Instagram – Almost two years removed from their 15-minute battle at 2018 Summer Jam in New York City (and following hours back and forth), iconic producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland gave quarantined Hip Hop heads, for lack a better term, life Instagram.
Amid a live feed packed with just about every outlet and some the genre’s most respected figures, the two vets went back and forth for over two hours with an endless stream hits.
Despite a few technical setbacks, most which stemmed from a combination a poor connection and novice-level knowledge IG Live (Swizz ended up doing the battle in his car due to dicey wi-fi in his house), they held a captivated audience that peaked at 23,000 viewers.
Timbaland Talks Weight Loss Transformation & Kicking Painkiller Addiction
While they both have incredibly deep catalogs, Tim has an R&B stronghold — having produced hits for the likes Ginuwine, Aaliyah, Playa, Justin Timberlake and more. More than once, Swizz could be heard remarking that “playing Aaliyah is cheating.”
At one point, Tim even took his shirt f while playing Justin Timberlake’s ”Sexy Back.”
Swizz on the other hand — the architect the Ruff Ryders sound — has a discography that includes street gems by the likes DMX, LOX, Cam’Ron and more. He cracked numerous jokes about Tim putting him to sleep, though he reminded everyone the R&B hits he had his hand in, such as Angie Stone’s “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” and Mýa’s “Best Of Me” (featuring Jadakiss).
Still, some the more exciting moments came in the form crossover material, like when they went back-to-back with JAY-Z records earlier on in the battle (which they both have plenty in the stash).
Regardless who you think edged out who, the clear winner was Hip Hop.