Key Insights
- Kanye West claims no artist can defeat him in a Verzuz battle.
- He highlighted the absence of major hits like “Gold Digger” in his recent performances.
- There is speculation about a potential Verzuz battle with JAY-Z.
- Joe Budden’s podcast discussed the possible outcome of a showdown between Kanye and JAY-Z.
Kanye West has weighed in on the age-old debate over who (if anybody) could beat him in a Verzuz battle — and his answer is the most Kanye answer ever.
The Chicago rap icon made a surprise appearance at Deon Cole’s comedy show at Hollywood Improv on Tuesday (April 7), where he hung out on stage and loosely interacted with Cole and fellow comedian Ocean Glapion throughout the night.
When asked by Glapion if there is any artist out there that he views as a worthy Verzuz opponent, Ye shook his head and replied: “Nobody” before flashing his signature smirk.
Backing up his argument, Yeezy then pointed out that despite running through dozens of hits during his recent sold-out shows at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium, there were still several huge songs that he didn’t perform including “Gold Digger” and “Touch the Sky.”
While on stage, Ye also briefly spoke about the upcoming deluxe edition of Bully, revealing it is still in the process of being finished.
He also (jokingly) agreed to let Deon Cole record an interlude for the project, à la DeRay Davis’ (who also popped up at Cole’s show) comedic skits on The College Dropout and Late Registration.
The prospect of Kanye West participating in a Verzuz battle has fueled fan debates for years, with fellow heavyweights such as Drake, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Future floated as potential opponents.
Swizz Beatz revealed in 2021 that Ye was actually “ready” to face off against Drizzy in the popular soundclash series that he co-founded with Timbaland, but it never materialized due to their ongoing feud at the time.
However, many believe that the only catalog that could stand toe-to-toe with Yeezy’s belongs to his former mentor, labelmate and collaborator JAY-Z.
During a recent episode of his eponymous podcast, Joe Budden and his co-hosts debated who would win between the Watch the Throne duo, with all of them agreeing that it would make for a tantalizing showdown.
Antwan “Ish” Marby ultimately backed Yeezy to take the W, saying: “I still think Hov is the greatest rapper ever, but when you getting up there with 20 bangers, hits… yes, Kanye can get him out of there.”
Brian “B.Dot” Miller, however, was adamant that Hov would edge it, saying: “If we’re talking about lead songs, I don’t think that JAY-Z loses to Kanye West.”
“I don’t either,” Budden concurred.
