The Rising Tied

The Rising Tied
Studio album by Fort Minor
Released November 22, 2005
Recorded 2005 at The Stockroom and NRG Recording Studios
(North Hollywood, California)
Genre
Length 51:28
Label Machine Shop, Warner Bros.
Producer Mike Shinoda
Jay-Z (exec.)
Fort Minor chronology
We Major
(2005)We Major2005		 The Rising Tied
(2005)		 Sessions@AOL
(2006)Sessions@AOL2006
Alternative cover

Limited Edition cover
Singles from The Rising Tied
  1. "Petrified/Remember the Name"
    Released: October 4, 2005
  2. "Believe Me"
    Released: November 15, 2005
  3. "Where'd You Go"
    Released: April 10, 2006

The Rising Tied is the debut studio album of hip hop ensemble Fort Minor, the side project by Linkin Park rapper Mike Shinoda. The album was released on November 22, 2005 through Warner Bros. Records and Shinoda's label Machine Shop Recordings. Instrumental Album: The Rising Tied is the first and only instrumental studio debut album of Fort Minor, which contains no lyrics and guest appearances, with music written and composed by Shinoda.

Shinoda handled production for the album. Jay Z, who worked with Linkin Park on their collaborative EP Collision Course, served as an executive producer for the album. Shinoda collaborated with many longtime friends (such as hip hop group Styles of Beyond, Jonah Matranga, Holly Brook and Linkin Park turntablist Joe Hahn), as well as many notable and underground hip-hop and R&B artists (such as Common, John Legend, Black Thought, Lupe Fiasco, Kenna, Eric Bobo, Sixx John and Celph Titled) for the album.

It spawned four singles: "Petrified", "Remember the Name", "Believe Me" and "Where'd You Go", the latter of which was responsible for propelling Fort Minor to mainstream success.

The Rising Tied was met with positive reviews from music critics, who praised Shinoda for straying from mainstream hip hop stereotypes, as well as acclaim from internet and independent music publications. The Rising Tied was a moderate commercial success, peaking at number fifty-one on the Billboard 200.

Background

Shinoda consulted advice from rapper Jay-Z (left) and Linkin Park lead guitarist Brad Delson (right) about which songs would make the album's final cut.

On March 4, 2005, Shinoda announced in an interview with MTV that he was working on a solo hip hop album, serving as the album's producer.[1] He described the album in the interview, saying: "It's not straight hip-hop, but it's not rock at all. For our fans who only like the rock side of Linkin Park, I hope you enjoy it, but you never know."[1]

Shinoda also stated that he played every instrument on the album,[2] as well as confirming that Common and Black Thought of The Roots would be featured artists.[1] Common let Shinoda listen to some tracks from his then-unreleased album Be.[3] In another interview, Shinoda then confirmed that he had adopted the Fort Minor name for his hip hop project.[4]

Hip hop icon Jay-Z, who collaborated with Linkin Park in their remix EP Collision Course was also confirmed to be serving as the album's executive producer.[4] He also announced additional featured artists, including friends such as singers Kenna[4] and Jonah Matranga,[2] Linkin Park turntablist Joe Hahn and Eric Bobo of Cypress Hill;[2] Machine Shop recording artists, such as underground hip hop group and longtime friends Styles of Beyond[4] and Holly Brook;[2] and John Legend, the only artist who Shinoda did not personally know before the album's production.[2][4]

Shinoda consulted Jay-Z and Machine Shop Recordings A&R and Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson to decide which songs to make the final cut of the album.[3][5] Some parts of the conversation are included in the album. Shinoda felt comfortable working with Delson, saying that "since this record is coming out on Machine Shop, our label, I could pick anyone I wanted to work on it, so I chose Brad as our A&R guy, which is hilarious because ... Brad's not a label guy, he's my friend."[6]

Shinoda's motive for The Rising Tied was to express his hip hop background after his new experiences in the music industry.[2] He stated that he became "antsy...I wanted to make hip-hop again. You know, I always have to mix it with other things, and I didn't want to have to mix it. I just wanted it to be pure hip-hop."[6] He explained the name of his project and the album in an interview with Fixins Music:

Style and composition

The lyrical content contains many political elements and personal experiences by Shinoda.

"Get Me Gone" is about the skeptism and criticism about Shinoda during the early days of Linkin Park.

