The Other N Word (Nerd, Of Course)

me a ton of hope. Um, Fascism doesn't just go away when Donald Trump leaves the White House, And still we have to confront those thress you know, both to the body politics into our literal bodies in the streets and in our homes. Um, until we figure out as we spoke of in previous episodes of Recent that you know, a suite of Paul seems to like heal the nation

more so than rhetoric can. And so I personally feel like it'll be nice this week to take a lighthearted turn from the usual gloom and doomersion that I think comes with the reality of grappling with public policy in America the way it has inflected hip hop. Am I talking about stuff that it brings us to joy? Um? I know you Mac just are really into comic books in cinema and things like that. And so today we're

going to take a swirl, take a to world. I think it's world around the world of after futurism, UM, both in its embodiments through comic books, through video games.

We're going to speak with in the video game con world, UM, how we got into that and sort of what brings him joy in those regards, as well as kind of unpack what after futurism is and speak briefly about how it can inflect our politics um in the way that it's represented in the music genre of hip hop as well from artists like Lutin Clin, M F. Doom, Missy Elliott,

and Alminet people like that. The term after futurism was coined by cultural critic Mark Dairy in a forty four page essay from RIETEENEE entitled Black to the Future, in which Darry who Admitaly, is a white author, interviews to have a prominent black voices from musician and former Village Voice writer Greg Tay to Tricia Rose, director of the

Center for Study of Race and Ethnicity in America. Brown is also written extensively on hip hop um sci fi writer uh Samuel Delaney, and drawn from these interviews, Dairy came up with the idea of speculative fiction that treats African American themes and addresses African American concerns in the

context of the twentieth century technoculture as afro futurism. More generally beyond um are you know basic sensive, speculative fiction is like science fiction like oh dystopia, dreaming of a future, but it's also signification that appropriates images of technology um

so um. Within hip hop. As an example, you've got beatboxing, making these computer computerized sounds with your mouth, or replicating the sounds of a drum the scene physically with your tongue and your cheeks and your throat, or you know, doing the robot dance to like make your physical corporal, corporeal form mimic that of like of like um of

a mechanized creature. Um. Even in the scratching and sampling methods of hip hop, it's like the specific misuse and conscientious desecration, Delaney UM said of after futures of hip hop, it's um the specific misuse of consciousness desecration of the artifacts of technology and entertainment media. So this blending of afrodias, boric aesthetics and perspectives UM through the use of technology.

And so that's why I mean some might say that it's a stretch to include, like graphic novels broadly, but particularly with regards to video games, to like place the black body, the you know, black character within a technologically created world um on the screen makes control with your own controller, etcetera. Like I think it's an extension to that some degree UM, as well as in graphic novels like Black Panther um, where you've got this technological advanced

society UM. You know, like the way that those less than literary forms like comic books can also be used to imagine a different present, you know, a different twenty one century, as well as a different future um enhanced

by technology. UM. And then you know, if you want to just think just general, like after futuristic works, of course, uh, people like O. G. Octavia Butler novels come to mind, as well as you know, literary trends that wrote main alive and well today with the likes of Nettie or Kora fors BNTI series and novellas art of John Michelle Baski, Yacht within music, You've got like the funky extra terrestrial mythos of like Parliament, Cathelic, Delton thirty thirty, col Keith

thro in jazz. You've got Son raw Um Son Raw especially, you know, he's got space age Egyptian alien thing going on. You've got the incorporation of digital synthesizers, so you have the literal technology as like a medium through which these sounds are being created. Um. And then you know, I think the most modern popular block busting incarnation of after futurism, and I think what brought it into like contemporary conversation

was of course Black Panther um. I. You know, I feel like I would be remiss musically not to mention groundbreaking work of people like Missy Elliott, particularly in our music videos from the nineties that like felt very you know today feel very retrofuturistic, but at the time had a very like space ag ahead of its time vibe.

