"You Don’t Last This Long & Want to Destroy Others": Jill Scott Talks About Her Cordial 'Verzuz' Battle w/ Erykah Badu

In a recent interview, Scott speaks candidly on the roots of the official showcase.

Jill Scott and Erykah Badu’s Verzuz battle blessed Instagram Live with nearly 40 tracks from their successful catalogs this weekend. Swizz Beats, Timbaland and Femme It Forward were the official partners that made the battle possible. 

During a recent interview with Big Tigger of RADIO.com and V-103 in the Verizon Artist Lounge, Scott spoke candidly about the origins of the live showcase alongside Badu. Towards the start of the chat, she shares that she initially didn’t like the battle energy surrounding the showcase. 

Yet, after she received a call from Badu instead of being turned off, she changed her mind. “I got a call from Erykah and she was like, ‘yo, they wanna do this battle, this Verzuz.’ And I was like ‘it sounds like it could be good, the energy has to be right.’” To this, she recalls Badu answered, “What if we celebrate each other?” Jill decided at that moment she would be on board if they agreed for it to be a celebration. In conversation with Big Tigger, she added, “You don’t last this long and want to destroy others.”

Scott went on to share that she watched the RZA vs. DJ Premier battle which garnered nearly 900,000 viewers according to High Snobiety. She mentioned that she wanted the showcase between her and Erykah to come across as a presentation handled with “mutual admiration and respect” similar to RZA and DJ Premier’s battle. She believes they accomplished this.  

Later in the interview, she added that she wanted to play tracks that weren’t expected. She said she was aware of what typically took place during the battles, but she wanted to share some stuff that would expand her audience. Scott also noted that she wanted viewers to do research and buy from her catalog, which she mentions is currently happening. 

Check out the entire interview featuring Big Tigger and Jill Scott below.