Music that "Appeals to Intelligence"

While I was in Cleveland, I had the pleasure to watch Dual Core, a nerdcore hip-hop group, perform live. I've been a fan of other nerdcore groups, such as Deltron 3030 and MC Hawking, but the music always seemed a bit satirical. Listening to Dual Core's performance I recognized their similarity with others in the genre, full of pop-culture references. Their performance and the quality of their lyrics was good enough for me to buy their music and since nerdcore is a rarity I also bought 9 more albums for my friends back home.

The CD contained more songs and I began to hear their passion. Tracks such as "Void (No Return)" and "Dull Boy" told a story, my story, and the stories of other hackers like me. A story the other artists didn't even touch. Their song "The Children's machine," about the one laptop per child program, was touching and inspiring, and shows what good can come from the technology-scene.

In all, their music is more than a collection inside jokes for nerds. It is the culmination of their passion for hip-hop and hacking. We need more music like this. I hope they continue producing more tracks and I hope other artists are influenced by their style. Next year, I look forward to buying a dozen more CDs.