YTCracker Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 14th 2010 9:20PM by John Haefele
Comments

Computer hacker-turned-nerd-core rapper YTCracker is a man of few words, and fewer cares. Never one to worry, he believes in brains over brawn and rapping over 8-bit beats sampled straight from dusty Nintendo cartridges. His goal, much like the goal of playing the games themselves: to get to the next level. Here's what he had to say to Spinner about running his own label, tour bus crashes and what he's bringing to SXSW this year.

Describe your sound.

If my sound was a smell, it'd be so fresh you could smell it through a ziplock in an airlock on star-base deep space nine with Johnny Depp space nine.

How did you first start making music?

My grandma gave me a toy xylophone when I was a baby. The first song I made up later turned out to be the inspiration for Swizz Beatz' 'Ruff Ryders Anthem.'
What are your musical influences?

Now, pretty much just Pendulum and Master P.

How did you come up with your name?

It was bestowed upon me by racist blacks. Also, computer hacking.

What's your biggest vice?

What you got?

What's in your festival survival kit?

Three pairs of board shorts, two t-shirts, an iPhone charger and a box of condoms that I'm not going to use. Though I do plan on doing some hollering while I'm here, just keeping it real.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

What's the point of pleasure if you're just going to feel guilty about it?

What's the craziest thing you've seen or experienced while on tour?

Our tour bus crashed and we almost died ... that was pretty crunk.

What's your favorite NES game?

'Kid Icarus.'

What's it like running your own label?

Nerdy South is the label that pays me. I owns that, so I pay myself. I sure wish I paid better.

John Haefele is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.