Fort Minor

“He doesn't need his name up in lights. He just wants to be heard whether it's the beat or the mic,” raps Mike Shinoda on Fort Minor’s heart-pumping 2005 hit “Remember the Name”. This humility has defined Shinoda (born in L.A. in 1977)—even when the rapper, multi-instrumentalist and producer topped the charts with his band LINKIN PARK. When the alt-rock heavyweights teamed up with rap juggernaut JAY-Z for 2004’s mash-up masterstroke Collision Course, Shinoda was inspired to lean more heavily into his hip-hop roots. With Fort Minor, he puts his vast talents on full blast, writing, rapping, producing and playing nearly every instrument on the project’s 2005 debut, The Rising Tied. While the album’s guest list includes Styles of Beyond, Common and JAY-Z (as executive producer)—Shinoda is the undeniable star, wrapping deeply personal reflections through strings, keys and bouncy boom-bap beats. Fort Minor wouldn’t return until 2015 for the one-off single “Welcome”, another confidence-boosting anthem for the underdog.