Andrew Robert Nielsen (born October 6, 1982), known professionally as MC Lars, is an American rapper, producer, educator, and founder of Horris Records. A graduate of

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

and the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, he is credited as a pioneer of "lit-hop", a genre blending hip-hop with themes from classical and American literature. He is also known for coining the term " iGeneration" in 2003, and has performed at venues including

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

and multiple

TEDx TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "Ideas Change Everything" (previously "Ideas Worth Sprea ...

events. His work frequently references authors like

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

, and

Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works ar ...

, and he is considered a key figure in the early

nerdcore Nerdcore is a genre of hip hop music characterized by subject matter considered of interest to nerds and geeks. Self-described nerdcore musician MC Frontalot has the earliest known recorded use of the term (to describe this genre) in the 2000 ...

movement.

Education

Lars attended

Stevenson School Stevenson School (also known as Robert Louis Stevenson School and abbreviated as RLS) is a coeducational, private school for boarding and day students in preschool through 12th grade. Its high school campus is in Pebble Beach, California, while ...

, a high school in

Pebble Beach Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community on the Monterey Peninsula in Monterey County, California, United States. The small coastal residential community of mostly single-family homes is also notable as a resort destination, and the home of ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. For college and graduate school, he attended

and

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

Career and Live Performances

Lars has toured and performed alongside a wide range of artists across genres, including mainstream acts such as

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...

Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, record producer and Music education, music educator. Born and raised in Chicago, he gained mainstream recognition for his gue ...

Simple Plan Simple Plan is a Canadian rock band formed in Montreal, Quebec, in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of Pierre Bouvier (lead vocals, studio bass guitar), Chuck Comeau (drums), Jeff Stinco (lead guitar), and Sébastien Lefebvre (rhyt ...

Gym Class Heroes Gym Class Heroes was an American rap rock band from Geneva, New York. The group formed in 1997 when Travie McCoy met drummer Matt McGinley during their high school gym class. The band's music displays a wide variety of influences, including h ...

T-Pain Faheem Rashad Najm (born September 30, 1984), known professionally as T-Pain, is an American singer and rapper. He is known for popularizing creative use of Auto-Tune pitch correction, often used with extreme parameter settings to create electro ...

, and

Insane Clown Posse Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989, ICP's best-known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsler). Insan ...

, as well as alternative and nerdcore staples like

Say Anything Say Anything may refer to: Film and television * '' Say Anything...'', a 1989 American film by Cameron Crowe * "Say Anything" (''BoJack Horseman''), a television episode Music * Say Anything (band), an American rock band ** ''Say Anything'' (al ...

Bowling for Soup Bowling for Soup is an American rock band formed in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1994. The band consists of Jaret Reddick (lead vocals, guitar), Gary Wiseman (drums, percussion), and Rob Felicetti (bass, backing vocals, acoustic guitar). The band i ...

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 hip hop genre, blending elements of hip hop with themes from ne ...

mc chris Christopher Brendan Ward IV (born September 2, 1975), better known by the stage name MC Chris (stylized in all lower case), is an American rapper, voice actor, comedian, and writer. He is recognized for his high-pitched voice and for blending hi ...

, and

Wheatus Wheatus is an American rock band from Northport, New York, formed in 1995. They are known principally for their 2000 single, "Teenage Dirtbag". They also experienced success with their 2001 cover version of Erasure (duo), Erasure's "A Little ...

His live shows combine laptop-driven beats with live instrumentation, visual projections, and spoken word, and he has performed solo or with full bands assembled from frequent collaborators. In May 2007, while on the UK’s third Good To Go Tour, Lars was backed by

, who learned his set and performed it live each night. He and frontman Brendan B. Brown later co-wrote several songs that appeared on '' This Gigantic Robot Kills''. Later that year, Lars returned to the UK with the pop-punk band Last Letter Read, who opened the shows and then joined him onstage. Throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, Lars toured with bands such as

, and

The Matches The Matches are an American rock band from Oakland, California, initially active from 1997 to 2009. Formed as the Locals, the group changed their name after five years to avoid conflict with a Chicago band of the same name. As the Matches, they ...

