Verzuz co-founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have announced the next matchup for their popular battle series. According to an Instagram post shared on Thursday (September 2), Terror Squad captain Fat Joe and Murder Inc. vet Ja Rule are scheduled to go head-to-head on September 14 in New York City.
Swizz explained in the caption, “The summer ain’t over!! FAT JOE VS JA RULE. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH. See it LIVE in person. tickets available Tuesday, 9/7. 6PM PT / 9PM ET.
“Watch in the @triller app, on your TV with the @fitetv app, or here on @verzuztv. Drinks by @Ciroc #VERZUZ #TrillerVerz @timbaland the paperwork is in!!!! @fatjoe @jarule.”
Hip Hop fans are primarily excited for the event, although many in the comment section wish Ja Rule was going up against longtime adversary 50 Cent instead of his “What’s Luv” collaborator.
In April 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic brought the concert industry to a screeching halt, Fat Joe chopped it up with Swizz Beatz for an episode of The Fat Joe Show as Ja Rule listened in.
During the Instagram conversation, Ja Rule made it clear he wanted to step into the ring with 50 Cent as Fat Joe hyped up the idea.
“Ja Rule is sayin’ he loves Hip Hop first and foremost and he wants to do this for the culture,” Joe said at the time. “C’mon, you guys want the smoke for real.”
Swizz replied, “Tell Ja get the 20 and send me the 20. ” Fat Joe then called up Ja Rule and put him on speaker, telling him, “You got millions of people listening, so don’t go bad.”
Ja Rule responded, “I want all the smoke! I’ll behave [laughs],” to which Swizz said, “That sounds like a devilish ‘behave.’”
Ja Rule Says 50 Cent Doesn’t 'Want The Smoke' In A Verzuz Battle
Once 50 Cent heard about the proposal, he responded in a since-deleted Instagram post, which featured a homeless person’s body with Ja Rule’s face photoshopped onto the head and holding a sign that reads “I will battle 50 Cent for attention.”
He wrote in the caption, “Stupid #fryfestival” next to an eyeball emoji, a misspelled reference to the infamously botched Fyre Festival.
That once again sparked a contentious back-and-forth on social media, and Ja Rule accused 50 Cent of being too “shook.”
Even without 50 Cent’s participation, the forthcoming event should be entertaining. Fat Joe has released 10 official studio albums, two collaborative albums, three mixtapes and multiple singles. His most recent offering, What Would Big Do 21 with DJ Drama, arrived just last month.
Meanwhile, Ja Rule has dropped seven studio albums, including four multi-platinum efforts: Venni Vetti Vecci, Rule 3:36, Pain Is Love and The Last Temptation. Hit singles include “Always On Time” with Ashanti, “Mesmerize” also with Ashanti and “Reign.”
The battle nobody wanted
Nah that one was bow wow and soulja
This battle would’ve been better cut down to 12 songs… 15 max
50 Cent is making too much money on TV to care about this versuz bs.
No he isn’t. He’s not the shoes creator or primary producer. But let’s go with he is, is he the one responsible for the same stuff that’s on Power he constantly berates Diddy about?
Money ain’t got nothing to do with it bruh…??♂️ It’s for di culture…datz wutz wrong wit most of y’all today…all y’all see is dollar signs wit no love, knowledge, respect or love for di culture….SMH
?Fact
Going to be as good as those sandwiches from Frye fest
Ja rule wins easily. Fat Joe music has always been wack lol
Y’all be sleeping on Joe Crack like for real… Ja not even a good challenge for him.. y’all better check the catalogs
Listen to Bronx Tale with Joe and KRS-One, The Enemy with Joe and Big L, and You Must Be Out Your Fuckin Mind with Joe, Kool G Rap and Apache.
Bruh what? “Twinz, the enemy, DITC features, even that crack house song with Wayne goes hard lol
I got much respect for both Crack & Ja but this really isn’t a good match to me but hopefully it still will be good…Nuff love & respect to all my bredrens & sistren..✊?
Never thought I’d say this but Ja Rule will probably win this. I know Fat Joe got some hits and some street bangers but as soon as Ja Rule plays “Fuck You” it’s a wrap. They’ll probably end the show with Performing New York together and hopefully Jadakiss shows up and bury both of them with one verse. Lol.
Nah lol