David Copperfield vs Harry Houdini | |
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Battle information | |
Release date | June 8, 2015 |
Number | 53 |
Views | 20M |
Length | 2:21 |
Timeline | |
Previous | Lewis and Clark vs Bill and Ted |
Next | Terminator vs Robocop |
Beat Information | |
Beat(s) | ??? |
BPM | 140 |
Beat producer(s) | BeatBoxerz |
Other information | |
Actors | Nice Peter EpicLLOYD Josie Ahlquist Tony Clark Dante Cimadamore Lauren Francesca |
Rappers | |
Cameos | Bess Houdini A police officer Criss Angel Chloe Gosselin |
Location(s) | A magician stage The Broward Center for the Performing Arts New York City |
David Copperfield vs Harry Houdini is the fifty-third installment of Epic Rap Battles of History and the eighth episode of Season 4. It features renowned American illusionist, David Copperfield, rapping against Hungarian-American illusionist and stunt performer, Harry Houdini. It was released on June 8th, 2015.
Cast
Rappers
Nice Peter as David Copperfield
Cameos
Josie Ahlquist as Bess Houdini
Tony Clark as a police officer
Dante Cimadamore and EpicLLOYD as Criss Angel (body actor and voice actor, respectively)
Lauren Francesca as Chloe Gosselin
Lyrics
[Note: Harry Houdini is in gray, David Copperfield is in white, and Criss Angel is in purple.]
Harry Houdini:
You've never seen a body quite the same as that of Houdini!
Slippery like linguine, sneaking outta teeny-weenie,
Little spaces small enough to fit your talent, David!
You're not a challenge, David!
Your biggest endowment's your bank account balances, baby!
So abracadabra, you billowy bitch!
Man, you look like a pirate on the Las Vegas strip!
I'm swallowing needles and spitting out evil; you couldn't escape from a flash paper bag!
I'm badder with patter and matter of fact, you can't match all my skill if you sawed me in half!
David Copperfield:
When I was a child, you were a god to me. I had to do what you do.
Now, you're like a Chinese wall to me. Bitch, I'll walk right through you.
This ain't the magic that you're used to.
I float a rose, hands free, like it's Bluetooth.
My grand illusions make your parlor tricks irrelevant.
The foot of Lady Liberty is stomping on your elephant.
You failed at making movies, and you failed at making kids.
You should stick to what you're good at and lock them lips!
(Ooh!) Here's a tidbit that might drive you nuts:
I bought half your shit, and I keep it locked up!
Got the slim fingers that were built for sleights.
You're a chunky stuntman dressed in tights!
You talk shit about your hero; that ain't right,
But you can look up to me now. I know you like heights!
Harry Houdini:
(Ah!) Your hack of a Bob Saget-y act is embarrassing!
You're the saddest thing to happen to Magic since The Gathering!
I'm hanging by my ankles; from a crane, I dangle!
I got lox on my bagel that you couldn't handle!
Smash your mirrors, leave your flying wires tangled,
And you can't hide shame with a camera angle!
Did somebody say Angel? No. Oh…
David Copperfield:
See what they'd be watching if it wasn't for me?
I remind the world that magic is supposed to make you happy!
While you waste time proving everybody wrong,
I'm backstage getting my supermodel groove on!
You should relax. Take a private trip
To my private island; suck my private dick!
(Uh!) I'll summon up a little Halloween brunch:
Deep-fried sucker with a side of punch!
Scrapped lyrics
Harry Houdini:
Abracadabra, you silly little billowy bitch!
You look like a skinny pirate off the Las Vegas strip!
And that hair, are you really for real?
You should change your stage name to David Cockatiel!
You couldn't break your way out of a flash paper bag!
You couldn't match up to my skill if you sawed it in half!
Let me give you something you just don't understand:
You're like a magic Bob Saget and I'm a fucking crazy man!
I'm the daring Hungarian, escaping from cans,
That are smaller than the ones you spray tan in!
I'm hanging in chains off of cranes and things.
You're embarrassing to Magic like The Gathering!
I put my life on the line every time I step in the lime light.
I rhyme right, Magic Mike, you can't even lock down a wife!
You're not a magic man - nope, I'll like a milk can,
And when I smack you in the face it won't be a "sleight of hand"!
Your tragic Bob Saget magic tricks should stick to TV land (Oooh!)
Rhymes are as sharp as the part in my hair (Ahhh!)
Hungarian immigrant hunger; American flair,
Hanging 180 from cranes like a hundred and eighty feet up in the air!
I'm Harry Houdini! Holla if you see me!
Butt naked lock picker and a lyrical genie!
Meanwhile your act's so embarrassing it's staggering,
The whackest thing that's happening in Magic since The Gathering!
I hang out on cranes chained to with ankle strained straitjacket on.
You hang out with Carrot Top and Celine Dion!
It's something you couldn't understand:
You're a cheerful kind of showman;
I'm a fucking crazy man!
Poll
Trivia
General
- The "More Battles" section in the end slate shows Lao Tzu for a short moment during the reel.
- This is the fifth battle to reveal characters of an upcoming battle in an end slate.
- This is the second battle where the locations are not separated with a straight line, after John Lennon vs Bill O'Reilly.
- David Copperfield is the twelfth person confirmed to know about their rap battle.
- He is the sixth person to have acknowledged the video on Twitter.
- Criss Angel also acknowledged the video on his Twitter account, despite having made a non-rapping appearance.
- He is the sixth person to have acknowledged the video on Twitter.
- On August 17th, 2016, the thumbnail was changed.
- This makes it the third battle to have its thumbnail changed, after Frank Sinatra vs Freddie Mercury and Zeus vs Thor.
- On August 22nd, 2016, Harry Houdini's quote, "What the eye sees, the ear hears, and the mind believes," was written in the description of the video.
- This battle, and a brief interview with Nice Peter, are featured in several sections of the 2019 biography The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini by Joe Posnanski.
References
- During Houdini's line, "You can't match all my skill if you sawed me in half!", another Houdini can be seen over his shoulder pushing the top half of a third Houdini off of his lower half, referencing a trick performed by David Copperfield.
- Houdini's suspended straitjacket escape, as well as his location, during the second verse was based on a video of the same escape trick he performed many times throughout his career.
- The steel rig with the white sheet that can be seen during the line, "I'm backstage getting my supermodel groove on!", is a reference to Copperfield's trick where he supposedly went through the Great Wall of China.
- The heart monitor sound that can be heard in the beat throughout the battle could also be a reference to the trick.
- At the end of the battle, the ERB logo instantaneously morphs into a dove, a reference to an act by famed magician Lance Burton, in which he would produce doves from various objects, including playing cards, newspapers, and a fireball.
Errors
- At 0:14, part of Bess Houdini's heel is missing.
- In Houdini's first verse: "linguine" is misspelled as "linguini".
- During Copperfield's first verse, "Lady Liberty" should have been capitalized, as it is a title.
- Another spelling error occurs in Copperfield's verse: "sleights" is misspelled as "slights".
- This could be intentional, if "slights" is also taken to mean an insult.
- At 1:22, the reflective part of Angel’s belt is keyed out.
- At 1:27, the white sheet that Copperfield walks behind is covering the sides of the steel rig. However, when the camera zooms in at 1:28, the sides of the rig are not covered by the sheet. At 1:30, the sheet can be seen covering the sides of the rig again.
- At the end of Copperfield's second verse, the letters "RIP" briefly appear on the lid of the tray as he takes it off.
- At 1:43, the end of Copperfield's magic cane vanishes.