And then today people like Janelle Monet um with her like weird obsession androids things like that afro futurists or reimagining public policy through um that afro diasporic blended with technology technology lens um. In two thousand sixteen, afro futurists and art curator Ngland the Fleur through a hat in the ring for the Detroit Mayor's race, collectingdition signatures needed to get her name on the ballot to challenge Mayor mcduggan, the first white mayor in the majority black city since

nineteen seventy three. And akin to some of the splitting images guests we've had on this show, people like Sean Patar and paper Boy Prints, the Fleur credited her unconventional background as an art curator and someone that identifies mostly with afro futurism UM to reimagine you know what that meant for her reality, to reimagine their role with politicians. She said, as a curator and artists have learned how to bring people together to solve problems creatively UM and

to be a good organizer and a good researcher. Her platform included plans to focus on UM ending water shut off, stopping city foreclosures, are vitalizing and beautifying neighborhoods, and in eradicating poverty. As a native detroitter, La Fleur also co facilitates the Detroit Culture Council, which organized the strategies for

artists to be better representative at the city government. And what I really love about Lafleur's campaign is that she launched her campaign the dance party called Detroit at the feature at the headquarters of creative activist collective One Mile, and it featured after a futurist space capsule created by Detroit Architecture and Design form firm, a cookie like what a way to fun. And I mean, That's what I'm

all about. It's just like making politics, making politics fun, making them at a party somehow, um and so I just really love that. But I hope in UM subsequent episodes is an afro futurist collective in Atlanta that has been really uh central to things like the push to close the Atlanta Jail and re imagine that space as like a wellness center and like a community building space. UM and I really really love to talk to them

about their work. So we'll dive more into the political implications of afro futurism, hopefully in an episode to come. But today we're going to focus on the fun ship the Nurstion, and we're gonna speak with rapper Mega Ran along the way. So we're here with rapper, producer Master Show oh Man and now author of a brand new memoir, dream Master. I wanna give a welcome to Raheim jarbo

a k A Mega Ran. I always I always joked that, like I wish this was live so there would be like an audience for when I like introduced people, plus like the you know, the gun shots or whatever. So how are you? How are you doing? Man? I'm good man. You know, made it limp through a crazy year. You know that goes. But you know, just I've been I learned a lot throughout this past year. So just been learning to apply it and uh and making the most

of the situation. You know, the reinvention and you just finding new you know, sources of inspiration and creativity have been a challenge, but but you know it's something that I welcome. So it's just making the most of it. You know, I feel you. So how long have you been working on the memoir? Man? This has been like five six years of me just you know, I read

a chapter here, a paragraph there. You know, um up until literally November, I was still writing because um me, you know, as as a writer, like it's never really perfect, you know, until it's you know, even when it comes out, you're like, oh, man, I could have said this way and did this, you know. So I was like in an over editing phase that everything time I read it, I was like, oh yeah, I could add a little more. Oh yeah, I can see this. So I forgot about that.

So even now that it's done, I'm like, man, I forgot to talk about scribblege or this this this particular moment that was really big to my life. But my editor gave me a lot of great advice. She was like, save it for the next book, you know, like think about it that way like anything. Definitely, you definitely think you're gonna do the next book. This guy to be the next book, I guess. You know, there's you know that there's always the next album, you know, like when

you make movies, you're thinking about sequels and stuff. So you know, so it helped me to think differently about it, like this doesn't have to be the final peace, you know, like did anything about the like you know, anything about kind of Light of Fire of Urgency to at least get this first part of it done. Absolutely, I was like man, the world is up in smoke. I've had a harry up. We may not have a world left.

And also like, um, you know, in a serious note, my father passed this past year and that really got my button gear too, because um, the book ends at two thousand eighteen. It was like at a very particularly great moment, like a high to end the book AT's me getting againness world record and so oh it's four let me see it's right here, let me read it. Uh since for the most songs to reference reference video

game franchises. Yeah, so it's one of those like number of doing a thing a lot of times, so like it's yeah, it's a little weird and funny, like basically just puts a target on my back, like as a hundred and thirty of these now, so if anybody like wants to aim for something, yeah, one and you know it's like oh the guy who jumped broke the most times or somebody just has to do it one more time. You just gotta want to do it a little bit

more than that other person. And uh yeah, so the guy kiss me up in uh just a weird random email like hey man, I'm with Guinness and we know you make a lot of music about video games. Just curious, how many songs do you have? And I was like, uh, you got a minute. So I started going through accounting and U and I'm like, yeah, I have a hundred thirty, like about Mega Man particularly. He was like, oh, well

