A Message to Those Who Wanted to See Gucci Mane Versus Jeezy End Badly

The meeting of two longtime rivals for Verzuz made history—while some ignored (or egged on) the potential hazards

When the festivities were coming to a close, and the two trap titans joined forces for a closing performance of their 2005 collaboration, “So Icy,” fans could finally exhale.

The first episode of Verzuz’s second season raised eyebrows and turned heads from the moment it was announced. Gucci Mane and Jeezy—a pair of bitter rap enemies whose static dates back 15 years—would be in the same room, battling discographies for 20 rounds. Anything could happen. But sadly, some wanted to see the worst.

It was an affair that was laden with disrespect. Gucci Mane bypassed some of his bigger hits like “Freaky Gurl” and “Lemonade” to play venomous Jeezy diss tracks like “Truth.” Between songs, they traded barbs about fashion and real estate. No one expected things to be all “kumbaya”—their history of ill will was too deep, tension that leapt from music to a real-life gunplay. Fortunately, by the night’s conclusion, they squashed their beef, ending one of the more intense rivalries hip-hop has seen.

In Bonsu Thompson’s latest piece, “The Secret Sauce in Trap Rap Is Toxicity,” he wonders aloud about the psyche of those who encouraged violence in the comments section, and questions the battle’s corporate interests: