Mike Epps: Why No One Could Ever Do a Verzuz Against Whitney Houston

Comedian and actor Mike Epps recently sat down with former NFL star turned media personality Shannon Sharpe on the Club Shay Shay podcast, offering an unfiltered take on the idea of a Verzuz battle involving the late Whitney Houston.

The Verzuz series — the popular musical battle format where artists or producers compare catalogs live — has become a cultural staple for hip-hop and R&B fans. But according to Epps, when it comes to Whitney Houston’s legacy, no one could ever truly go head-to-head with her voice, influence, and impact.

“I’m not even playing with it,” Epps said. “You could never have a Verzuz with Whitney against nobody — not today, not tomorrow — because that voice is timeless.”
While the full clip wasn’t publicly archived, comments and reactions from the live Club Shay Shay session suggest Epps was emphasizing Houston’s unmatched vocal range and cultural influence as key reasons no artist — even her peers — could compete in that format.

Why Whitney Houston Is in a Class of Her Own

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Whitney Houston wasn’t just another vocalist — she was a generational force. With hits like I Will Always Love You, Greatest Love of All, and How Will I Know, she broke records and set standards for vocal performance that many singers still aim to match. Her voice dominated charts worldwide and transcended genre boundaries.

A Verzuz battle even implies head-to-head comparison, but Houston’s catalog covers R&B, pop, gospel, and soul — making it difficult to define what genre opponent she would face, let alone one with equal breadth and influence.

“Her voice was like a whole orchestra,” Mike Epps later added. “There’s no cheat code for that.”

What Epps and Sharpe Also Covered

On Club Shay Shay, the conversation between Epps and Sharpe wasn’t limited to Verzuz hypotheticals. The two also cleared up past social media friction between them, with Epps joking about past beefs and emphasizing that at the end of the day, they share mutual respect.

The interview reflected the broader mix of entertainment, sports, comedy, and cultural commentary that has made Shannon Sharpe’s podcast one of the most talked-about platforms in recent years.