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MC Lars
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 and the University of Oxford, he has been described as a pioneer of "lit-hop", a genre blending hip-hop with themes from classical and American literature. In a 2003 song, he used the term "iGeneration", which ASCAP credited as an early instance of the term. He has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall and multiple TEDx events. His work frequently references authors like William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, and Herman Melville, and he is considered a key figure in the early nerdcore movement.
Lars attended Stevenson School, a high school in Pebble Beach, California. He later studied English literature at Stanford University and Shakespeare at Oxford University in England, eventually earning a master's degree in Instructional design.
Lars has toured and performed alongside a wide range of artists across genres, including mainstream acts such as Snoop Dogg, Nas, Lupe Fiasco, Simple Plan, Gym Class Heroes, T-Pain, and Insane Clown Posse, as well as alternative and nerdcore staples like Say Anything, Bowling for Soup, MC Frontalot, mc chris, and Wheatus.
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 Wheatus, 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 Bowling for Soup, Simple Plan, and The Matches, often incorporating their members into his set. In 2010, during a European tour supporting Zebrahead, 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. The tour featured a fully live setup with instruments and samples, without backing tracks, relying instead on the band to recreate everything instrumentally or with triggers.
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, 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 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, Piebald, Brand New, Fugazi, and Iggy Pop.
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MC Lars
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 and the University of Oxford, he has been described as a pioneer of "lit-hop", a genre blending hip-hop with themes from classical and American literature. In a 2003 song, he used the term "iGeneration", which ASCAP credited as an early instance of the term. He has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall and multiple TEDx events. His work frequently references authors like William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, and Herman Melville, and he is considered a key figure in the early nerdcore movement.
Lars attended Stevenson School, a high school in Pebble Beach, California. He later studied English literature at Stanford University and Shakespeare at Oxford University in England, eventually earning a master's degree in Instructional design.
Lars has toured and performed alongside a wide range of artists across genres, including mainstream acts such as Snoop Dogg, Nas, Lupe Fiasco, Simple Plan, Gym Class Heroes, T-Pain, and Insane Clown Posse, as well as alternative and nerdcore staples like Say Anything, Bowling for Soup, MC Frontalot, mc chris, and Wheatus.
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 Wheatus, 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 Bowling for Soup, Simple Plan, and The Matches, often incorporating their members into his set. In 2010, during a European tour supporting Zebrahead, 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. The tour featured a fully live setup with instruments and samples, without backing tracks, relying instead on the band to recreate everything instrumentally or with triggers.
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, 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 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, Piebald, Brand New, Fugazi, and Iggy Pop.
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