Nerd Alert

Eugene Ahn, a.k.a Adam WarRock, is used to being an outsider. Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, he was a “loner” caught between black and white in a region where racial tension is not uncommon. As a litigation lawyer with an Emory University degree, he was itching to get back to the music that inspired him.

It’s what one does with that angst that matters, believes Ahn. “I grew up pissed at the world,” he sings on his new album, “The Middle of Nowhere,” available Tuesday. “Now I put that (expletive) inside every MP3.”

These days, Ahn is fitting right in.

Not only is the Korean-American pursuing his indie music aspirations, he’s unabashedly rapping about the things he loves comic books, video games and science fiction even though they fall outside typical rap culture. By doing so, he’s carving out a unique niche in hip hop.

Ahn, along with artists such as MC Lars and MC Frontalot, is part of a movement known as “Nerdcore,” a loosely defined sub-genre that touches on the geekier aspects of pop culture. For him, this means rhyming about topics from Marvel superheroes and space aliens to the loveable NBC comedy “Parks and Recreation.”

He releases songs online for free and builds his fan base by touring venues such as comic bookstores, comedy clubs and recently, a concert in Florida called Nerdapalooza.

But Ahn says the outlook wasn’t always so bright, especially before he quit his job at a law firm.

“It was a huge risk,” said Ahn, 33, in an email, “one that I'm still hoping pans out even today, almost four years later.

“It just came down to the feeling that I could be a better (and more successful) musician, than a lawyer if you take out the bottom line salary I'd be making.

“You make it work, and it's always more rewarding to do something you're really good at, than something you just make more money at.”

Middle of Nowhere, like previous efforts, features catchy beats and Ahn’s clever, staccato rhymes. He’s also more reflective than ever, delving into his journey from being ostracized at school to finding personal success.

We spoke to Ahn about Nerdcore, the new album and his love for Parks and Recreation.

Q: Talk about Nerdcore. Do you find the label to be confining or empowering?

A: I think genres or labels like that are useful to critics and some consumers; but to a lot of the people who are Nerdcore, we kind of got called that after we had already started making the music we were doing anyway. So I don't know if it's empowering, but we've kind of taken the label and...