3rd 4 t3h NRRD: Aug. '12

Dual Core
A Nerdcore staple and consistently producing & performing act since as far back as '07, these guys have serious roots into the joke "I'm from the Internet."

Int80, the raptastic half of Dual Core

Though dominantly only "evidence" of Int80 can be found as he is the one who rocks the mic, the duo's music is proof of Nerdcore's legitimacy as a musical genre, whatever the hell that means, or if any of us really cared.
Their sounds are clean, with tantalizing samples and compelling baselines. I love all of beats on the tracks I have ever heard from them. The sound is polished & finished, and that makes a huge impact when I listen to an artist.

The ever elusive c64, the beats half of the group.

The lyrics, the flow, the content, also fantastic. Everything from their debut content about fps' and webcomics, to some of their heavier tracks about the grind of life in tech, or corporate at large, with fantastic collabs with a slew of other Nerdcore players.


Overall, a very solid sound, group and discography, and should be a firm cornerstone of any Nerdcore collection.

3rd 4 t3h NRRD: June '12

Should Oceania ever rise to power, these guys will be among the many to be put to death, as they are unashamedly . . .
Thoughtcriminals

JOKE!

Like some previous Bosses, this crew is a buy one get more free setup as a several bright lights keep this group aflame! They have been a fixture on the scene for some time now and continue to produce fantastic content.

Either individually,
as founder Mikal kHill has a smooth steady pace with occasional super speed realms vocally that compells the listener to concentrate and really hear what's being said, this provides an excellent contrast and compliment to fairly consistent partner Sulfur.
This cat provides a snarl, a dark, bouncy and poignant emphasis with rhythm that pulls you in with visceral intent.
Combine this with masterful mixing and pro-level beats. The only reason to NOT listen to them would be lyrical content.

All about those roots, son! Know your references!

And that would be silly as they cover a wide swath of topics form the fantastically nerdy to the painfully real, as well as throwing down collab. after collab. to keep the sound itself fresh.
They have often worked with Tribe One, Romero Shaw, Shane Hall & Adam Warrock, just to name a few. 
If that last one seems familiar in context, well you would be right as there was an EPIC BROWNCOATS MIXTAPE born of that union.
And this particular focus is timely in that apparently some of the last touches on the Slyhtherin Mixtape are being finished.

Recording final mixes for Slytherin Mixtape. So boring. Saying hooks 28+ times for one song.
— Euge (Adam WarRock) (@eugewarrock) June 6, 2012

I can't wait to snag that! Bang it while reppin' that Hogwarts crest!

3rd 4 T3h NRRD: May '12

Tribe One

Also, Tribe One Won, Dirty South Swamp Thing, Devil Rhymeosaur & Ol' Dirty Batroc. And I'm sure other awesome pseudonyms as well.

It's a shirt. I really want one. As much as I loathe those "pop-eye as a playa" or "pink panther as a pimp" Tees, this one is fresh, yo!

This particular artist was once part of a group called Remnant and has since guested on many Nerdcore tracks across the verse, some might be very familiar, and has laid down a couple albums, you can scope them NYAH. 
He has also toured with MC Chris & Adam Warrock for a stint on the Race Wars Tour.

I really hope this dude keeps producing and performing as I like his semi-spoken word style and his clean delivery. The beats he employs are usually solid with what I would call roots in more old school hip-hop but many that are unquestionably nerdy.

"That's right, I'm a grown ass man about to go out in public in a Spiderman Shirt" - a quote from his Facebook

He seems to be very in touch with the southern scene with a know-how and passion. There is a lot of heart in his music, and I like how clean that is. I like me some gimmicky/silly/obscene punchlines as much as the next angry nerd, but there's truth in his music that is refreshing and there needs to be more of it in the world in general.

3rd 4 t3h NRRD: April '12

If Nerdcore ever makes it into "mainstream," as in, gets national radio play, I believe artists like Richie Branson will be the ones to break the barrier.

Get yo Game Chain! Srsly, go get one

(Yes, I know Branson himself has gotten airtime in his home state, as well as well known nerdy rapper MC Lars gets some play time in the Cali bay area on Live 105, but I know I never heard a Branson track in my neck of the woods, and I doubt The Boss Fights ever SUDDENLY bumped "Hot Topic is not Punk Rock" because it came on 91X)

This dude is a pro in every sense of the word. Serious DIY. Not only is he a head of a production company that has connected to major record labels, he has performed every job involved in producing music. Just look at his bio, dude's diverse.
This might be yet another review on an artist who does not self identify as NerdCore but definitively has Nerdy Hip Hop but until the artist says "no, I'm not Nerdcore and don't call me that" which some have done, I think they might be okay with that.
Back to the music, please enjoy this delicious track inspired by a VERY popular franchise . . .

