MC Lars joins The Austin Young Show for a conversation about Edgar Allan Poe, nerdcore hip-hop, ska, punk rock, and what it takes to build a lasting career as an independent musician. Lars is back with the expanded anniversary edition of The Edgar Allan Poe LP, a 19-track lit-hop project that turns Poe's stories and poetry into hip-hop, complete with dark humor, literary deep cuts, and collaborations that bring together some unlikely corners of the music world. We get into why Poe deserves more credit for his satire and absurdity, the stories behind “The Devil in the Belfry” and “A Dream Within a Dream,” and how Lars approaches bringing classic literature to people who might not otherwise pick up a book about it. He also talks about working with Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup, their history going back to a 2005 tour, and the new version of “Wiggle Wiggle Worm.” Along the way, we discuss the Dead Milkmen, Weird Al, Supernova Ska Festival, the Gathering of the Juggalos, and how one artist can move between hip-hop, ska, punk, and nerdcore without worrying too much about genre boundaries. The conversation also gets into the less glamorous side of making music: streaming economics, Spotify playlists, Kickstarter, Patreon, owning your masters, and why a thousand real fans can matter more than a mountain of anonymous streams. Lars shares what he has learned from more than two decades in the music business, including the importance of staying connected to the people who support your work. If you're into independent music, literary hip-hop, punk and ska culture, or the business of keeping a creative career alive, this one's worth your time. Listen to MC Lars: https://mclars.com/ The Edgar Allan Poe LP — Special One Year Anniversary Deluxe Expanded Edition: https://mclars.bandcamp.com/album/the-edgar-allan-poe-lp-special-one-year-anniversary-deluxe-expanded-edition Follow The Austin Young Show: https://linktr.ee/theaustinyoungshow Produced by Deep Ellum Podcasts. Distributed by Revolver Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.