MC Frontalot

Damian Alexander Hess (born December 3, 1973), better known by his stage name MC Frontalot, is an American rapper and web designer. He is widely credited as a pioneer of the nerdcore genre, blending elements of hip hop with themes from nerd culture. Hess began releasing music as MC Frontalot in 1999. He gained early recognition through Song Fight!, an online songwriting and recording competition, where he consistently outperformed competitors. Although he has entered only seven songs under the name MC Frontalot, he has never lost a competition. One notable entry, "Romantic Cheapskate," received 614 votes, far surpassing the next closest competitor with 28 votes. In this song, Frontalot metaphorically compares Song Fight! to a neglected lover who remains loyal despite his indifference. In 2000, Frontalot released "Nerdcore Hiphop," which gained popularity in the geek and nerd communities. The rap subgenre of nerdcore, which had been developing among various performers, adopted the title and has since expanded rapidly. Although Hess is often considered the founder of nerdcore, he notes on his website that other early artists also deserve credit.