It’s not uncommon to hear someone describe their life as “a movie,” even if the life in question is the furthest thing from cinematic as humanely possible. Yet for Philadelphia-born Scott Storch, one of the great producers of the past twenty years, his insane story seems tailor-made for the silver screen.

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From holding it down as The Roots‘ piano player to linking with Dr. Dre, to partying with the likes of Diddy, Kim Kardashian, and Paris Hilton, to squandering a multi-million dollar fortune, to rising from the ashes and building himself back up again — the Scott Storch story is an epic tale of trial, tribulation, and triumph. Yesterday, the producer took to Instagram to inform the masses that a Scott Storch movie is indeed on the way, though no further details were provided.

For one, it’s unclear as to whether the movie will be a major studio production, not unlike that of NWA’s Straight Outta Compton. Given that we can only assume a young Dr. Dre will be present in the movie, along with countless other real-life celebrities, it stands to reason that a big-budget will be necessary. Especially if the full extent of Storch’s lavish and yacht-heavy lifestyle is to be portrayed. The question is, which actor is best suited to step into the leading role? And perhaps more importantly, will we finally get to the bottom of this particular plotline? 

These Instagram Live Battles have everyone desiring a chance to show off their catalog. Sure, any two artists can decide to go head-to-head at any time to please their fans, but because Swizz Beatz and Timbaland have created Verzuz, many artists want their stamps of approval. We've watched friendly battles between Scott Storch and Mannie Fresh, T-Pain and Lil Jon, RZA and DJ Premier, The-Dream and Sean Garrett... and now Ray J wants his turn.

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While Teddy Riley—who just faced off against Babyface in a battle between legends—was livestreaming, Ray J was spotted in the comments letting it be known that he's ready. "Yo @timbaland I'm next up!! Who want the smoke?" The innocent request quickly circulated on social media, and since then, people have been weighing in with their opinions. Let's just say, not everyone has been kind. 

"Ray J wants to do an IG live battle, and I say let 'em. He can play 'Wait A Minute' and clear the place out," one Twitter user wrote. Another added, "Not everybody that’s in the music scene deserve a battle. Im not trying to see a Ray J, Romeo, Bow Wow, Lil Salt Shaker, mixed paprika smoke or emcee basura go beat for beat or bar for bar. Let’s cut the bulls**t people. ???‍♂️."

Supporters of the singer-reality star pointed out his discography including tracks like "Wait a Minute" with Lil Kim, "Another Day in Paradise" with his sister Brandy, "Sexy Can I" featuring Young Berg also known as Hitmaka, "Famous" with Chris Brown, and "Tie Me Down" with the New Boyz. Some have suggested Ray J battle against artists like Fabolous or Chris Brown, but not everyone was on board. If Ray J did participate in a Verzuz battle, who do you think he should go up against?

Though some have been cast into cabin-fever induced despair as a result of the ongoing quarantine, Scott Storch has seized the opportunity and doubled down in the studio. As he reveals during his wake-and-bake conversation with The Breakfast Club, he’s been cooking up instrumentals every day, including some reserved for his own upcoming solo album — not to mention a few choice bangers with Kevin Gates in the cut. Before long, conversation shifts to his recent battle with Mannie Fresh, an event that seemed to highlight how significant Storch’s early-millennium reign really was.

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Charlamagne eventually acknowledges the elephant in the room, which is to say some of Storch’s co-production credits being used in the battle. “Listen, Dr. Dre is a huge whale, if not the biggest producer in the history of hip-hop music,” says Storch. “Sometimes, when your name sits next to a name that big, it kind of overshadows — especially when I was getting started in the business, I was a young man just coming up. When those records came out, people weren’t reading through the credits and see who was doing what.”

“As far as playing that music in the battle, my sound is pretty clear when people hear it,” he continues. “I’m not going to play something if I’m not one of the main nucleuses or foundations of what these tracks are. I really feel the co-production and writing, whatever I contribute, I bring mine to the table.” Charlamagne challenges Storch’s position, questioning whether his sound is truly that recognizable and pointing out that Storch wasn’t exactly credited on “The Watcher 2.” Storch maintains that he laced the keys and the topline melodies. “Sometimes the credits don’t reflect what went down on the record,” he responds. “In terms of me legitimately being a part of everything I played, come on.”

