Verzuz is going ‘90s for its most recently announced matchup, which will see two all-female R&B legends squaring off: Xscape against SWV.
Xscape’s LaTocha Scott broke the news to TMZ on Wednesday (March 24) and confirmed that the highly anticipated battle of the girl groups is set for May 8.
“We’re getting ready to do this Verzuz battle with Xscape and SWV. It’s going down May 8 so I’m out here, you know, just representing for my home team,” she told the outlet. “Coko, bring your vocals baby!”
According to Scott, the Verzuz will feature all four Xscape members, including Kandi Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Harris and her sister, Tamika Scott. In terms of how planning for the battle came to be, Scott said both Xscape and SWV were onboard due to fans’ enthusiasm.
“Everybody’s been asking about it. We were ready,” she explained. “We’re never [backing] down from a battle. It’s great for the culture.”
“At first, we were thinking of doing a girl group vs. a guy group, like Jodeci. But SWV just stood out,” she continued. “People love their vocals and they love ours, too.”
The SWV-Xscape matchup, however, will hit a sweet spot for the series’ audience — and get some regional rivalry going, as it’s basically New York vs. Atlanta.
New Yorkers SWV were one of the biggest R&B artists of the ‘90s, with a string of hits including “Weak”, “Right Here (Human Nature Remix)”, “I’m So into You”, and “You’re the One”. The group split in 1998 but reunited seven years later and have been active ever since.
Continuing her conversation with TMZ, the outlet reports that Scott is hoping for a Missy Elliott and Timbaland mash-up someday. Watch her chat with TMZ below.