Teddy Riley And Babyface Plan Highly Anticipated Rematch After Instagram Live Battle Fail
Legendary R&B singers and producers Teddy Riley and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds rescheduled their Instagram live battle for tonight after their failed first attempt on Saturday, April 18.
In the first attempt, Riley had an elaborate setup complete with a DJ booth, various microphones, and a hype man, while Babyface seemed to be relaxing in his home studio. According to CNN, Saturday’s Instagram live broadcast drew over 400,000 viewers, as the match had been gaining hype for days on social media.
Viewers considered Riley the reason for the showdown’s demise, as his setup caused audio issues and lagging. Observers, including Grammy-winning singer Toni Braxton, were quick to criticize him for these technical problems. Braxton, who was discovered by Babyface and frequently collaborates with him, took to Twitter to express her thoughts on the matter.
Y’all gonna have to let me know when my song come on cause this is cringe pic.twitter.com/dgnOnwpwpA
— Toni Braxton (@tonibraxton) April 19, 2020
Teddy Riley had on a tracksuit and fedora.
Babyface showed up 20 minutes late in a velvet blazer looking moisturized and unbothered.
We shoulda known what it was. #Verzuz
— April is in Tulum (@ReignOfApril) April 19, 2020
The original date for the battle was initially scheduled for Sunday, April 5. But as The Inquisitr reported, Babyface announced earlier this month that he and his family were recovering from the coronavirus, so the two artists postponed the battle for the first time.
The new matchup will likely prove to be an entertaining one after the first fiasco. After all of the jokes made on social media, fans are ready to see if things go better this time.
Riley posted a photo of the new date and time for the battle to Instagram, and observers were quick to encourage him to come ready this time.
“No equipment and back up dancers; just your iPhone?” one fan remarked.
“Keep. It. Simple. [heart emoji]” another user quipped.
Babyface posted the same photo and garnered a bunch of supportive comments from his audience.
“We’ll be there…don’t change a thing on your end,” wrote one user.
“I can’t wait!!! Though you won the first one, we can give Teddy a chance to come correct in a do-over from his mess,” a second Instagram user commented.
In another post that Riley shared on his Instagram feed, his children appeared, all having filmed videos wishing their dad good luck. He shared the loving video, using the caption to express how proud he was of his family.
This battle is a curation from Grammy-winning artists Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, who created the digital battle series Verzuz out of quarantine boredom. It has turned into a must-watch for hip-hop and R&B lovers stuck at home, with battles between rappers T-Pain and Lil Jon occurring alongside contests featuring singer/songwriter Ne-Yo and songwriter Johnta Austin. These battles have gotten many fans buzzing online, and the matchup between Riley and Babyface has been one of the most anticipated matches.
The performances usually feature artists streaming from their homes, with the musicians putting around a dozen of their best hits up against one another to see who has the best catalog. The overall theme, however, is a celebration of the music itself.
