The internet is full of awesome, weird, strange, sick, and entertaining things. Certain gems of creative genius rise to the surface and become a part of internet culture that cannot be ignored. Epic Rap Battles of History became one of those genius gems that are essential and unforgettable.

The comedic rap YouTube series was created by Nice Peter (Peter Shukoff) and EpicLLOYD (Lloyd Ahlquist). The first episode, John Lennon vs. Bill O’Reilly, was first seen on Nice Peter’s channel in 2010. The rap battle featured the two vastly different characters verbally tearing each other down.

Political videos taking the liberal or conservative side, however, are common. Would a guy doing a rap about how horrible Bill O’Reilly was really stand out? Of course not. The first video set the stage of genius for the rest of the series. That genius was in the inherent neutrality of the rap.

Although their first rap battle became successful, the rap series didn’t go viral until their second video. Adolf Hitler vs. Darth Vader didn’t just debut on November 10, 2010; it exploded. The video now has over 80 million views and two sequels. Many followers of Epic Rap Battles of History began their journey with one of the videos from that trilogy.

The Inquisitr interviewed several fans of the rap battles in an attempt to understand why the series is considered genius.

One fan, Michael Asher, said, “Adolf Hitler vs. Darth Vader 2 was the first Epic Rap Battle of History video I ever watched. It appealed to me because they put the two most evil personalities in the universe up against each other. I’m not really a fan of rap, but there’s something about getting to see strange match-ups like this that’s interesting.”

“The match-ups are good. You don’t come across very many rap battles that don’t make sense,” said Kevin Gaines. “There’s no amateur match. They do it right because the rap battles between the two people are like the Super Bowl of the subject.”

Brittani Smith added, “What really appealed to me was that they know exactly how to flow with the music and they seem to do their research when it comes to bringing facts into the rap.”

Research was a common theme among what fans of the rap series liked. Many of the people interviewed stated that they could see the amount of time and effort put into researching the characters for each epic rap battle. Which begs the question, could rap battles like these be beneficial to education?

Lisa Rice, mother of two young children, stated, “if it inspires someone to go look up Tesla, or another historic figure, than rap battles do have some educational merit.”

“Epic Rap Battles of History has all the potential to stimulate interest in topics the historical figures cover. Rap is great for bridging that gap between fun and research,” another mother, Caitlin Vaughn, added.

Gerrad Stamper continued, “Rap is actually a good way to get a kid, or even an adult, to rapid-fire remember lines or lyrics.”

“Absolutely,” replied Asher. “I didn’t learn a lot about Joan of Arc in school. After watching the video Miley Cyrus vs. Joan of Arc, I walked away knowing a lot more about her. It inspired me to look her up.”

For right now, the rap series dedicates itself to entertainment. EpicLLOYD and Nice Peter pride themselves (rightfully so) on the work they put into the series – including a great deal of research. There’s a decent amount of historical accuracy in the rap battles, but some of the facts are exaggerated in order to develop the humor.

That’s where the rest of the genius comes in.

Epic Rap Battles of History may very well be able to revolutionize the way some people study, tutor or teach. For people that have trouble concentrating, such as those suffering from ADD/ADHD, mnemonics help them memorize facts. Music mnemonics is a proven method for use in studying. Rap, like in the battles created by Epic Rap Battles of History, could be the perfect catalyst for absorbing information.

[ Images/Videos courtesy of ERB ]