MC Lars

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MC Lars
MC Lars with Zelda chain.jpg
MC Lars wearing a Legend of Zelda necklace in 2015
Background information
Birth nameAndrew Robert Nielsen
Also known asLars Horris, MC Lars Horris, Lars
Born (1982-10-06) October 6, 1982 (age 42)
Origin Oakland, California, U.S.
Genres Hip hop, Ska punk, Emo rap, Christian hip hop, Nerdcore [1]
Years active1999–present
Labels Horris Records, Nettwerk, Truck Records, Oglio Records
Website mclars.com

Andrew Robert Nielsen (born October 6, 1982), known professionally as MC Lars, is an American rapper, producer, educator, and founder of Horris Records. [2] A graduate of Stanford University and the University of Oxford, [3] [4] he has been described as a pioneer of "lit-hop", a genre blending hip-hop with themes from classical and American literature. [5] [6] In a 2003 song, he used the term "iGeneration", which ASCAP credited as an early instance of the term. [7] [8] He has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall [9] [10] and multiple TEDx events. [11] [12] His work frequently references authors like William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, and Herman Melville, [13] and he is considered a key figure in the early nerdcore movement. [14]

Contents

Education

Lars attended Stevenson School, a high school in Pebble Beach, California. He later studied English literature at Stanford University and Shakespeare at Oxford University in England, eventually earning a master's degree in Instructional design. [15]

Career and Live Performances

Lars has toured and performed alongside a wide range of artists across genres, including mainstream acts such as Snoop Dogg, Nas, Lupe Fiasco, Simple Plan, Gym Class Heroes, T-Pain, and Insane Clown Posse, as well as alternative and nerdcore staples like Say Anything, Bowling for Soup, MC Frontalot, mc chris, and Wheatus. [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]

MC Lars performing with Wherewolves at Bang! Nightclub, Melbourne (May 2009) Mc larsBang.jpg
MC Lars performing with Wherewolves at Bang! Nightclub, Melbourne (May 2009)

His live shows combine laptop-driven beats with live instrumentation, visual projections, and spoken word, and he has performed solo or with full bands assembled from frequent collaborators. In May 2007, while on the UK’s third Good To Go Tour, Lars was backed by Wheatus, who learned his set and performed it live each night. He and frontman Brendan B. Brown later co-wrote several songs that appeared on This Gigantic Robot Kills .

Later that year, Lars returned to the UK with the pop-punk band Last Letter Read, who opened the shows and then joined him onstage. Throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, Lars toured with bands such as Bowling for Soup, Simple Plan, and The Matches, often incorporating their members into his set. In 2010, during a European tour supporting Zebrahead, Lars was joined live by drummer Ed Udhus, guitarist Greg Bergdorf, and tour manager Bobby Conner.

In 2019, to mark the tenth anniversary of This Gigantic Robot Kills, Lars toured the UK again, this time backed by Newcastle-based alt-rock band Ruled by Raptors. The tour featured a fully live setup with instruments and samples, without backing tracks, relying instead on the band to recreate everything instrumentally or with triggers. [21]

Musical Style and Influences

MC Lars at the Vans Warped Tour 2013 MC LARS.jpg
MC Lars at the Vans Warped Tour 2013

MC Lars began his career performing under the names Lars Horris and MC Lars Horris, eventually shortening it to MC Lars. The name "Lars" references a character from the 1995 film Heavyweights , while “Horris” was a cartoon character he created in middle school, inspired by Horace from Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman . “Horris” later became the namesake of his independent label, Horris Records. [22] [23]

Describing his style as "post-punk laptop rap", Lars blends hip-hop with punk rock, emo, and indie influences. [24] [25] Samples play a central role in his production, drawing from artists like Supergrass, Piebald, Brand New, Fugazi, and Iggy Pop. [26]

His track "Signing Emo" notably features a sample from “Cry Tonight” by the fictional band Hearts That Hate, a satirical creation. [27] When Lars toured with Bowling for Soup, the band performed as Hearts That Hate live. A full version of "Cry Tonight" appears as a B-side on the UK release of "Signing Emo". [28]

