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Verzuz Battles, Club Quarantine & the Experiences We’ll Bring With Us
During a public health crisis that compels us to stay indoors, these digital communal moments are opportunities to lean into joy
I’ll never forget that epic night in Club Quarantine when DJ D-Nice’s Instagram Live stream reached 100,000 participants. Kevin Hart tried to buy out the bar, but his card kept getting declined. Gabrielle Union was in the middle of the dance floor with fans, who quickly became friends. It was wild when Bernie, Biden, and Elizabeth Warren came through, but everyone lost it when Forever First Lady Michelle Obama stepped into the building. A few weeks later, Teddy Riley and Babyface represented for Black uncles around the world and lost to technology. We laughed when we learned Tyrese was probably never a spelling bee champion, and we hollered at Toni Braxton’s Twitter narration of it all. Who knew she was such a comedian?
In the midst of a public health crisis that compels us to stay indoors, these digital communal moments are opportunities to lean into joy. And now more than ever, we need them.
Studies show that Black communities have three times the rate of coronavirus infection and six times the death rate of White communities. And wealth hasn’t insulated Black celebrities from contracting Covid-19. Idris Elba, Sabrina Dhwore, Kevin Durant, Slim Thug, Scarface, BeBe Winans, and Babyface are among those who fought the virus. As many celebs give us a peek into their worlds through social media, it becomes clear that money does not make you immune to the same fears of working-class people when facing a global pandemic. Perhaps that’s why it has been refreshing to see these celebrities curate content that provides a momentary distraction to the world’s chaos.
From H.E.R.’s “Girls With Guitars” sessions to Carl Thomas’ “B Sides,” Black celebrities are using social media apps to connect with fans and give them shows they’d normally pay to experience. According to Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, the idea for their Verzuz battles came more than three years ago, but the state of the world pushed them to do it now. “The world is so dark right now,” Timbaland said in an interview with Vibe. “We just gave the world something beautiful……