, often incorporating their members into his set. In 2010, during a European tour supporting

Zebrahead Zebrahead is an American rock band from La Habra, California, formed in 1996. The group's current line-up comprises rapper Ali Tabatabaee, bassist Ben Osmundson, drummer Ed Udhus, lead guitarist Dan Palmer and lead vocalist and rhythm guita ...

, Lars was joined live by drummer Ed Udhus, guitarist Greg Bergdorf, and tour manager Bobby Conner. In 2019, to mark the tenth anniversary of ''This Gigantic Robot Kills'', Lars toured the UK again, this time backed by Newcastle-based alt-rock band Ruled by Raptors. It was his first fully live setup without backing tracks, relying instead on instruments, samples, and MIDI triggers to recreate his catalog on stage.

Musical Style and Influences

MC Lars began his career performing under the names Lars Horris and MC Lars Horris, eventually shortening it to MC Lars. The name "Lars" references a character from the 1995 film ''

Heavyweights ''Heavyweights'' is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Steven Brill and written by Brill with Judd Apatow. It stars Tom McGowan, Aaron Schwartz, Shaun Weiss, Tom Hodges, Leah Lail, Paul Feig, Kenan Thompson, David Bowe, Max Goldbl ...

'', while “Horris” was a cartoon character he created in middle school, inspired by Horace from '' Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman''. “Horris” later became the namesake of his independent label, Horris Records. Describing his style as "

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...

laptop rap", Lars blends hip-hop with punk rock, emo, and indie influences. Samples play a central role in his production, drawing from artists like

Supergrass Supergrass are an English rock band formed in 1993. For the majority of the band's tenure, the line-up consisted of brothers Gaz (lead vocals, guitar) and Rob Coombes (keyboards), Mick Quinn (bass, backing vocals) and Danny Goffey (drums, ...

Piebald A piebald or pied animal is one that has a pattern of unpigmented spots (white) on a pigmented background of hair, feathers or scales. Thus a piebald black and white dog is a black dog with white spots. The animal's skin under the white backg ...

, Brand New,

Fugazi Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They were noted for their style-transc ...

, and

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...

. His track "Signing Emo" notably features a sample from “Cry Tonight” by the fictional band Hearts That Hate, a satirical creation. When Lars toured with

, the band performed as Hearts That Hate live. A full version of "Cry Tonight" appears as a

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

on the UK release of "Signing Emo".

Literary Themes and Education

Lars is widely recognized as a pioneer of "lit-hop", a genre that merges hip-hop with themes from classical and American literature. Many of his tracks are literary adaptations: "Rapbeth" references ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

''; "Mr. Raven" draws on

's "

The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a visit ...

"; "Ahab" retells ''

Moby Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...

''; and "Hey There Ophelia" offers a modern take on ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

''. His academic background (studying English literature at

and Shakespeare at

) informs this thematic focus. In 2012, after releasing the ''Edgar Allan Poe EP'', he performed "Flow Like Poe" at

for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, accompanied by a live string ensemble. Lars has also promoted the use of hip-hop as an educational tool. At TEDxUSC in 2012, he linked the death of

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

to the final act of ''Hamlet'', and performed the witches’ chant from ''Macbeth'' as a rap. He later gave a similar presentation at TEDxYouth@Homer in Alaska. In 2003, he coined the term " iGeneration" to describe those born primarily in the mid-to-late 1980s. His song "iGeneration" was released for free through

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

and

iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...

in 2006. That same year, his single "Download This Song" was featured on the Canadian

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...

program ''Definitely Not The Opera''.

