Fort Minor Review
Fort Minor
House Of Blues, Chicago
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Mike Shinoda has something to prove with his hip-hop side project Fort Minor. True, his regular role in Linkin Park has roots in hip-hop, but when coupled with the screaming chops of Chester Bennington, the band comes off as more rock-based. It’s no secret Shinoda has a love for hip-hop; he garnered a Linkin Park collaboration with Jay-Z for the mash-up album Collision Course. So, Shinoda has us wondering if he is capable of leading a hip-hop group or better off as one part of a rock hybrid band. Based on Sunday’s gig, Shinoda deserves respect as a head MC.
This respect is in part due to the people Shinoda surrounds himself with; accompanying him onstage, were Tak, Ryu, and DJ Cheapshot of Styles Of Beyond. The hip-hop group has a fairly good sized following that started in Los Angeles in the mid-’90s. Their first single “Killer Instinct” started a buzz in the underground hip-hop scene, eventually leading to a deal with Linkin Park’s label Machine Shop. The delivery of MCs Tak and Ryu couple well with Shinoda’s forceful flows for grooving back and forth rhymes, especially when they performed “Mr. Brown,” a track from SOB’s album Megadef.
Rather than just spitting these rhymes on top of a recorded track, the accompaniment was provided by a drummer, three string players, and a trio of backup vocalists. The string arrangements were incorporated into almost every song, excluding a duet with labelmate Holly Brook on “Where’d You Go.” Brook was a bit detached from the song, blankly standing there while she sang the mellow chorus.
Shinoda, on the other hand, projected an incredibly energetic performance. Maybe this was in part due to his displayed beer drinking, but it seemed he was just having a good time. And the audience was eating it up. The crowd supplied Bennington’s part when Shinoda paid homage to his day job by incorporating the Linkin Park songs, “In The End,” “It’s Going Down, and fittingly the first song of the encore, “Encore,” followed by Fort Minor tracks, “High Road,” “There They Go”, and “Petrified.”
Overall Shinoda’s performance conjures thoughts that this guy is capable of heading a hip-hop group and rock band. Move over Chester, Shinoda may be the new powerhouse frontman.
– Jill Haverkamp
Tags:Live Reviews Weekly
on February 3rd, 2006 at 12:06 pm
Chester will always be number #1
on February 3rd, 2006 at 3:15 pm
He can’t replace chester,he’s unique.they both are.love fort minor
on February 3rd, 2006 at 3:20 pm
MIKE OWNS!! i dont think chazzy is any better than him they are both different
on February 3rd, 2006 at 7:20 pm
He is very inteligent and original!
I Love Mike Shinoda !
I Love Fort Minor !
on February 4th, 2006 at 4:06 am
Maybe someone have photos from concert?
on February 4th, 2006 at 8:04 am
When Fort Minor will come to Brazil????
???????????????????????????????????????
I hope soon…
on February 4th, 2006 at 5:29 pm
Mike Rock!!!!!!!
on February 6th, 2006 at 2:19 pm
Mike is an amazing artisit/songwriter/mc etc… Mike and Chester are on different playing fields, and I dont know why people compare or try to think they are one uping eachother. They are unique individuals skilled in different areas, and they are both number one.. Fort Minor ROCKS hip hop and it was about time for a GReat Hip Hop album to surface.
on February 8th, 2006 at 6:30 am
I love this man
on February 8th, 2006 at 3:19 pm
if fort minor teamed up with Linkin Park for a US tour…i would sh** myself!!!…that would be the tour of all tours!!!
