Swizz Beatz and Timberland are doing their thing, and all in the middle of a global pandemic. Mega company Triller announced this past Tuesday that they acquired the hit celebrity music platform Verzuz, as it expands its partnership with today’s most notable music artists.
Under the deal, Verzuz’s creators,Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, will become shareholders in Triller’s parent company, Triller Network. The pair will also be sharing their equity stake with 43 other artist who have appeared on Verzuz since it launched last year. The list of artists who now own equity in Triller includes: DMX, 2 Chainz, 112, Jill Scott, T-Pain, E-40, Ne-Yo, Lil Jon, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Rick Ross, Too $hort, Patti LaBelle, Gucci Mane, Jeezy, Bounty Killer, Ludacris, RZA, The-Dream, Babyface, Nelly, Jagged Edge, Fred Hammond, Jadakiss, Fabolous, Brandy, Monica, Gladys Knight, Boi-1da, Hit-Boy, Johnta Austin, Scott Storch, DJ Premier, Mannie Fresh, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer,Kirk Franklin, Sean Garrett, Erykah Badu, and D’Angelo.
“There is no more disruptive and innovative brand in music today than Verzuz,” Triller executive chairman and co-owner Bobby Sarnevesht said in a statement about the deal. “We view this acquisition as more of a partnership than an acquisition, as Swizz, Timbaland and the other 43 artists who are all becoming shareholders and partners in Triller Verzuz from this day forward become our voice.”
“This is a momentous occasion not only for Verzuz and Triller but the music business as a whole,” Swizz and Timbaland added in a joint statement. “By putting Verzuz in the Triller Network ecosystem and expanding the Verzuz brand to be side by side with the powerful Triller app, we will be able to continue to grow and evolve the music business as a whole, as we have been doing. To have partners in Triller who share our vision, specifically to celebrate and elevate the amazing artists who continue to shape culture around the world and give the consumer more direct access, is game-changing.”
Verzuz wasted no time and quickly entered the chat for the culture in 2020 after creating a much-needed entertainment environment during the stay-at-home and quarantine mandate, with some Verzuz having over a million viewers on Instagram alone. So it’s really no surprise that Verzuz made it to where it is today. The Triller Verzuz management team is looking to expand to live events, comedy, and sports plans in the future.