History Main / BattleRapping

* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'': In the episode "Rap It Up", Pops accidentally gets involved in a feud with a rap group called the Crew Crew after mistaking their freestyle battles for a poetry recital. The members of the Crew Crew are voiced by real-life rappers Music/ChildishGambino, Tyler The Creator and MC Lyte.

* The movie ''Bodied'' was produced by Music/{{Eminem}} and the producers of ''Film/EightMile'', and has been described as a SamePlotReference to ''8 Mile'' but as a CringeComedy.

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 insult game popular in the [[DragQueen drag community]], due to the working class Black origins of ballroom culture.

[[folder:Film - Live Action]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* In the ''Series/ThatsSoRaven'' season two episode "Hearts and Minds", Corey used rap lyrics ghostwritten by Eddie to impress a girl named Danielle, but ends up attracting all the other girls in his class instead. When the all the attention goes to his head and he starts giving Danielle the cold shoulder, Raven (who has been releasing rap albums since 1993 in real life) crashes his Valentines Day performance and lays into him with some genuinely clever battle raps. Corey attempts to save face by freestyling a rebuttal, but [[EpicFail botches it horribly]], revealing that he couldn't rap on his own.
* ''Series/HorribleHistories'' featured three rap battles: One between two Celtic warriors, another between the major players of World War 1, and a "Manga Carta" battle between the Noble Men of England and King John.

* In ''Series/{{Galavant}}'', Isabella and Madalena get into a rap battle/catfight in the second season.
* The fifth season of ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess'' featured the MusicalEpisode "Lyre Lyre Hearts On Fire" that culminated in a rap battle/fight scene between Xena and recurring antagonist Draco.

* ''Series/Legion2017'' has Oliver against Wolf in the Astral Plane.
* Creator/{{BET}}'s former flagship show ''106 & Park'' had "Freestyle Friday", where various battle rappers would compete weekly in a two-round battle format between videos for various prizes in front of a panel of three judges. Due to FCC regulations, cursing or using sexually suggestive lyrics was an automatic disqualification (which nearly got the segment banned from the show as a result of repeated violations). Unlike most battle rap leagues, there was a GameShowWinningsCap: Any emcee who was undefeated for seven straight battles would be retired, and put into the segment's Hall of Fame. When Freestyle Friday was revived in 2008, the Hall of Fame winning streak was reduced to five battles. Among the most famous undefeated battlers to come from the segment were Jin (who got a record deal off his success on the show), Blind Fury, and Mahogany Jones (The show's lone undefeated female emcee.) When ''106 & Park'' was cancelled in 2014, Jin and Blind Fury were brought back to close out the final episode with a cypher.

* In ''[[VideoGame/WarioWare WarioWare Gold]]'' 18-Volt's stage is centered around such a battle between him and a rival rapper named 13-Amp, with a kid's games that the latter took on the line.

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 insult game popular in the drag community, due to the working class Black origins of ballroom culture.

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 ''reading'', an insult game popular in the drag community, due to the working class Black origins of ballroom culture.

These days, there are leagues dedicated solely to battle rapping, and battle rap has been parodied many times in various media, Most notably by WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory.

Related to FreestyleVersion, though in a more competitive sense. Compare BoastfulRap, which is a main component in battle rapping. Overlaps heavily with TheDissTrack, though that trope isn't exclusive to hip-hop.

While battle rapping is still a relatively new phenomenon, its roots can be traced as far back as the fifth century to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flyting Flyting,]] which is a contest of exchanged insults, usually 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.

* Chapter 108 of ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' ends up becoming a rap battle between Hayasaka and Kaguya, where Hayasaka gives Kaguya a piece of her mind for how Kaguya takes Hayasaka and her services for granted. When the anime eventually adapted the chapter, the episode included featuring it had a unique credits sequence depicting an actual on stage rap battle between Shirogane and Fujiwara with Ishigami and Iino as backup dancers.

