Ashanti and Keyshia Cole’s Verzuz battle won’t be going down this weekend.
The matchup between the R&B singers has been delayed yet again. It was originally scheduled for Dec. 12, but was postponed until Jan. 9 after Ashanti tested positive for coronavirus, just hours before the livestream.
On Friday morning (Jan. 8), event organizers made the announcement, citing this week’s events in the Capitol and the surging COVID-19 cases as reasons for the delay. A new date for Ashanti vs. Keyshia Cole has not been announced, while upcoming Verzuz events will be held remotely until things improve.
“This has been an emotional week. In addition, as COVID-19 numbers continue to increase, safety is a top priority for us,” read the statement on Instagram. “As much as we enjoy having everyone together in the same room, to protect the artists and everyone who works with us in putting the shows together, we’ll be going back to separate locations for a bit. We’re excited for the next few events, and look forward to getting back to the show in the coming weeks.”
Ashanti confirmed that she is COVID free after she and her family were diagnosed last month. “Feeling grateful ?? My parents and I got our negative results back right in time to start off the New Year healthy, happy & loved,” she told fans.
E-40 and Too $hort most recently faced off in their “Legends of the Bay” battle, which drew around 3 million viewers. Swizz Beatz and Timbaland are planning more Verzuz matchups including a potential Bun B and 8Ball & MJG pairing.