MC Chris

{{Infobox musical artist | name = | image = MC Chris, July 2024.jpg | caption = MC Chris at the Mohawk Place in Buffalo, New York, July 2024 | birth_name = Christopher Brendan Ward IV | birth_date = | birth_place = | genre = {{flatlist| * Nerdcore<ref>{{cite web|last=Roa|first=Ray|date=November 26, 2019|url=https://www.cltampa.com/music/show-previews/article/21103349/nerdcore-favorite-mc-chris-returns-to-tampa-for-friday-concert|title=Nerdcore favorite mc chris returns to Tampa for Friday concert|access-date=December 25, 2020|via=cltampa.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Beth|last=Elderkin|date=May 26, 2020|url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/10-nerdcore-nerd-folk-and-other-geeky-artists-to-add-1843317931|title=10 Nerdcore, Nerd-Folk, and Other Geeky Artists to Add to Your Playlist|access-date=December 25, 2020|via=io9.gizmo.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/alex-trebek-jeopardy-nerdcore-losers-mc-chris-mega-ran-7541817/|title=Alex Trebek Calls Nerdcore Rap Fans 'Losers'; MC Chris and Mega Ran Respond|access-date=April 29, 2021|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> }} | occupation = {{flatlist| * Rapper * voice actor * comedian * writer }} | years_active = 2000–present | label = MC Chris LLC, DC Flag | website = {{URL|https://mcchris.com}} }}

'''Christopher Brendan Ward IV''', better known by the stage name '''MC Chris''' (stylized in all lower case),<ref name="A">{{cite AV media|title=10-Year-Old|author=mc chris|publisher=DC Flag Records|medium=song|year=2003|quote=mc chris, lower case, no dots, rewind.|time=3:01}}</ref> is an American rapper, voice actor, comedian, and writer. He is recognized for his high-pitched voice and for blending his "geek” background with a “gangsta rap” persona, contributing to the popularization of the nerdcore genre.<ref>{{cite news |last=Walker |first=Rob |title=MC Chris, MC Frontalot, and the Rise of Nerdcore |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/fashion/05nerdcore.html |work=The New York Times |date=August 5, 2007 |access-date=August 9, 2024}}</ref> He has released ten albums, five EPs, one re-release, and a tenth-anniversary edition of his recordings with the Lee Majors. He is also known for his work on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming block.

==Early life== Ward was born in Libertyville, Illinois. He attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.<ref>{{cite web | title=MC Chris Comes to Hi Tone Sunday | website=MemphisFlyer | date=October 24, 2019 | url=https://www.memphisflyer.com/mc-chris-comes-to-hi-tone-sunday | ref={{sfnref | MemphisFlyer | 2019}} | access-date=July 15, 2024}}</ref>

==Career== ===Voice acting=== thumb|Ward performing in February 2008

Ward contributed to several Williams Street shows on Adult Swim, with his most notable work being on ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force''. He served as a production assistant and voiced the character MC Pee Pants in multiple episodes, including "MC Pee Pants," "Sir Loin," "The Last One," and "Little Brittle".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://wiki.adultswim.com/xwiki/bin/Aqua+Teen+Hunger+Force/ep+9 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421040844/http://wiki.adultswim.com/xwiki/bin/Aqua+Teen+Hunger+Force/ep+9 | archive-date=April 21, 2009 | date=April 21, 2009 | title=Aqua Teen Hunger Force – Episode 9: MC Pee Pants}}</ref> He also voiced the young Carl in episode 18.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://wiki.adultswim.com/xwiki/bin/Aqua+Teen+Hunger+Force/ep+18 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090323080740/http://wiki.adultswim.com/xwiki/bin/Aqua+Teen+Hunger+Force/ep+18 | archive-date=March 23, 2009 | date=March 23, 2009 | title=Aqua Teen Hunger Force – Episode 18: Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future}}</ref> Ward reprised his role as MC Pee Pants in the feature film ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters'' and the PlayStation 2 game ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am''.

