Jermaine Dupri Confirms So So Def Vs. Bad Boy Records Battle
While at ONE Musicfest in Atlanta, So So Def Recordings founder Jermaine Dupri confirmed that he and Diddy are planning a showdown.
The wait for a showdown between Jermaine Dupri and Diddy is almost over. While performing at ONE Musicfest in Atlanta over the weekend, the So So Def Recordings founder confirmed the upcoming battle.
“I’m saying this to let y’all know the So So Def Bad Boy Verzuz is happening,” said JD onstage at Centennial Olympic Park.
However, it's unclear whether the livestream will be held through the Verzuz platform, as Diddy and JD previously denounced the service during Swizz Beatz and Timbaland's legal fight against Triller.
“Since we ain’t fuckin' with Verzuz no more since ’cause they fuckin' around with our boys, we don’t need to be going against each other,” Diddy in August while holding an Instagram Live session with JD. “Let’s come together and do that Bad Boy, So So Def in Atlanta. It ain’t no Verzuz, it’s just hit for hit.”
Diddy and JD have gone back-and-forth about a potential battle since 2021, when the So So Def Recordings founder called out Diddy during a Verzuz between Fat Joe and Ja Rule.
“Somebody let Diddy know I’m [at the Madison Square Garden] right now!” he tweeted at the time. “And he gon need some training for me.”
Diddy scoffed at the proposal, tweeting that JD "ain’t got enough hits." He continued, "I’ll smash you with just Biggie n Mary [J. Blige]. But I do have the upmost [sic] respect on you as a musical legend.”
Diddy later said that he thought superproducer and Aftermath Entertainment founder Dr. Dre had a catalog more suitable for a battle. In August, the two hit the studio together for the first time, with Diddy saying that working with Dre was one of his "biggest dreams."
Beatz and Timbaland have since renegotiated their Verzuz deal with Triller, settling with the social media platform following accusations of defaulted payments.
“Verzuz has always been a platform that is by the artists, for the artists and with the people,” read their joint statement after the settlement. “We’re glad to come to an amicable agreement with Triller and continue giving fans the music and community that they’ve come to know and love from the brand.”