Hip Hop music and culture in general bring to mind certain connotations – urban, cool, often represented by African American or POC. And despite the understanding of Hip Hop being quite flexible even within those bounds, there exists a sub-genre of Hip Hop called nerd core which deals exclusively with trials and tribulations of being a nerd/geek.

MC Frontalot has the earliest known recorded use of the term, originating in 2000 song ‘Nerdcore Hiphop’. Somewhat coining the term, the music is usually released online for free, with a history of self-publishing and self-production. The topics of rap include everything from the current political climates to science fiction, role-playing games, computers and high school hierarchies. 

There is no specific sound for Nerdcore Hip Hop. Rather, it is the lyrics that set it apart from old school and mainstream Hip Hop. MC Frontalot stated he was inspired by Beastie Boys who, despite having the traditional Hip Hop sounds, experimented with topics dealt with in Nerdcore. In fact, one of Beastie Boys’ album Hello Nasty (1998) was centred around sci-fi and video games. 

In 2005, a new subgenera called ‘geeksta rap’ (a spin on ‘gangsta’ rap) gained public attention.  In 2008, ‘Nerdcore Rising’, a feature-length documentary following pioneer MC Frontalot’s as he toured the US in 2006. It should also be noted that many Nerdcore rappers are college-educated, holding at least one graduate degree.

MC Frontalot himself double majored in English and electronic music at Wesleyan University. Another connection between all Nerdcore rappers apart from subject matter is their own marginalisation and isolation. Professional academic editor Amanda Sewell quotes one email shared with her by a Nerdcore rapper which states that;

‘Nerds end up in a lot of sub-categories, often based on what kinds of escapist media they consume or what professional talents they’ve developed. […] I think in every nerd there is a genesis story, an early period of perceived inadequacy, failures of athleticism and charisma, social exclusion and then isolation.

Or as Nerdcore rapper MC Chris explains; ‘If you try to act like you’re a tough rapper when you’re really just a skinny white guy who knows how to play video games, then no one’s really going to buy it.’ What Nerdcore Hip Hop shows is the immense openness Hip Hop as a UNESCO recognised culture provides. It gives a voice to the marginalised, empowering them by giving them power over their labels, their talents and creativity. 

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