Nerdcore Rising (film)

Last updated
Nerdcore Rising
Nerdcore Rising FilmPoster.jpeg
Directed by
Produced by
Starring Damian Hess
CinematographyBrendan Kennedy
Edited byAndrew Mendelson
Release date
  • March 9, 2008 (2008-03-09)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Nerdcore Rising is a documentary/concert film starring MC Frontalot and other nerdcore hip hop artists such as MC Chris, Wheelie Cyberman of Optimus Rhyme and MC Lars, with contributors from artists such as "Weird Al" Yankovic, Prince Paul, and Brian Posehn. [1] The film, directed and produced by Negin Farsad, was premiered at the 2008 South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. [2] It combines interviews about nerdcore and its origins with footage of MC Frontalot's 2006 Nerdcore Rising national tour.

Contents

Film content

The film investigates the nerdcore genre of hip-hop music, following the godfather of the genre, MC Frontalot, nerdcore's 'poet laureate', on his first national tour, in the company of band-mates Gaby Alter ("G Minor 7"), the keyboard player; Strugis the drummer and 'flirt of the band'; and Brandon Patton ("Blak Lotus"), the bass guitarist. [3]

Beginning in South Carolina and culminating at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, masses of fans across the country come out to hear Frontalot's music as he strives to achieve mainstream success. Behind the scenes, relationships among Frontalot and his band are challenged by their experiences on the road. Frontalot and Alter, are childhood friends, and both met Patton in college. Strugis, tries to fit in as the new member and Brandon, is a taskmaster in Sturgis.

Throughout the film, music industry notables provide insight into Nerdcore. Old school trailblazers like Prince Paul and contemporary hip hop aficionados like J-Live examine the legitimacy of nerdcore as a subgenre of hip hop. Celebrities like "Weird Al" Yankovic discuss the origins of nerdcore while Penny Arcade creators Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, expounding on the digital revolution that is enabling the nerdcore movement.

Reception

Reviews of this documentary are generally favourable. Mel Valentin of Slash Film described it as "an engrossing documentary directed by Negin Farsad, [that] will answer any and all questions you may have about nerdcore, a relatively new hip-hop genre made by and for nerds." [1] Paul Bower of "Tiny Mixed Tapes" concluded "With the added benefit of interviews with artists like Prince Paul, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and Jello Biafra, Nerdcore Rising serves as an entertaining yet fluffy documentary about one of the most laughably interesting forms of musical expression in the West." [3]

DVD release

The DVD of Nerdcore Rising was sold in limited release in August 2008. It was sold for the first time at the 2008 Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle.[ citation needed ] It was released widely on 15 September 2009.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

Ken Lawrence is a nerdcore rapper who purports to be the late theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking rapping under the name MC Hawking.

Underground hip-hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music that is outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed to independent labels or no label at all. Underground hip hop is often characterized by socially conscious, positive, or anti-commercial lyrics. However, there is no unifying or universal theme – AllMusic suggests that it "has no sonic signifiers". "The Underground" also refers to the community of musicians, fans and others that support non-commercial, or independent music. Music scenes with strong ties to underground hip hop include alternative hip hop and conscious hip hop. Many artists who are considered "underground" today were not always so, and may have previously broken the Billboard charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nerdcore</span> Genre of hip hop music

Nerdcore is a genre of hip hop music characterized by subject matter considered of interest to nerds and geeks. Self-described nerdcore musician MC Frontalot has the earliest known recorded use of the term in the 2000 song "Nerdcore Hiphop". Frontalot, like most nerdcore artists, self-publishes his work and has released much of it for free online. As a niche genre, nerdcore generally holds to the DIY ethic, and has a history of self-publishing and self-production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amish Paradise</span> 1996 single by "Weird Al" Yankovic

"Amish Paradise" is a 1996 single by satirist "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of the hip hop song "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio featuring L.V.. Featured on the album Bad Hair Day, it turns the original "Gangsta's Paradise", in which the narrator laments his dangerous way of life, on its head by presenting an Amish man praising his relatively plain and uncomplicated existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MC Frontalot</span> American nerdcore rapper

Damian Alexander Hess, better known by his stage name MC Frontalot, is an American rapper and web designer. Hess began releasing music as MC Frontalot in 1999. His first successes came through Song Fight!, an online songwriting and recording competition, where he became known for consistently beating opponents. Throughout his history at Song Fight!, he has never lost a competition as MC Frontalot, although he has entered only seven entries in that name. In one such song fight, entitled "Romantic Cheapskate", he likens Song Fight! to a neglected lover who favors him regardless of how he treats her. The song went on to garner a total of 614 votes, while the next closest song ended the round with 28.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MC Lars</span> American rapper

Andrew Robert Nielsen, known professionally as MC Lars, is an American record producer, rapper, cartoonist, podcaster and educator. Lars is one of the self-proclaimed originators of "lit-hop", and is the founder and CEO of the independent record label Horris Records. Lars has been cited as the creator of the term "iGeneration", which he was credited with doing in 2003.