As one should expect from someone who has done so much in the last few years, his sound is clean, upbeat, and steady. I understand everything being spit, can bob my head to the beat, recognize the samples he's acquired from properties I'm familiar with and they meld well into the total composition. If the dude doesn't exactly rep Nerdcore then he's def a big ol' geek, just check his site.
I am starting to find that when a really good artist comes into my music library, the less I have to say about him, the more I just enjoy them. This is definitely the case here. Go snag his tunes, pay for them if you can, keep the music and the artists alive, and so you can see what kind of cross over he does, here is something a little more "normal"

3rd 4 t3h NRRD: March '12

I know, I know, late, but worth the wait. This month, while everyone is at SXSW living the dream only rivaled by PAX's & Nerdapalooza, I give you, DALE CHASE!

I like to think he's thinking "I wonder if Mandalorean gals wear the same things Scot's wear under their kilts. Yeah."

A fixture on the Nerdcore scene for a number of years now, many collabs with almost every other artist, he is a smooth operator. His voice is even, calm, always in tune and his cadence melds with his beats. A consummate Geek among geeks, it would seem he keeps himself lyrically sharp as well as up to date through his random Tech Week Remixes. The couple I watched were interesting, worth giving a listen.

Mr. Chase is a Scrub, and in a good way, that link takes you too a couple of his albums. I have long ago devoured them and incorporated them into the hard drive I have dedicated to nerdy music. (No thats perhaps not that impressive anymore, but still, I needed space for mah games!) And fret not, unlike some of the artists I've done in the past, he seems to be consistently active around the webs/world.

As mentioned above, he's active, peep some pics of his exploits HERE and I hope he makes it onto the next Nerdcore Now Album . . . if another one comes out. Well, either way, I look forward to more music form this sleek geek. I would admit, it would be worth . . . the Chase . . . .    YYYYEYEEEEAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!

3rd 4 t3h Nrrd: Jan '12

Deathstar! A cool crew from the "Emerald City Empire" part of some of the "newer" Neredcore crop, they have a solid production and setup with nerdtastic content left and right fused with other topics that re-affirm they're not just a niche group nor is the genre.

C0splay, MC-3PO & Bill Beats

Like many other Artists I was introduced to them by Nerdcore Now 1. If you want follow along with the rest of the Death*Starmy, try the TWITTAR or the Book-in-you-Face. And to get straight to procuring those sweet tunes, the CAMPFORBANDS.

Still not convinced? stick this in your eyes-&-ear-holes while I break it down a bit more . . .


The two vocal cats, C0splay & MC-3PO, have voices that don't grate on the ears or make me zone out, they can keep a consistent flow, even at live shows, even if they get winded. They stay within their ranges, not attempting any crazy vocal tricks that might fall flat. And Bill Beats has a solid hand at the turntables. The mixes and beats always have me banging my neck. They're also good about titles and flows. I haven't noticed TOO many constant gags, so it doesn't get tiresome. Their collabs are hot too. I love how so many artists in the Nerdcore scene are totally up for working with other artists and how the web makes it accessible, these guys are no different.

To keep you titillated, here's another track, probably familiar if you read this blog consistently . . or ride with me . . . or drive anywhere I have since Nerdcore Now 1 came out, because this track is MY JAM!

3rd 4 T3h Nrrd: Sep. '11

Are you ready for an audio assault from the nerdy north west!? Like numerous fantastic geeky things, this cat is from Seattle and he goes by the awesome moniker Klopfenpop!Mr. Fenpop, Mr. Pop? Whatever. This dude is what most NEED to be to be anything on the internet as anartist, a jack of all trades. He mixes, spits, produces and collabs. You can hear him and his works all over the intarwebs. He VERY recently performed along side 1st Gen nerdcore Methuselah MC Frontalot & Mega-Ran. Check the Collab below . . .

Every single beat I've heard him lay down, I could bob my head to, in all of his live performances I've watched on Youtube, his flow is constant and his rhymes are clean and if he continues to put out content like he has been so far, he will maintain a spot in my top 20 nerdcore artists.
I know, I know, I use the Nerdcore Now Vol. 1 songs a lot on these, but lets be honest, they are good. Besides, this one is a short version and live. Enjoy!

3rd 4 t3h Nrrd: Aug. '11

A question that has been asked for decades . . .

And there is an answer . . .

