Joe Takes the Crown in R&B Verzuz Battle Against Donell Jones
Joe Takes the Crown in R&B Verzuz Battle Against Donell Jones
Joe Takes the Crown in R&B Verzuz Battle Against Donell Jones
R&B fans got a major dose of nostalgia Thursday night as Joe and Donell Jones went head-to-head in the latest VERZUZ: R&B Nights matchup.
The two singers ran through some of their biggest records from the ’90s and 2000s, including Joe’s “I Wanna Know,” “Don’t Wanna Be a Player” and “Stutter,” while Donell Jones answered with classics like “Where I Wanna Be,” “U Know What’s Up” and “This Luv.”
While both artists celebrated their catalogs throughout the night, fan voting heavily favored Joe. Complex reported that Joe ultimately finished the battle with an 18-2 advantage in live voting. VERZUZ notes that fan voting is meant to reflect audience participation and is not considered an official declaration of a winner or loser.
The night also featured a few surprise appearances. Donell Jones brought out 702 to perform “Get It Together,” a song he wrote and produced for the group.
Joe had an even bigger surprise when 50 Cent joined him onstage for their G-Unit collaboration “Wanna Get to Know You.” The two also performed “Big Rich Town,” the popular theme song from Power, with Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda also making appearances.
Despite the competition, Donell Jones made it clear that the evening was more about celebrating R&B than creating a rivalry, saying the two artists both have great catalogs and wanted to treat the night as a celebration.
For fans of classic R&B, the real winner may have been the audience, as the battle brought some of the genre’s most memorable slow jams back into the spotlight.
