JM VS ZEN

Appearance & Location

"I don’t wanna hear no bad chat from a guy with a big nose coming from Leeds."

JM opens with appearance and location. He immediately targets ZEN’s nose and Leeds background, setting up the 'Leeds/leads' wordplay that follows.

Leeds/leads Wordplay

"If you were fed, you would get no leads."

This is a Leeds/leads wordplay bar. 'Leads' can mean investigative leads for police, while ZEN is from Leeds. JM says even if ZEN were police, he would get nowhere.

Leeds/leads Wordplay

"I hear that this girl puts him on leads."

This extends the Leeds/leads scheme into a dog-control image. 'On leads' suggests ZEN is being controlled by a woman, making him look weak or submissive.

Status & Reputation

"Washed-out version of P-A-S-S-I-V-E."

JM compares ZEN to PASSIVE, saying ZEN is a weaker version of him. It is a platform-aware insult because PASSIVE is a known PenGame figure.

Battle History

"You lost facing Villain on Don’t Flop."

This references ZEN’s battle history on Don’t Flop, a major UK battle rap platform. JM uses the loss to attack ZEN’s reputation outside PenGame.

Pop Culture Reference

"I can go Nightmare on Elm Street into your sleep."

This references A Nightmare on Elm Street, where Freddy Krueger attacks people in dreams. JM uses it to say he can reach ZEN even when he is sleeping.

Appearance

"You look like Ibrahimović."

This references Zlatan Ibrahimović, the footballer. JM uses the comparison as a visual insult, likely around nose, face shape or confidence.

Pop Culture Reference

"Moves mad like Neo from Matrix, trying to dodge them bullets."

This references Neo from The Matrix, especially the famous bullet-dodging scene. JM uses it to mock ZEN’s movement and performance style.

Status & Reputation

"I don’t wanna hear about long-haired leng man, I don’t wanna hear about PenGame champ."

JM rejects ZEN’s image and status. He says neither ZEN’s appearance nor his champion reputation matters in this battle.

Disrespect & Appearance

"When you spit, you move mad like you’ve got cerebral palsy — or is that a cramp?"

This is a disability-based insult and should be treated strictly as battle material. JM uses it to mock ZEN’s movement while rapping. It is harsh and uncomfortable, but it is part of the battle’s second-round attack.

Status & Progress

"I’ve improved on all my battles I’ve done, and you’re still stuck in your past."

This is one of JM’s better status angles. He positions himself as improving quickly while ZEN is relying on old achievements. It is a strong tournament argument.

Experience Gap

"If I had your experience, I’d be the baddest fam."

JM points out the experience gap. He is saying ZEN has been around longer but has not done enough with that time. It makes JM look like the hungrier battler.

Appearance & Disrespect

"This little idiot looks like a cracked-out Ilhan mixed with a Taliban."

This is a race/religion/appearance insult and should be handled carefully as battle material only. JM uses political and ethnic imagery to mock ZEN’s appearance.

Identity & Disrespect

"Your full name is Faris Sawar, and you can’t say a stuff for Allah."

This uses ZEN’s real name and religious identity as an attack. Again, this should be treated as battle material, not factual commentary on faith.

Name Flip

"You can never battle with me bro — Z-E-N, small zoot with a roach."

JM starts his third by spelling ZEN’s name and reducing him to something small and smokeable. It is a direct name flip.

Age & Experience

"I’m a V-E-T-E-R-A-N and I’m 22, you’re an old man and a pro."

This is one of JM’s strongest concepts. He spells 'veteran' to say he is experienced despite being only 22, while ZEN is older and should be much further ahead.

Nose Joke

"You’ve got a snorkel, that’s not a nose."

This is a nose joke. A snorkel is long and sticks out, so JM uses it to exaggerate ZEN’s nose. It is simple but effective.

Nose Joke

"She said ZEN can you reach my G-spot? He said I can with my nose."

This continues the nose angle with a crude sexual punch. It gets a strong reaction because it is direct, visual and easy to understand.

Name Flip

"Faris, you wish you was one of them guys in Paris."

This is a Faris/Paris wordplay bar. JM uses ZEN’s real name and links it to Paris to attack his image and status.

Experience Gap

"You got about 10 years’ experience on me dog, you should be embarrassed."

This is a central JM argument. He says ZEN has been battling longer but is still in the same tournament position. It makes JM look like the rising talent.

Football Metaphor

"It’s funny how I’m from the land of Wales, but he looks like the Turkish Gareth Bale."

This references Gareth Bale, the Welsh footballer. JM, being from Wales, flips ZEN’s appearance into a 'Turkish Gareth Bale' insult. It is one of his best closing punches.

Name Pattern

"Z to the N again."

ZEN opens with his signature name pattern. It immediately brands the round and gives him a recognisable start.

Appearance

"Your beard looks like a rug."