* Chapter 108 of ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' ends up becoming a rap battle between Hayasaka and Kaguya, where Hayasaka gives Kaguya a piece of her mind for how Kaguya takes Hayasaka and her services for granted.

* Music/KoolMoeDee vs Busy Bee Starski: On September 11, 1981, A series of rap battles took place at Harlem World in New York City. Starski, who was the headlining rapper that night, was challenged by Kool Moe Dee. Starski started the battle off with the typical battle rap of the time, hamming it up for the crowd and getting them on their side with his party rhymes. When Moe's turn came around, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86XG7gw4RIA he utterly roasted Starski,]] making claims that he stole his rhymes from Spoonie Gee, a member of Moe's group ''The Treacherous Three''. Not only did Kool Moe Dee win that battle, he changed the face of battle rapping forever. [[http://www.dallasobserver.com/2007-04-26/news/blow-average/ As the ''Dallas Observer'' noted]] in a retrospective:

* PlayedForLaughs in ''Anime/{{Aggretsuko}}'', where Ton takes an opportunity at karaoke after getting drunk to deliver a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Retsuko. When Retsuko takes her turn at the mic, her rebuttal is brief, but
brutal and metal as hell.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''Anime/{{Aggretsuko}}'', where Ton takes an opportunity at karaoke after getting drunk to deliver a TheReasonsYouSuckSpeech to Retsuko. When Retsuko takes her turn at the mic, her rebuttal is brief, but

* This is the basic premise of ''VideoGame/FridayNightFunkin''. The game's initial premise is set up as a rap contest between The Boyfriend and her parents over whether or not you can date your girlfriend. However, most of the game's "lyrics" are just ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing''-style gibberish.

** 1991: East Coast rapper Tim Dog (no relation or affiliation to Music/SnoopDogg) releases [[PrecisionFStrike "Fuck Compton"]], a scathing diss track that took shots at every major west coast artist at the time, with the exception of Music/IceT. This led to responses from most of the names mentioned on the track, most notably "Way 2 Fonky" by DJ Quik, and "Fuck Wit Dre Day" by Music/DrDre and Music/SnoopDogg.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''The Warp Zone'' turned ''Film/TheHobbitTheBattleOfTheFiveArmies'' into a ''The Rap Battle of Five Armies'', and have also included Battle Rapping in several of their other videos (e.g. ''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batman Rap]]'', ''[[VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs Batman vs Superman]]''). Recently they've released a seemingly parodic rap battle between [[Series/GameOfThrones Hodor]] and [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Groot]], which seems to go [[PokemonSpeak as well]] [[VerbalTicName as you'd expect]]... [[spoiler:unless you rewatch it with subtitles on]]

** In 2019, Dan and his friend [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvbc2N6biTMUDFE_b79TPbw The Supendium]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADwUlpdR_PA each]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW7EI8jpAwU&feature=youtu.be made]] a video [[PromotedFanboy on behalf]] of 11 Bit Studios (who [[ApprovalOfGod loved]] their earlier songs) as an advertisement for ''VideoGame/{{Frostpunk}}'''s console release. With Dan portraying [[DayOfTheJackboot Order]] and Stupendium as [[TheTheocracy Faith]]. With the first verse setting up their ideology, the second showing their decent into tyranny and what they plan to do to their opposition. Finally the ending verse is based off the video watched and shows the rapper proclaiming victory but showing [[WasItReallyWorthIt doubt about what they did]] (with both last verse's being deliberately [[TheHorseshoeEffect similar]]).

While battle rapping is still a relatively new phenomenon, its roots can be traced back as far back as the fifth century to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flyting Flyting,]] which is a contest of exchanged insults, usually 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.

* ''Music/TheFoxyBard'': "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK67RF2-NTw Epic Verse Battles of Sterling]]" features Rabbi Shmuel and a Christian Puritan woman performing a "disputation" at a RenaissanceFestival to determine whose religion is right -- all in the form of a rap battle.

* ''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 GuestStars)[[/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.