One of my favourite memories from my grade eleven AP English class was watching Epic Rap Battles (ERB) on Friday afternoons. Fast forward to four years later, and watching these videos is still one of my favourite pastimes. Here’s a list of my five favourite Epic Rap Battles for you to check out on your next study break.
1. Bob Ross versus Pablo Picasso
This is easily my favourite episode of ERB. The actor playing Bob Ross not only nails his look, but also maintains the same relaxed demeanor that Bob exhibits in his PBS show The Joy of Painting, while roasting and asserting his superiority over Pablo.
2. Eastern Philosophers versus Western Philosophers
I must say that this may be biased to include, as I am a philosophy major, but something about seeing Friedrich Nietzsche rapping alongside Socrates against Eastern philosophers makes me happy every time I watch this. While the rap doesn’t feature a lot of the philosophers’ actual theories, the script does make some good plays on biographical details of each thinker, and the rap also culminates with each philosopher expressing their discontent with each other’s theories, ending in a true philosopher fashion.
3. Dr. Seuss versus William Shakespeare
This video makes the list simply because of the appearances of the Cat in the Hat from the book of the same name, as well as the appearances of Thing One and Thing Two.
4. Sir Isaac Newton versus Bill Nye
This is one of the more wholesome rap battles. Both Bill and Sir Isaac focus their raps on themselves more than dragging their opponent (unlike some ERB videos). The video also features a special appearance of astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, who wraps up the video.
5. Romeo and Juliet versus Bonnie and Clyde
This battle between two star-crossed couples features some of the best Epic Rap Battle roasts, and hits hard on parts of both Bonnie and Clyde’s lives and the events in Romeo & Juliet.