T.I. Responds to Busta Rhymes' Offer to Meet in 'Verzuz' Battle

T.I. wants to get in on the next season of Verzuz, just not against Busta Rhymes.

After Busta challenged T.I. to step into the ring with him for the next season of the smash-hit musical competition, T.I. respectfully declined. His reasoning? Busta’s too old. Well, that’s not exactly the way he put it. But he explained that the gap between Busta’s generation and his own was a little too wide for the competition to make sense, comparing it to showing up to a present-day Pop Warner football game as an adult.

"Busta’s one of the most phenomenal talents of our time, man," he said. "I salute and respect Busta a whole lot. I just think the generational gap might be a little too much."

T.I.’s response was a bit more measured than Busta’s challenge. In a talk with Fat Joe, Busta said he would “bust [T.I.’s] ass” in a Verzuz battle but “do it with grace.” T.I. has weighed the option of going up against Jeezy and 50 Cent, but seems to be out of any potential battle with Busta. T.I.'s words come after he defended his bizarre Kanye West duet from 2018 as "a perfect record."

Shortly after T.I.'s comments, Jeezy shared his own Instagram video saying he was ready to square off in a Verzuz battle. Though Jeezy didn't mention specific names, Tip questioned whether the post was referencing him.