Swizz Beatz, Timbaland Respond To Power Star Michael Rainey Jr. Saying They’re ‘Sell Outs’
What many saw as a forward move for the artists involved with the Verzuz brand following Triller’s acquisition of the entertainment platform was deemed a diabolical move by actor Michael Rainey Jr.
In fact, he went as far as to call the two masterminds, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, behind the hugely successful show “sellouts.”
Many artists, including Beenie Man and Bounty Killer, are set to benefit from the move which was announced this week, Beatz and Timbaland decided to give a portion of their equity stake to the 43 entertainers who’ve appeared on Verzuz. The Verzuz creators will also join the board of Triller and help navigate the way forward for the brands and artists who are now intimately involved.
Rainey Jr., known for his role in STARZ and 50 Cent’s Power series, seems to think that it was just about money and not about the artists.
On his Instagram Story, he said: “Can’t ever jus have something of our own it’s always bout the money … Cool move but these n—as still sellouts.” A comment that both of the show’s producers have since responded to.
Swizz Beatz reacted on Instagram by saying: “But we own Triller.” To drive home his point that he found the comment comical he added a shrug and a laughing-crying emoji. While Timbaland on the same platform said: “We own everything tell who done that.”
According to HotNewHipHop, Rainey Jr. seems to have understood that he had it wrong and responded to the comments on Instagram. He said: “They made 40+ people large shareholders of Triller so that’s wavy” and added, “But I wish they would’ve just kept full ownership.”
The Triller Network is the parent company of the Triller app, a TikTok competitor that is used by athletes and celebrities. When the move was announced co-owner of the Triller Network, Bobby Sarnevesht, pledged to remain loyal to the artists who have now come on board.
“There is no more disruptive and innovative brand in music today than Verzuz. Both Triller and Verzuz share the ‘artist first, music first’ vision. We view this acquisition as more of a partnership than an acquisition, as Swizz, Timbaland and the other 43 artists who are all becoming shareholders and partners in Triller Verzuz from this day forward become our voice,” he said.
Swizz Beatz and Timbaland described the move as momentous.
“This is a momentous occasion not only for Verzuz and Triller but the music business as a whole,” they said in a joint statement yesterday, March 9.
They added: “By putting Verzuz in the Triller Network ecosystem and expanding the Verzuz brand to be side by side with the powerful Triller app, we will be able to continue to grow and evolve the music business as a whole, as we have been doing. To have partners in Triller who share our vision, specifically to celebrate and elevate the amazing artists who continue to shape culture around the world and give the consumer more direct access, is game-changing.”