Where nerdery and hip-hop collide, you’ll find Damien Hess, also known as MC Frontalot. He’s no joke; even though he may seem like he’s playing against two stereotypes, he assures us he’s the real deal: “Nerdcore is this inversion of the shame of geekery… into non-ironic pride.”

Check out the interview on NPR Science Friday, featuring a brief appearance of Dr. Awkward (Joshua Watson), who gives us the best takeaway quote: “It’s not really about the juxtaposition of those two worlds — nerdiness and hip-hop — it just happens to be nerds expressing themselves through hip-hop.”

And if you’re not familiar with MC Frontalot’s work, here are a few samples:

First World Problem

Nerd Life

Critical Hit