Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Teddy Riley held their highly anticipated music battle experience on Instagram Live on Monday night, bringing nostalgic hits to hundreds of thousands of fans.
The two legendary music producers connected via Instagram Live and played a series of hits from their respective catalogs in a rematch battle of their music — though many fans on Twitter concluded that it was more of a celebration of Black music culture.
“There is no battle, you know who’s winning? Us. The culture,” R&B icon Toni Braxton tweeted Monday.
The virtual event, part of a series organized by music producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, was originally scheduled for April 5 but was postponed to April 18 after Edmonds contracted the coronavirus.
Edmonds revealed on Instagram earlier this month that he and his family had tested positive for COVID-19 but were all on their way back to full health.
Riley and Edmonds then moved forward with the April 18 event but were derailed by audio issues on Riley’s end.
On Monday, despite some more technical issues, the two were finally able to pull off the event, much to the enjoyment of the hundreds of thousands of people who tuned in.
Many people on social media reported difficulty joining the crowded live feed. The Instagram communications team tweeted on Monday that the app was experiencing technical difficulties.
On Monday night, Riley played hits like Johnny Kemp’s “Just Got Paid,” while Edmonds played popular songs like Tevin Campbell’s “Can We Talk.”
Many artists and celebrities weighed in on the friendly competition.
On Tuesday, singer/actor/comedian Jamie Foxx commented on Edmonds’ Instagram post teasing the battle, calling it a “brilliant epic night.”