Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz
Dr. Dre has proven once again that he might have the pickiest taste in Hip-Hop. We now have some context of why he will not be battling on today’s hottest platform.
As spotted on Complex Swizz Beatz and Timbaland recently conducted an interview on The Breakfast Club. The duo recently sold Verzuz to Thriller so the two broke down why the move is significant to the culture. As they got deeper into the conversation they fielded questions regarding some dream battles and some face offs that have yet to come to life. Naturally the founding N.W.A. member’s name came up and to hear them tell it he bowed out; respectfully.
“When Dr. Dre wasn’t feeling the sound from Teddy Riley and Babyface, that hurt our heart. Oh my God,” Swizz revealed. “He was supposed to come at the end and announce that he was gon’ do VERZUZ that night… He got on the phone, he was like ‘man, I can’t be a part of nothing that sound like that, my legacy is quality’. I was like ‘oh, we just lost Dre’… that one felt pretty crazy.”
While Verzuz now has a solid run of show in place now that was not the case at the beginning of the pandemic. Back in April 2020 Teddy Riley infamously went against Babyface in a battle that was mired in technical difficulties. The Harlem, New York native was clearly doing way too much with a set up that included a live stage performance but the sound was truly awful. So bad the event was stopped and rescheduled for a later date.
You can watch the interview, which also included some hints at a Busta Rhymes vs Missy Elliot battle, below.
Photo: Bernard Smalls
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