On Monday, July 1st Bobby Brown and Keith Sweat went head-to-head in a special Verzuz.

No one was quite expecting it, but Brown and Sweat surprised fans with the announcement on June 29th. This verzuz was special, as a source indicates,

“Typically, the outlet [Essence], a cornerstone of Black womanhood, reserves this date as a celebratory first night of their annual music festival….”

But instead, Bobby Brown and Sweat kicked off the festival, giving fan’s a morsel of classic R&B. And the press is calling the special Verzuz a “feast of R&B.” Both performers took the stage on black thrones, which were well representative of their kingship in the industry. But, this wasn’t the typical hype fest but rather a stroll down memory lane. Both artists proudly took turns giving fans a sampling of some of their most memorable tracks.

Both Brown and Sweat are veterans in the industry.

PC: https://www.biography.com/musician/bobby-brown

Bobby Brown rose to fame as a member of the iconic R&B group New Edition in 1983. Four years later, Brown broke from the group releasing his first solo album. It was not until 1988 that Bobby began to establish his success apart from New Edition under the direction of L.A.  Reid and Babyface. Brown’s hit album Don’t Be Cruel was a display of his bigger-than-life persona. But it was Bobby’s hit single, “My Prerogative,” that would help him forever clench the title of the bad boy of R&B.

PC:  https://lasvegasmagazine.com/

Keith Sweat made his industry debut in 1987 with “Make it Last Forever.” That single was the beginning of a stint of almost two decades in music. Keith Sweat’s sound was unique and very much unlike any other on the market at the time. And Sweat used his unique sound to his advantage. Sweat became a constant fixture in R&B well into the ’90s. But Keith’s contribution to the industry did not stop with singing. Sweat is also known for producing some well-known names in R&B; Dru-Hill, Silk, and Kut Close.

Both artists did their thing on the Verzuz stage. Their performances transported us back to the earlier days of R&B, giving us a brief reminder of what R&B looked like in the ’80s and ’90s. And for fans, it was just the touch of nostalgia needed to kick off the holiday.

Renae Richardson|