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Swizz Beatz and Timbaland's legal battle with Triller appears to be over after the veteran producers settled their $28 million lawsuit with the company.
According to a report Rolling Stone published on Thursday, September 22, the founders of Verzuz have come to an "amicable agreement" with the music-based social media platform. The settlement happened just a month after Swizz and Timbaland alleged the company had missed payments after it bought the popular hit-for-hit song battle last year. The details of the settlement were not revealed. Nonetheless, it seems like the Triller Verzuz family is getting along the way they used to.
“Verzuz has always been a platform that is by the artists, for the artists and with the people,” Swizz Beatz and Timbaland said in a statement. “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.”
“Was I ready to go to war? Yes," Swizz added. "Am I used to it? I’m from the South Bronx. But I had to take my emotions out of it. There were too many creatives for me to lock this whole thing in the lawyers’ box.”
After the company bought Verzuz for an undisclosed amount, Triller reportedly made two payments to Swizz and Timbaland before they defaulted. The parties involved reached a settlement with the app at the beginning of 2022 that required Triller to pay the founders $18 million ($9 million each) by March 20 and $1 million per month for the next 10 months.
The company reportedly made one installment and defaulted on the other payments again, which led to the lawsuit. While they were going through their legal motions, Verzuz battles were temporarily placed on hold. However, Swizz says the livestreamed event will make a comeback and go "harder than we ever went."
“VERZUZ and Triller will always be a safe place and outlet for creators and their art. Nothing will change that,” said Triller's executive chairman and co-founder Bobby Sarnevesht. “Creators started this and will continue building it. This is a victorious moment in the Triller and VERZUZ relationship as we march together toward the public markets."
We're just glad Verzuz is back in business. There's no word on when the next battle will be, but they're definitely working on it.