this is definitely the most songs I't want particular. He just knew it off the bat, like, yeah, this is this is by a long shot, this is a record. He's like, so, you know, if you're ever in London, It's one of those things that people always do to us, you know, independent artists. Yo, if you're ever in my town, I got you. And it's like London, Like how often am I in London? So I decided, Yo, what how many times am I ever going to get this type

of opportunity. So I was like, well, actually I'll be in London next month. Was I going to be in London next month? No? But I con sure make plans too, So I called on my homies, I'll put up you set up a little mini tour in London and just made it happen and like because I was like, I gotta take advantage of this opportunity, like you know, you might not work there, you know next year when I want to do this. So uh so yeah, I just went out there for that. But we based a tour

around it and had a really good time. And I'm glad you you we went on that tangent about the Guinness Big Or Records because this particular episode we're talking about just like black nerd um and hip hop's relationship with things that people consider to be part of nerd culture, like hip hop's relationship with comic books and anime and vice versa and the cross between them and stuff like that.

So what to you, what does nerd them mean? Like if somebody, if somebody says nerd you into that nerd ship, like, what do you imagine? What do you imagine that they're talking about? Man, I've heard that. I'm sorry. Let me let me let me say another thing to our audience is um and this is this is according to wick to uh your your wiki page. But but Mega Ran is one of like the forefront um artists in the sub genre of nerd core. Is that what be a fair thing to say? That would be a fair thing

to say? Yes, So okay, so can you can you explain to heads what nerd core is and how you found yourself in that space in hip hop. Okay, So nerdcore is, at least to me when I first heard it, it's a subgenre of of whatever you attached to it. So it could become nerdcore hip hop, it could become nerd core rock, nerd coore, whatever um gets attached to that. It's usually people who have a deep interest in things that people who may consider nerdy are a little French.

So you got he sorry are the coast? Mariah is here? Mariah? What up? Good? We were only six minutes in, but I was. He was just telling us about what he was explaining what nerd core hip hop is and his journey into it. He just just started, So where go on? Go on? Mr Rand Okay, Uh so yeah, nerd core, as I learned later, at first I just thought it was nerd core hip but then I learned that nerd cork can attach to any other genre and anything that's

about nerdiness. You know. I think the term came from m c front a lot who just came up, was coming up with a word to defind what he was doing because it was so different um, and then people kind of lashed onto that and thought it was interesting like news uh you know, outlets and CNN and some other people started wind up talking to them about it, like this is some novel news thing that smart kids are doing, you know, and and it kind of like backfired on it a little bit, you know what I mean,

because it's like when the when the mainstream gets involved with those things that we really love, they kind of they're like, look at this quirky thing, you know, and they really turn it into a joke or a parody or something like that. So so I feel like that kind of happened, and and for that reason it's maybe

it's remained very niche, you know. But um but yeah, a front of Life told me that it's just music from a perspective of someone who is very much into and a fan of things that, you know, people considered to be nerdy, whether it's video games, comic books, coding, you know, like the Life of At least at that time, it was like the Life of the I T. Guy who also had bars, you know, So that that's kind of what it was at that time. And then it's grown,

you know, as nerd culture has become synonymous with pop culture. Um, you know, there's a huge segment of nerd or YouTube rappers who are um like right on the pulse of what's hot and like instantly making rap songs about you know whatever, the new anime, the new show, the new Marvel movie, you know, things like that. And so yeah,

it's become kind of pop culture rap. But I think it began as just the the kids who were into the things that nobody thought was cool and and trying to either make them sound cool or at least speak at a high level of knowledge about those things. You know.

So the initial nerd core stuff, I didn't even know what was going on in like it just I knew if it sounded good at a beat, But if you're you know, making a song about coding or whatever, like in two thousand seven or whatever, for me, I was like, what is this? So around that time I kind of took a break from hip hop and started making, uh, just making beats and playing around and playing video games again.