Laying down phat rhymes!
What one might consider a "Second Gen" Nerdcore Artist, numerous Nerdcore Methuselah have praised him as an artist to watch.
I'm gonna be honest on this one, initially, I was very aware of Mr. Moore as a hip-hop artist, and was not impressed. Something about his works always had little syncopation or tuning issues that would just put me off the groove. However, so many names that I trusted spoke so well of him, I kept him in my proverbial periphery and would check his latest works every other year.

However, shortly after watching Nerdcore For Life, I was impressed by the short clips with Beefy and Optimus Rhyme,

so I decided to move up my yearly check in and was rewarded for my patience.
This cat has continued to put in work and evolve and push his envelope to produce MORE excellent music. Though it has taken some time, if Beefy continues to progress at this rate I would not be surprised if I heard his beats all over.

He uses a variety of beats and can cover a range of rhymes to lay down his tracks. The content is far reaching and always speaks to me as he is fairly open about his trials and obstacles, but of course, that is what art does.
If you have not heard of Beefy until now, then you must be new to my site or just don't come for the nerdcore, as this guy has friends throughout the Nerdcore world and seems to always be willing to throw a verse for his fellow artists.

Who's that next to him over there? Why that's Adam Warrock, why yes, We have covered him as well. Look at them enjoying frosty beverages together.

What else can I say? Go check him out, grab some of his free stuff, then go buy some of his "I want to make money" stuff anywhere you can purchase music online, yup, hes one of the few on itunes. DO IT! While you do, here is some mood music.

3rd 4 T3h Nrrd: July '11

Microsoft W3RD N3RDS! I got another Original Gamer of the Nerdcore Crop For ya . . . .

Mega Ran Or, Random, Random Beats or Big Ran!
This dude is mad prolific. He's been hustling beats and raps for just as long as anyone else in the game, because, like many great Nerdcore cats, he's a musician first.
Excellent production value keeps all the sounds clear and bumpin, a smooth flow and steady rhythm to beats keeps his lyrics running through his music.
I consider him an O.G. of the scene not just due to his longevity but because I have seen him all over the culture since I first heard him in a Collab with Front, all the way up to his contributions to Nerdcore Now. Did I mention he also has mad connections to video games, check the wiki. Mad Nerd Cred.
One of his most recent projects was an amazing collab album based entirely on Final Fantasy VII

Hot, right? Hit him up, pay some of his bills, enjoy!

3rd 4 t3h Nrrd: June '11

So far this year we have had exemplary men and women in the nerdcore realm, time for some dastardly dandies.

Soup or Villainz

Their boy Viet Vu seems to be a constant in the crew, other members fluctuate, a partial roster is up on their FB Page. They do an excellent job to promote and distribute. I love their style and sense of humor. Their sound is always professional, clean and their covers are well crafted.
Have a sample of one of their collab/covers with Atomsk . . . .

As of this post they've done about 3 albums.
Their oldest is an excellent collection of Fallout Inspired tracks titled "Ready to Fallout" you can snag it here!
The second has a break down here as well as a direct download.
The third is available ovah nyah.
They also appear to have some prolific video making habits and you can find a fantastic selection of videos on their youtube channel HERE, as well as other places around the intarwebs.

These guys are great and on my top list for groups to watch and tune into.

Here's hoping that this new crop of nerdcore continues to bear fantastic fruit such as these cats.

lastly, I leave you with another rare track that isn't found on the first two free albums.

3rd 4 T3h Nrrd: May '11

Adam WarRock
I'm going to be honest on this one. I had no idea who this guy was until Nerdcore Now Vol. 1 and I think that is awesome (that that compilation helped me find him, not that I didn't know who he was, that is a sad thing). A newer player on the nerdcore scene, this cat has been hard at work.

It would seem this dude likes his comic books and hey buddy, do I approve of his flow and his ear for beats. His voice is nice and even, no crazy tonalities or pitches. His rhymes are usually very even and clear which makes them that much more fun to listen to and enjoy.

You can find him hard at work all over the intarwebs and I know I will be pulling down his ocular harvest and sharing it with the world through my Shenani-Van speakers.

3rd 4 t3h Nrrd: April '11

'Ello Droogies, raz 'as come for another bloke!
Who and what's with the terrible accent and Burgess reference?

Milk-PlusI have heard this name mentioned countless times over the last five years, associated with projects and even dropping songs here and there, dude is after my own heart as a Nerdcore Playa in the UK. Peep his site HERE, I know I will be checking in for info on a regular basis.
For some sound sampling he's on a few diff sites, like Reverb Nation, Last FM, Myspace, ya know.

