Kid Rock

Did You Know?

• Kid Rock was raised on his father's large property in Romeo, Michigan, which included an apple orchard and a barn for horses.
• He began an on-and-off relationship with classmate Kelley South Russell in eighth grade; she gave birth to their son in summer 1993, and he later raised the child as a single father.
• He dated actress Pamela Anderson, married her in July 2006, and she filed for divorce three months later after a miscarriage.

Career

Kid Rock began his professional music career in the late 1980s as a member of the hip-hop group Beast Crew. Through a relationship with D-Nice, he became the opening act for Boogie Down Productions. Producer Mike E. Clark, initially skeptical due to Kid Rock's race, was impressed by his energetic performance and use of his own turntables and equipment. In 1988, Clark produced a series of demos that led to offers from six major labels, including Atlantic and CBS Records.

By the following year, Kid Rock became a shareholder in Top Dog Records, an independent label formed by Alvin Williams and Earl Blunt, eventually holding a 25% ownership stake. With D-Nice's help, he signed with Jive Records at age 17 and released his debut album, Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast, in 1990. The album made him one of the two biggest rap stars in Detroit that year, alongside Esham. He toured nationally with Ice Cube, D-Nice, Yo-Yo, and Too Short, with James "Blackman" Harris as his DJ.

During in-store promotions, he met and befriended local rapper Eminem, who frequently challenged him to rap battles. These comparisons contributed to Jive dropping Kid Rock.

Artistry

Mickey Hess, in the book Is Hip Hop Dead?, identified Kid Rock as connecting hip-hop to rap rock, having started as a hip-hop artist before shifting from sample-based hip-hop to guitar-driven alternative rock that fused hip-hop beats, boasting, and fashion with hard rock guitar and Southern rock attitude, influenced by classic rock and country. A self-taught musician, Kid Rock has said he can play every instrument used in his band. The Village Voice noted that his incorporation of musical references is not rooted in nostalgia or tribute but in actively engaging elements into a new hodgepodge of his own invention, leading to his description as a postmodern artist.

American Songwriter describes his style as ranging from hard rap to hard rock, while CBS calls it a mix of urban rap, rock and roll, and country and western. Kid Rock jokingly described his own style as "creatively confused. A 2015 Detroit Free Press piece said he reinvented his persona from scrappy hip-hop street kid to swaggering rock-rap showman. MTV described his sound as having heavy-metal licks and rap riffs, and AllMusic called him a country rap-rocker.

Public image

Ritchie oversees The Kid Rock Foundation, which raises funds for multiple causes, including sending care packages to U.S. military personnel overseas. He advocates for affordable concert tickets, selling them at the lowest possible price to increase attendance among lower-income consumers and discourage scalping, taking a percentage of concession and ticket sales instead of a performance fee. In 1989, he became a shareholder of Top Dog Records, formed by Alvin Williams and Earl Blunt in 1988, with his investment giving him 25% ownership.

He filed a lawsuit in 2001 to gain full control of the label, receiving full ownership in 2003. He also founded Kid Rock's Made in Detroit restaurant and bar, specializing in Southern-style cuisine. In 2002, he performed with Chuck D and Grandmaster Flash in tribute to slain DJ Jam Master Jay. In September 2005, he filled in for Johnny Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd on "Sweet Home Alabama" at a Hurricane Katrina benefit concert.

He toured for the United Service Organizations in 2007 and 2008, and in 2008 recorded the song "Warrior" for a National Guard advertising campaign. In 2011, he was honored by the NAACP, sparking protests over his past display of the Confederate flag at concerts. He stated he never flew the flag with hate and said he loved America, Detroit, and black people. His publicist announced 2011 as the year he officially distanced himself from the flag, though he had stopped displaying it in 2007.

In 2012, he performed with Travie McCoy and the Roots in honor of the Beastie Boys at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. On April 6, 2018, he was inducted into the Celebrity Wing of the WWE Hall of Fame.

Politics and views

Ritchie is a supporter of the Republican Party but has described himself as a libertarian, stating he holds socially liberal views on abortion and gay marriage while having conservative views on economics. He has advocated legalizing and taxing marijuana, cocaine, and heroin, and has said, "I don't think crazy people should have guns." He was a vocal supporter of American military involvement in the Iraq War. He has met presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump while they were in office.

Regarding his political views, he said, "I have friends everywhere. Democrat, Republican, this that and the other. ... We're all human beings first, Americans second. Let's find some common ground and get along."

However, during his 2018 WWE Hall of Fame speech, he stated he wanted to "body slam some Democrats." He supported Bill Clinton and George W. Bush during their presidencies. In 2008, he supported newly elected President Barack Obama, calling his election "a great thing for black people." In 2012, he campaigned for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who used Ritchie's song "Born Free" as his campaign theme.

In 2015, he endorsed Ben Carson for the Republican nomination, and in February 2016 voiced approval for Donald Trump's campaign. In December 2016, he sparked controversy by selling T-shirts supporting Trump at concerts, including one labeling states that voted against Trump as "Dumbfuckistan." In 2013, he criticized Republican lawmakers in New York for passing laws that made it difficult to keep concert ticket prices low. In 2015, after the Charleston church shooting, activists urged him to renounce the Confederate flag, and he responded via email to Megyn Kelly saying, "Please tell the people who are protesting to kiss my ass." In September 2016, he was criticized for allegedly saying "man, fuck Colin Kaepernick" during a live performance.