MC Frontalot

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MC Frontalot
Performing live at PAX, 2004.
Background information
Birth name	Damian Hess
Also known as	MC Frontalot
Born	December 3, 1973 (1973-12-03) (age 34)
Origin	San Francisco, California, U.S.
Genre(s)	Nerdcore hip hop
Occupation(s)	Songwriter, rapper
Instrument(s)	Rapping
Years active	1999 – present
Label(s)	Level Up
Website	frontalot.com

Damian Hess (born December 3, 1973), known by stage name MC Frontalot, is a San Francisco hip hop musician and self-proclaimed "world's 579th greatest rapper." He is best known in nerdcore hip hop and video game culture, for naming the nerdcore subgenre, and performing at Penny Arcade's annual Expo.

1 Career
2 Musical influences
3 Discography
- 3.1 Albums
- 3.2 Non-album tracks
4 Known recorded live sets
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Career

[edit] Early days

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!, Hess has never lost a competition, although he has entered only seven entries in the traditional Song Fight! style.^[1] In one such song fight, entitled "Romantic Cheapskate", he likens Song Fight! to a neglected lover who favours him regardless of how he treats her.^[2] Indicative of his success, the song went on to garner a total of 614 votes, while the next closest song ended the round with 28.^[3]

[edit] Nerdcore

In 2000 he released the song "Nerdcore Hiphop". From the first words spoken ("initiating startup sequence") to the countless references to a proud geekish lifestyle and nerdly leanings ("pish posh, man, I come as wack as I like!"), the song became an immediate hit in the geek and nerd communities. The rap subgenre of nerdcore hip hop, which had been around though unnamed beforehand, embraced the title and has since been expanding rapidly.

Many consider Hess, if not the founder of nerdcore, certainly the man who shone the torch on it. The man himself however is quick to point out the many artists who came before him and those which he considers his peers, as illustrated on his information webpage.

Hess released his first studio album on August 27, 2005. Entitled Nerdcore Rising, the album contains six new songs, along with 10 remixed versions of past tracks. Some of the new tracks contain production by popular online musicians from Song Fight!, including indie rock and hip hop artist Doctor Popular.

[edit] Spotlight

On March 18, 2002, popular webcomic Penny Arcade declared Frontalot their rapper laureate, directing fans to his website.^[4] He has acknowledged that that single act made his popularity skyrocket. In appreciation, he wrote and recorded the "Penny Arcade Theme" a few months later, which was in his own (tongue-in-cheek) words: "an attempt to cash in on their huge and devoted audience."^{[citation needed]}

He has appeared at the Penny Arcade Expo in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 and Nerdcore Rising is now sold through the Penny Arcade Store. "Penny Arcade Theme" and "Which MC Was That?" both appear in the dance video game In the Groove. He also features on the Baddd Spellah track "Rhyme of the Nibelung", which was the winner of CBC Radio Two's Remix the Ring contest.

Additionally, comic book illustrator Tony Moore became a fan of both Frontalot and fellow nerdcore artist MC Hawking, drawing both of them as zombies in an early issue of The Walking Dead series. Hess appears in a white shirt, tie and glasses, with the word "Front" written on his pocket protector; he is seen eating a deer.

[edit] Live performances

Although most of his fanbase is online, Hess gave a handful of live performances while living in San Francisco, and several more after moving to New York City. His first official tour started on May 12, 2006, with shows mostly in the Southeast United States.^[5] When he performs, he plays with a full ensemble, including keyboardist and frequent collaborator Gminor7, bassist Blak Lotus, and drummer The SturGENiUS. Other occasional band members include G.LATINusKY00B, The Categorical Imperative, and Vic 20. He just finished a tour with Schäffer The Darklord as of 25 November 2007.

MC frontalot performed at the 2008 convention Anime Boston on Saturday March 22nd.^[6]

[edit] Film

Nerdcore Rising is a documentary/concert film starring Hess and various other nerdcore artists such as mc chris, Optimus Rhyme and MC Lars with contributors such as "Weird Al" Yankovic, Prince Paul and Brian Posehn. The film, directed and produced by Negin Farsad, premiered at the 2008 South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. It combines interviews about nerdcore and its origins, with footage of Frontalot's 2006 Nerdcore Rising national tour.^[7]

[edit] Musical influences

Much of his earlier music features samples from other artists' works, many times using music acquired from famous (and notably unrelated to hip hop) artists such as Paul Simon, They Might Be Giants, James Brown, Fiona Apple, and many others.^[8] He addresses his borrowing of various drum beats in the song "Good Old Clyde", a song commenting on and using the popular "Funky Drummer" drum break by Clyde Stubblefield.^[9]

A lot of his unsampled beats were created by electronic music artist Baddd Spellah, who has also remixed several of his earlier songs and went on to work with him on his debut album Nerdcore Rising. He also collaborated on the album with other fellow rappers, such as MC Hawking and Canadian rapper Jesse Dangerously.^[10]

[edit] Discography

The cover of MC Frontalot's debut album Nerdcore Rising (2005).

[edit] Albums

Nerdcore Hiphop (freely available demo)
Nerdcore Rising (2005)
Secrets from the Future (2007)

[edit] Non-album tracks

"24 Hours" (abandoned demo)
"A Very Unlikely Occurrence" (as Rapper Name Redacted with Baddd Spellah for Song Fight!)
"Bitchslap" (by MC Hawking)
"Listen Close" (from Song Fight!)
"My Sister" (by Duboce Triangle with The JBB)
"Oh, the Hilarity" (from Indie Pop Cares a Lot)
"Rappers We Crush" (with KOMPRESSOR)
"Rhyme of the Nibelung" (with Baddd Spellah)
"Romantic Cheapskate" (with Baddd Spellah for Song Fight!)
"Soda Water" (by Jess Klein)
"Start Over" (for a compilation of songs for children)

[edit] Known recorded live sets

July 7, 2001: "Songfight Live West Coast" — Hot Lunch, San Francisco, California, USA (two songs)
October 24, 2002: "Young Zombies in Love Release Party" — Voodoo Lounge, San Francisco, California, USA
July 26, 2003: "Song Fight Wet & Wild" — Finn MacCool's Public House, Seattle, Washington, USA (two songs, incomplete recording, the infamous "drunk set")
December 12, 2003: "Both Hands on the Mic" — The Accordion, San Francisco, California, USA
August 2004: Penny Arcade Expo — Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, Washington, USA (a partial video recording of the set is available as well)
May 15, 2004: Belladonna, Berkeley, California, USA
June 15, 2005: Living Room, New York, New York City, USA (one verse of "unnecessary rap breakdown" during a Jess Klein show)
June 23, 2005: The Bitter End, New York, New York City, USA
August 27, 2005: Penny Arcade Expo — Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, Washington, USA (video recording believed to be upcoming)
August 26, 2006: Penny Arcade Expo — Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, Washington, USA
September 15, 2007: Kingdom of Loathing Convention - The Sets, Tempe, Arizona, USA