Nerdcore
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Nerdcore artist Mega Ran takes us on a Gameboy nostalgia trip
Nerdcore artist Mega Ran has a new video out today and it's full of Nintendo nostalgia. Church ft. KadeshFlow is a fun homage to the 8-bit visual style popularized by the GameBoy in the late 1980s. In the video, Mega Ran and KadeshFlow make their way through a green dot-matrix world full of retro gaming references to battle ghosts at Alex Trebek's house (Trebek has been a favored target of the nerdcore community ever since he called them "losers" on an episode of Jeopardy!).
Sammus is somewhere between nerdcore and afrofuturism
Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo used to get the same question every time she set down the mic and stepped off the stage. She came to expect it after performing in crowded bars, big music festivals or comic book stores, and the question usually came from a well-meaning stranger or new fan of her music. "Who makes your beats for you?" This would happen right after she'd screamed into the mic that she was Sammus, a producer and rapper, and that everything she just did on stage was her work. The question would come in different forms -- "Where's your boyfriend?" was another staple -- but the sentiment was the same. People assumed Sammus didn't produce her own music.
The grandfather kings of nerdcore
In terms of popularity, nerdcore occupies a space somewhere between underground hip-hop and the end of the universe, according to rapper and educator Mega Ran. Nerdcore is a brand of hip-hop characterized by a focus on geeky things, which means its subject matter is as vast and varied as Tolkien's Encircling Sea. It's niche but limitless; visible but not known. It's big enough to support the musical careers of artists like MC Lars, MC Frontalot, Beefy and MC Chris, yet it's small enough that even the most fervent Star Wars fan may have never heard of it. Even in an age where geek chic is hot and "nerd" is no longer a vicious insult, nerdcore remains underground -- but its influence on popular culture is showing. More mainstream rappers like Childish Gambino, Danny Brown, Deltron 3030, RZA and Dr. Octagon regularly reference science fiction, astrophysics, video games and other traditionally geeky topics, at times while sampling the likes of Final Fantasy 7 and Pac-Man. Beyond the Billboard charts, Hamilton is a national phenomenon about American colonial history, and even Game of Thrones has its own mixtape.
Joystiq Original Hip-hop: Welcome Back (To The Stage of History)
Anyone who's listened to my long, incoherent rambles on The Joystiq Show knows that I love fighting games more than most things that exist. What you may not know, however, is that my love for a good combo is rivaled only by my desire to spit sick verses over fly jams. So, when Joystiq's Alexander Sliwinski and Steven Wong suggested that I marry my two passions into one creation, how could I resist?The end result (embedded above) is a SoulCalibur 5 rap song written and performed by yours truly. The destructively sick beat was lovingly crafted by tanner4105, an incredibly talented producer and electronica artist who donated his services out of the goodness of his own heart. Full lyrics are available after the break!
PAX exhibitors revealed, Star Wars fans should start lining up now
The Penny Arcade Expo exhibitor list is in, and it's a hefty one with nearly 100 attendees scheduled to visit the Seattle gaming convention. Gamers can expect plenty of hands-on action with the hottest (and probably not so hot) games of the year, including a slew of panels and special demonstrations.LucasArts will showcase the first stateside live demo of Star Wars: The Old Republic and sponsor a cantina for community members to meet various staff and developers. Although delayed until 2010, Splinter Cell: Conviction will also continue to be demoed for attendees, alongside Assassin's Creed 2. Plus, traditional PAX events return with another round of the indie game showcase (The PAX 10), parties to crash throughout Seattle's downtown core and two nights of music from the best in nerdcore -- a genre iTunes has yet to recognize. Fascists!PAX 2009 hits Seattle from September 4-6 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. A list of exhibitors you'll spend hours lining up to see can be found after the break.