This is a simple visual insult. ZEN attacks JM’s facial hair and makes it sound artificial or messy.

Lifestyle Allegation

"You was in Wales sniffing up drugs in a club."

This is a serious drug-use allegation-style angle and should be treated as battle material, not fact. ZEN uses it to attack JM’s image and lifestyle.

Coffee Scheme

"JM used to work with coffee, and it made sense, cause now he’s getting talked for a mug."

This begins ZEN’s strongest round-one scheme. 'Mug' means both a cup for coffee and a foolish person. It is a clean coffee/work wordplay bar.

Coffee Scheme

"Your girl left for a Black guy… all you could give her was flat white."

This continues the coffee scheme. A flat white is a coffee drink, and ZEN uses it as both a drink reference and a racial/relationship insult. It is battle material and should be handled as such.

Coffee Scheme

"Used to wake up and make her a Nescafé, now she takes something Black in the morning."

This extends the coffee/relationship scheme. Nescafé is a coffee brand, and 'Black in the morning' works as both coffee and relationship imagery.

Coffee Scheme

"If I tell man the brother’s been grinding, just know I’m on about making coffee."

This is a strong double meaning. 'Grinding' can mean working hard or grinding coffee beans. ZEN uses it to keep the scheme connected.

Coffee Scheme

"You ever see this Starbuck? Costs an arm and a leg."

This references Starbucks and the phrase 'costs an arm and a leg.' ZEN uses it to continue the coffee scheme while also implying violence or cost.

Biting Accusation

"Stole that bar from a battle and we know."

ZEN accuses JM of biting a bar. This is a serious accusation in battle rap because originality matters. It strengthens the round by attacking JM’s pen.

Coffee Scheme

"This brother put a cap in cappuccino."

This is one of the best coffee-scheme punches. 'Cap' can mean lie, and cappuccino is another coffee drink. ZEN uses the coffee language to call JM a liar.

Insurance Scheme

"These days JM working insurance… third party, fire and theft."

This is an insurance scheme. Third party, fire and theft is a type of car insurance cover. ZEN uses JM’s alleged work in insurance to build a full angle.

Biblical Flip

"JM’s real name’s Joseph, but his little baby never had a space in a manger."

This references the Nativity story, where Joseph is connected to the birth of Jesus and the manger. ZEN flips JM’s real name into a family/housing insult.

Airport Scheme

"If I lick man down in Heathrow, you ain’t gonna see him take off again."

This starts ZEN’s short second round. Heathrow is a major London airport, and 'take off' links to flights. It is a clean airport punch.

Airport Scheme

"If the brother got killed today at the airport, there would be a big delay."

This continues the airport scheme. Delays are common in airports, so ZEN uses that language to describe the impact of taking JM out.

Pop Culture Reference

"If he ever puts a plane in the sky, it will launch a grenade like Ginger J."

This mixes airport/plane imagery with a PenGame personality reference. It is a violent cartoon-style punch and part of the same travel scheme.

Status & Dominance

"This poser’s yours, nothing but a passenger princess."

This is one of ZEN’s third-round angles. 'Passenger princess' refers to someone who rides around being driven rather than doing the driving. ZEN uses it to make JM look dependent.

Pop Culture Reference

"You were the one that drove car — we can all tell that this brother’s on Top Gear."

This references Top Gear, the car television show. ZEN flips car/driving imagery into a punch about JM’s role and status.

Location Punch

"Swansea, you’re about to drown."

This is a location punch aimed at JM’s Welsh background. Swansea is a coastal Welsh city, so ZEN uses drowning imagery to make the attack feel localised.

Travel Angle

"If it wasn’t for me, you’d be catching a train every time you’re out of town."

This continues the travel/passenger angle. ZEN says JM depends on him for lifts or movement, making JM look less independent.

Pop Culture Reference

"You ain’t got a technique like Miyagi."

This references Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid, known for martial arts technique. ZEN says JM lacks technique, both in battle and possibly in movement.

Mum Joke

"Your mum looks like Mary Berry."

This references Mary Berry, the British TV baking personality. ZEN uses it as a visual mum joke. It gets folded into the wider family material.

Onion Bhaji Line

"I found out that your cousin’s Bengali, that means that your mumsy’s white but she went and got fucked for an onion bhaji."

This is the most controversial and most reactive bar of the battle. It uses ethnicity and food imagery to attack JM’s mother and mixed background. It should be archived carefully as offensive battle material, not endorsed commentary. The crowd reaction is huge, and the judges specifically mention the onion bhaji line.

Mum Joke

"Your mum got ran through like a marathon."

This continues the mum/sexual-history angle. It is crude and personal, used to extend the previous racialised family punch.

Status Punch

"Tell man you’re the best in Wales, but right now it be looking very traumatic."

This is a status punch. ZEN says JM’s claim to be one of the best in Wales is being damaged in the battle.