Fort Minor's Debut, "The Rising Tied," Features Common, Black Thought, John Legend, and Other Special Guests.
Jay-Z Serves as the Album's Executive Producer
Multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist Mike Shinoda will be releasing his highly
anticipated side project Fort Minor later this summer. Shinoda, the producer
and beat-maker behind Jay-Z's and Linkin Park's "Collision Course,"
sees Fort Minor as an extension of who he is as a musician, producer and visual
artist: "I did nothing but hip-hop before Linkin Park started, and haven't
gotten a chance to get back to those roots until now. I started casually working
on this project a year ago, and it felt like a floodgate opened -- I couldn't
stop writing. Once I started playing the songs for people, everyone kept telling
me, 'You need to make an album out of this!'"
And so he did. Titled "The Rising Tied," the album is set for a late
summer 2005 release on Machine Shop Recordings/Warner Bros. Records. Although
produced entirely by Shinoda, Fort Minor's debut is the product of extensive
collaboration. For starters, the Linkin Park MC enlisted the guidance of hip-hop
giant Jay-Z. As the album's executive producer, Jay-Z is helping to oversee
the album's creation. "We have such a great working relationship, having
his opinion has been invaluable for me throughout the process," shares
Shinoda. "Jay's got a great way of making suggestions while letting the
artist keep their creative control and momentum."
Additional backing comes from a strong collective of vocal contributors. "In
developing this project, I've been fortunate to be able to work exclusively
with friends -- other artists whose talent I respect and who share [with me]
a creative vision," says Shinoda. One of the first MCs he spoke with was
Common: "I remember asking him about doing a song on the record -- I started
playing what I had done so far, and after every track, he said, 'I want to be
on that one!'" The excitement about the resulting collaborations ultimately
inspired the album's title. Shinoda adds, "From the well-known artists
on the album, like Black Thought and John Legend, to the up-and-comers, everyone
is performing at the very top level. They are all so hungry and excited for
what the future brings with this album. That's why I decided to name the record
'The Rising Tied.'"
The 14-track effort, currently being completed in Los Angeles, pairs this lyrical
diversity with innovative instrumentation. "I wanted to make sure this
album has a unique identity," explains Shinoda. "Part of that identity
is an organic sound -- less keyboard, more instruments." To that end, Shinoda
wrote and played virtually every note on the album, giving it a thick, rhythmic
sound that's been driving the music from day one.
Having worked on the album for almost a year, Shinoda is eager to unleash the
results. "My band-mates [in Linkin Park] have encouraged me to share this
music with the world," says Shinoda. "And now that the record is almost
finished, I can't wait."
www.fortminor.com
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