Nerdcore

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the genre that fuses chiptune with various associated rock music and is also sometimes called nerdcore, see
Nardcore
.

Nerdcore
Other names
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsLate 1990s–early 2000s
Subgenres
Geeksta rap
Other topics
Photograph of a man in a green shirt holding a microphone.
MC Frontalot, considered the "Godfather of Nerdcore", performing in April 2007

Nerdcore is a genre of

DIY ethic, and has a history of self-publishing and self-production.[6]

Though nerdcore rappers rhyme about anything from politics to science fiction, there are some perennial favorites in nerdcore subject matter, including

role-playing games, science, fantasy
and computers.

Music with similar themes, but different musical styles can be found in the

MF DOOM, who was heavily inspired by comic book supervillains but is generally seen as more conventional hip hop. Conversely, one does not need to concentrate on those topics to be nerdcore: most of the songs by Frontalot do not focus narrowly on stereotypically nerdy topics. The difference is largely one of self-identification; the group Blackalicious does not identify as "nerds", while Frontalot does.[7]

Sound

Being more defined by lyrics, nerdcore has no unifying musical sound, and the sound of nerdcore varies wildly from artist to artist. One common theme, especially in the early days of the genre, is

Random, created an album dedicated to the Mega Man video games in 2007 titled MegaRan. Though some artists have moved away from this—Frontalot, for example, completely remixed several songs to remove uncleared samples before releasing them commercially on his 2005 album Nerdcore Rising—it is still quite common, as most nerdcore tracks are released non-commercially and thus attract little to no attention from the RIAA
.

Several DJs have provided beats and done remixes for multiple nerdcore artists, most notably Baddd Spellah, who currently mixes the majority of Frontalot's tracks. Spellah also won a remix competition in 2004.

History

Photograph of a woman holding a microphone
MC Router performing in June 2007

The earliest known recorded use of the term "nerdcore hip hop" was in 2000 by MC Frontalot. However, prior to that time artists as varied as the

It's All About The Pentiums" in 1999 and "White & Nerdy
" in 2006), as well as Foil in 2014 and others.

Photograph of a man in a red jacket holding a microphone.
YTCracker performing in January 2013

In the summer of 2004 the fledgling genre took a large step forward when the popular web comic

Penny Arcade Expo, in Bellevue, WA. Though the expo was primarily devoted to video and table top gaming, geek-friendly musicians also performed including Penny Arcade's "official rapper" MC Frontalot and Optimus Rhyme.[8]

The next year, two full concerts took place at the 2005 Penny Arcade Expo and included nerdy hip-hop acts MC Frontalot and Optimus Rhyme.[9] After the 2005 expo, all three acts would have the "nerdcore" label permanently affixed to them. Thanks to the popularity of these acts, the nerdcore fan base began to form and in some cases those fans would go on to become nerdcore artists themselves.

Also in 2005, the new

Monzy.[10]

Photograph of a man in a purple shirt and black suit holding a microphone.
Schäffer the Darklord performing at Nerdapalooza in July 2008

In 2006, nerdcore rapper Jason Z. Christie, AKA High-C created the first websites dedicated solely to the genre of nerdcore, NerdcoreHipHop.org and RhymeTorrents.com.

Nerdcore For Life
, and was removed from the release version of the documentary Nerdcore Rising.

Additionally, in 2006,

ARIA Chart.[14] This not only amplified the reach of nerdcore but also underscored the significance of digital culture and the internet within the evolving landscape of hip hop music.[15]

Each summer from July 2008 to 2013, nerdcore rappers and other nerd music acts gathered in Orlando, Florida for an event named Nerdapalooza, a nerd music charity festival based on bringing various genres of "nerd music" together into one large production.[16]

"Glitched: The Dutch Nerdcore Event" was the first major, all-nerdcore event to be held outside the United States.

Nerdcore For Life
as well as performances of four rappers from the film, MC Lars, YTCracker, Beefy and MC Router.