"Kenji" tells of a Japanese immigrant who, along with his family, is sent to an internment camp in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Shinoda stated in an interview that his father was born during the Second World War, and was interned alongside his family.[7] He interviewed his father and aunt (in which excerpts were included in the song). About his aunt, he said, "She was there when people were getting pulled out of their houses, and they had absolutely nothing to do with anything [involving the war]. It'd be your average neighbor — or you — getting pulled out of your house because you were racially profiled as somebody dangerous."[8]

The album uses numerous behind-the-scenes conversations. Jay-Z can be heard in the opening track "Introduction"; A conversation between Jay-Z, Shinoda and Brad Delson can be heard at the end of "Where'd You Go" and into "In Stereo"; Shinoda talking about their label's original skepticism about him rapping during the early Linkin Park days can be heard at the end of "Believe Me" and into "Get Me Gone". Some of these can even be heard on the Making of DVD.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[9]
AbsolutePunk(81%)[10]
Allmusic[11]
The Badger Herald(BC)[12]
Entertainment Weekly(B)[13]
The Guardian[14]
IGN(7.1/10)[15]
The New York Times(favourable)[16]
Spin(B)[13]
UGO.com(B)[17]
Rolling Stone[17]

The album received critical acclaim from various music critics. Henry Adaso from About.com praised Shinoda's efforts for straying from familiar themes of hip hop music, stating that he "manages to freeze the genre’s finest moment without yielding to rap album stereotypes."[9] Greg Dona of AbsolutePunk said that Shinoda proved himself as a rapper and as a producer "in convincing fashion" through The Rising Tied.[10] A reviewer of HipHopDX echoed similar sentiments, saying that Shinoda brought "a fresh hip hop sound to a wide audience of listeners, and he did it with an album that is not only better than most LP's from "real rappers" but with much more passion and dedication."[18] David Jeffries of Allmusic commented that the album was a "surprisingly personal project that sometimes puts the listeners right in Shinoda's shoes."[11] Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone noted that the album has "plenty of humanist appeal" that "translate Linkin Park's stylized angst into sleek boom-bap, complete with agitated pop choruses and deft instrumental ornamentation."[17] A music critic of the Montgomery Advertiser affirmed that The Rising Tied is "a ruminative, sonically fried record as dense and darkly emotional - without pretense - as anything nu metal has thrown up."[17] An editor for The Herald Sun hailed the record as "consistently gripping and surprisingly fun."[17]

Music critics compared Shinoda's musical style to rapper Eminem (pictured).

Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times felt that The Rising Tied was "a proper (though not very good) hip hop album", although he defined it as "a tacit reminder that hip-hop isn't merely a musical genre; it's also an identity."[16] IGN music reviewer Spence D. felt mixed with the album's production and arrangement, although he praised Shinoda's vocals and that there are "some genuine moments of surprise and swiftness proving that regardless of his ongoing rock affiliation, Shinoda is a true rap fan and not just some bandwagon buster."[15] The Badger Herald's Alec Luhn described The Rising Tied as "a unique but flawed attempt."[12] Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian felt that Shinoda's "earnest, methodical rapping may be effortlessly outclassed by guest stars...but he bolsters it with sulky, darkly metallic beats that sound like Dr. Dre crossed with Depeche Mode."[14] An editor for The Detroit News praised Shinoda's production and the album's featured artists, although he called Shinoda's vocals "lackluster," yet "slightly above K-Fed status."[17] A music critic for The Los Angeles Times said Shinoda "sounds like a suburban b-boy, amiable and sensitive but not charismatic or colorful."[17] A reviewer from Oracle Online thought the album was "important" despite the fact that it "won’t challenge hip-hop heavyweight records such as Kanye West’s Late Registration or 50 Cent’s The Massacre".[17] A music critic of UGO admired Shinoda's production and lyrics, although he thought Shinoda had "limited verbal skills" and is "lacking" compared to the album's featured artists.[17]

Some critics noted compared Shinoda's rapping style to that of fellow rapper Eminem. A reviewer for Entertainment Weekly noted that Shinoda's vocals were "flowing like Eminem on Ambien"[13] An editor for Uncut stated that The Rising Tied was "bound to please fans of Linkin Park and Eminem alike."[13] Jo Timbuong of The Star thought "Where'd You Go" is similar to Eminem's song "When I'm Gone", noting the former as "more melancholic."[19] A reviewer of the Scripps Howard News Service stated that Shinoda's rapping is "a smidge closer to Eminem than he is to Vanilla Ice."[17]

