Babyface & Teddy Riley's Instagram Battle Was a Major Fail & Fans Are Screaming
In the latest installment of Swizz Beatz' ongoing VERZUZ battle series, R&B icons Babyface and Teddy Riley went head-to-head. Almost half a million viewers tuned into the Instagram Live, only to bear witness to a stream riddled with technical issues. Now fans are roasting the legendary hitmakers over their failed live battle.
On Saturday night, more than 400,000 viewers looked on as Babyface and Teddy Riley tried to deliver a battle. The stream was plagued by sound problems, specifically on Teddy Riley's side. The technical difficulties eventually prompted the singers to throw in the towel.
Swizz Beatz, who organizes the VERZUZ series with Timbaland, addressed the premature ending on his own Instagram, reassuring fans the battle would be rescheduled. "Tonight, shit happens, man... I'm actually cool with stopping the event to make sure it go right..." Swizz told his followers. "A lot of people dressed up for tonight, a lot of people was in there for tonight, but we're gonna put it back on—it's going to be amazing. But we gotta respect those legends."
After the Live ended, Babyface seemed genuinely disappointed and assured fans the battle would air at a later time.
Naturally, in the aftermath of the failed battle, social media was riddled with jokes about the two producers' ages — Babyface is 62 and Riley is 53 — and them not being able to use Instagram. Even celebrities joined the banter, with Mariah Carey, Adele, Toni Braxton, and more joining the savage roast. Scroll down for some of the best reactions.