And I discovered these things on emulators, which is the way to play really old Nintendo games on your PC, you know. So I started playing Mario and Sonic and all that stuff, and I was like, man, these games are so fun. And I think I paused the game on Mega Man and the music continues to play, and I was, as I'm walking away to get a sandwich or something, that come back and I'm like, yeah, that

kind of slaps, like you know what I mean. So I'm like, I wonder if I slowed this downpped it up, you know, flipped it, I could make something good out of this. So I did. I literally did that. I stopped, I put the tracks into like Reason or something else, and started messing with them and coming up with beats that were sampling video games. And uh, I had like ten Mega Man beats and I was like, you know what, I'm gonna just do a Mega Man EP and just

have some fun with it. And so we did. And I was really scared because I thought, you know, Capcom, the company that makes this, is gonna find me and like sue my black ass, you know. I was like, oh, it's a rap. So I created. I mean, this is back in the days of my Space, so that now I remember I was following you back then, so I remember I remember all this. Okay, you're O g O O g uh Internet MC like myself, so fans, thank you.

So yeah, man, we were. Um. I was like, let me make a separate MySpace page because I don't want this to get like deleted or something with me doing all this copyright stuff. So I made another page. And I was very much inspired by like what MF. Doom had done prior Rest in Peace, what Dell was able to do with Deltron, like all that was so influential in what I was trying to do was take you know, hip hop heads who also are into nerty stuff and just make it dope, you know. And and so that's

what I did. I was like, all right, well, I'm gonna become from random then to Mega rand and that would be like my second identity or something. And uh so then I get an email. It's from a dude that capcom was like, hey, we just heard this thing you did. And I'm like, oh what meat now rap Like the dude was like, but you know what, man, this is really cool. We've let everybody hear it at

the company and they love it. Would you like to I think Comic Con was coming up, and he was like, would you like to come to San Diego Comic Con? And I was like what, Like I had only read about comic Con my entire life. And it was such a big like, you know, it was like that that

that untouchable holy grail of nerd them. Yeah, I had read about, you know, and they were like, you could come and be our guests, you know, because this thing is kind of blowing up on the Internet and we want you to kinda sit here and you know, sign autographs. And I was like what, you know. So that was the beginning of my my relationship with them. And uh and through that someone, I think someone maybe interviewed me and was like, oh, you make nerd core and I

was like, what's that? And that nerd coor? And I realized that I was kind of operating parallel with this thing called nerd coors, you know. And I think the only time I had heard it, at least a little later, was Shardish Gambino said it in a song, but he didn't say it in a very nice way. He said

like ef nerd car. Honestly, I think it was like a part of a line where he was just saying, like, different genres and subgenres in places, you're trying to classify me and get all those you know, I just do me, you know, that kind of thing, so it wasn't necessarily

a shot, you know what I mean. Like so, but then I started meeting the people who were doing it because they were also having concerts around San Diego, like being invited out by a lot of different companies to do stuff, and and they were all really cool dudes. So just like I felt a real family atmosphere, like, oh, me, and these guys are they love hip hop? You know,

first first and foremost. I wanted to make sure these guys had a love and appreciation for hip hop culture, and they did, you know, and on top of that, you know, bringing something new to the game, you know.

So I had nothing but but love for it. And then from then on, I just we just started all operating in the same circles, meeting up at shows, then touring together, and it just created this really interesting niche that I I had no idea about, you know, like, uh, but it was a lot easier than trying to impress, uh, you know, the most stoic of hip hop heads who are at a show like all right, but then like yeah, I'm sorry, I have my arms, I have a cowl on my faith and you know, but you know, it

was it was such a welcome difference from that, you know, and and at the same time, I still it took me a lot of courage to do this. But eventually, when I was playing those shows with the stoic arms crossed, you know, mcs, m ces UH, I'd make a reference

to a game and they'd be like, yeo, I remember that. Okay, let let me talk to you about this, and then you find out that we had so much in common those kind of Since the beginning, it's been my goal, and I don't know how successful I've been at it, but to try to unify these worlds like I just wish they weren't they didn't feel like such night and day, you know, because we're all nerds. I think anybody that could put words together and make them rhyme, it's a

nerd and something. Yeah you know what I mean, like you know something and you're using those eighth grade spell of words to this day in those raps, So like what is your I mean, I think like nerd core and like sub genres of hip hop like this, and and the idea of like of you know, kind of tying in loosely to the idea of afro futurism. Like you know that we can we can be super space marauders and you know, fighting aliens and slaying dragons and

you know all you know all this stuff. We're not just like oh, you know eighteen eighty two, like you know, reconstructions grow like we we you know, black people can be all of these things. Like I think, I think it's like really important for you know, this kind of music is very important for expanding our ideas of what

