As the pandemic forced lockdowns around the world in the spring, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz swooped in to entertain fans at home with a virtual DJ battle on Instagram Live in March. They’ve since grown the concept into Verzuz — a show that pits the catalogs of two legacy artists, producers or songwriters against each other in an unscored competition — which has evolved into a cultural phenomenon.
As Billboard reported earlier this year, Verzuz did more than provide a distraction — it renewed interest in Black legacy acts in what became known as “the Verzuz effect.” As shown by the gains in stream totals of over 100% from the day before to the day after their appearance on the series, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data, these pairs earned the biggest catalog gains. (With Gucci Mane and Jeezy also benefiting from new project bumps.)