Top 5 Nerdy Rap Songs of All Time
1. Secret Wars Part I by the Last Empreror
One of the most imaginative rap songs ever composed, this song has comic book characters (like Spiderman and the Hulk) facing off in battles against MCs like KRS-One and Lauren Hill.
The Last Emperor's track showcases his creativity in how he matches the personality of the comic book characters (like Dr. Octopus vs. Busta Rhymes). He also creates an enjoyable song, flowing effortlessly for 5 and a half minutes with a complex multi-syllabic rhyme scheme with lines like "Rhymes by the bunches//Bums get dirtier than Middle Eastern dungeons//Ready to settle this like detective Columbo and his hunches." The Last Emperor is an underground legend and lyricist to be reckoned with. He has other tracks worth checking out like Monolith.
2. White & Nerdy by Weird Al
Perhaps the most popular nerdy rap of all time with over 67 million views on YouTube, this parody of Ridin' Dirty lives up to the hype. It shows that Weird Al, moving into his fifth decade as a musician, has staying power because he not only readily adapts to the latest music trends, but can continuously pull off on-point satire across generations. He's also one of a small number of people who could pull off a "Carl Sagan is my Homeboy" t-shirt in a rap music video.
3. Olafur Eliason by Southern Mothers (John Dixon and Russ Armstrong)
Can one make a rap music video from the assumed persona of one of the most successful conceptual artists rapping about his art exhibitions? Can one make this bizarre rap video substituting common hip hop references to cars and jewelry with references to art theory, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Tate Modern? According to John Dixson and Russ Armstrong, you can.
When you first view the video, you may wonder why are these two skinny white guys jumping around a waterfall in Danish attire saying vulgar things in fake accents pretending to be Olafur Eliasson? On a second listen, you realize it's filled with many nerdy references and complex allusions pulled off with Beastie Boys-like flair.
Conceptually, the track does a brilliant job at connecting two disparate artistic fields: rap music videos and high-budget art installations with the common thread they share: braggadocio and overstatement: "Six foot two inches, but I stand with the giants//I can recreate any force of nature or science." Extended metaphors about Eliasson's famous art exhibits involving water and the sun, (which include references to Ra, the ancient Egyptian sun god), give this track geek cred and earn its inclusion in this list.
4. Guinevere by MC Lars (feat. K.Flay and YTCracker)
Nerdcore pioneer YTCracker teamed up with MC Lars and K.Flay who raps on and produced the beat for this track about Arthurian legend. Amid references to Chrétien de Troyes, they contextualize the famous Medieval love triangle into terms understood today.
Part of a successful nerdy rap song is total commitment to its premise, and this track has it from YTCracker rapping in a fake British accent and ending the track with "YTCracker, straight outta Camelot." MC Lars has several other literary raps worth checking out, including his Edgar Allen Poe homage Annabel Lee R.I.P
5. Large Hadron Rap - Kate McAlpine
Though not as musical as other tracks on this list, its pure nerdiness and exclusive video footage from CERN, the Large Hadron Collider, give this music video "scientific cred" and catapult this music video onto this list. It's largely an educational rap, similar in inspiration as Bill Nye the Science Guy's science-themed music video parodies, like Water Cycle Jump and Air Pressure.
Honorable Mention: Galactic Empire State of Mind by College Humor and Star Wars Gangsta Rap by Bentframe.
Is there a song or music video that you think should be on this list? Write your suggestions in the comments below.
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About the author: Matt Werner is a writer and DJ. His latest book is Oakland in Popular Memory: Interviews with 12 cutting-edge artists from Oakland and beyond, forthcoming in March, 2012.
One of the most imaginative rap songs ever composed, this song has comic book characters (like Spiderman and the Hulk) facing off in battles against MCs like KRS-One and Lauren Hill.
The Last Emperor's track showcases his creativity in how he matches the personality of the comic book characters (like Dr. Octopus vs. Busta Rhymes). He also creates an enjoyable song, flowing effortlessly for 5 and a half minutes with a complex multi-syllabic rhyme scheme with lines like "Rhymes by the bunches//Bums get dirtier than Middle Eastern dungeons//Ready to settle this like detective Columbo and his hunches." The Last Emperor is an underground legend and lyricist to be reckoned with. He has other tracks worth checking out like Monolith.
2. White & Nerdy by Weird Al
Perhaps the most popular nerdy rap of all time with over 67 million views on YouTube, this parody of Ridin' Dirty lives up to the hype. It shows that Weird Al, moving into his fifth decade as a musician, has staying power because he not only readily adapts to the latest music trends, but can continuously pull off on-point satire across generations. He's also one of a small number of people who could pull off a "Carl Sagan is my Homeboy" t-shirt in a rap music video.
3. Olafur Eliason by Southern Mothers (John Dixon and Russ Armstrong)
Can one make a rap music video from the assumed persona of one of the most successful conceptual artists rapping about his art exhibitions? Can one make this bizarre rap video substituting common hip hop references to cars and jewelry with references to art theory, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Tate Modern? According to John Dixson and Russ Armstrong, you can.
When you first view the video, you may wonder why are these two skinny white guys jumping around a waterfall in Danish attire saying vulgar things in fake accents pretending to be Olafur Eliasson? On a second listen, you realize it's filled with many nerdy references and complex allusions pulled off with Beastie Boys-like flair.
Conceptually, the track does a brilliant job at connecting two disparate artistic fields: rap music videos and high-budget art installations with the common thread they share: braggadocio and overstatement: "Six foot two inches, but I stand with the giants//I can recreate any force of nature or science." Extended metaphors about Eliasson's famous art exhibits involving water and the sun, (which include references to Ra, the ancient Egyptian sun god), give this track geek cred and earn its inclusion in this list.
4. Guinevere by MC Lars (feat. K.Flay and YTCracker)
Nerdcore pioneer YTCracker teamed up with MC Lars and K.Flay who raps on and produced the beat for this track about Arthurian legend. Amid references to Chrétien de Troyes, they contextualize the famous Medieval love triangle into terms understood today.
Part of a successful nerdy rap song is total commitment to its premise, and this track has it from YTCracker rapping in a fake British accent and ending the track with "YTCracker, straight outta Camelot." MC Lars has several other literary raps worth checking out, including his Edgar Allen Poe homage Annabel Lee R.I.P
5. Large Hadron Rap - Kate McAlpine
Though not as musical as other tracks on this list, its pure nerdiness and exclusive video footage from CERN, the Large Hadron Collider, give this music video "scientific cred" and catapult this music video onto this list. It's largely an educational rap, similar in inspiration as Bill Nye the Science Guy's science-themed music video parodies, like Water Cycle Jump and Air Pressure.
Honorable Mention: Galactic Empire State of Mind by College Humor and Star Wars Gangsta Rap by Bentframe.
Is there a song or music video that you think should be on this list? Write your suggestions in the comments below.
----
About the author: Matt Werner is a writer and DJ. His latest book is Oakland in Popular Memory: Interviews with 12 cutting-edge artists from Oakland and beyond, forthcoming in March, 2012.
