After hitting fans with battles between Swizz Beatz and Timbaland and SWV and Xscape in May, Verzuz kept things going in June with another pair of matchups. One between Eve and Trina and the other between Soulja Boy and Bow Wow. This month they kicked off with a battle between Keith Sweat and Bobby Brown, which proved to be a great introduction to R&B’s past. Now the duel series has announced New York rap groups Dipset and The Lox as their next match.
Although the battle itself is great news, that’s only half. Fans of the two groups can buy tickets to watch them fight, as the match will be live in New York City’s Madison Square Garden Hulu Theater. It’s the first time that Verzuz has sold tickets to attend one of their events. It will take place on August 3rd.
Since the series’s inception, fans have been voicing their thoughts on who they would like to see match up. I recently spoke to radio personality and head honcho Shay Diddy at 106.1 KMEL in San Francisco and asked her who she would like to face.
“Yeah, that would be hard because I have a different type of personality. I will be 100 percent honest with you, and it is not me tooting my own horn, okay. I cannot find or think of another woman whose approach is as alpha as mine, if that makes sense. So, it probably wouldn’t be a woman because women and men in the industry are very different, and my approach to things and how they come on the mic are very different,” said Shay.
“I’m very much around the way, girl. How you hear me now is how you hear me on the air. That’s just how it is, but if we go on the Verzez Battle, that will be another level of Shay. So, I rather do it with a man with a woman because I don’t want to put a woman in a situation where things get uncomfortable.”
So, I hit her with the follow-up question and asked which male would she face off within a battle?
“Who would challenge me. Obviously, Charlamagne Tha God would be a challenge who I would I think personally, and would be interesting is DJ Hed out there in LA. I understand how his mind thinks and I know his personality and perspective, and he is going to say some wildish. And it is easy to come back because I have a vibe for whom he is already,” she shared.
“So, the banter would be easier and more normal compared to someone from New York because they have a different mentality than someone from the west coast. If I was going to go against someone from New York it would be Ebro, he is in New York now, but he was born in Cali. He started out here in Fresno. Major shout out to Ebro because he is doing his thing, but that would be the only other person.”
About the Author
Landon Buford is an accomplished sports and entertainment journalist based in Richardson, Texas, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, WWE, MLB, and the entertainment industry. Known for delivering high-impact stories and headline-making interviews, Buford has earned a global audience through content that blends insider access with compelling storytelling.
He previously served as director of editorial and brand communications at PlayersTV, where he helped shape the platform’s editorial voice and brand identity. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of LandonBuford.com—an independent outlet with more than 1.6 million views and syndication from major platforms including Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated and Yahoo Sports. Buford’s interviews with stars like Gary Payton, Kevin Durant, Mark Cuban and Chris Paul showcase his talent for meaningful, in-depth conversations.
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