theroot--2020-12-05--Ashanti and Keyshia Cole Up Next for Verzuz, in a Battle Sure to Have You in Your Feelings

Verzuz , the online musical battle series that has offered up plenty of viral moments during 2020 , is back with another highly anticipated match-up .
Ashanti and Keyshia Cole , two R & B singers with numerous hits under their belt , will be the next pair of challengers .
“ Yeah it ’ s official !
The paperwork is IN , ” read the official reveal on the Verzuz social media channels on Friday .
Suggestions of a face-off between the two singers have been bandied about since the series started , and watching the two women sing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love and heartbreak will be a nice cool down from the last battle between Gucci Mane and Yung Joc , which was entertaining but also thrummed with a fair bit of tension .
The battle between Ashanti and Keyshia Cole promises to be full of modern R & B classics like Cole ’ s iconic “ Love ” and “ I Should Have Cheated , ” and Ashanti ’ s memorable slate of hits including “ Foolish ” and “ Rain on Me.
” It ’ s safe to say viewers will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and people hopped on social media to say as much after the two singers were announced .
“ Warning to all you mans out there ( including mine ) be nice the day of the Ashanti vs. Keyshia battle , ” Cardi B posted on Twitter .
There ’ s also anticipation for what now feels like the simpler days of the early 2000 s , when we weren ’ t worried about COVID-19 or the safety of it s vaccine as much as we were concerned with trying to hit that epic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single .
The Verzuz battles between women—Jill Scott and Erykah Badu , Brandy and Monica , and Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight so far—have been some of the most entertaining and well-attended , so we don ’ t want to miss this one .
You can watch Ashanti Verzuz Keyshia Cole , Saturday December 12 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Instagram or Apple Music .

Ishena Robinson on The Grapevine, shared by Ishena Robinson to The Root

Verzuz, the online musical battle series that has offered up plenty of viral moments during 2020, is back with another highly anticipated match-up. Ashanti and Keyshia Cole, two R&B singers with numerous hits under their belt, will be the next pair of challengers.
“Yeah it’s official! The paperwork is IN,” read the official reveal on the Verzuz social media channels on Friday. Suggestions of a face-off between the two singers have been bandied about since the series started, and watching the two women sing some of their most well-known tracks about love and heartbreak will be a nice cool down from the last battle between Gucci Mane and Yung Joc, which was entertaining but also thrummed with a fair bit of tension.
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The battle between Ashanti and Keyshia Cole promises to be full of modern R&B classics like Cole’s iconic “Love” and “I Should Have Cheated,” and Ashanti’s memorable slate of hits including “Foolish” and “Rain on Me.” It’s safe to say viewers will be in their feelings during their performances, and people hopped on social media to say as much after the two singers were announced.
“Warning to all you mans out there (including mine) be nice the day of the Ashanti vs. Keyshia battle,” Cardi B posted on Twitter.
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There’s also anticipation for what now feels like the simpler days of the early 2000 s, when we weren’t worried about COVID-19 or the safety of it s vaccine as much as we were concerned with trying to hit that epic note in Keyshia Cole’s breakout single.
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The Verzuz battles between women—Jill Scott and Erykah Badu, Brandy and Monica, and Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight so far—have been some of the most entertaining and well-attended, so we don’t want to miss this one. You can watch Ashanti Verzuz Keyshia Cole, Saturday December 12 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Instagram or Apple Music.


theroot--2020-12-06--NBA Player Karl-Anthony Towns Reveals He's Lost 7 Family Members to COVID-19

As the death toll of COVID-19 continues to accumulate , some families are bearing an especially horrific share of the pain .
Minnesota Timberwolves ’ basketball player Karl-Anthony Towns , who lost his mother earlier this year due to complications from the coronavirus , revealed this weekend that an additional six members of his family have died from COVID-19 .
“ Last night I got a call that I lost my uncle .
I feel like I ’ ve been hardened a little bit by life and humbled , ” Towns said to members of the media on Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ ve seen a lot of coffins in the last seven-eight months .
I have a lot of people who have , in my family and my mom ’ s family , gotten COVID , ” he added .
“ I ’ m the one looking for answers still , trying to find how to keep them healthy .
It ’ s just a lot of responsibility on me to keep my family well-informed and to make all the moves necessary to keep them alive.
” In March , the athlete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother Jacqueline Cruz-Towns had been put in a medically-induced coma after her health began to rapidly deteriorate due to COVID-19 .
She later died on April 13 at the age of 58 .
Towns ’ father , Karl Sr. also had the disease but recovered .
“ It always brought me a smile when I saw my mom at the baseline and in the stands and stuff and having a good time watching me play , ” Towns said on Friday .
“ It is going to be hard to play .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good memories I had.
” The tragic impact of COVID-19 on this one family should underscore to us all the reality and severity of this disease .
Over 281 , 000 thousand lives have been taken by the disease in the U.S. at the most recent count .
As the months that we ’ ve been experiencing the pandemic continue to tick by , it can be easy to lose sight of the deadly and painful impact it is having on families like Towns ’ all across the country—that it is stealing individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who know and love them .
The strength of spirit it must take for Towns to continue going in the face of such losses is admirable , and the Timberwolves ’ player credits some of this to the support of his teammates like D ’ Angelo Russell .
“ I am very fortunate that I have people like DLo , who have been with me and my mom through some of the greatest moments of my life , especially in my career , ” Towns said .
“ These guys make me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I have been dealing with and make me have to go out there and be a leader on and off the court.
” Towns will kick off his sixth season playing with the Timberwolves later this month .

As the death toll of COVID-19 continues to accumulate, some families are bearing an especially horrific share of the pain.
Minnesota Timberwolves’ basketball player Karl-Anthony Towns, who lost his mother earlier this year due to complications from the coronavirus, revealed this weekend that an additional six members of his family have died from COVID-19.
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“Last night I got a call that I lost my uncle. I feel like I’ve been hardened a little bit by life and humbled,” Towns said to members of the media on Friday, according to a report from ESPN.
“I’ve seen a lot of coffins in the last seven-eight months. I have a lot of people who have, in my family and my mom’s family, gotten COVID,” he added. “I’m the one looking for answers still, trying to find how to keep them healthy. It’s just a lot of responsibility on me to keep my family well-informed and to make all the moves necessary to keep them alive.”
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In March, the athlete shared an emotional video revealing that his mother Jacqueline Cruz-Towns had been put in a medically-induced coma after her health began to rapidly deteriorate due to COVID-19. She later died on April 13 at the age of 58. Towns’ father, Karl Sr. also had the disease but recovered.
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“It always brought me a smile when I saw my mom at the baseline and in the stands and stuff and having a good time watching me play,” Towns said on Friday. “It is going to be hard to play. But it gives me a chance to relive good memories I had.”
The tragic impact of COVID-19 on this one family should underscore to us all the reality and severity of this disease. Over 281, 000 thousand lives have been taken by the disease in the U.S. at the most recent count. As the months that we’ve been experiencing the pandemic continue to tick by, it can be easy to lose sight of the deadly and painful impact it is having on families like Towns’ all across the country—that it is stealing individual lives that matter immensely, especially to those who know and love them.
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The strength of spirit it must take for Towns to continue going in the face of such losses is admirable, and the Timberwolves’ player credits some of this to the support of his teammates like D’Angelo Russell.
“I am very fortunate that I have people like DLo, who have been with me and my mom through some of the greatest moments of my life, especially in my career,” Towns said. “These guys make me take my mind off of the things that I have been dealing with and make me have to go out there and be a leader on and off the court.”
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Towns will kick off his sixth season playing with the Timberwolves later this month.