6 Things We're Excited To See At Tonight's Ashanti Vs. Keyshia Cole Verzuz
It's here, ladies, it's here! After a few hiccups, reschedules, COVID, and other wild complications, the Ashanti and Keyshia Cole Verzuz has finally arrived! And we are ready to throw on our shirt belts and jersey dresses while ya'll hand us that mic, honey, because we know for sure that it is going allllllllll the way down.
As most of us know, the in-person battle was originally scheduled to take place on Dec. 12, but was delayed after Ashanti unfortunately tested positive for COVID-19. She fully recovered (hallelu) and the new date was set for Jan. 9. And then that makeup date was pushed back as well, with Verzuz announcing that the battles would go back to separate locations -- just as they had when the series initially took off at the start of quarantine, "as COVID-19 numbers continue to increase." A new date was not announced at the time. Well, third times a charm, as we officially are ready and set to happen tonight.
And there is SO MUCH that we cannot wait to see.
Style: What Will They Wear?
Now because this battle is no longer in-person, we're excited to see if the ladies still decide to bring it with the 'fits, or if they choose to keep it simple and classic in comfy chic. And because Ashanti is body-ody-ody-ody goals, and Keyshia's chameleon style changes up as much as she wants it to, I have a feeling that we won't be seeing sweatpants.
Ashanti & Keyshia Cole Verzuz Tracklist:
We cannot wait for them to bust out these classics, m'kay!
Personally for me, the Verzuz battles are never about winning or losing, but instead, appreciating both artists and what they've done for the culture. Choosing between Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, or our Aunties Gladys Knight or Patti Labelle is ludicrous. So, you can find me in the super loud, overly excited, sing-a-long section, where we are just enjoying the music.
The Energy:
Listen, I'm gonna need for Keyshia to get up and hit her Mary dance, and I'm going to need Ashanti to bust out the "Happy" choreo because if they are just as thrilled as I am, I'm going to be up and getting my 1-2 Step on.
Black Women Supporting Black Women:
If there is one thing Swizz and Timbaland have been brilliant about in terms of the Verzuz franchise, it's selecting accurate, engaging, and respectful battles. There's never malice or bad blood (well, except that one time), and the artists truly respect the other's craft in a competitive-but-I-love-your-music-too sort of way. They are there for the people, and they are looking to put on a show for the culture. And we, well we are just there to watch, reminisce, and have a good ass time.
The Set-Up:
Some of the awe (or comedy) of earlier Verzuz match-ups is seeing them make their own settings for the Verzuz to take place. Yes, things may happen or interesting events may hilariously arise, but that's the beauty of it. From Teddy Riley's full production, to Nelly not quite getting his WIFI right, we're excited to see how the ladies plan to bring it.
New Music & New Announcements:
Musically, we haven't heard from either of these queens as much as we have been used to in the past. And much like Monica/Brandy's battle, we can hopefully expect to hear what the two have been working on. Will they be releasing new music, is there any news that they will be updating us on? Maybe a future collaboration? Either way, we are looking forward to seeing what they have up their sleeves. *crosses fingers for a joint song*
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Viewers can tune in to the rescheduled Ashanti and Keyshia Cole face-off tonight, Jan. 21, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on the Verzuz Instagram page or via Apple Music.
Will you be tuning in?
Feature image by s_bukley / Shutterstock.com
Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Colman Domingo’s Career Advice Is A Reminder That Our Words Shape Our Reality
When it comes to life, we are always here for a good reminder to shift our mindsets, and Colman Domingo just gave us one we didn't know we needed.
In a resurfaced clip from an appearance at NewFest shared as a repost via Micheaux Film Festival, the Emmy award winner dropped a gem on how he has navigated his decades-spanning career in Hollywood. The gem in question? Well, Colman has never identified with "struggle" in his career. Let that sit.
Colman Domingo On Not Claiming Struggle
"I’ve never said that this career was tough. I’ve never said it was difficult. I’ve never said it was hard," Colman said. "Other people would say that—‘oh, you're in a very difficult industry. It's very hard to get work and book work.’ I’m like, I’ve never believed that."
Instead of allowing himself to be defined by other people's projections about their perceptions of what the industry is or was, Colman dared to believe differently even if his reality was playing catch up with his dreams:
"Like Maya Angelou said words are things. And if you believe that, then that's actually what it is. Actually I've just never believed it. Someone told me some years ago, they said, 'I remember you were, you're a struggling actor.' I'm like, 'I don't.'"
"I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living..."
He continued:
"Even when I was bartending and hustling and not having opportunities or anything, I never believed that I was struggling because I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living and creating and being curious."
Colman’s philosophy of attaching to living instead of struggle has blossomed into an enduring career. He first made his mark on stage in acclaimed Broadway productions before transitioning to the screen, where his star began to rise in the 2010s following his role as Victor Strand in Fear The Walking Dead. From there, his presence only grew, landing memorable supporting roles in If Beale Street Could Talk, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and the hit series Euphoria.
In more recent years, Colman has stepped fully into the spotlight with standout leading performances in Rustin and Sing Sing, both of which earned him widespread critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations for Best Actor.
With all that said, Colman's advice is no doubt powerful, especially for those who are chasing their dreams, building something from the ground up, or have question marks about what's next in their careers. Words shape our realities, and how we speak about our journeys even in passing matters.
Words Create Our Reality & Colman Is Living Proof
"I tell young people that. To remember the words that you say about yourself and your career are true. So, I choose to make it full of light and love and it's interesting and every day I'm going to learn something new even if it looks like I don't have what I want but it's important to be in the moment... you really build on the moments moment to moment.
"And you're looking back at your career as I've been in it for what 33 years and you're like, 'Wow, that's what I've been doing.' And I've stayed strong to that so I think that is truly my advice."
Let this be your sign to give your path a reframe. When the path you're on feels uncertain, the journey is still unfolding. Like Colman said: "I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living."
That's a Black king right there.
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Featured image by Soul Brother/Soul B Photos/Shutterstock