Literary Themes and Education

MC Lars’s work integrates hip-hop with academic and literary themes, influenced by his studies in English at Stanford University and Shakespeare at Oxford University. His lyrical content often reflects this foundation, blending satire, literary adaptation, and cultural critique. In 2003, while still a student, he coined the term "iGeneration" to describe those born in the mid-to-late 1980s, a digital-native cohort shaped by file sharing, online identity, and remix culture. He expanded on this concept in the song "iGeneration," which was released for free on Facebook and iTunes in 2006. That same year, his anti-RIAA single "Download This Song" was featured on CBC Radio’s Definitely Not the Opera. [29]

Building on these early explorations of media and identity, Lars became known as a pioneer of "lit-hop," a genre that merges hip-hop with literary themes and canonical texts. [30] [31] Many of his songs are literary adaptations: "Rapbeth" references Macbeth ; "Mr. Raven" draws on Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Raven"; "Ahab" retells Moby Dick ; and "Hey There Ophelia" reimagines Hamlet . [32]

In 2012, following the release of his Edgar Allan Poe EP, Lars performed "Flow Like Poe" at Carnegie Hall with a live string ensemble during the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. [9] [33] That same year, at TEDxUSC, he linked the death of Tupac Shakur to the final act of Hamlet and performed the witches’ chant from Macbeth as a rap. [34] He later gave a similar talk at TEDxYouth@Homer in Alaska. [35]

Lars has continued to advocate for hip-hop as a tool in classrooms and arts education programs, bridging literary tradition with digital-age pedagogy. [36]

Independent Distribution and Horris Records

In 2004, MC Lars released The Laptop EP , establishing his DIY ethos and laying the groundwork for future independent projects. That same year, he founded Horris Records, initially launched as an imprint under Nettwerk and Oglio, before transitioning to full self-distribution.

In 2006, Lars released the single "Download This Song", a critique of the music industry’s response to file-sharing. Issued through Nettwerk as part of The Graduate , the track reached number 29 on the Australian Singles Chart. [37] Shortly after its iTunes release, Lars was contacted by a 15-year-old fan whose family was being sued by the RIAA. Terry McBride, CEO of Nettwerk, and several label artists publicly supported the family’s legal defense, drawing national media attention. [38] [39] [40]

In interviews, Lars has spoken positively about the role of digital sharing in growing his audience. [41] [42] In 2007, he released the stems of "White Kids Aren’t Hyphy" under a Creative Commons license via the Jamglue platform, inviting fans to create remixes. [43]

In 2009, Lars partnered with Crappy Records (founded by Bowling for Soup's Jaret Reddick) to release This Gigantic Robot Kills , featuring "Weird Al" Yankovic, Jonathan Coulton, Parry Gripp, MC Frontalot, and Wheatus. Horris Records has also occasionally served as a platform for other up-and-coming artists in the indie and alternative scenes, including K.Flay in 2009 and Weerd Science in 2011. In 2009, Horris released a collaborative EP with K.Flay (Single and Famous), marking an early moment in her career before her signing with Interscope Records after being discovered by Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons. [44] [45] [46] In 2011, Lars signed Coheed and Cambria drummer Josh Eppard’s hip-hop project Weerd Science and independently released Lars Attacks!, which featured Weerd Science, as well as KRS-One, Mac Lethal, and Sage Francis. [47] [48]

In 2015, he crowdfunded over $42,000 to produce The Zombie Dinosaur LP , released on Horris Records. [49]

Film and TV work

Lars's music has been featured on MTV News, CNN Money, HBO’s Hung , G4’s Attack of the Show! and Ninja Warrior. [50] [41] [51] He created musical bumpers and segments as part of the G4 rebrand in 2008, alongside Del the Funky Homosapien, YTCracker, and MC Frontalot. [52]

He has also contributed music to the soundtracks of various films, including Nerdcore for Life (2008), Little Boxes (2016), Pick It Up! (2019), and Challengers (2024). [53]

