Kodak Black Challenges Jay-Z in Verzuz Battle, Puts 15% of His Catalog on the Line

In December of 2021, legendary rapper and producer Jay-Z told Alicia Keys that no one could face him in a Verzuz battle. Verzuz is a rap and DJ battle platform that was originally created by Timbaland and Swizz Beatz at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

“No one can stand on that stage with me. It’s not a chance in hell that anyone can stand on that stage with me,” Jay-Z said. “You got to stand in front of the ‘Grammy Family Freestyle’ live? No one has ever even seen me perform that, you got to stand in front of that? That ain’t never going to happen.”

So, with Jay-Z’s declaration that no one can battle him, Verzuz buzz has been swirling in the rap world. The latest to challenge the “Empire State Of Mind” artist is Kodak Black, and Black has upped the ante.

Late on Monday (January 3), the younger rapper set his terms in a Twitter post. “I’ll do a versus wit Jay Z. ‘IF’ he wins, he gets 15 % of my catalog! I win, he makes me Vice President of Roc Nation [Jay-Z’s Entertainment LLC],” the post reads.

While Jay-Z has yet to respond, we do know that if this battle were to happen, we wouldn’t dream of missing that showdown.

Another factor that might slow the progression of this challenge is Black’s recent arrest for trespassing. As first reported by the SunSentinel, Black was taken to Broward Main Jail by authorities early on New Year’s morning but has since bonded out.

Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.