Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Entertainment/Celebrity News
Celebrity NewsEntertainment

‘People Don’t Know’: Fans Say Donell Jones Had a Rough Night Against Joe During Verzuz, But He Wasn’t the Only One Taking Heat

Posted byBy Yohance Kyles | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

Fans say Donell Jones had a rough time in the Verzuz arena against fellow vocalist Joe.

Jones and Joe, both 53, were the latest recording artists to take part in the hit-for-hit matchup in Los Angeles. According to the court of public opinion, one singer emerged the clear victor.

Verzuz promoted the “R&B Nights” event featuring the two singers/songwriters as “A Night To Remember.” For many fans, the showcase will be remembered as a bad night for one vocalist.

R&B singers Donell Jones and Joe brought out the R&B classics for their Verzuz match, hosted by “American Boy” singer Estelle. (Photo credit: GETTY for Complex)

Jones ran through tracks like “Where I Wanna Be” and “U Know What’s Up,” and special guests like 702 to perform “Get It Together.”

Meanwhile, Joe countered with songs such as “Stutter” and “I Wanna Know,” and the entire G-Unit camp, 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, and Uncle Murda.

Singer Donell Jones Talks Being an Independent Artist, Working with Left Eye and LaFace Records Treating Him Like a ‘Stepchild’

Reviews for the show poured in online. Unfortunately for Jones, his vocal performance drew harsh critiques and widespread ridicule.

“Lord! Donnell Jones [sounds] like Robert Kennedy Jr. I’m hurt BAD,” a Threads user stated, comparing his raspy vocals to those of the Health and Human Services Secretary.

Offering another take, one person said, “Ayo, Donnell Jones might as well go be where he wanna be because it isn’t at this Verzuz.”

One Jones supporter confessed, “Me ignoring all these bad notes cause I love Donell Jones.” That tweet also included two loudly crying face emojis and one moon face emoji.

“Tuned into Donell Jones singing in the Verzuz and shut it right tf off, I can’t see my GOAT go out like that,” conceded another disappointed Joe fan.

Jones had some defenders. One woman tweeted, “People don’t know Donell was struggling with alcohol for years, so his voice isn’t going to be as strong as Joe’s.” 

Over the last several years, Jones has been open about his battle with alcoholism in various interviews.

He spoke about his addiction in a 2021 interview on “The Phillip Scott Show.”

“Young [and] being on the road, drinking, and then you start drinking every day. Now, you need it to have a good time,” he said when asked what led him to turn to alcohol.

He also cited peer pressure and depression as causes for his substance abuse issues. But the son of late gospel singer Roy Jones insisted his celebrity does not shield him from personal anguish.

“Just because I’m an artist doesn’t mean I’m not a person. I still deal with the everyday struggle that everybody else in the world does,” Jones said. 

According to the feedback from Thursday night’s Verzuz, Jones struggled to wow the viewing audience.

Joe pulled off a landslide victory in the official fan voting on Complex against Jones.

However, Joe did not leave the venue unscathed. Trolls also had a field day clowning the seven-time Grammy Award nominee for botching his entrance.

British songstress Estelle introduced Joe and Jones to the livestream to start the 16-round, friendly contest.

Cameras caught a sunglass-wearing Joe awkwardly stumbling down a step in front of the house band.

With a black cane in hand, Joe tried to play off the slip-up by dancing backward toward the center of the stage. One at-home watcher exclaimed, “Joe’s only mess up was the stumble and we already forgot about it.”

Related Stories

Back to top