Swizz Beatz slammed for rejecting Missy Elliott and Janet Jackson Verzuz

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The Verzuz series has easily been a highlight of 2020 but recently co-creator Swizz Beatz found himself in hot water after turning down a proposed battle between Missy Elliot and Janet Jackson.

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For months Elliot fans have been championing her as the perfect musical legend to make the most of the social media-based series. But while discussing viable opponents for Elliot with Verzuz co-creator Timbaland, Swizz made it clear that Jackson simply wasn’t versatile enough to go toe-to-toe with her. 

“Missy can be multiple people. Janet gonna just be Janet,” Swizz said, noting that Jackson might not have enough of a catalog if the two compared hits.

Not surprisingly, die-hard Jackson fans took issue with this stance with one noting, “Swizz Cheese Beatz needs to stop discrediting Janet Jackson…..this is the second time, he has tried to discredit her on IG live. He needs to stop discrediting Janet & focus on his family & his other child (with that UK British singer)!! Y’all not finna disrespect Janet!!”

Timbaland, who produced 90s classics with Elliot on artists like Aaliyah and Missy herself, didn’t agree with this assessment, saying “They are great friends, they love each other, the celebration is going to be great. Missy is going to want to celebrate with someone of her caliber that she knows is going to be a great celebration.”

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Although the pushback was scathing, the producer stuck to his guns explaining that the match up just didn’t feel like a good fit to him.

“LETS BE CLEAR,” Swizz wrote in The Shade Room’s comment section. “I don’t think Missy & Janet is a good match up at all! Much love to Janet she’s ICON but I just didn’t feel that was a good match up. Janet got hits on hits but she should have a better person to celebrate with that’s all. Blessings….”

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