As of the late 2010s-to-early 2020s, a branch of Nerdcore has taken off of YouTube where musicians create songs about famous video games, movies, anime and other famous forms of media. This branch of Nerdcore has since branched off into a new sub-genre of Nerdcore called Otacore (mix of Otaku meaning a fan of Japanese culture and Nerdcore) or Anime Rap where artists rap and sing about characters from anime. Famous artists of Otacore include Rustage, Daddyphatsnaps, Shao Dow, Shwabadi, Connor Quest, Divide Music, HalaCG, FabvL, DizzyEight, GameboyJones and Cam Steady.[18][19][20]

In recent years a new genre of nerdcore has emerged that is referred to as HackOr sometimes pronounced as Hack Core.

Film

Black and white photograph of a man in a hoodie holding a microphone.
MC Chris performing in February 2008

Two feature-length documentaries about the world of nerdcore were completed in early 2008,

Nerdcore For Life. Nerdcore Rising, directed by New York filmmakers Negin Farsad and Kimmy Gatewood, follows nerdcore pioneer MC Frontalot as he embarked on his first US tour in 2006.[21] Nerdcore For Life by Chicago director Dan Lamoureux examines the genre as a whole and contains appearances by over three dozen of the best known performers in the scene.[22]

Nerdcore Rising premiered at the SXSW Film Conference and Festival on March 9, 2008, Nerdcore For Life at the tenth annual Wisconsin Film Festival on April 5, 2008.

See also

Wikiquote has quotations related to Nerdcore hip hop.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nerdcore.

References

  1. ^ Garrett, Ural (February 11, 2016). "MC Chris: The People's Champ of Nerdcore Hip Hop". Retrieved March 2, 2021 – via HipHopDX.
  2. ^ Dunnells, Adam (February 26, 2019). "Playlist of the week: Nerdcore hip-hop". Retrieved March 2, 2021 – via thedmonline.com.
  3. ^ "Nerd-Rapper mc chris Talks New Album, Animation, Trauma and Fatherhood". Retrieved August 31, 2021 – via westword.com.
  4. ^ Cabrera, Marc (November 20, 2008). "Nerd rap". Montereyherald.com. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  5. ^ "MC Frontalot :: Lyric :: Nerdcore Hiphop". Frontalot.com. July 19, 2007. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  6. ^ Miranda, Jeff (November 4, 2007). "Refrain of the Nerds". The Boston Globe.
  7. ^ Williams, Alex (August 5, 2007). "Dungeons, Dragons and Dope Beats". The New York Times.
  8. ^ "Check Me Out, I Am David Duchovny". Penny Arcade. August 30, 2004.
  9. ^ "Penny Arcade Expo 2005". GamerDad. September 24, 2005. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  10. ^ "Geeksta Rappers Rhyme Tech Talk". EE Times. February 13, 2006.
  11. ^ |sort:relevance/alt.os.linux/PdWzmpb-UP0/dr5uGeZvmN0J
  12. ^ "Nerdcore Artists to Release Nerd-Rap Compilation Disc". Boing Boing. April 14, 2006. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008.
  13. ^ Thomasson, Roger (November 4, 2007). "Me So Nerdy". Wired.
  14. ^ "Australian Singles Chart".
  15. ^ Kaufman, Gil (January 27, 2006). "Canadian Record Label Blasts RIAA Over File-Sharing Lawsuits". VH1.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved March 12, 2007.
  16. ^ "Nerdapalooza". Archived from the original on March 1, 2012.
  17. ^ "GLITCHED – The Dutch Nerdcore Event". Glitched.nl. February 26, 2009. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  18. ^ "Crunchyroll – INTERVIEW: GameboyJones on How to Write Rap Songs About Anime". Crunchyroll.com. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  19. ^ "Anime Rap artists, songs, albums, playlists and listeners". Volt.fm.
  20. ^ "Otacore artists, songs, albums, playlists and listeners". Volt.fm.
  21. ^ "Nerdcore Rising: The Movie". Nerdcorerisingmovie.com.
  22. ^ "Nerdcore For Life". Nerdcoreforlife.com.

Further reading

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