The MC Lars Podcast

Without D Lyrical, there would have been no ICP. On this episode, I talk to Detroit rap legend Dale Miettinen Jr., a.k.a. D Lyrical! We connected online when I started my Hatchet Chat series and reviewed the EP he and Violent J released in 1990, "Intelligence and Violence". We met at the Gathering and did this interview when I came to Cleveland with I Fight Dragons late last year. A great intervie...

I found out about Marcelo Vignali's work after seeing his skecthes for the Roger Rabbit ride at Disneyland, and reached out to him diretly to see if he would be interested in letting me interview him. We met at his office at Sony Animation in Culver City; Vignali had recently finished working on "Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse", which was getting amazing reviews. We talked about his journey fro...

Quelle Chris got his start in Detroit in 1996 as part of the Wasted Youth Collective. After meeting Proof, Quelle was determined to push his lyrical boundaries to surprise his mentor. A fan of ICP and the Juggalo world, Quelle would later produce beats for Danny Brown before getting signed ot Mellow Music. Quelle's album “Everything’s Fine” with his wife Jean Grae was the number one most downloade...

I connected with George Watsky in 2012 on Twitter when we both realized we were mutual fans of each other's work. Being from the Bay and growing up with a librarian mother as well, he and I collaborated on a song and video for my 2015 "Zombie Dinosaur LP" called "Never Afraid". Watsky has toured the world, written an incredible book ("How to Ruin Everything"), acted in films like "Blindspotting" a...

DJ Kathy Nielsen grew up in California and went on to UC Berkeley for her undergraduate career. She latered studied history at Hunter and then went back to UC Berkeley for library school. This week, we talk about what it was like raising my sister and me, 60s feminism, genealogy, and her recent projects. Thanks for being on the show, Mom! Sorry for what I did in the yard after eating dog food! Spe...

This week, I am home in California for the holidays, and I talk to my father about his life growing up in Australia, his legal career, his creative career, and when he came to England with me on my first ever tour. We talk about parenting and art and how he was able to balance this with his career as an international lawyer. Thank you dad! Next week, my mom, DJ Kathy Nielsen! Special Guest: MC Bob...

Howie Abrams is a music industry veteran / author / DJ / music industry historian who has been involved in the punk, hardcore and rap worlds since the 80s. On this week's episode, talk about how Howie's journey from being a roadie for Anthrax helping them come up with hit choruses let to him becoming an A&R man on a label that had signed the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. I met Howie in 2...

Back in the 90s, I hosted a prank call fan site on my parents' dialup internet service provider. We were allocated about 20 megabytes of space, so I learned HTML and created a few early pages, one of which reviewed prank call tapes, through which I would trade for more. My collection was pretty huge, you can see the archive here: https://tinyurl.com/yc2mdk9d One of my favorite tapes was the Phone...

This week, I had the honor of talking to Roger Rabbit creator Gary K. Wolf, whose unorthodox noir mystery book "Who Censored Roger Rabbit?" was the basis for the 1988 Disney / Amblin blockbuster. We talk about the origins of the character, his other works, Wolf's memories on set, and how Roger changed both his and Eddie Valiant's lives. I am so proud of this episode and am so grateful Gary could s...

Caldwell, Idaho's Big O is a legend in the DIY hardcore / rap crossover scene. He and his band opened for Mega Ran and me on our national tour. On this week's episode, he and I talk about the current state of the scene and the outside forces that motivate us both. Special Guest: Big O.

When Eamon Dolan declared himself as an English major at Yale, and his mom asked him, "What are you going to do, open an English store?". Having printed some succesful books and had a long career as an editor, Dolan has done just that. We talk about his inspirations and editing process, as well as his memories as a kid growing up in the Bronx in the 70s. An awesome interview! Special Guest: Eamon...

Jesse Dangerously is beloved across the world. We talk about his music, touring history, his take on rap today, and some of his inspiratons. We also talk about the nerdcore Jeopardy moment, as it has unfolded much later. Thanks to Jesse for being such a loquatious and funny guest. Friends for life! Special Guest: Jesse Dangerously.

John S. Hall had always been a huge influence on me as a kid, and he was super nice to come to my apartment to talk to me about his new and old work. We talked about what it was like being on Atlantic and how having a day job has been freeing, as well as his times in Beavis & Butt-head. We also talk about how the Beat generation influenced him and what it was like growing up in Manhattan. Spec...

This week, my collaborator friend and tour mate talk about his history in nerdcore, his influences, and his future plans. We also talk about the importance of taking a political stand, even if it alienates people. We debut our song "Walden", from our upcoming "Dewey Decibel System" project! Enjoy, and thanks for listening! Thanks Mega Ran for his time and great answers. Special Guest: Mega Ran.

This week, Brendan and I talk about what it was like to be signed to Columbia, the promotional campaign surrounding his hit song "Teenage Dirtbag", and how he was able to leverage its international scucess into a long-term indie touring career. We also talk about the next steps for him and his band and his philosophies on music and touring. Enoy that flavor!! Thanks again Brendan!

Brendan B. Brown has always inspired me - I was a fan of his band when I was in high school and we ended up working and recording together about 13 years ago. In this episode, we talk about Marshall McClure's "Medium is the Message" essay and how it relates to people's memories of "Teenage Dirtbag", the band's breakthrough hit. We also talk about our shared love of Rush and how we think Spotify is...

I've been a fan of Canadian rapper Baba Brinkman's for years. I loved his "Off the Top" play with his wife, Dr. Heather Berlin, as well as his "Rap Guide to Consciousness", which Mega Ran and I collabroated with him on. We talk about why and how he got started rapping, the intersection of literature with rap, and how a theatre piece on Darwin helped him evolve into a science rapper. Support Brinkm...

This week, Schäffer the Darklord and I go deeper into his creative process and talk about some of our shared tour experiences. We also debut his and Vince Vandal's new supergroup, the Department of Darknes!! At the end, I played their brand track "World on Fire", which features me on a guest verse. Thanks for listening! Special Guest: Schäffer the Darklord.

Schäffer the Darklord started rapping at the turn of the century. While playing in some hardcore and grindcore bands, he learned about performance and the dos and don'ts of DIY promotion and gigging. This week, we talk to the man behind the black rubber gloves, getting to know the hows and whys of one of nerdcore's most intriguing luminaries. Special Guest: Schäffer the Darklord.

Part two of my interview with the "inventor" of nerdcore hip-hop, MC Frontalot! In this episode, Lars and Frontalot discuss the origin of nerdcore as a genre before discussing how Damian Hess chose the name 'MC Frontalot' as a rap sobriquet. We speculate on the growing popularity of nerd culture and possible future tours before listening to a demo from Frontalot's upcoming album. Special Guest: MC...

This week, I sit down with the "creator" of nerdcore hip-hop, MC Frontalot! Damian Hess and I discuss his creative process, touring life, and some of his philosopies on art and living in Brooklyn. We reminisce on how we met and express our shared love of touring and recording. An intimate discusison with two old friends, complete with lots of swearing by Frontalot! Special Guest: MC Frontalot.