THE WORD: Chicago’s own Donell Jones has R&B fans talking after saying that a Verzuz battle between himself and Joe is happening on August 20 — but as of this writing, neither Verzuz nor Apple Music has publicly announced or officially confirmed the matchup.
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Jones shared the news backstage at the Wine & Slow Jams Festival during a conversation with Nora Blake Smith. Video of the moment was shared by @rnb.radar, with Jones indicating that he and fellow R&B veteran Joe are preparing to go head-to-head later this month.
The possible matchup immediately sparked conversation because both singers have catalogs filled with records that helped define late-’90s and 2000s R&B.
Jones, a Chicago native, built his career around records including “Where I Wanna Be,” “U Know What’s Up,” “You Know That I Love You” and “Shorty (Got Her Eyes on Me).” His 1999 album Where I Wanna Be became one of the signature projects of his career and helped establish him as one of the era’s most recognizable R&B voices.
Joe brings an equally deep catalog into the conversation, including “I Wanna Know,” “All the Things (Your Man Won’t Do),” “Stutter” and “Don’t Wanna Be a Player.” He also contributed to memorable collaborations including Big Pun’s “Still Not a Player.”
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If the matchup is officially confirmed, it would give R&B fans a battle between two artists whose music has remained part of slow-jam playlists for decades. It would also give Chicago fans a hometown artist to root for with Jones representing the city.
For now, however, fans may want to wait before locking August 20 into their calendars.
Jones himself says the battle is happening, but Verzuz and Apple Music have not yet issued an official announcement confirming the matchup, date, venue or streaming details.
Until that happens, the possibility alone has already started the debate.
If Donell Jones vs. Joe does happen, who has the stronger 20-song Verzuz set?