Independent Distribution and Horris Records

In 2004, MC Lars released '' The Laptop EP'', establishing his DIY ethos and laying the groundwork for future independent projects. That same year, he founded Horris Records, initially launched as an imprint under

Nettwerk Nettwerk Music Group is an independent record label founded in 1984. The Vancouver-based company was created by principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record label to distribute recordings by the band Moev, but the label expanded in Ca ...

and

Oglio The Oglio (; or ; , ) is a left-side tributary of the river Po in Lombardy, Italy. It is long. In the hierarchy of the Po's tributaries, with its of length, it occupies the 2nd place per length (after the river Adda), while it is the 4th pe ...

, before transitioning to full self-distribution. In 2006, Lars released the single " Download This Song", a critique of the music industry’s response to file-sharing. Issued through Nettwerk as part of ''

The Graduate ''The Graduate'' is a 1967 American independent romantic comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham, based on the 1963 novella by Charles Webb. It stars Dustin Hoffman as Benjamin Braddoc ...

'', the track reached number 29 on the

Australian Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...

. Shortly after its iTunes release, Lars was contacted by a 15-year-old fan whose family was being sued by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. Nettwerk CEO Terry McBride and several label artists publicly supported the family’s legal defense, drawing national media attention. Lars has credited digital piracy with expanding his fanbase and aligning with his punk-inspired belief in open access. In 2007, he released the stems of "White Kids Aren’t Hyphy" under a

Creative Commons license A Creative Commons (CC) license is one of several public copyright licenses that enable the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted "work". A CC license is used when an author wants to give other people the right to share, use, and bu ...

via the Jamglue platform, inviting fans to create remixes. In 2009, Lars partnered with Crappy Records (founded by

Jaret Reddick Jaret Ray Reddick (born March 6, 1972) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the pop-punk band Bowling for Soup. He also voices Danny on ''Phineas and Ferb'' and has voiced Chuck E. Cheese si ...

) to release '' This Gigantic Robot Kills'', featuring

"Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is best known for writing and performing Comedy music, comedy songs that often Parody music, parody specific songs by contempo ...

Jonathan Coulton Jonathan William Coulton (born December 1, 1970), often called "JoCo" by fans, is an American folk/comedy singer-songwriter, known for his songs about geek culture and his use of the Internet to draw fans. Among his most popular songs are "Cod ...

Parry Gripp Parry Pillsbury Gripp (born September 22, 1967) is an American songwriter, singer and musician. He has been the lead vocalist and guitarist for the pop-punk band Nerf Herder since its formation in 1994. Gripp writes novelty songs for children, an ...

, and

. Horris Records has also occasionally served as a platform for other up-and-coming artists in the indie and alternative scenes. In 2009, Horris released a collaborative EP with

K.Flay Kristine Meredith Flaherty (born June 30, 1985), better known as K.Flay, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, and rapper. She has released five studio albums: '' Life as a Dog'' (2014), '' Every Where Is Some Where'' (2017), ''Solutions' ...

, marking an early moment in her career before her signing with

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...

after being discovered by

Dan Reynolds Daniel Coulter Reynolds (born July 14, 1987) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is the lead vocalist and a founding member of the pop rock band Imagine Dragons, which formed in 2008. He is a recipient of the Songwriters Hall o ...

Imagine Dragons Imagine Dragons are an American pop rock band formed in 2008, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The band currently consists of lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, and bassist Ben McKee. They first gained exposure with the release of ...

. In 2011, Lars signed

Coheed and Cambria Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York, formed in 1995. It consists of Claudio Sanchez (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Travis Stever (guitars, vocals), Josh Eppard (drums, keyboards, backing vocals), and Za ...

drummer Weerd Science and launched a successful Kickstarter campaign for '' Lars Attacks!'', which featured

KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the ...

Mac Lethal David McCleary Sheldon (born July 25, 1981), known professionally as Mac Lethal, is an American rapper, songwriter and author from Kansas City, Missouri. He is the founder of Black Clover Records and formerly a radio host on KRBZ 96.5 the Buzz s ...

