Fans are in for a vocal treat as Xscape and SWV will be battling in an upcoming Verzuz.
The fabled R&B female groups will be matching classics such as SWV’s “I’m So into You”, “Can We,” and “All Night Long” and Xscape’s “Who Can I Run To”, “My Little Secret,” and “Tonight” on May 8.
Xscape’s LaTocha Scott confirmed to TMZ on Wednesday that Verzuz will see the original members of the groups battle it out.
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“So, we’re getting ready to do this Verzuz battle with Xscape and SWV. It’s going down May 8th. So, I’m out here just representing for my home team,” LaTocha shared.
Fans have been playing a guessing game ever since Verzuz creators Timbaland and Swizz Beatz released a flyer with some of the names of the upcoming battles blurred. Previously, May 8 was described as “Ladies Night” and “TBA.”
LaTocha told TMZ that Kandi Burruss, Tameka ‘Tiny’ Harris, and her sister, Tamika Scott, would be taking part in the Verzuz battle. Cheryl Gamble, Tamara Johnson, and Leanne Lyons formed Sisters With Voices in 1988, are all set to join in as well, according to LaTocha.
Burruss previously teased a matchup in December.
LaTocha was happy the wait was now over. “Oh, it’s happening now,” the vocalist exclaimed.
She offered a friendly challenge to Gamble who grew to fame under the stage name Coko, one of the vocal powerhouses in SWV.
“Coko, bring your vocals baby,” LaTocha said.
TMZ wondered how this eagerly anticipated showdown came about.
Read More: Triller Network acquires Verzuz; Swizz Beatz, Timbaland to join management
“How did this all come together? Someone had to be pulling the strings. Who’s responsible?” a reporter for the outlet asked.
“Actually, everybody’s been asking about it. You feel me? So, when they’re asking, we’re ready. We’re never going down from a battle. So, we’re ready for it. It’s great for the culture …it’s gonna be big y’all,” LaTocha said.
LaTocha left no doubt over who would prevail as the premiere vocalists with the superior catalogue.
“No questions asked. Xscape,” she said.
However, LaTocha shared the fans would be the ultimate winners.
“People just love our voices…We’re all just sisters with voices about to make it happen,” LaTocha said.
It’s been a year since Verzuz was introduced to the culture as a means of coping by masterminds Timbaland Swizz Beatz with the pandemic through streaming music. Since then, it’s grown from artists having tech issues in their home to a behemoth that was officially brought by Triller Network earlier this month.
“This is a momentous occasion not only for Verzuz and Triller but the music business as a whole. By putting Verzuz in the Triller Network ecosystem and expanding the Verzuz brand to be side by side with the powerful Triller app, we will be able to continue to grow and evolve the music business as a whole, as we have been doing,” the duo said in a joint statement.
“To have partners in Triller who share our vision, specifically to celebrate and elevate the amazing artists who continue to shape the culture around the world and give the consumer more direct access, is game-changing.”
The next big Verzuz is a showdown between The Isley Brothers vs Earth, Wind & Fire set for April 4.
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