NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News
Ashanti and Keyshia Cole are set to go head-to-head in the next VERZUZ battle, it has been announced.
The series of livestreamed battles between rappers, singers and producers began in March 2020, launched by Timbaland and Swizz Beatz amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Now on a second season, next weekend’s match-up will be the 21st battle overall and will see Ashanti and Cole face-off over 20 rounds.
Fans can tune into the battle on the @VERZUZTV Instagram page or on Apple Music. It will take place next Saturday (December 12) at 8pm ET (1am GMT).
Among the tracks Cole could air include her Eve-featuring 2004 debut single ‘Never’, her biggest US hit ‘Let It Go’, 2008’s ‘I Remember’ or ‘You’, which appeared on her latest album ‘Reset’ and featured appearances from Remy Ma and French Montana.
Ashanti, meanwhile, could drop 2003’s ‘Rock Wit U (Awww Baby)’, Busta Rhymes collaboration ‘The Woman You Love’, or her 2001 Ja Rule team-up ‘Always On Time’.
The last VERZUZ battle saw Jeezy and Gucci Mane break the series’ record for biggest-ever viewing figures. Their match saw 5.5million total viewers on Instagram and 2.3million on Apple Music, as well as an additional 1.3million “unofficial” viewers.
“On a minimum level, 9.1 MILLION people watched this epic, legendary showdown,” read a post on the VERZUZ Instagram page afterwards. “As we saw across the country, there was a new phenomenon of Verzuz viewing parties, so that figure is not including those who gathered in large numbers together.”
Other stars to take part in the battles so far include Nelly and Ludacris, Ryan Tedder and Benny Blanco, Alicia Keys and John Legend, and Rick Ross and 2 Chainz.
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