Skip to main content
When most rappers drop science, it's usually just a wild rhyme. Michael Wilson, aka Coma Niddy, drops actual science: black holes, water bears, rogue planets and proper flossing technique.
While working in the digital media department at the New York Hall of Science in 2011, Wilson, on a whim, suggested making a music video about nanotechnology. It went mildly viral, and got written up in Wired. Since then, Wilson has filled his YouTube channel with educational bangers, covering everything from the Big Bang to face mites. He currently has more than 14,000 subscribers. But Wilson—now the assistant manager of OMSI's Teen Science Alliance program—didn't set out to become the rap game's Bill Nye.
"When I first started, I was aiming for adult nerds and geeks," he says. "I guess the visual style I had, which was also due to the limitation of my video production skills when it came to animation and stuff, began to resonate with younger audiences." Make no mistake, though—he's kept it pretty nerdy. What else do you call a parody of "Look at My Dab" reworked to shout out Dobsonian telescopes?
In terms of mic skills, no one's going to confuse Wilson with Kendrick Lamar. But that hasn't stopped him from becoming a celebrity, at least at his place of employment. "I've run into people at OMSI who go, 'Hey, you're that guy,'" he says. "And I go, 'Oh yeah, I am that guy.'"
Here are the Winners of the Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2017
Here are the Things WW Declared "The Best" in the Last 12 Months
Inside Mall 205, You'll Find Oregon's Last Remaining Magic Shop
A Vancouver Man Bought Naked Falls Swimming Hole, So He Could Re-Open It to the Public
Rodney Scott Puts On Portland's Greatest Indie Firework Show
Cabel Sasser Found a McDonalds Mural That Led Him to Uncover a Secret Collection of Art
Two College Students Started An Organization to Provide Bras and Underwear to Homeless Women
Jim Hipsher Is Portland's Greatest Live Book of Poetry
These Two Women Make Showing Up for Jury Duty A Lot Less Terrible
On Northeast Broadway, You Can Learn Boxing From Two-Time World Champ Molly "Fearless" McConnell
Portland Urban Golf Makes the Entire Changing City Its Ever-Evolving Personal Golf Course
Did You Know You Can Play a 9-Hole Portland-Themed Mini-Golf Course?
Seven Years Ago, New Trail Blazer Caleb Swanigan Was 360 Pounds and Living in Homeless Shelters
Each Week, a Group Goes to Laurelhurst Park to Throw Axes Through the Air—And They're Really Good
Portland Now Has a Nonprofit That Gives Kids Access to Free Pinball
The City of Portland Made a Sign Reading "Heartbreak Dead Ahead"
There's a Secret, Profit-Free Bookstore "Forest" on Division Street
You Can Get a Pre-Addressed Letter to Trump from Paymaster Lounge's Vending Machine
A Local Business Totally Trolled Willamette Week—And It Was Awesome
The ACLU of Oregon Has Emerged as Portland's Most Consistent Free-Speech Fundamentalists
Division Street's Oregon Theater Is Portland's Greatest NSFW Twitter Account
Alberta Street's American Legion Post 134 Went Rogue—Inviting Homeless In and Hosting LGBTQ Nights
Beaverton's Spectra Gymnastics Provides Play Spaces for Kids on the Autism Spectrum
There's a Hidden, Underground Sculpture Inside the Standard Insurance Center in Downtown Portland
The Zymoglyphic Museum is a Self-Contained World of Rogue Taxidermy and Steampunk
Every Sunday, Portland Hosts a Real-Life "Fast and the Furious"
Portland's Best Daycaction is a Cheap Flight to Pendleton, Where the Cowboys Still Walk The Streets
Oregon City's Tim Kovar Is one of the Nation's Foremost Tree-Climbing Experts
Who Do You Call When Your Goat Is Throwing Up? Portland's Go-To Goat Doctor, Of Course
Meet the Portland Poodle Who Dresses Better Than You
Every Saturday, A Train Runs Through Oaks Bottom, Making Birdwatching Actually Fun
Right Now, Three Dogs Living at a Southeast Portland Dispensary Are High on CBD Dog Treats
Feeling Sad Lately? Snuggle Up to One of Portland's Therapy Bunnies
Pet Barn Will Watch Your Boa Constrictor While You're Out of Town, But Not Your Dog
Portland Science Rapper Coma Niddy Has the Best Rhymes About Black Holes You've Ever Heard
There is a Secret Willamette River Bridge Most Portlanders Have Forgotten Exists
Hero Portland Man Built an 8-Foot Tall Multnomah Falls Out of LEGOs
There's An Alley in North Portland Where Robots Will Call Out To You
Daddy Mojo's Has the Finest Gallery of Signed Celebrity Memorabilia of Any Bar in Portland
Portland's Black Book Guitars Owner Has Tracked Down Guitars from Elliot Smith and Kurt Cobain
Thank God for the Los Cactus Food Cart, Which, For 14 Years Has Fed Junkyard Customers for Cheap
Two Portlanders Created a Willy Wonka-Style Edible Forest Near Milwaukie
You and Your Friends Can Drink for Free for an Hour on Your Birthday at This Portland Bar
The Portland-Area Finally Has Hong Kong-Style Ice Cream Bubble Waffles
Yes, There Is a Place in Portland Where You Can Try Witches' Brews and Heal Yourself with a Fire Pit
Portland's Best Fritters Come From Donut Queen on 58th and East Burnside
If You Haven't Noticed Yet, the Trail Blazers Twitter Account is on Fire
The New Market of Choice On Belmont Has The Very Best Grocery Store Beer Selections We've Ever Seen
Yes, There a Secret Underground Bowling Alley in the Center of Portland
When Portland Saw Snowstorms, the National Weather Service Twitter Became Our 24/7 Therapist