Stages have appeared as locations in multiple Epic Rap Battles of History episodes.
Information on the location
Stages are used by singers, magicians, or other performers to stand on while performing for the audience. Almost any location can be a stage, but the formal definition involves the platform and adjacent rooms that are viewable by the audience. A stage can also be a dedicated location for one or more background aspects of a larger production (e.g., sound stage).
Appearance in the rap battles
Season 1:
- Justin Bieber vs Beethoven: Justin Bieber raps against Ludwig van Beethoven in the bright lights of a modern stage.
Season 2:
- Michael Jackson vs Elvis Presley: Young Elvis Presley raps against Michael Jackson on a real stage filmed in black and white. When young Presley turns into older Presley, the stage is replaced by a spinning background of bright spotlights, similar to Justin Bieber's. This second stage is modeled after those used in Presley's later concerts.
- Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates: Steve Jobs is briefly seen on the Macworld Expo stage, during his heated final exchange with Bill Gates, who was on the screen behind him.
- Frank Sinatra vs Freddie Mercury: Freddie Mercury raps against Frank Sinatra on a stage with lights and smoke in the background, as well as Mercury's piano.
- Mozart vs Skrillex: Skrillex raps against Mozart on a contemporary techno stage. As in most modern concerts, the video panels behind Skrillex change as he raps.
Season 3:
- Hitler vs Vader 3: Boba Fett raps against Adolf Hitler on a stage similar to Justin Bieber's and older Elvis Presley's, with lights flashing to the beat.
- Miley Cyrus vs Joan of Arc: Miley Cyrus raps against Joan of Arc on a stage, which is most likely based on the stage at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.
- Donald Trump vs Ebenezer Scrooge: Kanye West raps against Ebenezer Scrooge on a modern rap concert stage, with sound waves moving to the beat, similar to Skrillex's stage.
Season 4:
- Oprah Winfrey vs Ellen DeGeneres: Ellen is briefly seen on stage at The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where Oprah appears on the televisions in her office in Chicago.
- David Copperfield vs Harry Houdini: Both David Copperfield and Harry Houdini rap on a magician's stage. In his first verse, Houdini raps on a stage with a red velvet curtain, similar to those he would usually perform on, and Copperfield raps on the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in which he performed various flying illusions.
Season 5:
- James Bond vs Austin Powers: Austin Powers poses, dances, and raps on a psychedelic transition stage for a few scenes, referencing the transition from one scene to another in his film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Powers' band, Ming Tea, also make their group cameo appearance here.
- Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton both rap on the stage in Washington University in St. Louis, just like the real second Presidential Debate.
- Theodore Roosevelt vs Winston Churchill: Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abe Lincoln appear on a stage performing a show after Mount Rushmore is shattered.
- Nice Peter vs EpicLLOYD 2: EpicLLOYD and Nice Peter appear on stages from previous battles, including Skrillex's, Houdini's, and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. EpicLLOYD raps on the first two stages, while Nice Peter makes an appearance on the last one.
Season 6:
- George Carlin vs Richard Pryor: George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Joan Rivers rapped on three different stages. Carlin raps on a stage based on his Life Is Worth Losing special, with light beams and buildings. Pryor can be seen rapping on a stand up comedy stage based on his Richard Pryor: Live in Concert special. Rivers rapped on a stage with moving and flashing lights, while Bill Cosby was laying face down after being drugged. The Hollywood Squares set can be seen in the background at the end of River's last line.
- Harry Potter vs Luke Skywalker: After Luke Skywalker finishes comparing Harry Potter to him, he is briefly seen in a black stage, igniting his Lightsaber.
Others:
- George Carlin appears on a stand-up comedy stage with a large brick wall at the end of the video titled: "Epic Rap Battles of History - Complete Season 1 HD"[1]
Trivia
- This is the most frequently recurring background, as it has appeared in fifthteen battles to date.
- This is the only type of location to appear in every season.
- Boba Fett, Austin Powers and Luke Skywalker are the only fictional characters to rap on a stage.
- David Copperfield vs Harry Houdini is the first battle where both of the main rappers' locations are two distinct stages.
- The psychedelic transition stage is the fourth location to be shot without the use of a screen backdrop, after the Overlook Hotel, a production set, and Quiche Rescue.