Discography

References

  1. ↑ Elderkin, Beth (May 26, 2020). "10 Nerdcore, Nerd-Folk, and Other Geeky Artists to Add to Your Playlist" . Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  2. ↑ "MC Lars – Central Coast Rocks Profile" . Retrieved July 31, 2025. MC Lars is an American rapper... He is the founder and CEO of the independent record label Horris Records
  3. ↑ Cabrera, Marc (November 20, 2008). "Nerd rap". Monterey Herald. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  4. ↑ Thornton, Stuart (December 13, 2007). "Already ambitious MC Lars further expands his sound". Monterey County Weekly. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  5. ↑ Sewell, Amanda (2015). "Nerdcore Hip-Hop". In Justin A. Williams (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Hip-Hop. Cambridge University Press. pp. 233–247. ISBN   978-1-107-03746-5.
  6. ↑ "Is Shakespeare Getting a Bad Rap? Not If MC Lars Has His Way". Portland Monthly. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Talking 'Bout iGeneration – MC Lars". ASCAP Playback. Winter 2005. Archived from the original on 2008-12-11.
  8. ↑ Williams, Justin A. The Cambridge Companion to Hip-Hop. 12 February 2015. ISBN   978-1-107-03746-5.
  9. 1 2 "MC Lars at Carnegie Hall". Scholastic. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  10. ↑ "MC Lars at Carnegie Hall". Scholastic. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  11. ↑ "The hip-hop of Shakespeare: MC Lars at TEDxUSC". YouTube. 29 November 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Education Through Rap and Hip Hop – MC Lars – TEDxYouth@Homer". YouTube. 16 October 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  13. ↑ "MC Lars Bio" . Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  14. ↑ Sewell, Amanda (2015). "Nerdcore Hip-Hop". In Justin A. Williams (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Hip-Hop. Cambridge University Press. pp. 233–247. ISBN   978-1-107-03746-5.
  15. ↑ Cabrera, Marc. "Nerd rap".
  16. ↑ Friends, Debbie and. "Boston's Own Debbie And Friends Among The 8th Annual Independent Music Awards Vox Populi Winners". PRLog. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  17. ↑ "Independent Music Awards – 2009 Judges". 12 April 2009. Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  18. ↑ "MC Lars Interview on DCG Con, ICP, Nerdcore, more! [May 2018] – Faygoluvers". Faygoluvers.net. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  19. ↑ "MC Lars – Mega Ran – Big O (concert listing)" . Retrieved July 31, 2025. Nielsen has opened for Snoop Dogg, ... Lupe Fiasco, Nas, Simple Plan, Bowling for Soup, Gym Class Heroes, Say Anything (among others)
  20. ↑ "MC Lars live at Bottom of the Hill (artist bio)" . Retrieved July 31, 2025. ...collaborated with K.Flay (with whom he released the 2009 Single and Famous EP), opened for Nas and Snoop Dogg, and played multiple summers on the Vans Warped Tour
  21. ↑ Ross (May 11, 2019). "Band of the Day: Ruled By Raptors". Moshville Times. Retrieved July 31, 2025. We have our tour supporting MC Lars throughout March and April, but we will be back out later in the year touring...
  22. ↑ MC Lars and Weerd Science interview Part 1. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 30 June 2011.
  23. ↑ "MC Lars – Superior Music Publishing Profile" . Retrieved July 31, 2025. Originally releasing tracks under the name Lars Horris, Nielsen eventually dropped Horris (which later became the name of his record label), becoming MC Lars
  24. ↑ GeekDad (Wired), Z. (October 6, 2009). "Happy Birthday, MC Lars!". Wired. Retrieved July 31, 2025. ...today the originator of "post-punk laptop rap," the one and only MC Lars, turns 27
  25. ↑ Rashbaum, Alyssa (March 1, 2005). "Adam Curry Wants to Make You an iPod Radio Star (MC Lars profile)". Wired. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  26. ↑ "MC Lars – Superior Music Publishing Profile" . Retrieved July 31, 2025. Samples from bands such as Supergrass, Piebald, Brand New, Fugazi, and Iggy Pop play a key role in MC Lars's music.
  27. ↑ Rashbaum, Alyssa (March 31, 2006). "MC Lars – The Graduate (album review)". Spin. Retrieved July 31, 2025. ...on "Signing Emo," Lars throws in full emo choruses from the fictional band, Hearts That Hate
