> Day26’s Willie Taylor Says ‘We Would’ve Smoked’ B2K and Pretty Ricky In A Verzuz
Day26’s Willie Taylor Says ‘We Would’ve Smoked’ B2K and Pretty Ricky In A Verzuz
The dust has barely settled from the massive June 25, 2026, boy band showdown, but the real backstage drama is just getting started. Following a dominant victory by Miami hitmakers Pretty Ricky over Los Angeles legends B2K on the live streaming stage, Day26 member Willie Taylor completely cleared his throat to remind the music world that the definitive champions of 2000s R&B were never even in the room.
Taking to social media immediately after the Verzuz broadcast, the Bad Boy Records alumnus boldly declared that both groups managed to dodge a lethal bullet by not sharing a stage with his vocal powerhouse quintet.
Rather than just offering standard industry pleasantries, the singer double-downed on his stance, igniting a wave of engagement from fans who grew up during the golden era of after-school countdown shows.
Why is Day26’s Willie Taylor Verzuz Challenge Sparking Debate?
The sudden social media friction stems from the absolute blowout nature of the actual event. During the historic June 25, 2026, matchup, Pretty Ricky secured a staggering 18-0 round-by-round sweep against B2K in the live fan voting poll, leveraging the classic penmanship of records like “Grind With Me,” “Your Body,” and “On the Hotline.”
Seeing how the entire night unfolded, the vocal powerhouse took to his personal channels to let the culture know that Day26 would have provided a completely different level of competition.
“Honestly Speaking, We would have SMOKED both Groups Tonight!!!! SMOKED!!” he wrote in a viral post caught on social media platforms. “Great Show tonight fellas. But for what verzuz consist of easy Work!!!”
While some fans immediately dismissed the claim as simple post-show clout-chasing, the competitive drive behind the message is rooted in the group’s undeniable vocal pedigree. As the hand-picked winners of Diddy’s Making the Band 4, the group built an entire reputation on live harmonic execution that very few contemporary boy bands could ever structurally match in a real-time environment. Day26 would eat down in a Verzuz battle.
Day26’s 2008 hits “Since You Been Gone” and “Got Me Going” are unforgettable tracks that support Willie’s theory. Those boys could blow.
Breaking Down the R&B Playbook: Where B2K and Pretty Ricky Stumbled
To validate his heavy trash-talk, the veteran performer jumped back onto his channels to give a technical breakdown of exactly where the two groups left themselves completely exposed to a vocal slaughter. While he had immense praise for the overall cultural impact of the event, he pointed out specific tactical errors on the stage that would have given his squad an instant victory.
“Yeah, I said what I said. Smoked,” Taylor stated in a follow-up video on the Verzuz battle, which was quickly amplified across major entertainment blogs. “The game plan would’ve been incredible… We would’ve smoked them, both… I feel like B2K should’ve danced… That’s part of who they are, what they bring… Pretty Ricky, I think they did their thing… But at the same time, they went to go and sing with the acoustic guitar. And that’s what would’ve had us whooping on their aes. Because if you play the acoustic guitar, we gon’ sing that st better than you.”
The critique hits a very specific truth about the mechanics of a live singing battle. While Pretty Ricky relied heavily on Pleasure P’s unique delivery and their distinct club records to cruise past an under-prepared B2K, stepping into a pure acoustic vocal battle against a group possessing the raw arrangement range of Day26 is a completely different game plan.
Is a Day26 vs Pretty Ricky Showdown Next for the Culture?
Moving further down the pyramid, the singer was incredibly quick to clarify that the public call-out comes from a place of pure brotherhood and healthy competitive spirit rather than genuine industry malice.
“I enjoyed the whole night… And I ain’t telling y’all nothing I don’t tell them. These are my brothers, for real… I would go to war behind it,” he concluded.
The real narrative weight now shifts entirely to the organizers of the platform and the fans who are already demanding a follow-up event. With Pretty Ricky currently sitting comfortably on their flawless 18-0 scorecard, a potential future clash against the Bad Boy alumni might be the exact high-stakes vocal battle required to truly crown the kings of late 2000s male R&B.
For full updates on the official round-by-round scoring and behind-the-scenes reactions from the event, fans can check out the breakdown on Complex.
