SWV to Take on Xscape in Verzuz Battle in May

Verzuz is going ‘90s for its most recently announced matchup, which will see two all-female R&B legends squaring off: SWV against Xscape.

The popular series, which was recently acquired by gaming platform Triller, launched last March with a battle between founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. The Verzuz series — which pits one classic artist or producer against another, working to one-up each other with their catalog of hits — has become enormously popular, peaking with the Brandy vs. Monica battle on Aug. 31, which drew more than 1.2 million viewers. The next battle features legends Earth, Wind & Fire taking on the Isley Brothers.

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Official details of the new matchip were scarce at the time of this article’s publication, but Xscape’s Latocha Scott said in an Instagram post that all four members of Xscape will be taking part.

The SWV-Xscape matchup, however, will hit a sweet spot for the series’ audience — and get some regional rivalry going, as it’s basically New York vs. Atlanta.

New Yorkers SWV were one of the biggest R&B artists of the ‘90s, with a string of hits including “Weak”, “Right Here (Human Nature Remix)”, “I’m So into You”, and “You’re the One”. The group split in 1998 but reunited seven years later and have been active ever since.

Atlanta’s Xscape, on the other hand, are as renowned for their members’ solo careers as their work as a group, which includes such ‘90s hits as “Just Kickin’ It’ and “Understanding.” The group included Tameka “Tiny” Cottle — who starred with her husband, rapper T.I., in the reality series “T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle” — as well as Kandi Burruss, who not only hit big as a songwriter (she cowrote TLC’s 1999 smash “No Scrubs”), she also starred in “Real Housewives of Atlanta.” T.I. and Tiny are were recently accused of sexual misconduct by several women, resulting in their show suspending production; they have denied the claims.

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