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Ollie Millington/RedfernsNelly and Ludacris overcame severe weather and Wi-Fi issues for the latest Verzuz battle on Instagram Live this weekend, with the consensus being Nelly emerged the champ.
Ludacris declared it a “historic night” on Saturday evening, wearing a throwback Atlanta Hawks jersey, while Nelly was deemed the new Teddy Riley of the series after experiencing Wi-Fi problems throughout the three-hour battle due to a severe storm in St. Louis.
Over 450,000 viewers tuned in, including celebs like Teyana Taylor, Missy Elliot and Common, to hear classics from Luda’s triple-platinum 2000 debut, Back for the First Time, Nelly’s diamond-certified Country Grammar, and other hits from their catalog.
During one of Nelly’s Wi-Fi blackouts, Luda previewed an unreleased Timbaland-produced song with Lil Wayne, “The Silence of the Lambs.”
“The world crazy, [guys] pouring drinks like Cliff Huxtable/I love R. Kelly, but around my daughters, I am not comfortable,” Luda rapped. “Racist people still drinking whatever’s in Rosanne’s bar.”
Those lyrics sparked controversy on social media, leaving fans to declare Nelly as the winner.
One user tweeted, “Nelly won tonight off the strength of Ludacris shouting out R. Kelly not once, not twice, but three times in a 10-minute window. I don’t make the rules.”
Another said, “Ludacris really thought it was appropriate to tell us he loves R.Kelly in 2020 and told us three times.”
Despite technical issues, Nelly made it through with “Air Force Ones,” “Ride Wit Me” feat. St. Lunatics, “Hot in Herre” and his Kelly Rowland collaboration, “Dilemma.”
Luda also played hits like “Welcome to Atlanta” and the Neptunes classic “Southern Hospitality, and took us back to 2004, watching Ciara climb up the back of that old-school car while he rapped his verse in the video for Ciara’s “Oh.”
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