VERZUZ BATTLE RECAP: SWZ VS XSCAPE
SWV and Xscape gathered for a female Verzuz Battle in Atlanta for the ultimate Mother’s Day face-off. The annual Mother’s Day battle began last year with neo-soul queens Erykah Badu and Jill Scott.
The ladies of Xscape included Kandi Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, LaTocha Scott, and Tamika Scott. The Atlanta supergroup was discovered in 1993 by mega-producer Jermaine Dupri, who immediately signed them to his label So So Def. Meanwhile, SWV New York City’s hottest SWV consists of Tamara “Taj” Johnson, Leanne “Lelee” Lyons, and Cheryl “Coko” Gamble. The Trio came fresh out of the church in NYC, and the rest was history!
The night kicked off with former Salt-N-Pepa DJ Spinderella and DJ AONE giving us our favorite throwback jams! There’s no doubt that Xscape’s Tamika set the tone for women empowerment by paying homage to other girl groups of the 90s like TLC and Destiny’s Child. She also sent love to all of the mothers on their wonderful day. “We wanna say happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers out there, that’s been holding it down,” she said.
As the jams began, Xscape opened with “Is My Living In Vain” from their 1993 debut album Hummin’ Comin’ at ‘Cha. They had the comment section going crazy with hits like Mariah Carey’s “Always Be My Baby (Mr. Dupri Mix),” which they were featured. The fans were fortunate enough to get a mega surprise with a performance by Da Brat, who rapped on the hit track. The group also performed “What’s Up” and “Softest Place On Earth.”
SWV performed a series of hits, including songs from their 1992 debut album, It’s About Time. Of course, they had everyone in their living rooms singing their hearts out to fan fav “Weak.” SWV also introduced their song “When U Cry” and shared the deeper meaning of the heartfelt song in which was done to pay homage to Kim Porter, who died at age 47 in 2018. Lead vocalist Coko put the icing on the cake when she joined Xscape on the classic slow jam “Who Can I Run To.”
It was an epic night of celebration that left fans wondering who will compete in the upcoming Father’s Day Verzuz battle. In the meantime, we have to give the ladies of Xscape and SWV their flowers. They came together to honor past women groups, mothers, and each other in an extraordinary way.