OR, one of my fave-most recent songs is a slick hit off of Nerdcore Now 1 . . .

OR OR Ore, if you have 6 minutes to kill I HIGHLY recommend THIS SONG about some hoopy froods you may be familiar with, collabed with a couple other artists we are familiar with.

I have pulled down his free stuff and thuroughly enjoyed his previous collabs, and look forward to blasting his raps all over. I also love how he is an avid supporter of other artists and tries to help promote (like likes like?) . Cheers Mate (if those colloquialisms are still valid) and Rap on Net Geeksta, real Horrorshow!

Nerdy Fresh

Word, nerd, I got some fresh beats for those of you who have a hard time finding new, sweet Nerdcore Notes to bob your head too, or don't want to waste your time trying to find, what I consider, GOOD Nerdcore Hip-Hop.

Boss fights, as featured a month or so back, you can snag their first three free songs HERE, and word has it their first actual album is breaths away from being ready to be distributed, probably in the same place.

Rise, the new Mixtape by Zealous1, who we've discussed before dropped about a week or two agoe, snag that goodness NYAH

Soup or Villainz, is a new group that just released this album, and woo boy it is entertaining, I shall not lie. Snag it 'DERE, if I hear more about them in the future I hope to do a 3rd 4 t3h Nrrd on em.

KTP, or Kabuto the Python, had an album called Ill Ron Hubbard drop a little while back that apparently consists of old cuts intended for something else, short but chock full of Kabuto goodness, snag it NYAH!

Ran, Random, &/or Mega-Ran, seems to always be hard at work, After pulling down some of his free stuff across the webs, I think I will drop some cash to buy Black Materia, his album solely covering FFIV (NerdLife!) as well as as some of his other goodies. Perhaps even do a 3rd 4 t3h Nrrd on this bad boy before too long as well. Here's a sample from that Fantasy EP, enjoy.

3rd 4 t3h Nrrd: March '11

Nerdcore Now, a compilation of several Nerdcore artists from across the intarwebs comes strong with their first release covering everything from scene drama, to a six minute epic as the characters from Hitch Hiker's Guide.

Here's a taste, one of my fave tracks on the entire collection. I've got this one just about memorized.

The refreshed RhymeTorrents site in it's new incarnation as Nerdcore Now is keeping High-C's dream alive by supplying a constant stream of Nerdcore News, Downlaods, and a forum to discuss Geeky raps.

Piloted by Danger Aaron (whom I am extrapolating due to his profile says he's the webmaster and Admin of the boards, so, Kudoos to him for this undertaking) the new guard seems to be keeping it calm by keeping it simple and I don't know if there is a new system or if the submissions are getting better but the crop seems to be improving since the days of HamStar. Not to say I don't feel HamStar has his place in music or the internet, I just agree with many others in that perhaps a "serious" Nerdcore Hip-Hop compilation was not the place for him to be spread around.

So, any whip, go snag those fesh new nerdy beats and stick em in your ear hole. While here I shout atop the Inter-tubes, "Rhyme Torrents is Deader than Nerdcore! Long Live Rhyme Torrents, Long Live Nerdcore Now!"

3rd 4 t3h Nrrd: Nov. '10

Serendipitously, I once again feature a XX chromosome for our November focus!




















MC Diabeats!!

This slick chick with the sick music creds has only been in the game so far for less than three years. She has managed to put out a few pieces under the guidance of many Scrub Club Vet's in that short time and I imagine it wont be long till she puts out her own solo album.

Loud and proud about many aspects of herself, she is a; healthy, white, young, college student, insulin pump-diabetic, musician, Spanish/English major, nerd.

All of these aspects have influenced her Nerdcore quality in positive ways. It appears her musical background has led to an excellent ear and of course she is "one of us" if her material is any indication, which, she just did a collab album about a gaming system that has been out of date for a few years now.

I saw her on the Scrub Club roster earlier this year and heard one of her songs on a compilation somewhere, or maybe just listened to her Myspace songs, don't remember right now, but kept my ear open. Lo and behold, I looked her up again recently and she has been moving along at a good pace in the Nerdcore community.

If her freshman material is any measure of quality, her progress should be phenominal. I await the next injection of sweet rhymes from Lady Diabeats, but until then, hopefully these live performances can hold us over.

3rd 4 T3h Nrrd: Oct. '10

Let us declare that 2010 was the 3rd 4 t3h Nrrd Year for Doctors, with

DocPop!