  28. ↑ "MC Lars – Superior Music Publishing Profile" . Retrieved July 31, 2025. The Grammy-nominated Texan band Bowling for Soup performed as Hearts That Hate when MC Lars has supported them on tour... A full version of "Cry Tonight" is available as a B-side to the UK "Signing Emo" single
  29. ↑ "MC Lars – Central Coast Rocks Profile" . Retrieved July 31, 2025. John Mayer has credited Lars with coining the phrase "iGeneration," referring to the kids of the mid '80s–2000 era
  30. ↑ "Is Shakespeare Getting a Bad Rap? Not If MC Lars Has His Way". Portland Monthly. October 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  31. ↑ Sewell, Amanda (2015). "Nerdcore Hip-Hop". In Justin A. Williams (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Hip-Hop. Cambridge University Press. pp. 233–247. ISBN   978-1-107-03746-5.
  32. ↑ "MC Lars – Superior Music Publishing Profile" . Retrieved July 31, 2025. "Rapbeth" references Shakespeare's play Macbeth; "Mr. Raven" is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven"; "Ahab" is about the novel Moby Dick; and "Hey There Ophelia" on This Gigantic Robot Kills retells the story of Shakespeare's Hamlet
  33. ↑ "MC Lars live at Bottom of the Hill (artist bio)" . Retrieved July 31, 2025. Lars has spoken and presented at two different TEDx conferences, and performed at Carnegie Hall with a live string ensemble at Scholastic's 2012 Art & Writing Awards (premiering "Flow Like Poe")
  34. ↑ "The hip-hop of Shakespeare: MC Lars at TEDxUSC". YouTube. 29 November 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  35. ↑ "Education Through Rap and Hip Hop – MC Lars – TEDxYouth@Homer". YouTube. 16 October 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  36. ↑ “Hip Hop” (July 25, 2025). "Educational hip‑hop pioneer MC Lars headlines Ohio Valley Brochella". 100.5 the Vibe / WTRF. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  37. ↑ "Every ARIA Top 100 Single in 2006" . Retrieved July 31, 2025. 19 JUN 06 – 029. *Download This Song* – MC Lars – #29 (Australia)
  38. ↑ "Nettwerk's Full Effect: Defending fans against the RIAA". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  39. ↑ Martin, Geoff (January 27, 2006). "Canadian record label taking on the RIAA over lawsuits". CanWest News Service. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  40. ↑ Martin, Geoff (January 27, 2006). "Canadian record label taking on the RIAA over lawsuits". CanWest News Service. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  41. 1 2 "MC Lars: Reinventing the Music Business". CNN. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  42. ↑ "MC Lars Talks Music Biz on CNN Money". PunkNews. 23 May 2011. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  43. ↑ "Jamglue.com has shut down". Archived from the original on 3 May 2007. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  44. ↑ Farr, Kristin (August 17, 2010). "Q+A with K.Flay". KQED Arts & Culture. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  45. ↑ Ruskin, Zack (August 29, 2019). "K.Flay will always have the Bay Area in her blood". Datebook (San Francisco Chronicle). Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  46. ↑ Vaziri, Aidin (August 7, 2017). "Stanford-educated rapper K.Flay gets her big breakthrough". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  47. ↑ "Weerd Science – Sick Kids". Alternative Press. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  48. ↑ "MC Lars – Lars Attacks!". Alternative Press. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  49. ↑ "MC Lars live at Bottom of the Hill (artist bio)" . Retrieved July 31, 2025. ...funded entirely by his third Kickstarter campaign, through which he raised over $42,000 to create and release The Zombie Dinosaur LP.
  50. ↑ Scott Iwasaki (January 21, 2005). "MC Lars: Kids are enjoying tour". Deseret News. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  51. ↑ "MC Lars at Reggie's Live". Reggie's Live. July 25, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  52. ↑ Ken Denmead (June 25, 2008). "MC Frontalot Shows What Nerdcore Truly Means". GeekDad (Wired). Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  53. ↑ "Nerdcore for Life (2008) – Soundtrack". Nerdcore for Life. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
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