Round 19: Ashanti’s “Don’t Let Them” vs Keyshia Cole feat. This unfortunately leads to a relatively lackluster round of tracks, with the winner too tough to call. Keyshia Cole's “You Complete Me”Īt this point in the battle, the two singers begin rushing to finish the battle before Instagram kicks them off due to the time restraint. Round 18: Ashanti’s “Breakup 2 Makeup” vs. Keyshia Cole matched with her own record assisted by a late legend, the Luther Vandross-sampling "Never," but Ashanti is the bigger crowd pleaser this round. Keyshia Cole’s “Never”Īs if Ashanti’s “Foolish” record wasn’t already strong enough, she led the song ride into the remix featuring the great Biggie Smalls. Round 17: Ashanti's "Foolish" / “Unfoolish” (feat.
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Missy Elliott and Lil Kim’s “Let It Go”Īlthough it’s no secret that any time Ashanti and Ja Rule linked up, the result was magic, this cut from Keyshia boasts a triple threat roster that’s too difficult to beat. “And then I became the girl in the movie.” She brings out her “Movies” track, and although Keyshia was admittedly losing a little bit of steam here, she undoubtedly takes this round home by whipping out a Sean Paul smash that showcases her versatility. “When I was young, I wanted to be like the girls in the movies,” Ashanti says with a smirk. Her version of the classic record with Fabolous may not have made the song's official video, but Ashanti's voice on the hook was stuck in people’s heads for years to come regardless. Keyshia Cole’s “I’ve Changed”Īt this point of the battle, Ashanti is whipping out all of her fan-favorites back to back. But Ashanti grabs the win here, as “What’s Luv” takes viewers back to a time where the record would be blaring through the speakers of every house party. Monica’s “Trust”īoth singers picked songs with great assists for this round. “This is the sexiest song I got,” says Keyshia as she fights back with “Brand New" - but considering the weight of her mighty Concrete Rose lead single "Only U," Ashanti pulls ahead this time. Keyshia Cole’s “Brand New”Īfter a short intermission, the two singer-songwriters swap places, with Ashanti now kicking off every round. Ultimately, he assists Cole with the win here. Genasis also shocks viewers as he suddenly pulls into the frame, sending social media into an absolute frenzy thanks to his absolutely hilarious “Never Knew” viral rendition of the Keyshia Cole classic. Ashanti’s “Rain On Me”Īlthough the Hype Williams and Lorenz Tate-directed music video for Ashanti’s “Rain On Me” was an iconic moment, this platinum Keyshia record is incredibly tough to beat. She then proceeds to match it with “Pac’s Life.” This round was an homage to the late legend, leveling the playing field for both. “Should we stay on the West Coast or bring it back to the East?” she asked. When Keyshia brings out her classic record with 2Pac, Ashanti knows just what to do. The closest round yet, but ultimately “Last Night” takes it. She then proceeds to play “Ain’t That Funny (Murder Remix),” tying it together by sharing a short story about how she almost signed to Bad Boy Records, and revealing to those unaware that she wrote the verses for J Lo in this song. “It’s funny you mention Diddy,” says Ashanti, feeding off Keyshia’s energy. As the unmistakable first notes of “Last Night” play, it’s clear why she loves to hit the stage with this one.
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Keyshia prefaces her next choice by shouting out the infamous Diddy bop, also sharing that the upcoming song is one of her favorite track sto perform. Ja Rule’s “Ain’t It Funny (Murder Remix)” Ashanti’s “Southside”Īlthough Lloyd’s Ashanti-assisted “Southside” is an absolute stand-out from his 2004 album, the emotion-filled mini performance by Keyshia as she belts “I Remember” reminds the audience of her penchant for crafting powerful post-break-up anthems. Though the last few Verzuz battles have taken place with both artists being present in the same room, this time the set up brought viewers back to the original quarantine-birthed, split-screen set up viewers initially fell in love with (and tuned into en masse).
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I’ma hold it down for my girl,” assured a calm and collected Ashanti as her DJ played a snippet of a sultry new single she has on the way - holding viewers over until the second guest of honor arrived. Ironically, the “Always On Time'' singer actually wound up stepping in front of the screen an hour after the stream went live, but the delayed start shouldn’t come as a surprise to any seasoned Verzuz attendee. Keyshia Cole and Ashanti rounded up their top hits as they went head-to-head for a nostalgic evening. Two of R&B’s most well-loved voices of the 21st century faced off in the latest Verzuz battle tonight (Jan 22), solidifying their impact as over 1.1 million excited viewers tuned in - even after the event was rescheduled twice beforehand.