Mike Shinoda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Shinoda
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Shinoda in 2024
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| Born |
Michael Kenji Shinoda
February 11, 1977 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | ArtCenter College of Design (B.A.) |
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| Years active | 1994–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Anna Hillinger
(m. 2003) |
| Children | 3 |
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| Origin | Agoura Hills, California, U.S. |
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Michael Kenji Shinoda (born February 11, 1977) is an American musician and artist. He is a rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Mike Shinoda is best known as a co-founder of the rock band Linkin Park. He is the band's co-lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and keyboard player. He also writes many of their songs and helps produce their music.
In 2004, Shinoda started a hip-hop project called Fort Minor. He has also produced songs and albums for other artists. Outside of music, Mike Shinoda is a talented artist and graphic designer. Some of his artwork has been shown in the Japanese American National Museum. In 2018, he released his first solo album, Post Traumatic. This album shared his feelings after the death of his Linkin Park bandmate, Chester Bennington.
Contents
Early life and Education
Michael Kenji Shinoda was born on February 11, 1977. He grew up in Agoura Hills, California. His father is Japanese-American. Mike started classical piano lessons when he was six years old. By age 13, he wanted to play jazz, blues, and hip hop. In middle school and high school, he also learned guitar and rap vocals.
Shinoda went to Agoura High School with future Linkin Park members Brad Delson and Rob Bourdon. They formed a band called Xero. After high school, Shinoda studied graphic design and illustration at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He met DJ Joe Hahn there. Mike graduated in 1998 and started working as a graphic designer.
Music Career
Linkin Park: The Early Years
Shinoda started Linkin Park with Rob Bourdon and Brad Delson in 1996. Later, Joe Hahn, bassist Dave Farrell, and singer Mark Wakefield joined. Their first band name was Xero. They recorded music in Shinoda's bedroom and released a four-song demo tape in 1997. When they couldn't find a record deal, Wakefield and Farrell left. Dave Farrell later returned. The band then found Chester Bennington and signed with Warner Bros Records. Linkin Park's first album, Hybrid Theory, became a huge success worldwide.
Shinoda was very involved in making Linkin Park's music. He helped produce their early recordings, including the Hybrid Theory EP and the full Hybrid Theory album. He wrote many of the band's songs and played instruments. While Chester Bennington was the main singer, Shinoda often sang too. Chester had a high, emotional singing style, while Mike had a lower, hip-hop rap style.
Shinoda also led the creation of the band's first remix album, Reanimation, in 2002. He made his own remixes for songs like "Crawling". He also worked with artists and designers on the album's artwork. For their second album, Meteora, Shinoda helped produce it. In 2004, he produced and mixed Collision Course, a mashup album with Jay-Z. This album won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2006.
Linkin Park: Evolving Sound
Linkin Park released Minutes to Midnight in 2007. Shinoda shared production credit with Rick Rubin. On this album, Shinoda sang lead vocals on some songs for the first time, like "In Between". He also rapped and sang on "Bleed It Out".
Shinoda and Rubin worked together again for Linkin Park's fourth album, A Thousand Suns, released in 2010. This album featured more of Shinoda's singing than rapping. He rapped on three songs and sang on many others. Chester and Mike often sang together on this album.
Their fifth album, Living Things, came out in 2012. Shinoda said this album had more rap than the previous two. He also sang on songs like "Castle of Glass". In 2013, they released Recharged, a remix album of Living Things songs. Shinoda used his experience with electronic music to remix some tracks.
In 2014, Shinoda and Delson produced the band's sixth album, The Hunting Party. This album featured other artists like Rakim and Tom Morello. The first song, "Guilty All the Same", had a guest rapper instead of Shinoda.
In 2017, Shinoda and Delson produced One More Light. This album had more singing from Shinoda. After Chester Bennington's death, the band stopped touring and took a break. In September 2024, Linkin Park announced they would return with a new singer, Emily Armstrong, and drummer Colin Brittain. Their new album is called From Zero.
Fort Minor: Mike's Hip-Hop Project
In 2004, Shinoda started a side project called Fort Minor. This allowed him to explore his hip-hop style even more. He began recording songs for Fort Minor after the Collision Course album.
Fort Minor's first album, The Rising Tied, was released in November 2005. It featured collaborations with many artists like Lupe Fiasco and John Legend. Jay-Z was also an executive producer for the album. Shinoda played most of the instruments and wrote all the lyrics himself. The Rising Tied was well-received by critics. Its most popular song, "Where'd You Go", reached number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Other songs like "Petrified" and "Remember the Name" became popular in sports broadcasts. The song "Kenji" tells the story of a Japanese-American family during Japanese American internment in World War II.
"Where'd You Go" was even named Ringtone of the Year at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. In November 2006, Shinoda said Fort Minor would take a break so he could focus on Linkin Park. In 2015, Shinoda announced Fort Minor's return with a new song called "Welcome".
Solo Work
On January 25, 2018, Shinoda released the Post Traumatic EP. This EP had three songs about his feelings after Chester Bennington's death. He released it under his own name.
