Swizz Beatz and Timbaland's ongoing Verzuz series has proven to be the gift that keeps on giving. Not only does it provide legendary artists with a chance to publically showcase their repertoire in a pseudo-competitive environment, but it also opens the door to a new realm of flexing. Consider how many artists have used the possibility of Verzuz domination to assert their own dominance, as The LOX recently did during a post-Living Off Xperience interview. In some cases, an artists' refusal to participate can speak volumes. For Mary J. Blige, her unwillingness to participate left her Power Book II co-star Method Man singing her praises.
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During an interview on Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live, a fan asked Mary whether she had seen Brandy and Monica's own Verzuz battle, and if she'd be down to participate in the competition slash celebration herself. “Yeah, I saw it and I loved it," she acknowledges. "But no, I don’t wanna do a Verzuz,” she said. “I don’t. I’m cool.” Method Man laughs. "Mary would kill somebody in Verzuz," he declares, beaming with pride at his longtime collaborator. "She'd kill somebody in Verzuz. Man, she got too many hits, can't nobody keep up."
When asked whether she was rooting for either Brandy or Monica, Mary opts to keep it diplomatic. "I was rooting for both of them," she states. "They both have amazing histories and songs. They were very friendly to each other during the Verzuz in spite of all the chatter we heard and the business of them being at each other's throats. They were very mature about how they handled it. I was rooting for both of them cause they both have joints!"