LP/FM 4 LIFE!!!!
on February 12th, 2006 at 12:13 pm
love fort minor nobody can beat the original linken park!cos they rocked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
on February 21st, 2006 at 10:55 pm
nooooooooooooooo. i lov u all so much!!!!
on February 23rd, 2006 at 12:05 am
Ft.Minor is different, it’s got some groove. i like the fact that they actually had string instruments in studio and not pro-tools for the whole thing. Shinoda is good at what he does and you gotta respect the fact that he’s bring people up with him. Overall it’s pretty good stuff.
on March 21st, 2006 at 10:09 pm
YEA MIKE OWNS….END OF STORY,
on March 22nd, 2006 at 1:22 am
Regarding comment 13 by “Mike”: To be clear, using ProTools has little to nothing to do with the choice of live versus pre-recorded instrumentation. ProTools is a recording and editing device, i.e. for tracking, mixing, fixing timing, pitch, managing “mistakes.” Most modernized recording studios use the program. “Mike” probably is referring to using musicians instead of previously recorded backing tracks.
on May 9th, 2006 at 9:26 pm
dude it would be awsome if u didnt leve LP and still be in Fort Minor cuz they both rule!! And damn MIKE U RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!
on July 29th, 2006 at 7:29 pm
I
on July 29th, 2006 at 7:30 pm
i love him i heart fort minor
on August 2nd, 2006 at 8:11 am
FortMinor/Linkin Park at South Africa, Durban? They rock the other celebs off the charts!
on August 5th, 2006 at 7:03 pm
Oi vc é tudo de bom!!!! eu amo linkin park!!!!! meu sonho é conhecer vcs!!!! bjos Dandara….
on August 5th, 2006 at 7:06 pm
Mike manda resposta pelo meu email!!!! ja q não posso conhecer vc ja ia realizar meu sonho!!!!!
on August 7th, 2006 at 6:34 am
I love Mike Shinoda.
on August 10th, 2006 at 12:36 am
chaz and mike have different backgrounds but they are special in their own way and to me they are the most important dudes ever!!linkin park &fort minor rock I donn’t care what yal say cuz they rox!!
on August 31st, 2006 at 11:53 am
jeah,Chazy Chaz & The Glue RULE!!!! BOTH RULE!!!
on September 8th, 2006 at 9:02 am
FM rules. Especially High Road and Believe me are really great songs. The beat just stays in your head, and for one time, I like it!
on November 18th, 2006 at 3:18 am
mike is very amazing emcee he is a huge star!!!! i like it your song and i am your big fanatic
on November 19th, 2006 at 5:51 am
hey
wot u all r sayin??hun!!
mike and chaz are good and they need to stick with each other for linkin park fu**** FM.
FM has got only 2 songs good but linkin park’s all songs are rockin and hit
Fm should go home and stop the activities
on May 15th, 2007 at 12:06 am
mike is so cool!!!!!!!!!! and his sooo smart,and so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
on June 3rd, 2007 at 3:14 pm
chester is the best singer chazy is number one and than is mike
on June 21st, 2007 at 11:08 am
I like Mike Kenji Shinoda.
Es la ostia mola mucho, canta bien y encima es guapo!!!
on June 21st, 2007 at 9:38 pm
i LuV You So MuCh mikE ShiNodA..
yOUr tHe gReAtEsT..
iF u HaD SomE PrOBLeMs PLs.aDd mE In UR aCcOUNt
i WiSh tHaT YoUr sUcCEsS WilL NeVeR FaDE
nO CaN BeAT yoU…
on July 2nd, 2007 at 11:40 am
I love you mike!!!!
You are beautiful and so sweetheart!!!!
I love the band LINKIN PARK, but i love especially mike shinoda!!!!
on July 9th, 2007 at 6:47 am
Mike will always be no.1!
HE IS SOOOOOOOO CUTE ! =] :]
on July 10th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Mike and Chez are the Cute one’s I love them theire so sweet.
and they are sooo talented ^^
keep going you guys
on July 13th, 2007 at 11:19 am
Mike and Chester and Joe are the cutest guys on this planet and i love they and i wanna talk with they and if someone has their id please tell me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you can find me on cho_alexu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lp rulz
on July 15th, 2007 at 6:53 am
Mike is the best..and my little sweetheart.
on July 19th, 2007 at 1:03 am
mmmmmmmmmmmmmiiiiiiiikkkkkkeeeeee
eu te aaamooooo(I love you)
eu so do brazil
eu gosto de vc ja faz
cinco anos
eu te amo (i love you)
on July 27th, 2007 at 6:40 am
Mikeeeeeeeeee
eu te amo muitooo (i love you)
e amo todos do Linkin Park.