Joystiq goes to i am 8-bit
Last night was the opening night shindig for the latest i am 8-bit show, and it was by far their biggest event yet. We arrived early as part of a press event to mill around and quietly take photos, but by 9PM the place was packed with people checking out the art, listening to the whomping sounds of Computer Jay, DJ R-Rated, and Leeni (check her out in the Pac-Man dress, along with her 8-bit tattoo). There was a massive line of people outside waiting to get in, and it had turned into the hottest ticket on Hollywood Blvd. Which, yes, is actually saying something.They had turned the entire storefront of the World of Wonder (didn't they used to make Teddy Ruxpin?) into a huge display, featuring giant Piranha Plants from Super Mario Bros., and they had an old-school setup where you could play games ranging from an NES to a full-sized arcade cabinet, right there on full display to everyone passing by. It probably didn't hurt that some of the Nerdcore calendar girls took up residence here later and played Game Boys and quarter-eaters in their underwear.Read more after the break, and be sure to take a spin through the huge gallery which shows off the more than 200 pieces in the show, and how crazy the whole scene became.%Gallery-28797%
Nerdcore Rising throws down with trailer
A documentary showcasing the darlings of white boy hip-hop, Nerdcore Rising takes you along for a ride with the "Godfather of Nerdcore" MC Frontalot on his first national tour. To the uninitiated, nerdcore is what happens when you splice hard rhymes about Dungeons & Dragons with smooth beats and less aggression than what passes for hip-hop today. It could very well be the soundtrack to our culture, and the film aims to set the record straight on the roots of the genre. Making appearances in the trailer are Frontalot himself, MC Chris of Adult Swim fame, and geek gods Tycho and Gabe of Penny Arcade. Take pride in what you do and check out the trailer after the jump![Thanks, Frontalot!]
Wiimote lightsabers (oh, and a music video)
When someone records an EP called We Wiish You a Merry Christmas, we tend to pay attention (emphasis ours). We are, y'know, Wii Fanboys, after all. And we'd like to tell you that it's filled with great songs and that they'll make your holidays brighter, whatever they may be, and will ensure peace on earth and yea, even goodwill toward men.But we just can't get past the Wiisabers. Wii. Sabers. Oh yes, it just rolls off the tongue. We need those Wiisabers.Video after the jump as usual, but we better warn you that it may be a little NSFW. Those boys have dirty, dirty mouths.
mc chris breaks out the Kingdom Farts
Nerdcore rapper and Adult Swim vet mc chris's latest album dungeon master of ceremonies "might be the most cram-packed with game references to date," according to Joystiquer Scott Jon Siegel. In addition to nerd-tacular titles like "F.T.W.," "Wiid" (note: lyrics have nothing to do with Nintendo), and the album name itself, mc chris continues to push his geek status.One particular song, "Kingdom Farts," centers around gamers and gaming culture. Here are a few snippets: "I like hack-n-slash, FPS, my favorite's third-person..." "I would never buy a gun, I would never take a life, but I'll snipe you in the eye if I see that you're online." "On my Wii, on my 3, on my three six..." You can preview his album on iTunes and check out tour dates on his MySpace page. Known for his roles as MC Pee Pants on Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Hesh on Sealab 2021, mc chris (real name: Chris Ward IV) earned some street cred for his song "fette's vette." According to his Wikipedia profile, mc chris allegedly improvised a rap about Katamari Damacy to the game's theme song.See Also: MC Frontalot busts rhymes, nerdcore style, at PAX [Thanks, Scott]
MC Frontalot busts rhymes, nerdcore style, at PAX
Nerdcore hip-hop, an accurate term if ever there was one. MC Frontalot and his crew are the rock stars every nerd dreamt of being when they weren't getting punched in the stomach and looted for their lunch money.The platform we're typing this on is being sonically assaulted by waves of bass, sending fingers shuffling from key to key, while the screams of the audience cheer the crew on. Every reference to Carbonite or Ewoks sends a palpable wave of nerd over the audience, emboldening the fans to scream louder, fueling their frantic lightsaber waving. The most enjoyable part? MC Frontalot's bizarre shuffling that, we're told, is called "dancing." We wouldn't know, DDR ain't our game. More pics after the break.
