Schaffer the Darklord is a nerdcore rapper whose real name is Mark Alan Schaffer. He is known for covering slightly darker themes than some other nerdcore rappers, often focussing on Horror Tropes instead of science fiction or fantasy themes. He also often uses metal samples. As such, he has sometimes been described as Horrorcore, although his lyrics are usually at least partly comedic, and he doesn't have the Gangsta Rap influences of many horrorcore rappers.
He has worked with other nerdcore artists such as MC Lars. He is also part of the collaborative project "The Department of Darkness", which released its first Self-Titled Album in 2018.
Discography:
- Meet My Maker (2004)
- Mark of the Beast (2007)
- Manslaughterer (2009)
- Junk Drawer (2012)
- Sick Passenger (2013)
- Sex Rhymes (2015)
- Junk Drawer Vol. 2 (2017)
Tropes in Schaffer the Darklord's music:
- Boastful Rap: "One Fall"
- Card-Carrying Villain: often calls himself evil, and says he'd rather go to Hell than to Heaven in "It's a Wonderful Death".
- Chew Bubblegum: He says "Your enemies are all out of bubblegum" in "Mark and Beverly".
- Dad the Veteran: "Father" is a tribute to his father, Laverne Dean Schaffer Jr., who fought in the Vietnam War and became a Shell-Shocked Veteran and drug addict, before turning his life around and becoming an addiction counselor.
- Darker and Edgier: The idea behind "Tin Man" is "What if the The Tin Woodsman was depicted as a complete psychopath?"
- Evil Laugh: "Witch Hunt" ends with one, although not from him (from one of the female rappers who does guest vocals as a "witch" on this track).
- Hates Everyone Equally: In his own words:I hate people, see, all people equally.
Just a plague upon a planet we inhabit needlessly. - Humans Are Bastards: according to "I Hate People", he believes this.At their best, they're bad, at their worst, they're lethal.
- Political Rap: He is an outspoken feminist who has rapped about the importance of consent, as well as criticising Trump, racism, and religious fundamentalism.
- Rap Metal: Downplayed, but he often samples metal music.
- Religion Rant Song: "It's a Wonderful Death" has elements of this, when he talks about Heaven and Hell, but is fairly light in tone for the most part and overlaps with The Anti-Nihilist.
- Shout-Out: many, as expected from nerdcore. For instance, from "Mark and Beverly":
- We're The Walking Dead, eating everything in our pathYou could swear I'm a fiend, I'm Rage Against the Machine
- Take That!: "I Hate People" has several, with the mention of "that child in the White House" being the most obvious.
- Villain Protagonist: His verse in "Do the Bruce Campbell" is from the point of view of Deadite Ash. He describes himself as "fresh from the cemetery" and threatens to "tear into your torso with my cold, dead hands".