Doctor Popular is a groovy Bay Area resident who I've been following for some time now. Not only has he been a constant contributor to the Nerdcore Scene from early on, he is a Renaissance man of Geekery.
He is a pro yo-yoer, craftsman, musical and visual artist, and connoisseur of local cuisines throughout the bay area, having many different food items around the The City named for him.

HERE you can dive into all that is DocPop and his goodness.

As for me, I love how quirky his style is. There is a very fun and proud vibe to all of his projects that keep me enthralled. Though he is by no means mute about controversial issues, the majority of his work that I enjoy is very loud and proud, and nerdy.

(Quick shout out to art/geek couples. His girlfriend UNWOMAN is also a musician and has some very awesome musical ability. Check her out if you're anything like my fiance who digs ladies with alternative musical outlets and production sensibilities.)

Below is just one of many videos and music projects the Doc has been involved with. Although often assumed, I was NOT in chess club, but I think, like many of us, it was not outside of the realm of possibility.


As much as I enjoy his music, I really dig DocPop because he is very visible in many communities close to my current home. He's almost always down at Mission Comics and his Tweets and Flickr read much like my own in that they're very observational throughout the day to day adventures. He is yet another guy who is living and surviving in one of the most expensive areas in the world and doing what he loves.

Mad props, DocPop!

Bonus Nerd Friendly Rap: MC Chris

(Due to the late 3rd 4 t3h Nrrd I thought this might be a good choice to put up. I have another for MC Lars should the occasion arise. Enoy!)


SO MUCH AWESOME!!!!! This high pitched home slice has been working and moving for a while and if you don't know who he is but are reading this blog even partially on purpose you are probably familiar with his work. He also goes by MC Pee Pants and originally Chris Ward. He has done work all over Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, specifically on Aqua Teen Hunger Force as well as others. He is a mover and shaker throwing down his sub-pop-culture awareness everywhere he goes, and as indicative of the hilarious skits on his albums hes good at telling a joke.








Here is a one of my favorite clips of him breaking down his thoughts on a beloved "JRPG"


But WAIT! Yes, he's funny, and he makes a great Dungeon Master of Ceremonies, AND he gets work on a internationally known television network, big deal? THATS NOT ALL!!
Check these fat beats and slick rhymes.


you might have heard this one . . . somewhere . . .



this one is for Theatreg33k!



Regardless of self labels and relationships with "communities" MC Chris is a great Hip Hop Artist, he raps about content I enjoy, the music gets me moving and I hope to continue to see him tour and produce. MC CHRIS IS NOT DEAD!

3rd 4 T3h Nrrd: May '10

Unleash the Dragon with this Slammin-smooth, super-sized, Samoan.

Zealous1

Like most of the rest of the intarwebs I was introduced to this So-Cal rap-wright through hearing "Level Up." I wont lie, I wasn't overly impressed but the beat was steady and the content spoke to me.

After hearing him on a couple collab's since, I decided to track down his tracks and give his library a good hard listen.

Hell-to-the-yeah! On one of my irregular road trips to deal with family affairs I listened exclusively to Zealous1's albums and continued to for a couple days after.

A proud member of Scrub Club Records, a member of Boss Fights and a driving force of the unofficial So-Cal Nerdcore crop, this dude is really chill.

His music is true, keeps it real, his flow is slick no matter what the tempo, his beats are varied and feel well thought out. Although many of the Scrub Club artists espouse a free music, free life, make music for life is freedom, mentality, I think Zealous is among the few who could and should get paid for their art.

Seek him out in any number of his net haunts and get down.

3rd 4 t3h Nrrd: April '10

Let us consult a doctor of other sorts. A real doctor. A Dr. of Science!

MC HAWKING!!

This monotone, digitized, D.O.G. has some slick beats, and rhymes to bend times on top of content that topically exceeds all nerdy expectations! The beats truly do rock. In every song I have reason to tap my foot and nod my head. The voice emulation program is never distracting to me, it always seems to be so well integrated into the music, and the hard core personality that the MC lays down leaves no question as to how hard Hawking is.

Although his secret identity has been revealed, this fictional MoFo is still a great Nerdcore luminary and character for the ages. One of the Origional MC's on Front's "Nerdcore Rising," MC Hawking has been a little quite as of late but is putting out a little bit here, and hopefully soon a little bit there.

I know, I know, here we go again with the Front collab's but damn if Front doesn't do collab's with all the cool cats, and Front aside, I really do love Hawking in these songs. He IS the main character in Bitch Slap, so it's technically Front guest starring on a Hawking track.

We miss The Hawkman and can't wait to hear him rollin' with the Nerdcore Crop once more!

"Galactic Empire State of Mind"

There are no words. I must only post it, immediately.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.