Mega-Lo-Mania: The Director's Cut "A Nerd Rap Documentary"

A weekend tour by former educator turned indie rap hero Random, aka Mega Ran was the subject of a 30 minute documentary captured by filmmaker Michael Cardoza, but he got so much more than he bargained for when he agreed to ride along and film the rapper’s first 3 out-of-town shows with a live band.

“I saw so much more than a music tour… I saw friends, teammates..bound together by a mutual passion for music and for putting on a great show. They all have different personalities, and they all came together so perfectly over the weekend,” Cardoza says of the weekend trip.

Over that three days in February, Philadelphia-born Mega Ran and Phoenix, AZ band The Lo-Classics joined forces for “Mega-Lo-Mania,” a mini-tour that would span Tempe, AZ, Hollywood, CA and Las Vegas, NV. What ensued was sometimes amazing, sometimes chaotic, but always entertaining.

“I had a blast,” Ran says of the weekend tour. “It didn't’t totally go as I’d expected, but I think that’s the best story to tell; that it won’t always work out 100% according to plan, and that making adjustments on the fly is such a big part of what we do. I love the way the documentary came out.”

The five man band most notably linked with Ran at a show-stealing performance in Seattle, WA in 2013 at PAX (Penny Arcade Expo), playing for over 2500 people in a packed room at The Paramount Theater. Since then, they’ve played shows with acts like Talib Kweli, Ryan Leslie, Pusha T, Phife Dawg (of A Tribe Called Quest), The Protomen and many more.

The documentary touches base on many questions regarding his rise to popularity in the underground Nerdcore movement with interviews by MC Frontalot, Murs of MursDay and Danimal Cannon. Mega Ran also talk about becoming the first rapper to ever be licensed by the popular video game company, Capcom, Inc. A company that contributed to his success that has now spanned over the last decade.

According to LA Weekly, Mega Ran continues to rise to becoming the next rapper to blow-up in 2014. He has also received awards for his live performances and has been recognized with album sales on both the CMJ and Billboard charts. Mega Ran has reached the Top 100 on both iTunes and Amazon and continues to push for the number one spot. This documentary expresses the personal struggle and humble beginnings of what it took for Mega Ran to persevere and become one of the largest names in independent hip-hop.