Legends Chaka Khan and Stephanie Mills will go hit-for-hit in the next installment of the series helmed by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. The showdown takes place Thursday, November 18, at 8 p.m. EST, live from Los Angeles.
Mills spoke out about doing a Verzuz with Khan a few months prior while promoting her song “Let Do the Right Thing” on The Breakfast Club. She said that they weren’t interested in seeing it play out. However, it seems it all worked out in the end now that the date is set.
Similar to the Bone-Thugs and Three 6 Mafia Verzuz, the matchup between Mills and Khan has reportedly been in the works for some time. In June — while promoting new music on Power 105.1’s “The Breakfast Club,” Mills mentioned that her team tried reaching out to Timbaland and Swizz Beatz to set up a Verzuz between herself and Khan.
“I think we tried. George, who’s Chaka’s manager and my manager reached out to them but they weren’t interested,” she said at the time. Later in the interview, Mills’ manager interjects and informs the singer that both parties were actively working on making the Verzuz battle happen. “Oh now they want to do it. Fuck ‘em. I don’t want to do it,” Mills said jokingly. “Now they want to do it…”
Since Verzuz took off last year during the height of the pandemic, many R&B divas have celebrated each other’s legacy, including Keyshia Cole and Ashanti, Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle, Brandy and Monica, and Erykah Badu and Jill Scott.
Earlier this year, Mills teased a new project behind her empowering Juneteenth anthem, “Let’s Do the Right Thing,” co-written and produced by Marcus Malone.
As for Khan, she recorded and shared the song “When The Time Comes” for the Everybody’s Talking About Jamie soundtrack. She also was a nominee for the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year.
Make sure you tune in, and tell a friend💞💞💞 https://t.co/VMXAN5k63Q
— Stephanie Mills (@PrettyMill1) November 14, 2021
Check out the reactions below to the announcement.
What Stephanie Mills playing when Chaka Khan plays this HIT?! #VERZUZ
— #KEYS 🗝 (@DiaryOfKeysus) November 14, 2021
so Chaka Khan’s goin against Stephanie Mills, but never forget her reaction at the thought of battling Anita Baker #Verzuz pic.twitter.com/MKSNPShKZp
— Jamal (@JBe11z) November 14, 2021
This #Verzuz with Stephanie Mills and Chaka Khan is gonna be hilarious. They both don’t give a damn and I love them for it!
— ᴅᴏʟʟᴀʀ (@callmedollar) November 14, 2021
