1. Lords of the Rhyme
(Archive/Archive)

Credit: Ron SoltysStory by: Andrew Gaug GRADUATION Kanye West Released by Def Jam Records Stater rating (out of five): **** CURTIS 50 Cent Released by Shady/Interscope Records Stater rating ...

2. Beats and geeks: White rappers merge the worlds of hip-hop and computers in an underground scene called 'nerdcore'
(Archive/Archive)

... from Lords of the Rhymes (who claim to be "straight out of Hobbiton") to Optimus Rhyme (whose name is a salute to "Transformers" robot-hero Optimus Prime), are more geared to pop-culture geek smarts. At ...