Joe And Donell Jones Bring Decades Of Hits To ‘Verzuz: R&B Nights’

Joe and Donell Jones brought nearly three decades of R&B to the Verzuz stage Thursday night, but once the music started, the audience quickly gave one singer the edge.

The two veterans met in Los Angeles for the latest installment of Verzuz’s “R&B Nights,” following last month’s matchup between The Game and YG. Estelle opened the evening before Joe and Jones worked through catalogs closely tied to R&B’s late ’90s and early 2000s run.

Joe came out strong with “Don’t Wanna Be a Player” and “If I Was Your Man,” winning the opening four rounds in the live fan voting. Jones answered in Round 5 with “This Luv,” one of only two rounds he would claim during the night. His biggest win came later when “Where I Wanna Be” defeated Joe’s “Stutter.”

Jones also reminded the audience of his work behind the scenes. He welcomed 702 to the stage for “Get It Together,” the group’s 1996 single he wrote and produced. The appearance gave the evening one of its biggest callbacks to the era both singers helped soundtrack.

Joe had his own surprise waiting. After pulling from collaborations with artists including Big Pun and Nas, he brought out 50 Cent for “Wanna Get to Know You.” Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda joined 50 onstage as well. Joe and 50 later performed “Big Rich Town,” their familiar theme from Power.

By then, the fan voting had heavily favored Joe. His catalog kept producing records difficult to counter, including “I Wanna Know” and “The Love Scene.” Viewers also responded to his live vocals, while Jones encountered some technical problems early in the show and faced criticism online over parts of his performance.

The final Complex community scorecard gave Joe an 18-2 victory.

Still, the evening never developed the tension associated with some previous Verzuz battles. Jones had made his approach clear beforehand, describing the matchup as a celebration rather than a feud. Both men have spent roughly 30 years in R&B, and Thursday offered plenty of evidence for why their music has remained in rotation.

Joe may have dominated the scorecard, but the night gave both singers an opportunity to revisit the records that made them staples of their era.