NEWS
Swizz Beatz and Timbaland had to address fans again about claims of selling out their popular brand Verzuz. During a livestream including the two superproducers, Jay-Z engineer Young Guru, and media personality 19Keys, Swizz refuted sold out remarks.
A fan claiming Swizz Beatz and Timbaland sold out when Verzuz sold to Triller, Swizz clarified the valuation. "We ain't sell out, we sold in," said Swizz. "I ain't never sold out a day in my life... Sold out for what? It ain't enough money to sell out... We sold into a idea. Verzuz didn't have an valuation because we gave it to the people for free... These are well thought out plans, not freestyles."
Swizz Beatz reveals that they should have better communicationn with fans about updates regarding Verzuz. "I don't expect people to understand what we doing," said Swizz Beatz. "That is the only thing I could have critique, we could have communicated it to the people better."
Verzuz kicked off in March 2020 when Timbaland and Swizz Beatz hopped on IG Live for a friendly beat battle. Quarantine had folks locked in, and this clash lit up the timeline. What started as two legends going hit-for-hit turned into a full-blown cultural moment.
Fans tuned in heavy to see icons face off—RZA vs. DJ Premier, Jill Scott vs. Erykah Badu, and more. It was nostalgia mixed with respect, straight from the culture.
As the buzz grew, Verzuz leveled up. They linked with Apple Music, then got scooped by Triller in 2021. Battles moved from phones to stages, with real crowds, crisp visuals, and brand deals rolling in. The Lox vs. Dipset and Jeezy vs. Gucci had streets and screens going wild, stamping Verzuz as a new era staple.
By 2022, the wave slowed, but the impact stayed. Timbo and Swizz took the reins back and are plotting the next move. Verzuz still stands as a love letter to Black music—raw, real, and unfiltered.
It flipped the game, showing how legends and fans can connect without middlemen. Legacy meets livestream, and the culture keeps winning.
Ezra Furman has announced a new headline tour of the UK and Europe to take place early in 2026 – see all the dates below.
The Chicago-born singer-songwriter released her 10th studio album ‘Goodbye Small Head’ in May via Bella Union and is already set to take the record on the road around North America in August and October this year.
Now, she has added a slew of dates on the other side of the Atlantic, kicking off in Vienna, Austria on January 19 and taking in dates in Graz, Linz, Munich, Prague, Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Antwerp and Paris.
The tour rounds off with four UK dates – Glasgow, Manchester and Bristol are followed by a huge final show at the O2 Forum Kentish Town in London on February 4. Tickets are on sale now and you can find yours here.
JANUARY
19 – Vienna, Arena Wien
20 – Graz, Dom Im Berg
21 -Linz, Posthof
22 – Munich, Strom
24 – Prague, Cargo Gallery
25 – Berlin, Columbia Theater
26 – Hamburg, Molotow
27 – Amsterdam, Paradiso Tolhuisten
28 – Antwerp, Trix Club
29 – Paris, Le Cabaret Sauvage
FEBRUARY
1 – Glasgow, The Art School
2 – Manchester, New Century Hall
3 – Bristol, Electric
4 – London, O2 Forum Kentish Town
Furman described ‘Goodbye Small Head’ as being “vivid with overwhelm”, adding: “They’re not about someone going off the rails, they are inside that person’s heart. The songwriting here is a revision to William Wordsworth’s famous proclamation that ‘Poetry is the spontaneous overow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity’. I can agree with that, except for the tranquillity part.”
Furman continued: “This poetry, my poetry, arrived in the midst of the storm. It was written as I teetered toward the edge. (I did the edits once I was safe again).”
