In a new interview with Metal Hammer, Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda revealed that he felt rock used to be “too white.” That is until the Nu-Metal scene came along.
Talking of his influence in the rock world, Shinoda said that he mostly listened to rap and felt a little off about metal. “I’d be like, ‘There’s something too white’. That was one of the things that turned me off, especially hair metal,” said Shinoda. Citing that it wasn’t about skin color, but about culture, he continued, “Hair metal felt like very white music and I was growing up in a very diverse city so I didn’t gravitate to it.”
Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda: ‘Hair metal felt like very white music’: https://t.co/mdQ6oMAs04
— Loudwire (@Loudwire) October 20, 2020
As far as Nu Metal, Shinoda believes that there was more diversity available when the genre took off. “…there was something really visceral and culture blending that was important,” he said.
Shinoda and Linkin Park recently released a 20th Anniversary edition of the band’s album, Hybrid Theory.
Do you agree with Shinoda that there was a cultural divide in metal/rock back in the day? What Linkin Park song is your favorite?