like blackness can be. UM And I wonder if you have experienced any like pushback in the other direction, Like I feel like I see sometimes where people are like, oh, that ships you know, Matt Corny of the ship's whack, but that ship is white, like any sort of responses of that's where people are trying to constrain what you know counts is blackness based on like who like is typically cast as like the central characters in like a subgenre like the video game culture or within the like

a field like coding and things like that. Oh yeah, I hadn't even thought about it. But in the very beginning, the very first uh like imagery I used to create

this Mega Ran universe was a black Mega man. So is the character that was, you know, for forever a white kid, you know, and we shaded him black or brown, and a lot of people were like yo, what the hell they And they come to me and tell me that that was literally the moment that they were like, all right, I gotta sets, you know, and they will come to me. And I've even had, you know, people of color come to me and be like yo, Like it made me think like yo, why why can't we

be in that space? Like why can't we be the protagonist? So I can't, you know, And it really created some dialogue in that space and and I I wasn't necessarily trying to do that, but as I realized later, like yeah, like why can't we be the person in the spaceship or the the leader or things like that, And so it's definitely helped to challenge I think a lot of those roles to the point now where I see it when video games come out and it's like, oh really,

the white dude, Oh where this? Like, you know, I see those conversations happening like and it's like that's dope. Like I really think that we need to be doing that.

We need to be challenging all the things that we've been supporting for years, like for representation, and for a long time, it's just been in the back of our head, like throughout the eighties especially, like we love the eighties that we have, we romanticize eighties culture, but the majority of eighties culture was super white, yeah, and or super racist, like you know what I mean. It was like, oh they had the Asian guy. Oh he's the nerd, you

know what I mean. Like it was super racist and problematic, you know, But as much as we you know, enjoy it, we forget about those moments, like we kind of shifted out of our head, which is crazy. But I think now we're finally starting to realize that y'all, like it's not acceptable to do that today. So you know, I've been watching Cobra Kai with with like a like a

fine tooth comb, you know. Nowadays, I'm like, I really enjoy this, you know, and I like the changes that they've made, you know, to to make this I think at least a little more accurate for modern you know. So I appreciate that. So between when you first were like knowingly in the nerd core space and now, would you like, have you noticed there's been an increase of like other black nerd core artists or oh yeah for sure.

Um what we started and I noticed when I was going to conventions, I would maybe see the same one or two you know, um women men that were like trying to be a part of this space. And and so after a while we kept seeing each other. I was like, man, we we gotta click up, like when we see each other, you know, that's how we do. We just roll deep like yeah, we're the black kids

at the epicn you know. And and from then we started a group and we called it the MPCs the Nerdy People of Color Collected and and as and as a cool dual meeting because in the game, the NPC is that non player character. It's the person who comes up and just he's like, oh that way, you know, and you can't play them. They don't really help you a whole lot. They're super bit player and uh, and

that's kind of how I felt. Plc s were in the convention space and in the nerd space, like, yo, we're here, we support it, we spend money, we participate, you know, we have uh deep seated obsessions with this stuff,

you know, but we're not necessarily included. So what I started doing is happened NPC panels at these conventions like all right, we're gonna get all the kids of color to come up and talk about your relationship with nerd culture, why it's important, why we need more representation, and to

continue to challenge that that that way of thinking. Because I've had so many friends to be like, yo, when do you come into my town And I'm like, oh, yeah, I'm coming to Joe Joe con, you know, and this day, and they're like, oh man, that's the white people ship. I ain't going to like you know, I've had so many people tell me that, like yeah, I ain't. I ain't really doing that. And I remember being on a tour with Open Mike Eagle and we did a convention

in Canada on like a Saturday. We had off and and I remember him telling me like I never been to a calm before, and I was like, Oh, you're gonna love it, man. All the anime that we talked about on this ride and people dressed up as it there on the people just people just to this comic book chacters. And and afterwards I was like, yo, jea have funny He's like m I guess, you know, and I said, what you mean. He's like, yo, I didn't feel welcome at all, you know. He's like, I'm gonna

