By Get Prepared for Sunday’s PLAY A FANTASY VERSION OF THE Epic Producer Battle
On Sunday, Timbaland and Swizz present were planning to stage the most legendary match up to date for their short-lived but quickly growing VERZUZ IG live-based producer battle: Kenny “Babyface” Edmunds and Teddy Riley. Two of the biggest contributors to the sound of the ’90s.
EDIT – But then Teddy wanted to get paid and it all went left. I’m too tired to recap it all here, but suffice to say, while Babyface and Teddy isn’t happening the VERZUZ series will apparently continue on IG live as it has been. So it is. So it shall be.
In the meantime though, there’s understandably disappointment. The VERZUZ format is 20 rounds, with each producer expected to put up their Top 20 joints. Strategies have varied (if there’s a strategy at all), and fans were debating how Babyface, who goes deeper in chart hits, but not as hard on jams, would match his catalogue choices up against Teddy, who can’t match the #1’s but will have everybody dancing on tables in the crib.
Well, I can’t give you the battle but I can give you the tools to imagine your own. I created a FANTASY BATTLE CARD that I was planning to drop on Sunday, so you could guess which songs were going up in which rounds and predict a winner, then match it against the actual battle. #MusicSermon has covered both, so use the sermons and playlists below to help.
TEDDY RILEY
- Founder of New Jack Swing
- Young prodigy
- Formed and part of three different ’90s groups, all with hits
- Mentored Pharrell and influenced Timbaland
- BIG JOKER: “Remember the Time”
The New (Jack Swing) Testament
#MusicSermon
BABYFACE
- 26 #1 hits as artist and producer
- Responsible for Bobby Brown and Toni Braxton’s hit sounds
- Soundtrack maestro
- BIG JOKER: Who even knows? He could go in multiple directions, but I’m going to say something from the Don’t Be Cruel album (because he can’t close with a ballad)
Babyface (with LA and alone) has such an extensive catalogue of work I’ve covered him twice and still stopped in the mid-’90s! His playlist is below for you to peruse, and you can experience the #MusicSermon further down.
Naima Cochrane 