Category: Nerdcore

Interview, Nerdcore

Super Smack’s Journey to Reclaim Cuteness

Bray Lawrence

It’s been well over a year since I met Super Smack in our last interview for his song “Black and Gold” featuring Mega Ran, and we’ve talked and hung out several times after. So when he approached me about interviewing him for the singles off his new project, I was a bit hesitant at first, but my curiosity and excitement won out. I’m happy to say that this is the first of many short interviews with Super Smack for each of his upcoming singles and debut album. 

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Gaming, Interview, Nerdcore

‘Fightin’ Words’ Episode Two: Nerdcore Rapper Mega Ran

Jamal Michel

Super nerd, Guinness World Record holder, and hip-hop extraordinaire Raheem “Mega Ran” Jarbo sat down with The Nerds of Color blog for another episode of Fightin’ Words and talked gaming, hip-hop, and adjusting to life during the pandemic. The former teacher turned elite nerdcore rapper has had his hands full, juggling live events, his Twitch channel, making music, and of course spending time with family.

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Interview, Nerdcore

Lex The Lexicon Artist on Her New Album ‘Alter Ego’

Dominic Mah

A chat with Lex The Lexicon Artist about her new album Alter Ego, branching into influential anime, the state of being a Chinese-American artist during the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, and also deez nuts. A version of this interview originally appeared at Melancholyball.

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Interview, Music, Nerdcore

I Hate My Blog, II: MC Frontalot, Baddd Spellah, Lex The Lexicon Artist, and Gm7 on ‘Net Split’

Dominic Mah

MC Frontalot’s new album Net Split: Or, The Fathomless Heartbreak of Online Itself dropped this weekend. (Or, is it still dropping? Is the moment of album-drop an indivisible quantum thing? Probably no one cares.) Five years in the making, Net Split is in some sense a concept breakup album, in which the Godfather of Nerdcore Rap wrestles with all the aspects of the Internet that are increasingly awful: memes, trolls, dating, stalking, dating/stalking, and of course, comments. It’s hooky and at times heart-wrenching, and here I chat about it with Frontalot, co-producer/beatsmith Baddd Spellah (Dave Cheong), guest verse-ologist Lex the Lexicon Artist, and frequent collaborator/keyboardist Gm7 (Gaby Alter).

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Music, Nerdcore9 Comments

What’s Beef for $1,000? Alex Trebek vs. Nerdcore

MegaRan

It’s been an interesting 24 hours, to say the least.

On Wednesday evening while on tour, I got a few tweets linking me to an episode of Jeopardy!

I not only learned that day that the show was still on the air, but that Alex Trebek had taken a really small poke at the genre of music in which I make my living: Nerdcore Hip-Hop.

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Crowdfunding, Music, Nerdcore

Adam WarRock’s Donation Drive 2015

Keith Chow

It’s that time of year again, when we ask you to show some love to one of the hardest rappers in the game, Adam WarRock — by giving him money. In return, WarRock will give you awesome shit.

So in honor of Adam quitting his day job so he could spend his time giving you free music online, you should return the favor and help him keep that music free by going here and then donating here. Then come back and check out his latest free release, “Hulkbuster.”

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Guest Post, Music, Nerdcore

Track Commentary: “Star-Lord (Remix)”

Guest N.O.C.

by Adam WarRock | Originally posted on tumblr

I’m doing track-by-track commentary on my new EP, Gifted Student. You should go grab the new EP at my bandcamp site.

Last day, last track. First of all, thanks to everyone who’s bought the album. I’m excited to perform about some of these songs live on tour, and by the shipping info, I am getting the CDs today, and will promptly start shipping them out this week.

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Guest Post, Music, Nerdcore

Track Commentary: “The Fire Burns Forever”

Guest N.O.C.

by Adam WarRock | Originally posted on tumblr

I’m doing track-by-track commentary on my new EP, Gifted Student. You should go grab the new EP at my bandcamp site.

My girlfriend has pointed out to me that these haven’t really been commentaries, more like “crazy ramblings that I just puke out of my brain.” So today, on what is undoubtedly my favorite song on the EP, I will give you my commentary.

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Guest Post, Music, Nerdcore

Track Commentary: “Nerds Won’t Dance to This”

Guest N.O.C.

by Adam WarRock | Originally posted on tumblr

I’m doing track-by-track commentary on my new EP, Gifted Student. You should go grab the new EP at my bandcamp site.

Greetings! I’m back, the Super Bowl was yesterday between two teams I, as a Steelers fan, have personal beef with, so… yay? I didn’t get to watch it, I went to Chicago this weekend, and ended up having to leave early only to be caught in the middle of a blizzard somewhere in the state of Ohio. So wherever you are out there, stay safe and warm. Icy conditions on the roads, believe me, I know.

