Just as nerdcore seems to be powering down – seemingly taken over by 8bit music, among other things – now comes the documentary Nerdcore For Life, co-starring former Fort Worth Weekly covergirl MC Router (also known as Data Discotheque).
The nerdcore scene, according to a Wired magazine article about the movie, “proves to be just as rife with drama as a 50 Cent/Ja Rule beef.” (Who even knew Fiddy and Ja Rule were fighting? I just saw them the other day at the candy shop.) I haven’t seen the movie but can’t rightfully doubt what Wired’s talking about. There’s a flame war at www.wired.com that’s even hairier than the ones we have about gas drilling in Fort Worth – some of the participants are subjects of the film, including Router, who has posted only one message as far as I can tell, and MC Nomad, who disses Router in a couple of posts and who also evidently disses her in the movie. He tells the filmmakers, “Beef progresses the art form, no matter what it may be. If Picasso had battled Leonardo da Vinci, there would’ve been really awesome paintings.” (Never mind that da Vinci died several centuries before Picasso was even born and that the two of them are responsible for literally hundreds of “really awesome paintings.”) Nomad’s reason for dissing Router specifically is more succinct. “I dissed her because she’s wack,” he writes. “Just because you play video games doesn’t mean you can rap.” Nomad thinks Router gives the genre a bad name. Regardless, fledgling genres tend to attract their shares of artists just looking to be pioneers in something, skill levels be damned, though Router isn’t one of them. Neither is Nomad. No word yet on the movie’s release. Visit www.myspace.com/nerdcoreforlife.
… Every once in a while, a rap lyric comes along whose linguistic legerdemain makes your jaw drop. (“Vocals, vocabulary, your verses, you’re stuck in / The mic is a drano / Volcanoes eruptin'” – Rakim.) And then there are rhymes that are just freakin’ awesome. (“I’m the one that had the elephants roostin’ in the trees and all the ants wearing BVDs!” – Dolemite.) And then there are rhymes that will make you giggle. Most recent case in point is one of H-town rapper “Lil'” Flip Gates’ rhymes on “Joyride,” off 3.10.85, the new album by perennial Fort Worth Weekly Music Awards winner for Best Rap/R&B, Smoothvega: “Before we get to know each other, I’d just want a test drive / ‘Cause my insurance covers damage to your backside.” Not sure Flip will be in town on Sunday, but at Club Chrome (2408 E. Belknap, 817-222-2244), Vega will have an album-release party. Based on a couple of tracks, the young Latino rapper seems to have found his signature sound – minimalist and bright but full – and his voice is ominous and whispery, which is a total relief from all of the shouters who pass as rappers today. (“Put yo hood up! / Put yo hood up!” – I know what that means, but what in the hell does it mean?!) Tickets to the all-ages event are $15 at the door. Visit www.myspace.com/smoothvega.
Contact HearSay at hearsay@fwweekly.com.
