Nerdcore - the new hip-hop for “nerds” and “geeks”

LONDON - A new form of hip-hop for “nerds” and “geeks” has come up in the form of “nerdcore”.

MC Frontalot, one of the founding fathers of the scene, said the subject matter stands in contrast to that traditionally explored in hip-hop.

“Nerdcore is like every other sort of hip hop, just considerably less cool,” the BBC quoted him as saying.

“Topics include video games, science fiction, dungeons and dragons, but the deeper themes also look at feelings of alienation, paranoia and inadequacy that must always be battled in order to leave your apartment,” he stated.

Nerdcore MC MadHatter McGinnis thinks that geekdom is simply becoming more mainstream.

“My personal take is not that nerdcore is getting big but that the whole world population are becoming nerds,” he said.

“My three-year-old daughter will exceed my computer skills; nerds run the defence systems for the country. I think the music is appealing to these themes,” he stated.

Some have noted that the themes of nerdcore and hip-hop rap rarely overlap, but others argue that nerdcore like grassroots hip-hop is all about keeping it real.

However, one thing that does tally with mainstream rap music is that female performers are in the minority, with Canadian performer Nursehella, being just one of the few female nerdcore artists.

She puts the lack of female artists down to the confidence needed to stand up and rhyme in public.

But for budding artists, there is support amongst the musicians, who view each other as peers rather than rivals.

“It’s one of the most supportive subgenres I have come across. We make music at our house. We set up studios because we are proficient with computers and know how to make it all work,” MadHatter said.

He said a lot of the musicians have made songs together but have never met each other.

“That’s where the Internet steps in,” he explained.

“We may not have been picked first for dodge ball or at the high school dance but we reach out across the Internet to work together without even leaving the house,” he added. (ANI)