So back to the new EP. Thanks to everyone who continues to support it. I’m glad that people are enjoying my first official release in over a year. This year, I kinda want to make… more albums. I say that, meaning more official albums, not just mixtapes or EPs I put together for the site. Don’t worry, I want to make those too. But I’ve been a bit more motivated lately to actually sit down and make cohesive products, rather than ephemeral kind of pop cultural stuff. I’ve got a few things in the works, and for the first time in a while, mostly because of the experience I had in making this EP, I am really looking forward to starting the work on my next full-length album.

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Guest Post, Music, Nerdcore

Track Commentary: “Prometheus”

Guest N.O.C.

by Adam WarRock | Originally posted on tumblr

All this week, I’ll be doing track-by-track commentary on the new EP. You should go grab the new EP at my bandcamp site, PHYSICAL COPIES OF THE CD WILL ONLY BE FOR SALE ON MY SITE UNTIL END-OF-DAY FRIDAY. If you want a copy of it, get it now, or get it at a show. 

Believe it or not, the concept of this song was formed from this webcomic as much as it is based on the actual myth of Prometheus. There’s a loose fire theme on this album, that I’ll get to in about two songs in much more detail, but it was a beat that needed a concept, and a song that needed guests on it. And it’s really fascinating when you see how Sulfur and Ran both take the idea and make it their own. Sulfur, with his sense of humor that covers up the resentment towards God in his character; Ran with his talking of legacy and obligation, the chain metaphor taken to its logical conclusion. I really didn’t have much of a road map for this song, and I really ended up loving this track.

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Guest Post, Music, Nerdcore

Track Commentary: “The Bottom”

Guest N.O.C.

by Adam WarRock | Originally posted on tumblr

All this week, I’ll be doing track-by-track commentary on the new EP. You should go grab the new EP at my bandcamp site, PHYSICAL COPIES OF THE CD WILL ONLY BE FOR SALE ON MY SITE UNTIL END-OF-DAY FRIDAY. If you want a copy of it, get it now, or get it at a show. 

What’s funny is that me and Mikal both flipped this well known Drake hook into basically the same line without ever having really talked about it. So there’s kismet for you.

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Guest Post, Music, Nerdcore

Track Commentary: “Big Bad Man”

Guest N.O.C.

by Adam WarRock | Originally posted on tumblr

All this week, I’ll be doing track-by-track commentary on the new EP. You should go grab the new EP at my bandcamp site, PHYSICAL COPIES OF THE CD WILL ONLY BE FOR SALE ON MY SITE UNTIL END-OF-DAY FRIDAY. If you want a copy of it, get it now, or get it at a show. 

I’m literally traveling as this posts, so it will probably be a bit short. Believe it or not, I’m not traveling to do shows, but traveling for personal reasons. What? Not for touring? People do this?

Anyway, during the making of Gifted Student, Mikal and I were pretty dismayed by the constant news of police shootings. Dismayed is probably not the right word. Upset, angry, betrayed, whatever word fits best. We both talk daily in kind of a stream of consciousness running email chain, and for a bit, it was a daily dose of reading about how our justice system had gone so wrong.

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Guest Post, Music, Nerdcore

Track Commentary: “Lost in Translation”

Guest N.O.C.

by Adam WarRock | Originally posted on tumblr

All this week, I’ll be doing track-by-track commentary on the new EP. You should go grab the new EP at my bandcamp site, PHYSICAL COPIES OF THE CD WILL ONLY BE FOR SALE ON MY SITE UNTIL END-OF-DAY FRIDAY. If you want a copy of it, get it now, or get it at a show. 

There’s something about rapping in 3/4 time that can drive some crazy. I know some people hate it, I actually think kHill hates it, but I love it. It’s the same as a lot of tracks I’ve released, like the “Paperman” song I released. It’s such a refreshing challenge to write, sometimes taking your flow and delivery past the end of the measure, sometimes stopping cold a half beat before it ends, connecting the rhymes in the unlikeliest of places. It’s like figuring out a puzzle, and something that not a lot of rappers can do.

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Guest Post, Music, Nerdcore

Track Commentary: “Gifted Student”

Guest N.O.C.

by Adam WarRock | Originally posted on tumblr

All this week, I’ll be doing track-by-track commentary on the new EP. You should go grab the new EP at my bandcamp site, PHYSICAL COPIES OF THE CD WILL ONLY BE FOR SALE ON MY SITE UNTIL END-OF-DAY FRIDAY. If you want a copy of it, get it now, or get it at a show. 

First up, the title track. In a lot of ways, “Gifted Student” was one of the last songs me and kHill finished for the album. Wait, let’s go back and start over at the beginning.

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Music, Nerdcore6 Comments

The Latest from Adam WarRock: “Gifted Student”

Keith Chow

Yesterday, our favorite internet rapper Adam WarRock dropped his latest record, the eight-track EP “Gifted Student,” produced by the indomitable Mikal kHill — you can buy and stream it at Bandcamp right now. Check the cover art and track list below:

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Music, Nerdcore

It’s Show Time!

