Epic Rap Battles of History is one of the most unexpectedly beloved series on the web, and deservedly so. When the show went on its infamous 23-month hiatus after a stellar fifth season, fans were understandably clamoring for more, and along came a then-little-known music producer to give the people what they want.
Now, rap battle series based on ERB were dime-a-dozen in the show's heyday, and most of those were forgettable at the best of times, but Dustin's rap battle series proved a refreshing change of pace by being the best possible match for the original series' style and even improving on it in some ways. ERB, being one of the biggest web-shows out there, is largely restricted to using only the most A-list of characters in their battles; FK, by contrast, has shown more willingness to go to less-well-known places and pull from more niche sources for his battles. He's displayed a talent for clever wordplay and hard-hitting wit on par with the best ERB verse, and his penchant for complex, multi-syllabic rhyme schemes will make you wonder if he hired Eminem as a ghostwriter.
Granted, much like ERB (and, let's face it, most "versus" shows) FK's series started out slow at first, but steadily improved its formula and became something truly admirable by its second season.
And not for nothing, but I've personally found FK's show to be a fantastic Gateway Series; I credit it for getting me into A Series of Unfortunate Events, Danganronpa, Demon Slayer, Matilda, Stranger Things, Squid Game, Hot Ones, and of course MRBEAST!!!
In short, if Peter and Lloyd are the rap battle community's parents, then Dustin is the cool uncle who looks after us when they're away.
WebVideo ERB After Dark
"While the King was looking down, the Jester stole his thorny crown". That is perhaps the best analogy I can use for the unexpected success of Freshy Kanal.
Epic Rap Battles of History is one of the most unexpectedly beloved series on the web, and deservedly so. When the show went on its infamous 23-month hiatus after a stellar fifth season, fans were understandably clamoring for more, and along came a then-little-known music producer to give the people what they want.
Now, rap battle series based on ERB were dime-a-dozen in the show's heyday, and most of those were forgettable at the best of times, but Dustin's rap battle series proved a refreshing change of pace by being the best possible match for the original series' style and even improving on it in some ways. ERB, being one of the biggest web-shows out there, is largely restricted to using only the most A-list of characters in their battles; FK, by contrast, has shown more willingness to go to less-well-known places and pull from more niche sources for his battles. He's displayed a talent for clever wordplay and hard-hitting wit on par with the best ERB verse, and his penchant for complex, multi-syllabic rhyme schemes will make you wonder if he hired Eminem as a ghostwriter.
Granted, much like ERB (and, let's face it, most "versus" shows) FK's series started out slow at first, but steadily improved its formula and became something truly admirable by its second season.
And not for nothing, but I've personally found FK's show to be a fantastic Gateway Series; I credit it for getting me into A Series of Unfortunate Events, Danganronpa, Demon Slayer, Matilda, Stranger Things, Squid Game, Hot Ones, and of course MRBEAST!!!
In short, if Peter and Lloyd are the rap battle community's parents, then Dustin is the cool uncle who looks after us when they're away.
(Credit to ScruFaceJean for the review's title.)