The latest VERZUZ saw R&B veterans Carl Thomas and Case facing off for an event filled with nostalgic hits.
On Thursday (Oct. 22), the artists held head-to-head performances live from Apple Music Studios in Los Angeles. Before the event, Case sat down for an interview with Complex’s Jordan Rose and expressed his excitement for the opportunity to reintroduce his music to a younger audience. Thomas, meanwhile, was interviewed by Complex’s Dimas Sanfiorenzo and said that he doesn’t view the event as a competition.
“I think Black music, as a whole, wins when we do things like this,” Thomas shared.
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Check out a breakdown of some of the most memorable moments from the event below.
Carl Thomas immediately makes his vocal prowess known
As soon as the event kicked off, Carl Thomas made it clear that his vocals are just as powerful now as they were when he released his debut studio album, Emotional, through Bad Boy Records in 2000.
Case brought out RL as a surprise guest
As to be expected with any VERZUZ event, we got a couple of surprise guests. At one point during the event, Case brought out RL to perform “The Best Man I Can Be,” his 1999 collaboration with Ginuwine, RL, and Tyrese for The Best Man soundtrack.
Carl Thomas surprised the audience with an appearance from Too Short
Carl Thomas also surprised the audience with a special guest, this time bringing out Bay Area legend Too Short to perform “The World Is Filled…,” which originally appeared on The Notorious B.I.G.’s posthumous album, Life After Death.
Carl Thomas shared some advice with the audience
“What you don't understand is that everybody that you've seen accomplish anything pays two prices,” Thomas told the crowd, as seen in the clip below. “There's going to be a public price. Everybody's going to see. And then there's going to be that private price. When nobody sees you on your knees in your closet. Asking God to do it for you. Like he did it for them.”
Case closed out the event with “Missing You”
Case made sure to save one of his most beloved songs to close out the event. He was even joined by Carl Thomas when he busted out “Missing You,” a fan favorite from his 2001 album, Open Letter.
Carl Thomas did an iconic costume change
Carl Thomas fully leaned into the R&B stereotypes when he made a costume change at one point during the event, returning to the stage with a turtleneck sweater and a huge grin.
