Internet Celebrity

I wrote a column in last week's Connect Statesboro about "nerdcore" hip-hop.

My first notice that it'd made it into the wider world (as in beyond the print edition of Connect Statesboro's 8,000 or so readers) was an e-mail from "Router" of "L337 GEEK BEAT" got in touch with me.

Here's the e-mail I received:

"hi. my name is mc router. im from 1337 GEEK BEAT.

www.myspace.com/1gb

iread your review article that was posted on rhymetorrents. and i sawyou reccomended NURSEHELLA and her first ever and ONLY current releasedsong and just wanted to know if you liked my stuff too. just tryin toget some feedback.

<3 mc router

--

STAY 1337. STAY G33K."

The part that got my attention was "I read your review article that was posted on Rhymetorrents." It seems that Beefy, whose "Tub of Tabasco" I gave a shining review in the column, ran a Google search, found the piece, and posted a link on the Rhymetorrents forum.

I've learned a lot of good information from all this. First of all, MC Router of L337 GEEK BEAT and Nursehella are both pretty cute. After hearing MC Chris' really really high-pitched voice, my introduction to nerdcore, I was honestly surprised that they were both women.

Pleasantly surprised.

Also, I learned that Beefy, like me, obsessively googles himself. Unfortunately, I don't find him cute at all.

And yeah, I like L337 GEEK BEAT's stuff, too. Turns out they're in the process of rerecording a lot of the vocals on their stuff. The lyrics weren't weak, but some of the technical aspects of the voice recordings weren't quite up to par. I can't wait to hear the reworked versions.

Am I on the way out?

I'm reading more and more about the rising tide of anti-intellectualism in America, and seeing evidence of it. From the rise of "Larry the Cable Guy" (see "Jake's Take" in Connect's Aug. 3 edition) to the "redneck revolution," it's leading us, as a nation, down a path we don't want to follow.

It's not anything new to me, though, and that's what's really scary. It's the same thing that got me and a million other bookish, intellectual kids beaten up in high school, just carried to the national level.

This may sound strangely like rationalization, but I think it's fear that drives it. Y'see, the old adage is true - knowledge is power, the current administration notwithstanding, and smart people can be a bit scary 'cause they've got that power. They can do things with their brain you can't. Heck, they might be able to trick you into doing something they want you to do that you might not want to do.

So you've got to beat 'em down.

Hopefully, this is just a phase. Who knows, Paris Hilton may decide to go to college, and it'll be cool to be smart - or at least interested in self-improvement - again.