The wait is finally over. Ashanti and Keyshia Cole's much-anticipated Verzuz battle is going down now.
Tonight's event, which marks the fourth women-led showdown of the popular series, was announced nearly two months ago, following months of rumors and growing speculation. Cole suggested she was open to going head-to-head with Ashanti all the way back in May, when she shared an Instagram post breaking down their respective hits. She also made sure to tag Verzuz co-creators Swizz Beatz and Timbaland in the post, asking: "Is this accurate?"
As you can see in Cole's post, she and Ashanti are pretty equal when it comes to hits. Cole has blessed fans with tracks like "Last Night" with Diddy, "I Should Have Cheated," "Trust" with Monica, and "I Change My Mind" with Kanye West. Ashanti, on the other hand, has delivered a slew of aughties classics, including "Foolish," "Rain on Me," "Mesmerize" with Ja Rule, and "What's Luv" with Fat Joe.
The Cole vs. Ashanti showdown was subsequently set for Dec. 12, but just hours before the scheduled kickoff, Verzuz announced they would postpone the event due to Ashanti's COVID-19 diagnosis.
"We cannot put anyone at risk in the process," read a post on Verzuz's Instagram page. "First time this has struck us so close to showtime. We apologize to our incredible audience! Get well soon, Ashanti 💜🖤💚 Wear a mask, stay inside, and take COVID-19 seriously. It’s truly affecting our community."
The Verzuz battle was then pushed back to Jan. 9; however, organizers decided to postpone it once again in wake of the rising COVID-19 cases as well as the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol.
In the weeks leading up to tonight's Verzuz, the R&B legends emphasized it would be more of a positive, celebratory event rather than a competitive. But you already know their respective fans will be keeping score.
You can watch Keyshia Cole and Ashanti's Verzuz below.
