History Main / BattleRapping

While battle rapping is still a relatively new phenomenon, there are many similar older traditions. As far back as the fifth century, a game existed called [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flyting Flyting,]] a contest of exchanged insults performed in verse. The insults would be extremely provocative, ranging from cowardice to sexual perversion, not quite unlike the insults used in the rap battles of today. A more direct influence on rap battling is the African-American game called "the dozens", in which players take turns to come up with [[InsultComic witty insults]] against their opponent to raise the biggest applause from a crowd. Rap battling and "the dozens" also influenced and were influenced by ''reading'', an InspirationalInsult game popular in the [[DragQueen drag community]], due to the working class Black origins of ballroom culture.

** Baraka winning all rounds, only to get knocked out (or worse) by the last person he beat. The exceptions to this rule are the Sindel battle, where he and Raiden got blasted out of the building before he could spit his verse, and the Montaro battle where he lost for the first time [[spoiler:but still got electrocuted by Raiden for insulting him earlier.]]

* ''[=IISuperwomanII=]'' produced a ''Platform/YouTube vs Website/{{Vine}} Rap Battle'' featuring several [=YouTube=] and Vine celebrities dissing each others' favorite site.

* ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory'': A comedy video series (2010-ongoing) that popularized Battle Rapping on Website/YouTube and beyond, especially among people unfamiliar with the rap culture. An example of Nerdcore, it features historical and pop culture figures [[note]](played by the show's creators Nice Peter and Epic Lloyd, or {{Guest Star}}s)[[/note]] Battle Rapping against each other, in anachronistic and fourth-wall-breaking combinations, similar in premise to MTV's ''WesternAnimation/CelebrityDeathmatch'' (but with less murder and more rapping). The raps contain a lot of witty references to real (and often obscure) facts related to the portrayed characters and personalities, making these videos not just funny, but also (in a sense) educational. While not being the first example of comedic Battle Rapping on [=YouTube=] (see below), ''[=ERBoH=]'' are definitely the most popular of their ilk, and have spawned lots of successors and imitators. Guest stars appearing on the show include both RealLife and [=YouTube=] rappers like Music/SnoopDogg, [=Chali2na=], [=DeStorm=] Power, Music/DanBull, [=Wax=], George Watsky, Zach Sherwin, and a lot of other celebrities.

* Whitney Avalon's ''WebVideo/PrincessRapBattles'' series is the most popular of ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory'''s numerous Website/YouTube imitators. The series is built on the same premise as ''[=ERBoH=]'', except it mostly features fictional female characters ([[ArtifactTitle not necessarily princesses]]): ''[[WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs Snow White]] vs [[WesternAnimation/Frozen2013 Elsa]]'', ''MrsClaus vs Film/MaryPoppins'', ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Galadriel]] vs [[Franchise/StarWars Leia]]'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Cinderella}} vs [[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Belle]]''. Like ''[=ERBoH=]'', it sometimes features celebrity guest stars.

* ''[=IISuperwomanII=]'' produced a ''Website/YouTube vs Website/{{Vine}} Rap Battle'' featuring several [=YouTube=] and Vine celebrities dissing each others' favorite site.

* Website/{{YouTube}}r ''[=MBest11x=]'' produces a series of rap battles between different branches of U.S. Armed Forces (''Navy Seal vs Army Ranger'', ''Special Forces vs MARSOC'', ''Marines vs Army''), other manly occupations (''Police vs Firefighter''), and also a parodic ''ISIS vs USA'' rap battle that's only 16 seconds long [[spoiler:due to USA shooting ISIS right at the start]]

* ''Website/EconStories'', a Website/YouTube channel dedicated to popularizing economics, created two rap battles similar to ''[=ERBoH=]'' between John Maynard Keynes and F.A.Hayek, illustrating the main differences between their economic theories.

* WebVideo/{{Kitboga}} is a scambaiter popular on Website/YouTube and Website/{{Twitch}}. In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwiglJJ48Mk this video,]] Kitboga, as his character Viktor, manages to get a scammer boss to engage in a rap battle with him. The scammer claims that it's a tie, despite barely managing to rhyme and losing track of the beat.

-->--''''VideoGame/WarioWareGold''',

** Eminem has a reputation as a MemeticBadass due to his {{Diss Track}}s being great at wrecking the reputations of his opponents even when he's [[CherryTapping going easy on them]], though it's fair to comment that he rarely had a WorthyOpponent of anything close to his ability level. From 2002-2003, he [[CreatorKiller tore]] [[CondemnedByHistory through]] multiple careers, most notably Ja Rule (last seen as [[Horrible/MusicFestivals a Fyre Festival instigator]]) and ''The Source'' editor Benzino. While Eminem signed the death certificate of Benzino's career - albeit due to Benzino's all-consuming fixation on Eminem turning his own staff against him - Benzino inflicted a serious wound on Eminem by leaking [[OldShame some racist freestyles he did as a teenager]]. While Eminem did not face the same level of scrutiny for these freestyles as he likely would have today, they were instrumental in the accusations of racism Eminem faced for mocking Music/MichaelJackson on his ''Encore'' lead single "Just Lose It", contributing to the mixed reception to ''Encore'' and ending Eminem's imperial phase.

-->--'''VideoGameWarioWareGold''',