T-Pain and NeYo, Gaming's Newest Rivalry

If you had told me that R&B and pop legends Ne-Yo and T-Pain had a lowkey rivalry brewing in Tekken, no less, I wouldn’t have believed you.

But apparently, it’s true. Known for their chart-topping hits and genre-defining impact, Ne-Yo and T-Pain have taken their friendly competition out of the studio and into the virtual ring. After a string of lighthearted back-and-forth jabs on social media, it looks like a Tekken showdown between the two icons might actually be on the horizon. 

It all began during one of T-Pain’s usual Twitch streams, where he jokingly mocked Ne-Yo’s performances specifically throwing shade at the "Miss Independent" singer with his signature playful flair. Naturally, Ne-Yo caught wind of the clip. What followed was a lighthearted back-and-forth between the two, culminating in Ne-Yo challenging the Tallahassee legend to a Tekken duel.

While T-Pain has cemented himself as an R&B and pop legend with an illustrious catalog, he’s also carved out a space for himself in the gaming world. Over the years, he’s expanded his digital footprint by streaming regularly on Twitch, playing a wide range of video games. He’s been vocal about how gaming helps him cope with the stresses of life, even pushing back against the idea that it’s just a distraction.

As he told Rolling Stone in 2017:

“A lot of people don’t understand; they just feel like I’m in the studio “playing games.” But it’s kinda therapeutic. To be in the studio, have your mind free and playing games, not thinking about the song that you’re about to make.” - Rolling Stone (2017)

Ne-Yo on the other hand? Not so much.

But to everyone’s surprise, the R&B crooner has been vocal about being a gamer himself. While it comes off as more lowkey compared to T-Pain, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter back in 2012, the Grammy winning singer-songwriter has expressed his admiration of playing a plethora of games such as Madden, Street Fighter and Tekken. “I’m heavy into Max Payne 3. That’s a good one. I like any of the fighting games and all of the Tekken and Street Fighter series. They just did Street Fighter X Tekken, and I’m huge on that one right now. Undefeated, currently.”

With this knowledge, it builds more excitement to see who would come out on top. Although T-Pain hasn’t necessarily accepted the challenge yet, we hope to soon see both of these icons step in the virtual ring. Who will walk away with the title of R&B’s ultimate gamer? More importantly, it begs the question: who else in the music industry has been secretly grinding in the digital arena, and why are we only just now finding out?

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