Erk tha Jerk’s self-identification as a “nerd” isn’t a reflection of his fashion sense or scholastic ability, but rather a reaction to rap’s status quo. “(HoodNerd) is more like a state of a mind,” Erk recently told an interviewer. “It’s something that I am. A ni**a from the hood that acts and feels like an average Joe, somewhat of a ‘nerd’ for lack of a better word.” Rather than use the bouncing, bombastic beats of hyphy, the fantastical gangsta lexicon of E-40, or the lascivious sex raps of Too $hort, Nerd’s Eye View succeeds on its sincerity. The Bay Area has long been known for its individualism, but at a time when that has come to mean being meaner and crazier than the next guy, Erk’s everyday realism is what makes him different. “Can’t Let You Go,” “Addiction” and “Nobody’s Promised Tomorrow” address fatherhood, addiction and creative frustration — not likely topics for a rapper in 2010, but that’s what makes Nerd’s Eye View interesting. At a time when rappers are trying to project the most sensational aspect of their persona, Erk shows that it’s just as compelling to be a flawed human being.