On March 8, 2018, Shinoda announced he was working on a new solo album. He released two new songs, "Crossing a Line" and "Nothing Makes Sense Anymore," from his album Post Traumatic, which came out on June 15. He also released songs like "About You" and "Running From My Shadow".
In March 2020, Shinoda started sharing new music by live streaming from his home studio. He called these songs CoronaJams. He later released these tracks as three albums called Dropped Frames, Vol. 1, Dropped Frames, Vol. 2, and Dropped Frames, Vol. 3. In 2021, he released the single "Happy Endings". He also won a Grammy Award in 2022 for remixing the Deftones song "Passenger". In 2023, he released "In My Head" for the film Scream VI and "Already Over".
Art and Painting
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Shinoda has been involved in much of Linkin Park's visual art. This includes album covers, band merchandise, and web design. He also designed covers for other artists' albums.
In 2003, he designed a special "remix" shoe for DC Shoes. He chose the colors and materials and designed the packaging. In 2004, he designed a unique doll for a charity auction. In 2008, he worked with DC Shoes again on another shoe design.
In 2004, Shinoda created ten paintings that became the basis for the Fort Minor album, The Rising Tied. These paintings were used for the album's packaging. They were also part of his first public art show, "Diamonds Spades Hearts & Clubs," in 2006. That same year, Shinoda started a scholarship at the Art Center College of Design. It helps students studying illustration and graphic design. The scholarship money comes from sales of his artwork and his DC Shoes projects.
On July 11, 2008, Shinoda's second art show, "Glorious Excess (BORN)," opened at the Japanese American National Museum. This show explored how much "celebrity news" was everywhere. Shinoda felt that fame was sometimes given without real talent. He wanted to explore these ideas through his art. In 2014, Shinoda and Joe Hahn painted artwork on the Berlin Wall.
Other Musical Activities
Shinoda has also produced music for other artists. In 2002, he worked with the X-Ecutioners on their song "It's Goin' Down". Later in 2002, Shinoda and Brad Delson started their own record label, Machine Shop Recordings. He helped produce Lupe Fiasco's album Food & Liquor in 2006. He also worked with Styles of Beyond on their album Reseda Beach.
Shinoda also composed music for the video game Medal of Honor: Warfighter and the film The Raid: Redemption. For the 2006 Grammy awards, Shinoda helped create a special performance. It combined Linkin Park's "Numb/Encore" with the Beatles' "Yesterday", performed by Jay-Z, Linkin Park, and Paul McCartney. Shinoda also wrote music for TV shows like This Is Life with Lisa Ling and Into the Badlands.
Other Ventures
Machine Shop Records
As Linkin Park became very successful, Warner Music Group gave Shinoda his own record label in 1999. It was first called The Shinoda Imprint. In 2004, he and bandmate Brad Delson worked on the label together and renamed it Machine Shop Records. They signed several artists to the label.
Philanthropy: Music for Relief
Music for Relief is a charity organization started by Linkin Park. It helps people affected by natural disasters and works to prevent such disasters through environmental programs. Linkin Park founded Music for Relief after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Since 2005, Music for Relief has raised over $8 million to help victims of many disasters. These include hurricanes, earthquakes, and typhoons around the world.
Musical Style and Influences
Shinoda was inspired by both rock and hip-hop music when he was young. He listened to groups like Public Enemy and N.W.A. He also liked bands such as Nine Inch Nails, Deftones, and the Roots. Other artists he enjoys include Led Zeppelin, Run-DMC, and the Beatles.
Shinoda has said that Linkin Park wants to make music that is "cutting edge and really different." Some critics have compared Shinoda's rapping style to that of Eminem. Reviewers have noted that his vocals are similar to Eminem's style.
Personal Life
Shinoda is a third-generation Japanese American. His family experienced the Japanese-American internment camps during World War II.
Shinoda married author Anna Hillinger in 2003. They have three children together.
In 2006, Shinoda received an Award of Excellence from the Japanese American National Museum. In 2009, he received an honorary doctorate degree from the Art Center College of Design. He also started writing articles for The Big Issue in the UK in 2012.
Discography
As Mike Shinoda
- Post Traumatic (2018)
- Dropped Frames (2020)
As Fort Minor
- The Rising Tied (2005)
With Linkin Park
- Hybrid Theory (2000)
- Meteora (2003)
- Minutes to Midnight (2007)
- A Thousand Suns (2010)
- Living Things (2012)
- The Hunting Party (2014)
- One More Light (2017)
- From Zero (2024)
Awards and Nominations
As Mike Shinoda
| Year | Award | Nomination | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Best Remixed Recording | "Passenger" (Mike Shinoda remix) | Won |
As Fort Minor
| Year | Award | Nomination | Result |
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| 2006 | Ringtone of the Year | "Where'd You Go" (featuring Holly Brook) | Won |
With Linkin Park
Images for kids
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Mike Shinoda's signature
See also
In Spanish: Mike Shinoda para niños