just be honest. I didn't see any people of color. I didn't see any any programming based around diversity or anything like that. And I didn't really feel I didn't feel it, you know, And and it made me think like wow, Like convention spaces have a lot of work to do. And that's when you know, we started the NPC, and now any convention I go to, I asked them like, if y'all want me to wrap, then I got to

speak to you know. And uh. And so therefore we always make sure that it's in the programming that we're gonna talk about diversity and really challenge traditional thought in those spaces. Do you know, like Griselda, Yeah, saying it's not like text all the time about wrestling, it's really hilarious. I was just about to say, nobody would dare be like, oh, this is nerds, nerd core exactly, you a nerds something like,

you know, it might not might not go well. Like I always like Wu Tang, you know, like for me, the way Wu Tang loved you know, kung Fu is the way I love video games, Like it's the same stuff. When I heard Inspected Deck say swinging to your town like your neighborhood spider Man, like I lit up, you know, and that was a moment in me, like the light bulb was like wow, like you can do this, like you're not a weirdo, you know what I'm saying. And so it let me know that people were like, we're

all we all grew up on the same stuff. And absolutely wrestling I think is you know, they have wrestle coms now to like conventions where people who are fans of wrestling go you meet old wrestlers, you know, you hang out and do a promo like Rick Flair section and pretend you're commentating this match over here. Like so, uh,

it's it's very similar, you know. Like I said, Me and Me and West text about wrestling constantly, Like did you say you know before the pandemic he was always at the a w in the front row and show absolutely man so like but yeah, like you said, but no one would dare call them like nerd rappers or

anything like that. But so that's where I I don't necessarily know where the distinction and the separation comes in, you know, like while is a big wrestling fan as well, and um smoke, there's and a few other guys and man, it was just yesterday I saw a crooked eye post um something on Twitter saying like when why He's like, why is there such a separation between nerd? What's that that nerd ship and hip hop? Like? Why do we treat nerdy rappers so different? And what will that meant?

Adding in those those those cool, cool or tough elements I think into the music is Uh, it's interesting cause I think Prontolo said, he's like, you know how rappers are usually the coolest guy in the room. He's like, I'm not, and therefore that's what nerd corey is. It's it's the opposite of that. It's the cool dude in the room making music, you know. And of course that sounds like something you would you would be closeted about,

you almost you know what I mean. You'd be like, yeah, I make a little do a little you know, but you know, I'm not gonna I'm not gonna be out there, you know, but I do a little you know thing in my house, you know, And that's I think what a lot of nerd core is. It's not braggadocious in that way. Um, but there is a guy. His name is White t Cracker, and uh he's amazing. Um, first

of all, the best name ever. But so as you'd imagine, he's a white dude and um, but he's like a professional hacker and uh so he did faces, websites and things. But now he's like a good guy hacker because when you get so good at that, companies will hire you, yeah, to protect them. So he's worked for Facebook and Tinder and all these other people. And and what he does

is he's called himself a digital gangster. So in his early raps, he's threatening to like you, you know, I like, yo, He's like, I got your address right here, you know, like I'll put you know, I'll picture of a dick on your website, you know what I mean. I was like, this is the most true to self thing I've ever Like, this is amazing because like, yeah, it's like, all right, I'm not gonna say I'm gonna shot you when I'm not gonna do it, but I can get your address,

I can people your Facebook password. Yeah. So I was I say that to say, like, there's some of the most creative people that I've ever met with in this small like genre of nerd core and chip tune and other stuff that I've been able to like find myself in these spaces where people take a game Boy and be like, oh man, I can have that and make

beats out of it, you know what I mean? And like, you know, so these are like super smart people, super creative people who were you know, kind of the wallflower in high school and uh, but like our geniuses, you know.

And I think that there's absolutely should be a space for for that in what we do in our culture, and like we should encourage, like we were saying about people of color to be a part of that, Like we have we have folks who but unfortunately feel like it's that white people ship and so they won't necessarily take that step, you know. So I think that it's up to I guess people like me and then my

generation to kind of open that door. So what I always try to highlight, and you know, it's shine a light on guys and guys that I see doing this that are really good at it, you know, And I'm like, yeah, we got to encourage this because It may not become the new cool you know, ever, but I think that

every little bit counts, you know. Yeah, it inspires a sense of like self assuredness in the young gamers and the young comic book for people and the young like science fiction readers, where it's like yo, like yeah, like I think this is cool when I stand by that rather than like showing away from or hiding who they are because they don't. Role models that are like that are showing them, you know, how to be confident in themselves and their interests. Yeah, it's kind of happening now.

