Nerdcore , not to be confused with Nerd , is a music genre and internet aesthetic that has been around since the late 1990s. The term was first coined by MC Frontalot and he is widely considered to be the originator of the genre. Like many other aesthetics Nerdcore first arose from the eponymous music genre and came to fruition as its own separate aesthetic during the 2000s and 2010s. The aesthetic mostly revolves around 80s-2000s video games, science fiction (Star Wars & Star Trek predominant), role-playing games, tabletop games, internet memes & meme culture, and computer technology.

The driving thrust of Nerdcore is the union of the braggadocius hip-hop attitude with an unabashed love of "nerdy" subjects. Instead of being ashamed of being a nerd, Nerdcore artists and fans are proud about it and refuse to hide it or conform to "weak nerd" stereotypes.

Notable Nerdcore pioneers include the aforementioned MC Frontalot as well as MC Chris, Schäffer the Darklord, YTCracker, and Sensei Ion .

Nerdcore is primarily expressed in album cover-art, with a heavy emphasis on drawn representations of the artists with a variety of "nerdy" accoutrements or background. Some may place the artist inside a familiar-looking video game world, others have the artist in an empty space beset by pieces of technology. Overall the visual references of Nerdcore album covers are predominated by video game references (levels, characters, art) and computer technology references (discs, cables, CRT monitors).

Later Nerdcore shows similarities to Trillwave with visuals that can also have an emphasis on drugs and alcohol, primarily marijuana and beer. Classic aesthetics such as Vaporwave and Old Web are also common in a lot of Nerdcore media. In some cases, the cover art may be hue-shifted to add purple/blue to the image which enhances the "wavy" atmosphere to everything.

Nerdcore music is primarily focused on nerd culture as a whole, ranging from old-school Star Wars references to topical jokes about internet technology or computer programming. What's rapped about varies from artist to artist, with later Nerdcore artists focusing heavily on anime and Japanese pop culture leading to the creation of the Otacore subgenre. Nerdcore is differentiated from Otacore by its broader use of "nerdy" references and a stronger focus on Western media.

Nerdcore Hip Hop features beats and styles from multiple Hip-Hop genres, showcasing its diverse crowd of artists. The only similarities between all Nerdcore music is the lyrical content focused on "nerdy" subjects.

Nerdcore fashion shares similarities with Nerd fashion, except with the addition of more "popular" clothing. Button-up shirts, slacks, and a tie are common elements. The combo of "nerdy" graphic t-shirts and a tie is also associated with Nerdcore culture, especially among Nerdcore women. Overall the focus of Nerdcore fashion is expressing yourself without shame, proudly wearing your favorite video game on your shirt. A crossover exists with Hip-Hop fashion in the addition of baggy clothing and snapback hats, a contrast to the normally well-fitted and uptight "nerd" look. Other common elements include Vans & Converse shoes, extravagant/bold eyeglass frames, pocket protectors, and hoodies.

Otacore rap features beats and styles from Trillwave primarily. Otacore beats usually feature samples from older video games & anime OSTs, notably from Dragon Ball Zero, Naruto, Final Fantasy, Shiki and more. Otacore songs don't always focus on the struggles of life, hustling, guns and drug talk, and more focus on the more relatable, relaxing aspects of living the "Otaku life". However , they can include all of the above, just not as present as Trillwave .

To better describe the lyrics of Otacore, here are various lyrics from a few songs to drive the idea and gist into your minds.

Kay P - Sailor Fuku (PROD. GF Retro)

Kay P - Monkey D. Luffy (PROD. Bona El-Zee)

ION x Josip On Deck - ボーナス (PROD. Internet User)

Retro Senpai - Late Nights in Akihabara (Ft. Beezy Sama)

With that being said, Otacore is still very relevant and ever-evolving today with new rappers such as Otaku God and SL!CK taking centre stage with a more drill-sounding, aggressive approach to the previously mostly-trill/laid-back nature of Otacore. Otacore beats have also evolved as well, more drill-style & plug beats started becoming popular in 2018 for Otacore songs VS. the older sounding "rawer" sounding beats which were popular back in 2011-2017.