Swizz Beatz Explains Why He Called Out Justin Timberlake At "Verzuz"

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Swizz Beatz says he has "no problem with JT" after calling out Justin Timberlake on Verzuz over the weekend.

Verzuz has been the hottest event on the Internet since the pandemic began but as things open up, it looks like Swizz and Timbaland are getting ready to transition their online show into a full-blown concert. On the weekend, Swizz and Timbo held their re-match at Club LIV in Miami but it was Timbaland's performance of "Ayo Technology" that seemingly rubbed Swizzy the wrong way. Swizz called out JT, claiming that the pop star should be supporting Verzuz with his own participation.

"Until Justin let the world know that he —," Swizz said before Timbaland cut him off. "Justin gotta come out, he’s coming out," Timbo added. 

"He gotta admit that he love the Black culture and he gotta be on this stage," Swizz continued. "You took from the Black culture, you give to the Black culture. Come to Verzuz and be a part of the Black culture."

The call-out sounded a bit more aggressive during the show but Swizz Beatz said that he has no issues with the pop singer. During a IG Live recap with Timbaland, Swizz Beatz explained that he was just "having fun."

"Look, man, I had to go hard. Did you hear how them songs were sounding on that stage? You and JT, it was like JT was in the building. I was like, man," he said. "I don’t got no problem with JT."

Peep the clip below. 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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