Warning: Video-heavy blog post 🙂
Truth be told, I am a history nerd. I love everything about history. From the ancient civilizations to the 21st century, history is my forte. It is the only subject that I can study until the end of time. One day, when I was watching some videos on the React Channel, a video popped up in the suggestions labeled “Rasputin vs Joseph Stalin”. I was just blown away by the rapping and the ridiculous accuracy of the meanings behind the raps. I was so proud of myself because I know the references. I encountered this rap battle on a particular Youtube channel called Epic Rap Battles of History. (ERB for short) I immediately got interested. It slowly took over my life and I memorized the battles by heart. The beats in their rap battles are totally worth the replay button and you just can’t get those raps out of your head.
The spear head of the channel is Nice Peter and Epic Lloyd, two insanely badass rappers and men of history. The rap battles actually started out on Nice Peter’s channel, but they continued doing the battles on their official channel.They quickly gained a huge following, reaching 6 million subscribers by the start of their 3rd season. The show is now on its 5th season, and they just released the first rap battle. I have huge expectations this season, because this premier was AWESOME. And who’s in the battle? J.R.R Tolkien and George R.R. Martin!
Here are the reasons why you should subscribe to their channel:
First of all, they live up to their name. Like moi, their battles are EPIC. I mean who would’ve thought that Darth Vader and Adolf Hitler would have the greatest rap battle ever?
Second, their process is magic. The lyrically inducing raps, the eerie up-to-point make-up and costumes, the ridiculous lot of dedication through research and the amazing editing. That is why no matter how many Behind The Scenes videos they upload, I will watch every single one of it.
Third, the creators are very nice. They take battle suggestions from us, the fans. Which makes the creative process challenging and brilliant at the same time.
Of course, I will not stop there. Since Tuesday is famous for its top ten’s (pun intended), I am not leaving you guys empty handed. I will gladly list down my top ten favorite rap battles in descending order. Despite being listed, all of these battles are equally awesome. Believe me, I had a hard time.
10. Albert Einstein vs. Stephen Hawking
Who knew Einstein and Hawking had some known differences? This rap is too catchy to pass up, plus the lines are oh so incredible. Watch out for Stephen Hawking.
9. Romeo and Juliet vs. Bonnie and Clyde
I have been gushing about this battle for ages. Despite making wrong decisions, I love Romeo and Juliet to bits. I have long history with the play. But Bonnie and Clyde are also wonderful two peas in a pod. Plus, who would not love this battle? Hannah Hart and Grace Helbig are in this!
8. Darth Vader vs Adolf Hitler
Granted, the rap battle that they started with is John Lennon vs. Bill O’ Reilly. But, this was the rap battle that had people talking. It was just their second battle, but you could their creativity in this one. Sick rhymes, guys.
7. Stephen King vs Edgar Allan Poe
Two literary agents of horror battle it out on this one. If this does validate what is to come, Stephen King himself actually tweeted about this rap battle!
6. Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates
Sense knows nothing. This is the ultimate nerd battle. Ever imagined what would happen if Steve Jobs and Bill Gates finally battle it out? I can say that this will already satisfy that longing. Forget Ashton Kutcher’s Jobs. You can never go wrong with this one.
5. Cleopatra vs. Marilyn Monroe
Still the best woman battle on the show (sorry Oprah!), and it slays! Cat claws here and there, plus these girls are downright hardcore. Personally, I hope they incorporate more women in the battle. There are a lot more women who can get facts straight in a rap battle.
4. Eastern Philosophers vs. Western Philosophers
I almost forgot to mention that Epic Rap Battles of History drops bombs like these every now and then. These people obviously have a lot of differences, clearly because they all gave significant insights in the world of philosophy. It’s like a boss battle, but with three great minds in each team.
3. Rasputin vs. Stalin
Probably the most epic finale still, they made sure they ended with a bang. And all are Russian figures. As I mentioned earlier, this is the rap battle that got me to hit that lovely subscribe button.
2. Dr. Seuss vs William Shakespeare
I am a George Watsky fangirl. I now admit that. 🙂 No really, thanks to ERB. This is an early battle, but you can see how it is just as cool and well-thought out. It is a fact that Dr. Seuss suffered from oral cancer, so you have to see how he plays it out in this battle.
1. Mozart vs. Skrillex
This one eventually won it out, because you cannot be wrong with fusing classic music with dubstep. How is that even possible? Magic, with a hint two accurately portrayed figures.
Runner-ups!
I feel bad for taking these guys out of my top ten, so I decided to include it here.
–Gandhi vs. Martin Luther King Jr.–
–Steven Spielberg vs. Alfred Hitchcock–
–George Washington vs. William Wallace–
Well, that turned out well. I hope I was able to convince you guys to appreciate your history more. To be honest, I have this weird feeling that they will probably have Alexander Hamilton in a future battle. Let’s keep our fingers (and toes) crossed for that.
What’s your favorite epic rap battle? Leave down on the comments below!
P.S. Yes, I am aware that I just posted a hiatus post. But this is a special case. 😛
The Ultimate Fangirl 