Hitting that same comedy/education sweet spot as 'Drunk History', YouTube series 'Epic Rap Battles of History' is a mega-successful YouTube channel that pits some of history's biggest rivals against each other (along with the odd fictional character). They're currently on a live tour which stops at Stereo on Friday September 25 (and pops up in Edinburgh the night after) - if you're unfamiliar, here's a quick run-through of their best bits.
George Washington vs William Wallace
Filled with hoary clichés (golf, haggis, no knickers under kilt) and delivered with a questionable Scottish accent, the Wallace v Washington ERB is nonetheless a winner, especially with its relevance to these shores. Washington scores a beauty with ‘I got my face on the quarter / you were drawn and quartered’, but Wallace gets triple-bonus points for issuing a macho Gaelic slam with the US Marines-aping ‘Alba gu brath / hoo-rah!’
Best line: ‘Don’t tee off with me laddie / If you held my balls, you couldn’t be my caddy’.
Who won: Wallace. Yay for Scotland!
Sir Isaac Newton vs Bill Nye the Science Guy
Some would question what business American children’s entertainer Bill Nye has in squaring off against the father of physics, but that’s by the by – this vid gives special guest (and master of the comedy song format) Weird Al Yankovic the opportunity to spit brutal flow in a powdered wig, while hip hop legend Chali 2na (Jurassic Five) makes a cameo appearance as another US pop science figurehead, Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Best line: Tyson’s boastful ‘Astrophysics black guy / Hayden Planetary fly’.
Who won: Incredibly (and perhaps due to ERB’s predominantly American audience), it was Nye. It was close though, and we’re crediting Tyson with the assist.
Moses vs Santa Claus
We’re happy to admit we’ve got a soft spot for the special guest appearances on ERB – and they don’t get much more special that Snoop Dogg lending his flow to Moses in this battle for the true meaning of Christmas. Santa’s got his elfin crew to help out, but he’s no match for an actual real life rapper.
Best line: ‘With so much drama in the Israe-L BC / it’s kinda hard talking to the G O single D’.
Who won: Moses. Like there was ever any doubt.
Mahatma Gandhi vs Martin Luther King
Superlative American sketch duo Key & Peele have guested twice on ERB, popping up in season three to give a reasonably entertaining spin on Muhammed Ali vs Michael Jordan. However, we’re bigger fans of their season two debut, in which their legendary pacifists hugged it out while making lyrical war.
Best line: ‘Like the H in your name, you ought to remain silent / I flatten your style like bread – naan violence.’
Who won: Gandhi, probably because of his killer sign-off – ‘I am passively resisting how much you suck / I’m celibate because I don’t give a fuck.’
Frank Sinatra vs Freddie Mercury
Sinatra’s checkered history with politically incorrect slurs and mafia affiliation make him an ideal heel in this face off against the Queen vocalist, voiced with theatrical gusto by ERB creator Nice Peter. There’s a sneaky in-joke cameo for fans of internet lore as well – there's a non-speaking, blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance from Tay ‘Chocolate Rain’ Zonday as Sammy Davis Jr.
Best line: ‘What’s wrong with your face, baby? Yikes! / When you're through, with those teeth, there’ll be no dust left to bite.'
Who won: We’ll give you a clue – he already had a song about being a champion.
Epic Rap Battles of History, Stereo, Friday September 25.