He also worked on ''Sealab 2021'', contributing as a writer and voicing the recurring character Hesh Hepplewhite, as well as playing the twins who portray Dolphin Boy in a behind-the-scenes episode. Additionally, Ward was a production assistant and writer for ''The Brak Show'', where he contributed to episodes such as "Brakstreet" and "Shadows of Heat," and voiced a character in "Brakstreet". He also voiced Ward Willoughby in the 2002 pilot for Evan Dorkin's ''Welcome to Eltingville''. He further extended his contributions as a writer for ''Space Ghost: Coast to Coast'' and made a cameo in the 2003 episode "Baffler Meal."

In October 2004, he announced he would leave Cartoon Network to begin touring and focus on his music full-time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clixnwhistles.livejournal.com/12052.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070706205928/http://clixnwhistles.livejournal.com/12052.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 6, 2007 |title=goth beach - so unpredictable |work=livejournal.com }}</ref>

He returned to Adult Swim in 2010 as a red Gummi bear named Gummi in ''Cheyenne Cinnamon and the Fantabulous Unicorn of Sugar Town Candy Fudge''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yousoundlikearobot.com/202/interview-mc-chris |title=INTERVIEW: mc chris |work=You Sound Like A Robot |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090510083357/http://yousoundlikearobot.com/202/interview-mc-chris |archive-date=May 10, 2009 }}</ref> and, in 2013, began working on ''the mc chris cartoon'', crowdfunding part of the pilot's production. A short pitch animation was made available online, but a full pilot was never completed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/nerdcore/comments/1bo3jt/the_mc_chris_cartoon_pitch_has_arrived/ |title=The mc chris Cartoon Pitch Has Arrived |publisher=Reddit |date=April 2, 2013 |access-date=August 10, 2024}}</ref>

Ward continued to focus on music, contributing theme songs for several of the SModcast Internet Radio (S.I.R.) programs, including those for the original ''SModcast'', ''Blow Hard'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://smodcast.com/smods/smodcast131.html |title=SModcast #131: Limmortality |work=SModCo |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100912162310/http://smodcast.com/smods/smodcast131.html |archive-date=September 12, 2010 }}</ref> ''Bagged & Boarded'', and ''Jay & Silent Bob Get Old''.

In 2018, Ward announced that ''the mc chris cartoon'' had resumed production.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.westword.com/music/mc-chris-talks-cartoon-network-sexual-trauma-star-wars-and-fatherhood-10218158 |title=Nerd-Rapper mc chris Talks New Album, Animation, Trauma and Fatherhood |publisher=Westword |first=Ben |last=Wiese |date=April 20, 2018 |access-date=August 10, 2024}}</ref> The project was ultimately shelved due to a combination of industry challenges, including the 2021 Hollywood strikes, disruptions in streaming services, and a downturn in the streaming industry.

Ward would reprise his role as MC Pee Pants again in 2022, in Adult Swim's ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Aquadonk Side Pieces'' web series''.''<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvsPZVYdVB4 |title=NEW: MC P Pants University {{!}} Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Aquadonk Side Pieces {{!}} adult swim |date=2022-04-20 |last=Adult Swim |access-date=2025-04-13 |via=YouTube}}</ref> Also in 2022, Ward embarked on a tour titled "The Last Tour", which was advertised as his farewell tour.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cltampa.com/music/nerdcore-legend-mc-chris-brings-extended-farewell-tour-back-to-tampa-18186070 |title=Nerdcore legend MC Chris brings extended farewell tour back to Tampa |publisher=Creative Loafing Tampa |date=December 17, 2018 |access-date=August 10, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.savannahnow.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/07/17/nerdcore-rapper-mc-chris-brings-last-tour-stop-to-savannahs-el-rocko/74423979007/ |title=Nerdcore rapper MC Chris brings last tour stop to Savannah's El Rocko |publisher=Savannah Morning News |date=July 17, 2024 |access-date=August 10, 2024}}</ref> In 2024, he embarked on the "I Thought The Last Tour Was The Last Tour" Tour,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://do314.com/events/2024/6/29/mc-chris-i-thought-the-last-tour-was-the-last-tour-tour-tickets|title=Mc Chris "I Thought The Last Tour Was The Last Tour" Tour}}</ref> and the year after, announced the "20 Years of Touring" Tour, which is set to begin on June 13.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://x.com/_mcchris/status/1905369048361402856|title=mc chris on X|website=Twitter|date=March 27, 2025}}</ref>