<i>Nerdcore Rising</i> 2005 studio album by MC Frontalot

Nerdcore Rising is the official debut album by nerdcore rapper MC Frontalot. The album was first released on August 27, 2005 at the Penny Arcade Expo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse Dangerously</span> Musical artist

Jesse Alexander McDonald, better known by their stage name Jesse Dangerously or The Halifax Rap Legend, is an alternative hip hop artist from Halifax, Nova Scotia and operating out of Ottawa, Ontario. Dangerously has released solo projects, provided guest vocals for other local artists, hosted a weekly radio show, written a weekly column, and produced beats for other musicians. They are a member of the Backburner crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parry Gripp</span> American musician

Parry P. Gripp is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is the lead vocalist and guitarist for the pop punk band Nerf Herder from its formation in 1994. Gripp writes novelty songs for children, and has been featured on Disney television shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raheem Jarbo</span> American rapper

Raheem Jarbo, also known by his stage names Mega Ran and Random, is an American underground nerdcore rapper, chiptune DJ, author and record producer. In February 2015, he changed his stage name to Mega Ran, removing Random from any releases.

Keith A. Moore is a nerdcore rapper, better known by the stage name Beefy, from the Tri-Cities, Washington.

<i>Secrets from the Future</i> 2007 studio album by MC Frontalot

Secrets from the Future is the second studio album from nerdcore hip hop artist MC Frontalot. It was released on tour and through his website on April 6, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Negin Farsad</span> Comedian and director

Negin Farsad is an Iranian-American comedian, actress, writer, and filmmaker based in New York City.

Nerdcore Rising may refer to:

Brandon Patton is an American game designer and musician.

Nerdcore for Life is a 2008 documentary film about the world of nerdcore hip-hop directed by Dan Lamoureux and produced by Crapbot Productions.

<i>This Gigantic Robot Kills</i> 2009 studio album by MC Lars

This Gigantic Robot Kills is the fourth album by nerdcore musician MC Lars. Lars has stated that he worked with "Weird Al" Yankovic, the Rondo Brothers, Nick Rowe and Mike Kennedy of Bloodsimple, James Bourne of Busted, Daniel Dart of Time Again, Donal Finn of Flash Bastard, Pierre Bouvier of Simple Plan, MC Bat Commander of The Aquabats, Suburban Legends, Worm Quartet, Gabriel Saporta of Cobra Starship, Brett Anderson of The Donnas, MC Frontalot, Amie Miriello of Dirtie Blonde, Jesse Dangerously, Linus Dotson of Size 14, Parry Gripp of Nerf Herder, Jonathan Coulton, Aesias Finale, Sebastian Reynolds, Brendan B. Brown of Wheatus, and classical musician Walt Ribeiro on songs for the new album.

Michael Lombardo is an American former piano rock musician. He was known for writing piano-driven rock songs and posting them on YouTube under the username "MikeLombardoMusic", until his 2013 conviction on child pornography charges. He was previously signed to DFTBA Records through which he released one LP, Songs for a New Day, and one EP, The Alchemist. Lombardo posted music videos, song tutorials, and personal updates on his YouTube channel which had over 20,000 subscribers before its closure.

Nerd music is the overall category of music collecting the musical genres that grew from nerd culture; different styles that share the same common ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sammus</span> American rapper

Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo, known as Sammus, is an American underground rapper, former teacher, and record producer.

References

  1. 1 2 Valentin, Mel (12 March 2008). "SXSW Movie Review: Nerdcore Rising". Slash Film (www.slashfilm.com). Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Tilly, Chris (11 March 2008). "SXSW 08: Nerdcore Rising Review". IGN (www.ign.com). Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 Bower, Paul. "Film Review: Nerdcore Rising (Dir. Negin Farsad)". Tiny Mix Tapes (tinymixtapes). Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2023.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.