Without a doubt, podcasters are giving their take on last weekend’s historic Verzuz event featuring hip-hop legends Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One. Off of the Joe Budden Network, Mandii B and R&B songstress Bridget Kelly of the See the Thing Is podcast were among many podcasters who gave their take on the event. Mandii B ended up sharing words that can easily be interpreted as disrespectful to hip-hop culture. The giddy host criticized the attire of legendary performers and put into question the sex appeal of old-school b-boys.
The segment, which is posted on YouTube titled “Verzuz and Breakdancers,” starts off with Mandii B complimenting on the handsome features of Big Daddy Kane, highlighting his salt and pepper beard but went on to comment on the presence of his fedora hat and bare chest underneath his tracksuit. Bridget Kelly schooled Mandii on Kane’s notable fashion sense in the eighties stating the tracksuit and fedora combination showcased “swag” in which Mandii disagreed, stating the ensemble “wasn’t swag.”
“I still think he could’ve done something different. A tracksuit with no shirt underneath, not even a wife-beater?”
The segment continues with Mandii admitting that she was not factually in tune with the contents of last Sunday’s Verzuz due to being born in 1990 and not being in tune with hip-hop culture until the early 2000s. She went on to comment on the appearance of Nice and Smooth, mistakenly calling them “Bumpy and Smooth” and “Nice and Slow” followed by a “whoever they are,” in a manner that can be interpreted as either comical or disrespectful.
“Two men came on stage but one of them had the 100 emoji on their jacket,” said Mandii, who ultimately acknowledged that the man with the emoji outfit was Greg Nice.
Kelly also lightly commented on Nice’s outfit, stating she didn’t know about that emoji outfit at his “big age.”
However, Kelly, who often serves as a force of knowledgable nuance on the podcast, went on to state how New York is the epicenter of Verzuz, also acknowledging Mad Lion. The latter made an appearance as he performed his 1995 hit “Take It Easy,” which was produced by KRS-One.
The conversation shifts onto their observation of the breakdancers during the Verzuz, where one might have expected an honorable mention of the beloved hip-hop element and appearance of Pop Master Fable and Crazy Legz. However, Mandii B shared her commentary about her talks with Bridget during the performance, where she questioned if women were having sex with breakdancers back in the day.
“They had a whole breakdance set and I am looking at these men breakdance, and I’m asking Bridget, ‘were y’all f-cking the breakdancers? Was this a thing?”
Kelly once again went into teacher mode and mentioned how breakdancers and all men who danced were getting lucky with women. She also clarified how the b-boys showcased during the Verzuz were older men, something to consider when it came to the stamina of their movement.
“I said look at that. That is not cute,” said Mandii B
Several commenters were outraged with Mandii’s commentary deeming them “ignorant,” “disrespectful,” and “cringe.”
“Smh hearing Mandi talk about anything New York, Hip Hop, and anything before the year 2000’s is getting cringe,” wrote one YouTube user.
While the segment might appear as a light-hearted opinion, the commentary is an ode of disrespect towards the beloved genre of old school hip-hop for the hip-hop enthusiast.
Being born in 1990 is not an excuse to be oblivious to the contents of classic hip-hop as there is an entire community of individuals born in the 1990s that are avid fans of the era.
“I was born 91 and I know the legends in the culture in which I’m a part of .. this talk was crazy ..I love the show (unusually) but nah this ain’t it,” another YouTube user commented.
It is appropriate to give Bridget Kelly credit, as she attempted to correct her cohost without friction. Does Joe Budden need to make up for his accompanying podcasters? Not really. Most Joe Budden Network and podcast listeners are aware that the once rapper’s hip-hop scholarship is pristine. However, he might need to cover some of the basics with Mandii B.
