Timbaland was intrigued by the idea of a Verzuz matchup between Mariah Carey and the late Whitney Houston, but he’s got other ideas in mind for Carey. After seeing a fan-made setlist for a battle featuring the Billboard chart-topping singers, Timbo teased his Instagram followers by revealing he has something else in store for Carey.
“This is a good match but me and @therealswizzz have other plans for @mariahcarey,” he wrote via Instagram. “@jermainedupri any thoughts.”
While a matchup between Carey and Houston is a great fantasy booking, the actual logistics of doing the battle would obviously be complicated.
Someone heavily involved in Houston’s music, such as songwriter or producer, would likely need to be the person playing her hits for it to possibly work. Part of the appeal of Verzuz has been watching the competitors interact, making any attempt to posthumously feature someone more awkward than it already is.
AD LOADING...
Houston isn’t the first deceased artist to be pitched for a Verzuz battle. Bun B campaigned for a UGK versus Eightball & MJG showdown even though it would be missing the late Pimp C. That idea is much more plausible than Houston given that Bun is at least around to still represent his duo.
Timbaland & Swizz Beatz Team With Apple Music To Make 'Verzuz' IG Battle Series Even Better
Beyond fan speculation, Verzuz already has its next battle lined up with a clash between 2 Chainz and Rick Ross scheduled for August 6. Rozay has largely been declared the favorite, but past battles have shown it’s never easy to judge on paper alone.
Timbo and Swizz Beatz’s Verzuz events have become go-to attractions for Hip Hop fans amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which is preventing fans from experiencing concerts in person. The battle series has grown bigger over the past few months and recently inked a deal with Apple Music to host the livestreams as well video on demand.
