In honor of this article in the NY Times on nerdcore, here’s mc chris with Robotussin (featuring a sample from the video game Gauntlet) and MC Frontalot with Secrets From the Future (the title track from his latest album).

We’ve previously mentioned two of nerdcore’s luminaries, MC Frontalot and Optimus Rhyme. Both artists’ new CDs feature their collaboration, Ping Pong Song (Baddd Spellah Remix feat. MC Frontalot).

You don’t have to be a fan of Achewood to dig Livin’ At The Corner Of Dude & Catastrophe. But if you are, you’ll dig it even more.

In honor of the article about nerdcore hip-hop in this week’s Newsweek – Lord, I can scarcely believe I typed that phrase – here are three fun nerdcore tracks:

MC Frontalot - Charity Case
Optimus Rhyme - Just Forget It
mc chris - DQ Blizzard

I cannot get enough of MC Frontalot’s This Old Man.

Chris Ward was once just a guy recording hip-hop in his free time, when not at his day job: an animator at Cartoon Network who also provided the voices of Hesh on Sealab and MC Pee Pants on Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

That all changed when he got his bosses to use his tune Fett’s Vette during one episode. I imagine my reaction was like that of many viewers: “Is this is a rap song… about Boba Fett?!”

And with that, mc chris reached the world, and became one of the biggest names in nerdcore hip-hop. Since then he’s released two EPs and a full album, and has gotten so successful at it that he’s retired as an animator and is now touring full-time.

If you’re the kind of person who enjoys hip-hop songs about meeting people on Friendster, or getting high on Robitussin, or being a loser who can’t get girls and spends all day on message boards, well, chris is for you.

Chris has his entire first EP up for free download on his Audio page (including “Fett’s Vette” and my favorite, Fuckin’ Up My Christmas”), plus a radio edit of the extremely groovy Ratz.

Optimus Rhyme, who we’ve mentioned before, have just released their second album, School the Indie Rockers. One of the tracks, Just Forget It, is available for free at their site.

Danger Doom, a collaboration between Danger Mouse and MF Doom, put out a great album last year, The Mouse and the Mask, inspired by (and featuring) the Adult Swim lineup. (You can hear four tracks from that album at their MySpace page.)

Well, Adult Swim is now offering a free EP, Occult Hymn, featuring several remixes and a few new tracks. I’m digging Perfect Hair II and Sofa King Remix, myself. And in a neat twist, the EP features lots of cameos from Adult Swim shows that have come on the air since the original album came out.

Steal My Sunshine. Remember this throwaway one-hit wonder from 1999? Yeah, they‘re making it available for free. The song is totally ridiculous (”Does he like butter tarts?” The hell?), but what a great sample.

The Marginal Prophets are a hip-hop band consisting of the Noble Def G and Keith Knight, who you may already know as the cartoonist behind the terrific K Chronicles.

I’m most familiar with their first CD, “Twist the Knob”. Their Listen page has two great tracks from that disc, available as downloadable mp3s that are zipped up: Phat In the Whole (Rock Mix) and the live rendition of Gunz ‘n’ Money.

But don’t ignore some of their more recent work, which has taken on a rock edge thanks to a live backing band. Try out The Difficult Song or Yes Pants are some good ones, but there’s more.