 Old-school hip-hop, traditional classic rock, and spooling electronic vibes
were the initial factors behind the building of the alternative metal quintet,
Linkin Park. The band's southern Californian musical roots were also an underlying basis, for
drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, and MC/vocalist
Mike Shinoda formed a tight friendship while still in high school. Shortly
after graduation, art student and DJ Joseph Hahn hooked up with bassist Dave
"Phoenix" Farrell and Shinoda for the band, Xero. Hybrid Theory came later, but
the band opted on the name
Linkin Park when singer Chester Bennington was the last piece added to the
band in 1999. Soon the band became a noticeable face at the Whisky as well as
favorites in and around Los Angeles. Zomba Music's Jeff Blue was one of the few
who didn't turn the band down for a contract at the turn of the millennium -
Linkin Park signed to Warner Bros. after being turned down three times in
late 1999 and got to work on their debut album. Taking a piece from their past,
they named the album Hybrid Theory. It was released in fall 2000 and it
showcased their likes for fellow alternative acts such as the
Deftones,
the Roots,
Aphex Twin, and
Nine Inch Nails.
The Dust Brothers also collaborated on the record, as well as producer Don
Gilmore (Pearl
Jam,
Eve 6,
Tracy Bonham). Singles such as "Crawling" and "One Step Closer" were massive
radio hits and video favorites among the TRL crowd on MTV. Joint tours with
Family Values and the Project: Revolution Tour with Cypress Hill led the band to
play 324 shows in 2001.
Linkin Park was in demand. Come January 2002, Hybrid Theory received three
Grammy nominations for "Best Rock Album" and "Best New Artist." A month later,
Linkin Park walked away with an award for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for
"Crawling." They spent the remainder of the year hold up in the studio, again
working with Gillmore, recording a follow-up to their eight times platinum debut
Hybrid Theory.
Linkin Park's sophomore effort Meteora was released in March 2003; the first
single "Somewhere I Belong" was an instant hit. The second annual Projekt
Revolution tour got underway in spring 2003 with
Linkin Park joining Mudvayne, Xzibit and Blindside; Summer Sanitarium dates
with Metallica, Limp Bizkit, Mudvayne and the Deftones followed in July and
August. Results of the latter appeared by the end of the year on Live in Texas.
In late 2004,
Linkin Park embarked on their most ambitious project yet: Collision Course,
a collaboration with king-of-the-mountain rapper Jay-Z which introduced the
commercial world to the concept of mash-ups (remixes that sample heavily from at
least two popular songs). ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
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