Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have inked a deal with Elon Musk’s X to distribute their multimedia platformVerzuz.
Per a report from Billboard, the new partnership allows the Verzuz co-founders to remain as full owners and maintain creative control of the platform, while X has exclusive distribution rights.
“We are beyond thrilled to have found the best partner for Verzuz. Not only are we excited to have Verzuz on X, we’re excited to help X build the biggest entertainment company in the world,” said Swizz Beatz in a statement per a news release. “I would like to thank Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Brett Weitz, Mitchell Smith and the entire X team for believing in the Verzuz vision. We can’t wait to get to work.”
Timbaland adds, “We are thrilled to partner with X, the most innovative platform globally. Our goal has always been to bring Verzuz to the world, which we can now do bigger than ever.”
“Verzuz” began in 2020 at the height of the pandemic when the two music producers went online to play music for fans. It soon took off and turned into a platform for major artists to perform for their fans.
In 2021 Verzuz was sold to Triller but Timbaland and Swizz Beatz reclaimed ownership of the platform after the partnership became ensnared with challenges. The new distribution deal with X aims to keep the platform alive.
The new partnership is being met with mixed reactions as some people are expressing concern about Elon Musk’s involvement with the platform after he has espoused problematic views about underrepresented groups in the past.
Journalist, Roland Martin for instance, took to his YouTube channel to highlight how the partnership may be misaligned.
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“Here you have a Black entertainment platform, if you will, came about during COVID, was all about the culture, features Black people, Black artists, celebrating Black culture, not just in the United States, but around the world,” Roland says in the video. “And it’s going to now be distributed on a platform owned by a man from South Africa, who, after he bought it, re-platformed white supremacists. This is the same Elon Musk who consistently promotes, retweets, and responds to racist content.”
Despire this, X reps says they are “proud to partner with trailblazing creators, artists and entrepreneurs Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. Our platform stands at the forefront of innovation, and Verzuz defines the essence of an innovative content experience. As we continue to work with the most exciting voices to bring premium content to X, there is no better fit than this series. Together we will redefine how consumers engage with their favorite entertainment, one Verzuz at a time.”