I'm seeing, like, especially the YouTubers, the YouTube side of things, I'm seeing kids who are you know, they are cool, Like they're wearing the hippis you know, fashions, and and they're rhyming you know, technically very well, but about anime, you know what I mean. They'll name a song after an anime or a comic book and just go in,

you know. And and I've seen like more and more where a lot of these kids are like really cool about it, you know, Like I think what we started with was something that was a little more nerdy and and shy about the thing we were doing. These guys are like very very proud of what they do as well as being able to say I can also wrap better than you, you know what I mean? Like that's uh. I think that's something that I'm seeing in the new generation of kids, which is really cool. So, um, when

does the memoir coming out? I'm hoping next week. I have copies in my hand that I am shipping out to stores and things. I had a really hard time deciding how to put this out, Like I can release an album in my sleep, but yet you know, the world of books is a completely different things. The book is available right now for three order on Amazon and uh and so our quickly to be next. Um, where can people find you at? Oh, you can find me a Mega ran dot com or on Twitter at Mega Ran.

It looks like Meg Ryan when you look real closely, like real fast too long, it's like a capital capital are Like, was that Meg Ryan? But it's Mega Ran. Um. Yeah, you'll see a black Mega man and you'll know it's me. Um when everyone's a you got any new music that's gonna be coming back shortly after the book or Yeah,

what I want to do? First We're releasing the physical books and then We're going to do an audible version with some other like bonus little pieces as well as music sprinkled throughout, and there would be new songs that you can only get if you get it on audible. That'll be happening in February. I have to ask you a question, Yeah, all right, what are what are you nerd ing out on right now? Like if I was like, yo, you guys, what's the thing that you're most nerdy about?

I mean, I'm really nerdy about public policy? Nice, Yeah, she's like a politics, not even just like oh, the government, you know, everyone's every wants obsessed with, like the federal government. But I'm like, oh, you know, how do we get funding for local nonprofits to life be the homeless? And like, oh, this this group of you know, lobbyists are trying to get us to build a you know, affordable housing development

in this area, like lurking the local government. It's just like the weirdest, nerdiest thing that I just can't There's no there's not like a community of like you know, I guess there is probably out there our community like dive with. But I feel very lovely. Let's let's get

this cracking. We need the policy nerds to unite. They got they got to be out there a Facebook group or some good Um I'm into I've always been into movies and stuff, but I found that, like in the last few years, I've really gotten super nerdy about hip hop and rap music, you know what I'm saying. And you gotta you gotta, you gotta be on clubhouse then, or you're on clubhouse. No I'm not, but I'm betty hearing about it. What is clubhouse? Well, it's just this

might also be aging you guys and myself. Do you remember the party line? Did you'll have a party line in your area, Like you call this number and like everybody's on there just chatting. And if you, uh, like, if you you talk to somebody and you like make a connection, you'll be like yo, press one to send them to like a private room invite and like this was like a real cool thing when I was a teenager. And uh so it's like that you just get on him as a big conference call and like some rooms.

Like last night, we're in a hip hop nerdy nerdy hip hop group with Dart Adams and Apathy and soft Funk Dust and a bunch of guys telling these like obscure stories, and like the day that we found out the doom passed, Just Blaze came into an r i P Doom room and was like, yeah, I got like been tracks with with doing I would I'm gonna play a little bit of them and tell you a little

bit story. And we were like, yo, what like So there's been really dope, like hip hop nugget rooms where people have been just like sharing all kinds of like hear stories and the like, you know, just seeing the really cool stuff happen in those hip hop rooms where people are just sharing stories. I'm like, Yo, this is dope. Of course there's a lot of ratchetness on there, but but you know you gotta sift through that for the ins. But yeah, that on the app and if I have

an invite, I'll send you on both points. Yeah. Yeah, this has been an ad for clubhouse Man. All right, that's gonna do it for us today. My name is Dope Knife and we are Waiting on Reparations. See you next week. Waiting on Reparations as a production of I Heart Radio. Listen to Waiting on Reparations on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts, M