During all the loss, chaos, and confusion of our world right now, one thing that has been a beaming light for a lot of us music enthusiasts has been the Verzuz TV battles. Orchestrated and powered by hip-hop’s superpower producers Swizz Beats and Timbaland, Verzuz has brought so many of our favorite artists throughout the decades together in ways we didn’t think could be possible. Although it’s considered a battle with specific rules, ironically these “battles'' almost always turn into the competing artists showing each other love, honoring the work they’ve done, and celebrating the many memories of life around their careers.
Of course, the most impactful battles featured Black women - Erykah vs. Jill and Brandy vs. Monica. According to VIBE magazine, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott’s Verzus battle accumulated 6.7 million streams for their music on that day alone. The Brandy vs. Monica Verzus battle attracted 6 million views of the battle itself while also gaining over 20 million streams of their music catalog. Numbers don’t lie and neither does the power and magic of Black women.
I originally began to think about the ways in which Black women through history have lead and contributed to our culture through music when I first came across Scottie Beam’s #listentoblackwomen playlist. Already obsessed with Scottie and how she vigilantly advocates for Black women in music, I couldn’t help but to dive deeper into our history within the industry.
From Billie Holiday to Beyonce, we have crafted a legacy of talent, beauty, rawness, vulnerability, story-telling, and truth in an industry that never truly loved us. We have broken records, charts, stereotypes, and barriers despite not being properly represented as gatekeepers, music executives, and company owners. Our music matters because we are indeed the shit and so much more. For me, I grew up on Erykah, Jill, Brandy, and Monica. These women played a vital part of my transition from girlhood to womanhood.
Erykah introduced me to the proclivities of spirituality and the deeper meanings of the world around us. I would research her lyrics just to get a full understanding of what she meant in songs like “The Healer”,“On & On”, or “Appletree”. I had never heard a Black woman be so mystical and celebrate herself and other women as this divine being. No one ever spoke to me or about women in such a way.
Jill Scott has honestly been my spirit sister/auntie since popping “Who is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds Vol.1” in my pink bratz cd player. I had no idea what blessing of a voice and lyricism I was going to receive at such a young age. Jill also acted as a representation for me as a chunky little girl. I was always bigger than my friends and struggled with my body image since I can remember. I thought, “she looks just like me and she’s on tv”. Natural hair, loud, yet still vulnerable enough to express the cravings for love and intimacy - something Black women aren’t always raised to be confident to say.
So much can be said about Brandy and the multidimensional talent she is. Although she was already an adult when I first heard her debut album “Brandy”, 15 year old me in the 2000s could still relate to 15 years old her in the 90s which confirms the relevance of her music no matter the era or generation. You really can’t get more iconic than “Moesha” and being the first Black Cinderella — which is the only Cinderella we acknowledge around here— Brandy was and still is a powerhouse.
Lastly, Monica aka “Miss Thang” is a woman of her own caliber. Since 12 years old, Monica has been telling us what it is and what it ain’t with a voice that seems impossible to come from someone that young. We joke that she came out of the womb grown but I’d like to think she’s actually been here before and has an old soul. Black girls like Monica have to grow up fast because of their environment and circumstances. Some Black girls don’t have the privilege of being just “girls.”Her music spoke to the capacity she held to understand and know the world very differently than other preteen and teenage girls. “Don’t take it personal” alone was ahead of its time.She conceptualized feelings and thoughts that women have about needing space, boundaries, and communication in love at 13 years old.
What we can learn here from all of these women and other women in the music industry is that we all come from different experiences and lives, while still being connected through our shared experiences through race, womanhood, class, and more. Black girlhood and womanhood is not a monolith and once we understand that fully, we can truly honor and celebrate all of who we are not just the bits and pieces that society says we should be proud of. We are a mosaic of beauty, magic, and unfuckwitableness.
Make sure to tap in to the next highly anticipated and iconic Verzuz battle between the OG aunties that we love to love, Pattie Labelle and Gladys Knight, on Sunday September 13th at 5 PM PT/ 8PM ET.