Tribe One

Early this morning, which was in actuality more of a continuation of late last night, I arrived at my home in Atlanta. The Crisis On Intimate Earths Tour is officially done and I could not possibly be more grateful to everybody who joined me for any part of it. You all are the reason I do this and the reason I get to do this. Thank you.

So, yesterday on twitter and facebook I mentioned that I had three super awesome announcements to make today and that is the truth. I have three things to announce. And all three of them are super awesome. So let’s get announcin’!

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Animation, Music, Nerdcore

SkyBlew Pays Homage to Nickelodeon’s Hey Arnold!

The Nerds of Color

“The Ballad of Pigeon Man” — featuring D&D Sluggers and produced by SublimeCloud of The Digi Destined — is the latest single from North Carolina-based emcee SkyBlew. The song pays homage to the classic Nickelodeon cartoon Hey Arnold!, a show that had a major impact on SkyBlew’s life and serves as the main subject of his latest album.

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Marvel, Movies, Nerdcore3 Comments

So Adam WarRock Made a Song about Star-Lord

Keith Chow

You might have noticed that there’s been an uptick in Guardians of the Galaxy coverage here at the NOC. That’s because after this weekend, the whole world will be intimately familiar with the exploits of Drax, Gamora, Groot, Rocket, and Star-Lord. And until recently, most of the movie-going audience would have reacted to those names much in the same way that Djimon Hounsou’s character does in the movie’s trailers.

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Conventions, Nerdcore

The Mega Ran Comic Con 2014 Experience Was Epic

MegaRan

Originally posted at Real Entertainment News

Now, I have been lucky enough to attend San Diego Comic-Con since 2007. I’ve seen this event, and nerd culture in general, undergo some huge changes since then. In 2007, the biggest news was the premiere of Iron Man, which has gone on to spawn three movies and a spinoff, The Avengers, which is now the highest grossing [comic book superhero] film EVER. Nowadays, it’s no big deal to bring up a comic book movie, or a video game, in discussion, even in a professional setting. People complain about this explosion of comic and game culture, but I can’t say it’s a bad thing, at least not yet.

Anyway, this is Mega Ran’s Comic Con 2014 experience.

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Nerdcore2 Comments

My Guest Spot on Ask the NPC Last Weekend

Keith Chow

Last Sunday evening, we flipped the script on the Google Hangout format. Instead of hosting Hard NOC Life, I had the pleasure to be Mega Ran’s guest on the NPC Collective’s monthly “Ask the NPC” series on YouTube.

Catch me on with Ran, and his NPC partners-in-rhyme Shubzilla, Sammus, and Sky Blew. We discuss a lot of topics including potential NOC/NPC collabos, gender representation in nerd spaces, how people perceive nerdcore music, and our favorite comics. Plus, we get into some show-and-tell of the best nerdy stuff in our rooms. Check out the video after the jump!

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Music, Nerdcore2 Comments

Adam WarRock is Why I’m a Rapper Right Now

Tribe One

My good friend Adam WarRock (whom I will be performing with at Otakon this year) is coming towards the end of his annual donation drive. A lot of you, I’m sure, have already seen him posting about it and have donated or at least thought about donating already.

I just want to throw in my two cents (not literally, although he did tell me that there were a couple of people who literally donated a penny) as to why I think you should consider it.

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Crowdfunding, Interview, Music, Nerdcore1 Comment

Please Give this Man Money: Adam WarRock’s Donation Drive

Keith Chow

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Adam WarRock at the NOC. I mean, just look at the tag cloud at the right of this page. “Adam WarRock” is almost as big as “Batman.” Maybe that should be the title of his next album: Bigger Than Batman.

Anyway, today is the anniversary of the day he decided to quit his day job and be a rapper full-time. He’s marked this occasion every year by doing an annual Donation Drive to fund all of the awesome (and mostly free) music that he puts out on the internet all the time. So if you enjoy free Adam WarRock music, you should make a pledge. And like PBS, you’ll even get some swag just for doing so! (No tote bags, though. Just more music).

In conjunction with the kick-off to another donation drive, Eugene (that’s his not-so-secret identity) and I chatted about all the music he’s released and touring he’s done this past year and what you can expect from him in the next one and beyond. Plus, we talk about House of Cards and X-Men. But just a little.

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Comics, Guest Post, Music, Nerdcore1 Comment

I Kill Giants, Free Music, and the Donation Drive

Guest N.O.C.

by Adam WarRock | Originally posted on tumblr

I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Kelly yesterday, author of the wonderful Image Comics graphic novel, I Kill Giants. He was an amazingly nice and supportive person, and I had the chance to perform my “I Kill Giants” track for him, which made the house a bit misty eyed. It was a great moment for me, and if you haven’t had the chance to read the book, or hear the song that I made, please take a second to check it out!

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