In 2025, Ward began releasing a weekly podcast, ''None of This Matters'', with fellow Aqua Teen Hunger Force actor Dana Snyder.<ref>{{Cite web |title=None of This Matters |url=https://www.youtube.com/@mattersnotpod |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=YouTube |language=en}}</ref>

===Music=== Ward originally performed with The Lee Majors. While he is one of the artists most closely associated with the genre of nerdcore,<ref>{{cite web|last=Roa|first=Ray|date=November 26, 2019|url=https://www.cltampa.com/music/show-previews/article/21103349/nerdcore-favorite-mc-chris-returns-to-tampa-for-friday-concert|title=Nerdcore favorite mc chris returns to Tampa for Friday concert|access-date=December 25, 2020|website=Cltampa.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Beth|last=Elderkin|date=May 26, 2020|url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/10-nerdcore-nerd-folk-and-other-geeky-artists-to-add-1843317931|title=10 Nerdcore, Nerd-Folk, and Other Geeky Artists to Add to Your Playlist|access-date=December 25, 2020|website=Io9.gizmo.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/alex-trebek-jeopardy-nerdcore-losers-mc-chris-mega-ran-7541817/|title=Alex Trebek Calls Nerdcore Rap Fans 'Losers'; MC Chris and Mega Ran Respond|access-date=April 29, 2021|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> he had been hesitant to accept the nerdcore label and described his music as "a genre in and of itself".<ref name="SW-062507">{{cite web|last=Burton |first=Bonnie |title=mc chris: Napping with Artoo |url=https://www.starwars.com/community/news/rocks/news20070625.html |work=Fans |publisher=Starwars.com |date=June 25, 2007 |access-date=September 2, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326062522/http://www.starwars.com/community/news/rocks/news20070625.html |archive-date=March 26, 2010 }}</ref> as well as expressing concern over limiting himself to such a narrow audience and subject matter.<ref name="NYT-080507">{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Alex |title= Dungeons, Dragons and Dope Beats |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/fashion/05nerdcore.html |work=Fashion & Style |date=August 5, 2007 |access-date=May 20, 2009}}</ref><ref name="BOSTON-110407">{{cite web |last=Miranda |first=Jeff |title=Refrain of the nerds |url=https://archive.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/11/04/refrain_of_the_nerds/?page=3 |work=Boston Globe |date=November 4, 2007 |access-date=May 20, 2009}}</ref> He has appeared in news stories dealing with nerd culture and nerdcore.<ref name=60minutes>[http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=3028498&blogId=426314281 myspace.com/mcchris] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207065936/http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view |date=February 7, 2009 }} MC Chris blog. August 22, 2008</ref> Of his nerdcore background, he said, "It's nice that a lot of folks consider me part of it. It's actually embarrassing how I used to think I was the only one playing with ''Star Wars'' toys and making music, and it just wasn't true. I have absolutely no problem with the label now."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=47300|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130815061421/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=47300|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 15, 2013|title=All The Sucker MCs Can Call Me Sire: An Interview with mc chris - Comic Book Resources|work=comicbookresources.com|date=November 4, 2023 }}</ref> Although he has collaborated with various labels in the past, including Good Charlotte's DC Flag, MC Chris primarily self-releases his music independently.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2006_02_eatingsnot.html|title=mc chris - Eating's Not Cheating Review|work=Rap Reviews|date=February 2006|access-date=August 10, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/2406209-mcchris-Eatings-Not-Cheating|title=mc chris – Eating's Not Cheating |work=Discogs|access-date=August 10, 2024}}</ref>