For more from Scott Storch, who appeared unfazed by Tha God’s skeptical position about his setlist, check out the full conversation below.

The Instagram Live Battles have been a way for seasoned artists to show off the extent of their catalog. Longtime fans are enjoying hearing some of their favorite tunes while a younger generation of listeners may be hearing some of these hits for the first time. We reported on Mannie Fresh and Scott Storch going toe-to-toe for their friendly music battle, but Mannie told The Breakfast Club that some people criticized some of his teasings during the Live session.

Mannie Fresh is coming to his own defence regarding his recent beat battle against fellow producer, Scott Storch, over Instagram live last week, claiming that the rules weren’t clear enough and that, ultimately, he was the real winner. After Mannie and Scott went head-to-head last Wednesday night in a battle of the beat-makers, Scott was somewhat unanimously declared the champion. However, many pointed out that, despite boasting an expansive catalogue of hits, Mannie excluded tons of his best work. The producer has since explained his reasoning for leaving out some of his strongest contenders, noting that he was under the impression that the battle was purely hip-hop.

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“I mean if it’s hip-hop, it’s gotta be hip-hop,” he told the hosts of The Breakfast Club. “I was told that it was a hip-hop beat battle. I didn’t know it was an R&B beat battle.” He admits that he definitely could have “went harder” with his choices; however, he ultimately disagreed with his pick, “Back That Azz Up” by Juvenile, resulting in a draw with Scott’s pick, “Still D.R.E.” by Dr. Dre, in the final round. While he has no regrets about participating in the battle, since it exposed a new generation to how many hits were actually made by the same producers, he does believe that he was the true winner.

“Some of these songs [he] didn’t do,” Mannie pointed out, referring to how some of the tracks Scott chose were only co-produced by him rather than entirely his own production. “I stuck to the rules. These are songs that Mannie Fresh produced.” Although he felt that the rules of the battle, which was organized by recent battle opponents, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, were unclear, Mannie refrains from speaking negatively about Scott himself. “They gotta do a better job at putting this together,” he said.

Catch the full Breakfast Club interview below and let us know whether you agree with Mannie.

We all know that Justin Timberlake has dozens of hits under his belt, but fans were treated to a bit of music knowledge about his fan-favorite, "Cry Me a River." Recently, Scott Storch went up against Mannie Fresh in an epic Instagram Live battle. Storch ended up taking the crown, and in the list of tracks that he played for fans during the friendly head-to-head competition was "Cry Me a River." Storch produced the song and J.T. has been hailed as a powerhouse for delivering the vocals solo, but there were certain parts sung by Soul singer Marsha Ambrosius.

Fans of R&B will remember Marsha from her soulful duo Floetry, but the veteran entertainer has had a long-standing career both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. The internet was ablaze this week after it was revealed that the high-pitched "cry me, cry me" ad-libs weren't performed by Justin, at all. Marsha was responsible for the vocals and fans had a meltdown at the revelation. 

This isn't something that anyone has kept a secret, and Marsha even spoke about her addition to the track years ago. The song earned a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance back in 2003, making the award Marsha's first. Check out a few stunned reactions about Marsha and Justin below.

The pantheon of great producers has led to some fantastic discussions, with many prominent names being tossed into the hat. Every so often, a case for Scott Storch will be made, though his inclusion in top-five discussions is surprisingly uncommon. A curious development, given his vast discography of hits and more importantly, his unparalleled musical aptitude. Lest we forget, Scott Storch is the piano man, a title he has taken to wearing like a badge of honor.

Though many producers have become capable keyboard players in their own right, Storch is a virtuoso by comparison. Originally dipping his toes in hip-hop as a piano player in The Roots, Storch honed his skills as a band member creating and reacting in real-time. No computers, simply instinct and technical prowess. Such skills are the type to ultimately prove invaluable, and before long Storch had developed a signature sound that would soon win over the legendary Dr. Dre.

