90s nu metal with Machine Gun Kelly’s modern alternative style, the track stands out as one of his most aggressive releases so far.
The song dropped alongside a bold black and white video, which premiered across MTV Live, MTVU, and the Paramount Times Square billboards.
Directed by frequent collaborator Sam Cahill, the visual was shot in several cities during mgk’s lost americana tour, including Berlin, Dublin, Düsseldorf, London, Prague, Cologne, Nashville and Los Angeles. It highlights the intensity and intimacy of touring, from packed venues and sweat drenched crowds to the blurred line between performer and fans.
The track was created with his close knit creative team, including SlimXX, BazeXX, RookXX, Nick Long, and No Love For The Middle Child, giving it a gritty and multi generational energy that sets it apart from today’s mainstream rock and rap.
Durst brings a high powered performance, channeling the same raw intensity that shaped Limp Bizkit’s early era.
The video’s look was further developed by street artists Lugosis and Strato, who painted a large mural in Berlin, while Slawn Olaolu designed the character face and jackets featured throughout the clip, adding a distinct DIY feel.
MGK first previewed “Fix Ur Face” during the European run of the lost americana tour, then later shared a snippet during shows in Australia, building strong anticipation among fans.
His relationship with Durst stretches back over a decade, with the two having performed together on multiple occasions, including mgk’s 2014 tour alongside Limp Bizkit.
The lost americana tour is now set to return to the United States, resuming on May 15 with Wiz Khalifa joining as support.
