r/ERB mad that 15 year old webshow about nerds rapping in historical cosplay is getting stale

The latest ERB video is 3:17 long. Minus intro, credits, and Civ 6th Ad it's only 1:40 long.

Snippets of /r/ERB's latest discussion thread about the episode

What's your honest opinion on Napoleon vs. Charlemagne?

What the frick was that Harlem Shake reference?

I was fine with the Harambe line in Zilla vs Kong but...

fr, theyre lagging 10+ years behind in references

I will say, "People still place my name next to God, Charlemagne" was pretty fire. Other than that..... idk it just felt so bland. It was short and nothing hit hard.

Sometimes they said stuff so plainly that it confused me. Like okay Charlemagne did create a "font" but him just saying that bewilders you. The same thing happens with Napoleon saying that years have four numbers but that line is a bit better

i can't even remember a single line from the battle

I can pretty much recite Napoleon vs Napoleon line by line (or at the very least some of the best zingers) and that was literally years and years ago.

Saw this one last week… genuinely cannot even remember the closing lines. It wasn't that I hated it while I watched it, but it just didn't evoke a single reaction from me.

(Kong vs Godzilla I know by heart now tho)

when the history rap show uses actual historical figures:

when they use japan slop affirming hyperfixation:

A little underwhelming for me personally but I also don't know the combatants that well

It's fine ig? People are right that there's too much "verbosely explain the context of the diss before saying the diss", and the flow is weird ("Holyromanempire? established it") but some lines were funny and I like Charlemagne's first verse

I think someone in the FRB Groomercord elucidated it well; ERB is still primarily about comedy, and if you want a battle that's very technical and takes itself seriously you'll usually turn to fanmade battles. So when they do a serious military pomp-and-circumstance battle (and the first joke is a reference that's, what, 10 years out of date?), it feels sort of toothless

>erb groomercord

This next one is my favorite post of the thread. Pure unbridled autism folx.

ERB used to be fearless. They used to tear into the biggest names in history and pop culture with no mercy. They weren't afraid to take shots, to push boundaries, to make battles that actually had bite. They went after corporate machines, they went after politicians, they went after icons—and they did it with bars that actually burned. Now? They're nothing but sellouts.

Napoleon vs. Charlemagne was clean, safe, and soulless—engineered not for impact, but for sponsorship money. No real edge, no real fire, just a dull, sanitized product meant to keep advertisers happy. This wasn't made for the fans, it was made for the brand deals. The writing was soft, the beat was rushed garbage, and the performances were lifeless. It didn't feel like a rap battle—it felt like watching two actors read lines from a script they didn't believe in.

This isn't the same ERB that went toe-to-toe with corporations and spit bars that left people speechless. This is ERB: The Business, a company that prioritizes ad revenue over creativity. They don't make battles anymore—they make content. Forgettable, disposable, corporate-approved content. And the worst part? People still defend this, acting like ERB is untouchable when it's clear they stopped caring a long time ago.

Nobody will remember this battle in a week. Heck, nobody remembers their last five. And if this is all they've got left, they should just admit they're done instead of stringing us along with these weak, sponsor-friendly excuses for battles.

This video failed pretty hard, barely broke 1 million then it flatlined. They need to either quit beating this dead horse or show us they still have that grit and determination they used to have. I'm done with the games, come on ERB, STEP UP!!!

When was ERB ever this daring counter culture critique of the establishment like this guy has deluded himself into believing it is. Toe to toe with corporations? They were funded by Disney for YEARS. How anti-establishment was Lady Gaga vs. Sarah Palin or TMNT vs Artists? Was "both of these political candidates are bad (until it's against drumpf than hillary joe kamal MUST WIN!)" really that daring of a position? They're stupid rap comedy videos for nerds and geeks and if they actually are guiding you politically you're an r-slur. Simple as.