When speaking to Storch about his work on Dr. Dre’s 2001, he explained those sessions ultimately paved the way for the early millennium Aftermath sound to develop. “I came in and had this weird ominous piano-driven sound. It was something I crafted living in the East Coast, and I brought it to the West Coast,” explains Storch. “Dr. Dre harnessed it He understood what to do with that and turned it into a new generation of West Coast music. It went from being Funkadelic, but still cool and dark, to a new orchestral type of thing.”

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Before long, Storch’s minor-key piano vibe became an integral component of Dr. Dre’s production. Between the years of 1999 and 2004, Storch was essentially the Doc’s right-hand man, anchoring his instrumentals with orchestral flair. It’s no secret that Storch laid down the now-iconic “Still D.R.E.” piano riff. But the contributions only continued. He co-produced and played on Eve’s “Let Me Blow Ya Mind.” He helped introduce G-Unit’s debut album Beg For Mercy with a co-production credit on “Poppin Them Thangs.” He helped compose the spooky trifecta of “Truck Volume,” “Break Ya Neck” and “Holla” off Busta Rhymes’ excellent Genesis project. Together with Dr. Dre, Storch helped bring a hard-hitting and unprecedented darkness to mainstream music, culminating in an era many still revere as Aftermath’s creative pinnacle.

While the nature of Dre and Storch’s in-studio dynamic isn’t exactly common knowledge, the collaborative nature of their relationship has been a sticking point for some critics. Despite the fact that Storch’s creativity and musical ability helped bring a new weapon into the Doc’s arsenal, some have argued that his co-production work isn’t as impressive as one handling lone responsibility. Nevermind that a frequently touted Top-5 contender, Kanye West, has been collaborating on instrumentals for years now. To those people, I would recommend factoring in a producer’s mind and vision for a more specific analysis. Where do they tend to go on a sonic level — which scales and soundscapes do they favor? Coming to such a conclusion is one of the most rewarding journeys a hip-hop head can take.

Storch’s work with Dre made his preference for the minor key very clear; after all, the man himself described his early musical stylings as “ominous.” Yet such a preference was clearly shared by Dre himself, albeit both tended to express it slightly differently. Storch seldom gravitated toward hopelessness like Dre, who exhibited such qualities across Eminem’s Relapseand haunting instrumentals like Busta Rhymes’ “Legend Of The Fall Off.” Instead, Storch seemed to gravitate toward a more anthemic direction, perhaps a testament to his growing repertoire of melodic collaborators. Where the Aftermath days found him working almost exclusively with rappers, some of his biggest solo hits came by way of Chris Brown’s “Run It,” Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River” with Timbaland, and Beyonce’s Sean Paul-assisted “Baby Boy.” The aforementioned songs found Storch experimenting with new sounds, with the latter introducing Middle Eastern-inspired harmonies into his repertoire.

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In fact, that stylistic choice would go on to inform a few of his subsequent hip-hop hits, from Fat Joe’s “Lean Back” to Jadakiss’ “U Make Me Wanna” to 50 Cent’s back to back smut bangers “Candy Shop” and “Just A Lil Bit.” Even his percussion seemed to reflect this harmonic shift, with Storch seeming to favor more rhythmic drum arrangements than his former mentor. Having benefitted from a newfound mastery of the harmonic minor scale and an increasingly vast collection of synthesizers, there soon became a lush quality to Storch’s increasingly versatile production. One that helped him acquaint himself quite nicely with the R&B scene, with Mario’s timeless “Let Me Love You” serving as a prime example.

If last night’s beat battle against the equally legendary Mannie Fresh proved anything, it’s that Storch is easily one of the game’s most versatile hitmakers. Between the years of 2004 and 2006, his run was among the most successful hip-hop has ever seen. It was certainly enough to yield him a substantial fortune, which went on to fuel a lavish lifestyle that would ultimately leave his friend collaborator Fat Joe awestruck at the sheer hedonism. And while reckless habits might have spelled his end under different circumstances, Storch is in the midst of a career renaissance, having recently worked with young stars like Russ, Post Malone, Trippie Redd, and Roddy Ricch. Few can say he isn’t adaptive, showing a willingness to meet an artist on their playing field, no matter their musical background — all while dazzling his fellow stoners with the blinding speed of his piano fingers. 

