Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have announced the next Verzuz face-off, which boasts two Southern rap heavyweights. According to an Instagram post from Verzuz, UGK (Underground Kingz) and 8Ball & MJG will go head-to-head on Thursday (May 26) in Atlanta just in time for Memorial Day weekend.
As noted on the flyer, it all goes down at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST and is available to watch on Triller and all of Verzuz social media accounts.
UGK has six studio albums in their catalog, including 2007’s Underground Kingz. The project debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and features the hit single “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)” with Outkast. It also serves as the last album Pimp C would see released in his lifetime.
On December 4, 2007, Pimp C was supposed to fly from Los Angeles back home to Texas. But when his wife couldn’t reach him, she asked an employee of the Mondrian Hotel (where he’d been staying) to go check on him. According to DJ Paul, the 33-year-old rapper was discovered unresponsive in a prayer-like position with blood everywhere. The coroner later ruled his death was accidental, citing Butler’s heavy usage of “purple drank” and his pre-existing condition of sleep apnea. His first posthumous appearance arrived on UGK For Life two years later.
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Bun B Confirms Classic Southern Rap UGK + 8Ball & MJG Verzuz Is Happening
As for 8Ball & MJG, the Memphis duo has spit out eight studio albums, culminating with 2010’s Ten Toes Down. In 2005, they appeared on Three 6 Mafia’s single “Stay Fly,” which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the biggest hit for Three 6 Mafia and 8Ball & MJG.
Bun B has been talking about the impending Verzuz battle since 2020. During a January 2021 appearance on the Donnie Houston Podcast, he said, “I know I’m doing a Verzuz, but it’s not Texas-based,” he said. “I’m doing Verzuz. It’ll be UGK probably against 8Ball & MJG. … Yeah, UGK will represent Texas in Verzuz going up against [neighborhood] North Mound.”
