Jamaican dancehall kingpins Beenie Man and Bounty Killer are among 43 artistes who have become shareholders in the American social media company Triller.

This latest move comes amidst the sale of Verzuz, the online streaming and performance platform created by renowned music producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. As part of the deal, the two principals are giving part of their equity to all 43 performers who’ve played on Verzuz since its inception, and this includes the Jamaican duo who revolutionised the format of the musical battle when they performed in May of last year.

Both deejays responded to the gesture on social media. In response to a comment by Swizz Beatz, Bounty Killer noted, “Blessings bredda salute give thanks for being part of the evolution.”

Beenie Man added “Big up to my brothers.”

“This is a momentous occasion not only for Verzuz and Triller, but the music business as a whole,” Swizz Beatz and Timbaland said in a joint statement. “By putting Verzuz in the Triller Network ecosystem and expanding the Verzuz brand to be side by side with the powerful Triller app, we will be able to continue to grow and evolve the music business as a whole, as we have been doing. To have partners in Triller who share our vision, specifically to celebrate and elevate the amazing artistes who continue to shape culture around the world and give the consumer more direct access, is game changing.”

Triller is an American video making and social networking service owned by Proxima Media. It allows users to automatically edit and synchronise their videos to background tracks using artificial intelligence. Triller was released for iOS and Android in 2015, and it is currently led by President and CEO Mike Lu. The company claims to have over 250 million downloads. It is constantly in competition with the other social media app Tik Tok.