, and

Sage Francis Paul William "Sage" Francis (born November 18, 1976) is an American independent underground rapper from Providence, Rhode Island. He is the founder and CEO of Strange Famous Records. Early life and education Francis was born in Miami, Florid ...

. In 2015, he raised over $42,000 to fund ''

The Zombie Dinosaur LP ''The Zombie Dinosaur LP'' is the fourth studio album by MC Lars, released on November 6, 2015, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard Heatseakers chart. It was funded entirely through the Kickstarter, and was completed and released in eighteen ...

''. Subsequent independent Horris Records releases included ''The Dewey Decibel System'' (2019, with

Mega Ran Raheem Jarbo (born September 3, 1977), also known by his stage names Mega Ran and Random, is an American Underground hip hop, underground nerdcore rapper, chiptune DJ, author and record producer. In February 2015, he changed his stage name to Me ...

), '' Blockchain Planet'' (2021), ''

999 999 or triple nine most often refers to: * 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries * 999 (number), an integer * AD 999, a year * 999 BC, a year Media Books * 999 (anthology), ''99 ...

'' (2024, with Schäffer the Darklord), and ''The Edgar Allan Poe LP'' (2025).

Film and TV work

Lars's music has been featured on

MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...

CNN Money CNN Business (formerly CNN Money) is a financial news and information website, operated by CNN. The website was originally formed as a joint venture between CNN.com and Time Warner's '' Fortune'' and '' Money'' magazines. Since the spin-off of ...

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

's '' Hung'', G4's ''

Attack of the Show! ''Attack of the Show!'' (''AOTS'') is an American live television program that aired on G4. AOTS features segments on pop culture, video games, and movies. After an initial run from 2005 to 2013 (which originally aired from 2005 until 2013, we ...

'' and ''Ninja Warrior''. In 2008, he played a key role in G4's rebrand alongside

Del the Funky Homosapien Teren Delvon Jones (born August 12, 1972), better known by his stage name Del the Funky Homosapien (sometimes stylized as Del tha Funkee Homosapien) or Sir DZL, is an American rapper. Music career 1988–1997: Early life and beginnings Born in O ...

YTCracker Bryce Case Jr. (born August 23, 1982), otherwise known as YTCracker (pronounced "''whitey cracker''"), is an American rapper from La Mirada, California. His stage name derives from having formerly been a black hat hacker. Case is best known for hi ...

, and

, creating musical bumpers and segments aimed at

millennial Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ...

gamers and hip-hop fans. He has also contributed music to the soundtracks of various films, including '' Nerdcore for Life'' (2008), ''

Little Boxes "Little Boxes" is a song written and composed by Malvina Reynolds in 1962. The song was first released by her friend, Pete Seeger, in 1963, and became his only charting single in January 1964. The song is a social satire about the developm ...

'' (2016), ''Pick It Up!'' (2019), and '' Challengers'' (2024).

Discography

* ''

'' (2006) * '' This Gigantic Robot Kills'' (2009) * ''Lars Attacks!'' (2011) * ''

'' (2015) * ''Blockchain Planet'' (2021)

References

External links

* *
Purevolume

MTV.com site

VH1 Biography

Live Review of MC Lars in the UK

Interview with MC Lars
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lars, MC 1982 births 21st-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American male rappers 21st-century American poets 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American singers 21st-century American writers Alumni of the University of Oxford American LGBTQ rappers American YouTubers American bloggers American educators American expatriates in England American hip-hop musicians American hip-hop record producers American hip-hop singers American male bloggers American male poets American male singer-songwriters American male writers American music industry executives American people of Australian descent American poets American satirists American singer-songwriters American spoken word artists American writers Bisexual male musicians Creative Commons-licensed authors Critics of Scientology Living people Musicians from Berkeley, California Musicians from San Francisco Nerdcore artists Nettwerk Records artists People from Pacifica, California People from Pebble Beach, California Place of birth missing (living people) Rappers from the San Francisco Bay Area Stanford University alumni West Coast hip-hop musicians Writers from Berkeley, California Writers from San Francisco