Fort Minor
Hip hop side project by Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda.
Fort Minor was a hip-hop side project created by Mike Shinoda, the musician best known as Linkin Park's rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, producer, and rapper. The project put out just one studio album, *The Rising Tied*, in 2005. Its fourth single, "Where'd You Go," climbed to number four on the Billboard Hot 100.
Shinoda started Fort Minor in 2004, using the name for collaborations with Ryu and Tak of the underground hip-hop group Styles of Beyond. He began recording after Linkin Park's *Collision Course* came out in November 2004. To promote his upcoming album, Shinoda and DJ Green Lantern released a mixtape called *Fort Minor: We Major*. *The Rising Tied* arrived in November 2005, with Jay-Z—who had worked with Linkin Park on *Collision Course*—serving as executive producer. Shinoda told MTV News he required himself to play every instrument and write every lyric on the album, except for strings, percussion, and choir parts. The first video, for "Petrified," was directed by Robert Hales and came out a month before the album. "Where'd You Go" became the project's biggest hit, while the second single, "Remember the Name," peaked at number 66. Another track, "Kenji," tells the story of a Japanese-American family during World War II internment.
After "Where'd You Go" took off in late April 2006, *The Rising Tied* saw a 45 percent sales jump and rose 89 spots to number 104 on the Billboard 200. The song won Ringtone of the Year at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. That August, Fort Minor performed at Summer Sonic 2006 alongside Linkin Park. "Right Now" appeared in a trailer for Tyler Perry's *The Family That Preys*. "Remember the Name" was used in trailers for *Gridiron Gang* and the *Karate Kid* remake, an episode of *Numb3rs*, and the film *The Smurfs 2*. It also got play on HBO's *Hard Knocks* when NFL star J. J. Watt rapped it during a workout.
In November 2006, Fort Minor released a video for "Where'd You Go." Shinoda called it a nice wrap-up for the project. That same month, he put Fort Minor on hiatus to focus on Linkin Park. Also in 2006, Skylar Grey made her own version of "Where'd You Go" for radio, without Shinoda. Billboard listed Fort Minor (along with Holly Brook and Jonah Matranga) at number 19 on its One-Hit Wonders of the 2000s list, since "Where'd You Go" was the project's only top-25 single.
- Field
- Hip hop
- Nationality
- American
- Known for
- Side project of Mike Shinoda; single 'Where'd You Go'
- Only album
- The Rising Tied (2005)
- Peak chart position
- No. 4 on Billboard Hot 100
Lore & Background
Mike Shinoda created Fort Minor in 2004, using the name for collaborations with Ryan Patrick Maginn (Ryu) and Takbir Bashir (Tak) of the underground hip hop group Styles of Beyond. Shinoda began recording songs for the project after the release of Collision Course in November 2004. The mixtape Fort Minor: We Major, by Shinoda and DJ Green Lantern, promoted the upcoming studio album. The Rising Tied was released in November 2005, with Jay-Z as executive producer. Shinoda told MTV News he imposed a requirement to play all instruments and write all lyrics except for strings, percussion, or choir parts. The album's fourth single 'Where'd You Go' peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, while second single 'Remember the Name' reached No. 66. The track 'Kenji' describes the experiences of a Japanese-American family during Japanese American internment of World War II.
Reader's Guide
Fort Minor's significance lies in its status as a successful side project from a member of Linkin Park, demonstrating Mike Shinoda's versatility as a hip hop artist. The project's only album, The Rising Tied, produced the hit single 'Where'd You Go', which became a top-five Billboard Hot 100 hit and won Ringtone of the Year at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. The song's success boosted album sales by 45 percent and moved the album up 89 positions on the Billboard 200. Fort Minor was listed at No. 19 on Billboard's One-hit Wonders of the 2000s due to 'Where'd You Go' being the project's only top-25 single. After an indefinite hiatus starting in 2006, Shinoda released a non-album single 'Welcome' in 2015. In 2020, Shinoda addressed the project's status, comparing himself to Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, stating that without him, Fort Minor is not a thing. The project's legacy includes the enduring use of 'Remember the Name' in sports and film promotions.
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