eu sou do Brasil
eu gosto do linkin park e d vc faz 4 anos e eu tenho 11 anos!!!!
i love you, i love you, i love you.
beijooooooooos.
on August 4th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Mike Shinoda is a perfect person.Perfect.
on August 6th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
I love mike shinoda,he is the best person in the world, i’m so like him - i paint, write, sing hip-hop songs from his album and linkin park’s album, oh and did any of u guys know that mike’s half japanese like me, yeah my dad’s half japanese. i totally love his middle name (KENJI), i’m going to see them in concert later this month,
on August 16th, 2007 at 5:16 am
Mike is soooo good at singing, and I love when he and Chester play together because it gets sooo freaking cool!
on August 27th, 2007 at 2:31 am
I like Mike Shinoda!!!
He is perfect!!
And I like Linkin Park too, they are the best!!!
on September 7th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
mike shinoda is the perfect person ive ever seen..
he is so handsome,talented,and intelligent…
nothing in this world can pull him down..
i love you so much……
on October 5th, 2007 at 12:34 am
hey…i love chester charles bennington sooo much cause he’s so cute and no one can deny that. mike is awesome he’s like so talented. he can succeed in almost everything he tries to do!!! They ROCK so hard..
on October 20th, 2007 at 9:15 am
I love you Linkin Park!
You are the best ever!!!!
on October 22nd, 2007 at 2:37 am
i love mike with his hair, play guitar, piano, and if he play with his reaper.. waaaaaw thats verry coool,
i love chester bennington coz. he verry rock with he voice, like he song from the inside, bleed it out, and the other song.. ones song of minutes to midnight, shadow of the day, i love he walk in between people on the street
i verry verry love rob bourdon, first he handsome, play drums..
he sing in between, hands held high featuring mike shinoda..
oh my good,, i can’ believe that,,
rock for linkin park for ever..
on the day, week, month, year..
on October 22nd, 2007 at 6:04 am
Mike, i love u so much…………………
on October 23rd, 2007 at 5:14 am
mike …. !!!!
laff you too much !!!
>o
on December 10th, 2007 at 10:01 am
i love u mike!!!!!!!!!!!!!
on December 10th, 2007 at 7:54 pm
Mike Shinoda Rulez No one can stop him
Music+Art+Smart+Azn(i just like to add that but it wouldnt matter if he was Azn or not) EQUALS MIKE SHINODA
(is he doing a rubik’s cube? omg i can too woo hoo more of his talent)
on December 13th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
yalls can gone sum where they both rox, theyre both hot(mike),n they both different.so what.BEER ist not gonna kill em.luv mikey n chester
4 evr.linkink park alwyz
on December 13th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
hes japanese american bi tha way. hot+creative+cool+smart+talented+hot=mike shinoda
on December 17th, 2007 at 6:55 am
JUST PERFECT!!!!!
on January 10th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
veio o mike é o melhor vocalista
q eu ja ouvi em tada minha vida
ele é alot lokoOoo
abraços pro mike d seu fã marcos de avaré
on January 30th, 2008 at 5:29 am
..LiNkin PaRk wAs sO aMaZiNg..
i LoVe tHeiR SoNgS VeRy mUcH..
i LoVe tHeM wHeN ThEy rOcK ThE WoRLd..
miKe sHiNoDa iS OnE Of a KiNd WhO DeSerVe a vErY MuCh rEsPeCt..
i LoVe yOu sO MuCh miKe!!!!
mUuUaAAwWwhhHh . .. . . . .!!
on March 10th, 2008 at 6:52 am
Lindooooooo!
on March 22nd, 2008 at 12:28 pm
mike çok tatl? çok ba?ar?l? ?ark?lar?na bay?l?yorum umar?m böyle devam ederr ve çokk yak???kl?? seni seviyorummm mikeeee