Edits often featured aggressive "phonk" music, which contrasted MrBeast's wholesome image with a "hard" or "menacing" aesthetic.
The core of the meme—specifically the image of a man shouting "MrBeast!" with a distinct pose—originated from a 2021 YouTube rap battle video titled "Squid Game vs. MrBeast" by creator . In this parody, an actor named Skitsy (Greg) portrayed MrBeast. His exaggerated gestures and facial expressions, designed to mimic MrBeast's high-energy YouTube style, inadvertently created the perfect template for surreal internet humor. Evolution and Viral Spread
Watch how the surreal 'Fake MrBeast' clip from a 2021 rap battle transformed into a massive cultural phenomenon: The Real Mr Beast Lessons in Meme Culture YouTube• Dec 21, 2022 Impact on the Creators
Users on TikTok and YouTube began using green screen versions of Skitsy's performance to insert the "Fake MrBeast" into increasingly absurd situations.
The meme became so large that even the real acknowledged it, eventually meeting and collaborating with Skitsy for a TikTok video . However, the creator of the persona, Skitsy, has spoken about the double-edged sword of this viral fame, noting that while it brought millions of views, it also led to personal struggles as he became inseparable from the "Fake MrBeast" character. Real MrBeast Encounter with Skitzy - TikTok
The meme truly took off in late 2022 and early 2023 when the rap battle clip was isolated and edited:
A sub-variant emerged featuring photoshopped images of MrBeast in designer clothing or urban settings, often referred to as "Hood MrBeast" or "MrLean".
The "MrBeast meme," often referred to as the or "MrBeast Phonk" meme, is a surreal internet phenomenon that transformed the philanthropist Jimmy Donaldson into a stylized, often aggressive caricature. The Rap Battle Origin