Bow Wow-Soulja Boy Verzuz sees Romeo, Omarion among special guests
The match up between the teen rap sensations of the 2000s at one point drew more than 700,000 views on Instagram
Saturday night’s Verzuz featuring rappers Bow Wow and Soulja Boy was one of the virtual music show’s highest-viewed episodes of 2021.
As nostalgia filled the air, it only escalated when various special guests joined the artists in their performances.
One of the biggest treats was rapper Romeo, marking the first time he and Bow Wow have shared the same stage in nearly two decades, according to Revolt.
Bow Wow, whose real name Shad Moss, went head-to-head with Soulja Boy, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, in the latest installment of the popular online music “battle” showcase.
The two rappers both achieved success as teenagers in the 2000s. Bow Wow amassed a string of hits starting at age 13 with So So Def Records. Meanwhile, Soulja Boy came on the scene melding music and social media to put out hit records starting at age 17.
The two former teenage hip-hop idols spent nearly two hours trading intense-yet-playful jabs at one another, driving the competitive energy up for the audience. As Bow Wow played hits like “Bow Wow (That’s My Name)” and “Take Ya Home,” Soulja Boy fired back with “Crank That” and “Kiss Me Through The Phone.”
The event also featured several guest appearances for each rapper. Soulja Boy invited French Montana on stage to perform a remix of “She Make It Clap.” Meanwhile, Bow Wow brought out Jermaine Dupri and Da Brat for the remix of Dem Franchize Boyz’s hit, “I Think They Like Me,” as well as Omarion to perform platinum smash hits “Let Me Hold You” and “Like You.”
Soulja had an ace in the hole as he brought out Romeo Miller, formerly known as Lil Romeo, to perform hits like “My Baby.” Although Way was playing on the childhood rivalry between Romeo and Bow Wow, the two shared a happy embrace as this marked the first time they’ve been on the same stage in nearly 20 years.
Although Bow Wow and Soulja Boy spent much of the night talking trash with each other, they both declared their love and mutual respect for each other as friends and rappers. They topped off the nearly 90-minute show performing their duet “Marco Polo.”
The event, which was the third-straight Verzuz to feature a live audience, at one point drew as many as 700,000 concurrent views on Instagram Live. The viewership was a big increase from the previous edition that matched rappers Eve and Trina, which reached 335,000 accounts at one point, according to Billboard.
The next Verzuz is scheduled for July 1 in partnership with Essence, according to the official Instagram page. The participants have yet to be announced.
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