If there’s been one silver lining to this whole quarantine era, it’s that beat battles by legendary producers have increased by about three hundred percent. Last night, Scott Storch went up against Mannie Fresh in a duel that saw countless classic records highlighted; if you weren’t already aware that each producer has assembled a truly stacked discography, consider their epic battle a masterclass in hip-hop history. And while Mannie Fresh certainly fought valiantly, it wasn’t enough to sway the loyalty of Scott’s longtime friend and collaborator Fat Joe.

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Taking to Instagram, Joey Crack offered up his take on the outcome, a decisive victory in favor of Scott Storch. “Not even close @scottstorchofficial,” writes Joe. “I have it 18-2 congrats Scott.” Storch slid into the comments to return the love, a testament to the pair’s mutual respect. While it’s unclear which rounds Joey felt that Mannie secured, you can bet it wasn’t the one that featured “Lean Back.” To this day, the Terror Squad anthem stands as one of Storch’s most iconic classics, a defining chapter in both his and Joe’s extensive catalog.

Yet not everybody agreed with Joe’s take — both Charlamagne and Envy questioned the decisive nature of the victory, while Fabolous gave it to Storch with a total of 14-9. On the other hand, co-organizer and beat battle veteran Timbaland seemed alright with Joey’s consensus. 

All things considered, it’s truly awesome to see Scott Storch getting the love he deserves, especially after experiencing a modern-day comeback. Don’t be surprised to see rappers hitting him up with recurring frequency, especially after he put on such a clinic last night. Do you agree with Fat Joe? Was the battle really so one-sided in Scott’s favor?

We were sitting on pins and needles waiting to see Scott Storch and T-Pain have their hits battle on Instagram Live, but plans were changed at the last minute. Swizz Beatz has become the Don King of these IG Live battles as he’s the one brokering, negotiating, and announcing the deals as soon as they’re made, and we don’t have any issues with that. On Wednesday (April 1), fans watched as Scott Storch and Mannie Fresh shared an Instagram Live screen and played some of their favorite hits. Swizz even shared the scorecard from the competition to show how the battle played out.

“Score card from the people !! Thank you @scottstorchofficial & @manniefresh for doing it for the people at home aka the culture !” Swizz wrote on Instagram. “We also hit 202k tonight VERZUZ !!! Scott won tonight but so did the culture ! @timbaland it’s a wrap ??.” Then, an hour later, Swizz returned with an announcement that T-Pain would be squaring off with Lil Jon on Saturday (April 4).

“New paper work just in for this Sat 9pm est @tpain VERZUZ @liljon it’s going to be a real showdown ???????@timbaland VERZUZ !!!!! Who you got winning ?” Swizz wrote in a caption to the IG Battle flyer. This is surely going to be one for the books, especially now that these battles are gaining major traction online. Each artist has 20 tracks to choose from, so what do you want to hear and who do you think will take the crown between T-Pain and Lil Jon?

We know that we told you the next Instagram Live battle was supposed to be between Scott Storch and T-Pain, but there was a last-minute change of plans. Instead, Cash Money's Mannie Fresh entered into the match-up, and if you're quick, you may still be able to catch the showdown. There are plenty of celebrities who are also streaming the battle including Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, Lala Anthony, Joe Budden, Lil Twist, Angie Martinez, Slim Thug, Zoey Dollaz, Russ, Keri Hilson, Noreaga, Mack Maine, Victor Cruz, Gashi, Wale, Normani, 50 Cent, Wiz Khalifa, Ebro Darden, Chance Tha Rapper, Lil Yachty, and more. Everyone has their own opinion about who's leading this battle, but we've snagged a few snippets so you can judge for yourself.

It comes to no surprise that Mannie Fresh is delivering some of our favorite Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Big Tymers, Cash Money-Young Money jams that can get the club turned up in less than a moment. He has a few T.I. and Jeezy tracks in the arsenal, as well. Storch, however, has a more eclectic mix of artists as he dropped tracks from The Roots, Beyoncé, Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes, and Justin Timberlake.

This is certainly a battle that shouldn't be missed by two icons in the music industry, so check out a few clips from Live below along with reactions from the public. Let us know who you think won this one.