FRB (Fan-Made Rap Battle): Futaba Sakura vs Penny (Pokémon) Discussion Thread

[paleogamer11]

I’ve officially wanted to collaborate with an FRB (fan-made rap battle) creator since the latter half of 2023, when I was exposed to someone in the comment section of the Freshy Kanal rap battle Kokichi Ouma vs. The Riddler. Said user brought up the matchup of Futaba Sakura (Persona 5) vs. Penny (Pokémon Scarlet/Violet) and almost a month after seeing it, me and my best friend discussed the idea in detail and since then, we’ve grown fond of it. I would also bring up the idea to two FRB content creators (SIR Rap Battles and JAY SAVAGE) and later watch rap battles on my own to see what mistakes to learn from (I’d even give the latter creator constructive criticism on some of their battles). I’m getting to know and learn the concept of rap (and the production of a rap battle) and I think some of you people may provide further help on things each character can be dissed for.
This will be a thread for discussion of this idea and its history since first being exposed to it.

 

[paleogamer11]

Prologue: My History and Evolution of My Understanding of Rap Prior to Encountering the Idea

First and foremost, I should bring up how I was intrigued by the fan-made rap battle community and my prior history regarding it and my experience in rap/what to do right in it.
Prior to 2022, I have been exposed to rap battles (and some YouTube-based rap content in general, particularly from rappers Cam Steady and Mat4yo), but was more subjective and usually just enjoyed to listen to the rap battles I came across. In late 2022, however, I started getting more interested. My interest in FRB creator Freshy Kanal has started to form more and I began listening and judging rap battles in more objective views. Nowadays, I treat sane rap battles as actual rap battles. 2023 was the year I started getting more invested in the music genre. I would discover the channel that I considered to be the most underrated in the FRB community (to me): SIR Rap Battles. Discovering this channel was one of the greatest things that has happened to me recently. I did so in January with Sayori vs. Sayaka Miki and immediately after, I would watch one of my all-time favorite rap battles, also from that channel: Lofi Girl vs. Kousei Arima. I would then further get into some other FRB channels, particularly Eddiefrb (and Freshy Kanal, but I was already invested by 2023) and later 3ple. Overall, FRBs are a pleasure to listen to when executed with the right effort.
Regarding rap, I was already interested in YouTube-based rap battles, but rap content overall really saw growth in my likeness towards it after Cam Steady released his Pokémon Trainer Cypher in the first half of 2021. I would then properly get into Mat4yo and even subscribe to him. Speaking of Mat4yo, his old "Fans Get Chiseled!" miniseries intrigued me, and the criticisms he provided to the creators whose content was being reviewed in said video were genuine and insightful. I've since taken this criticism in mind and have brought it up with my best friend. Currently, I'm taking notes from this series and his Chisel This! Tutorials, the latter of which will help develop my rap profile and identity.
All in all, the impact of my development within the YouTube-based rap community has changed a lot since my first exposure, and I strive to practice and become part of it (though I should also mention that my main career/dream job (for now) is more focused on paleontology).
In my next post, I will talk about my first thoughts on the matchup and the first month or so for me after being exposed to it.