==Discography== ===Studio albums=== * ''Life's a Bitch and I'm Her Pimp'' (2001) * ''Knowing Is Half the Hassle'' (2003) * ''Eating's Not Cheating'' (2004) * ''Dungeon Master of Ceremonies'' (2006) * ''MC Chris Is Dead'' (2008) * ''MC Chris Goes To Hell'' (2010) * ''Race Wars'' (2011) * ''Foreverrr'' (2014) * ''MC Chris Is Dreaming'' (2016) * ''#mcchrisisgoodmusic'' (2018) * ''King in Black'' (2026)

===Children's albums=== * ''Marshmellow Playground'' (2011) * ''Marshmellow Campground'' (2017)

===Compilation albums=== * ''The New York University 8-Track Discography 10th Anniversary Edition'' (2007) * ''Apple Tummy'' (2009) * ''Apple Lung'' (2012) * ''Apple Bum'' (2017) * ''Apple Eye'' (2022)

===Extended plays=== * ''Part Six Part One'' (2009) * ''Part Six Part Two'' (2009) * ''Part Six Part Three'' (2009) * ''Friends'' (2012) * ''Kickstape'' (2013) * ''Foes'' (2017)

==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2007 | ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters'' | MC Pee Pants | |- | 2008 | ''Nerdcore for Life'' | Himself | |}

===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2000-2005 | ''Sealab 2021'' | Hesh Hepplewhite / Various / Yes Brains | 19 episodes |- | 2002 | ''Welcome to Eltingville'' | Ward Willoughby / Wilson | Credited as Chistopher Ward |- | 2002 | ''The Brak Show'' | Record Store Worker | 2 episodes |- | 2002-2015 | ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'' | MC Pee Pants / Little Brittle / Sir Loin / Young Carl | 6 episodes |- | 2003 | ''Space Ghost Coast to Coast'' | Dancing Man | Episode: "Baffler Meal" |- | 2007 | ''Fat Guy Stuck in Internet'' | Gordon | 2 episodes |- | 2010 | ''Cheyenne Cinnamon and the Fantabulous Unicorn of Sugar Town Candy Fudge'' | Gummi | |- | 2011 | ''Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell'' | | Episode: Pilot |- | 2011 | ''The Chris Gethard Show'' | Musical Guest / Panel | Episode: The Human Crane Episode |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Official website}} * {{IMDb name | id=1002355 | name=Chris Ward}} * [http://www.tv.com/chris-ward-iv/person/68201/summary.html TV.com entry for Chris Ward] * [http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/03/22/1418238 Slashdot Interview] ''([http://interviews.slashdot.org/interviews/05/03/01/1515223.shtml original announcement found here])'' * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071014230606/http://movies.ign.com/articles/502/502897p1.html FilmForce Interview] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070311005259/http://onetrickpony.ws/mc_chris Interview From September 2005] * [http://www.deviantnation.com/magazine/article/Artist/MC-Chris/ Interview from April 2008 on Deviant Nation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706154213/http://www.deviantnation.com/magazine/article/Artist/MC-Chris/ |date=July 6, 2008 }} * [https://www.graveplotpodcast.com/2015/05/episode-36-town-dreaded-sundown-late-phases-mc-chris.html mc chris on The Grave Plot Podcast]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chris, MC}} Category:1975 births Category:21st-century American comedians Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people Category:21st-century American male actors Category:21st-century American male musicians Category:21st-century American male writers Category:21st-century American rappers Category:American bisexual male actors Category:American bisexual musicians Category:American bisexual writers Category:American bisexual comedians Category:American male bloggers Category:American bloggers Category:American male comedians Category:American male rappers Category:American male voice actors Category:Bisexual male musicians Category:Bisexual male writers Category:Comedians from Illinois Category:LGBTQ people from Illinois Category:American LGBTQ rappers Category:Living people Category:Midwest hip-hop musicians Category:Nerdcore artists Category:People from Libertyville, Illinois Category:Rappers from Chicago Category:School of the Art Institute of Chicago alumni Category:New York University Tisch School of the Arts alumni Category:Male actors from Lake County, Illinois