Numerous critics pointed to "Kenji" as a standout from The Rising Tied. A reviewer for The Argonaut felt that the inclusion of audio samples from his relatives "bring the track to life and make the listener truly envision the horrors of these camps."[17] Jo Timboung of The Star called "Kenji" "the most personalized track on the album."[19] The Badger Herald's Alec Luhn described the song's message as "haunting [and] powerful", saying that it sounds like "a poetry-slam verse set to music."[12] A reviewer for Mote stated that the song "blew [her] away," saying "It's the first hip-hop song in a long time that gave me shivers."[17] An editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer called "Kenji" "the album's most distinctive song."[17] A reviewer of the Orlando Sentinel called the song the "most impressive testament to Shinoda's scope."[17] Music critics of the San Jose Mercury News and Relish Now recommended readers to download "Kenji" from the album.[17]

The Rising Tied received widespread acclaim from independent and internet publications. A reviewer from IndieLondon complimented Shinoda's direction in the album, summarizing his review: "He could have charted an overly familiar course but has instead sought to stretch himself, and the results are highly impressive."[20] DJ Z of DJ Booth affirmed that Shinoda's musical style "makes his material attractive to consumers who enjoy material for both the attractive sound and absolute breadth."[21] A reviewer of Okayplayer, commending Shinoda's emotional lyrics and "excellent" production, called The Rising Tied "one of the best hip-hop releases of 2005."[22] Steve Juon of RapReviews wrote that for Linkin Park's fans, "the leap to Fort Minor and The Rising Tied won't be a hard one at all."[23] A reviewer for Urban Wire recommended the album to "people who've gone through all sorts of rejection, [condescension] and suffering; The Rising Tied would definitely be an aerial to their emotions."[17]

Not all music critics were satisfied with The Rising Tied. An editor for Stuff deemed Shinoda's rapping style as "rang[ing] from bad to, well, truly awful."[17] M. Taufiqurrahman of The Jakarta Post described the album as "boring."[17]

Release

The Rising Tied charted and peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart. Promotional music videos have been filmed for the singles "Remember the Name", "Petrified", "Believe Me", and "Where'd You Go." "Where'd You Go" was Fort Minor's most successful single, peaking at #4 at the Billboard Hot 100. Despite the low peak, the album has exhibited staying power, selling 300,000 copies in the USA and 400,000 copies worldwide. A small club World tour in USA, China, and Australia followed the release of the album.

In other media

Track listing

All tracks written by Mike Shinoda, with additional co-writers listed below.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Introduction" 0:43
2."Remember the Name" (featuring Styles of Beyond)Takbir Bashir, Ryan Maginn3:50
3."Right Now" (featuring Black Thought of The Roots and Styles of Beyond)Bashir, Maginn, Tariq Trotter4:14
4."Petrified" 3:40
5."Feel Like Home" (featuring Styles of Beyond)Bashir, Maginn3:53
6."Where'd You Go" (featuring Holly Brook and Jonah Matranga) 3:51
7."In Stereo" 3:29
8."Back Home" (featuring Common and Styles of Beyond)Bashir, Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Maginn3:44
9."Cigarettes" 3:39
10."Believe Me" (featuring Eric Bobo and Styles of Beyond)Bashir, Maginn3:42
11."Get Me Gone" 1:56
12."High Road" (featuring John Legend) 3:16
13."Kenji" 3:51
14."Red to Black" (featuring Kenna, Jonah Matranga and Styles of Beyond)Bashir, Maginn3:11
15."The Battle" (featuring Celph Titled) 0:32
16."Slip Out the Back" (featuring Mr. Hahn)Joe Hahn3:57
Total length:51:28
Enhanced CD content
  1. The Making of "Petrified" video
  2. "Petrified" video
  3. Extras - Wallpapers
  4. Weblink - bonus online material

The clean version of the album removes all profanities and other explicit content. Most profanities are altered in the edited (except when used by Ryu, Black Thought, and Common). In the song "Feel Like Home", the word "fuck" was left uncensored even on the clean version. Also, a different edit is used for "Where'd You Go" on the single version than on the album.

Personnel

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[24] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. 1 2 3 Montgomery, James & Scorca, Shari (4 March 2005). "Mike Shinoda's Solo Album May Divide Linkin Park Fans". MTV News. MTV Network. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "25Q with Fixins: The Fort Minor Interview with Mike Shinoda". Fixins Music. Fixins.com. Retrieved 2 April 2012., Retrieved on 06-04-07
  3. 1 2 "Making of The Rising Tied". YouTube. 4 September 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Crosley, Hillary (18 April 2005). "Linkin Park MC Builds A Fort With Jay-Z, Common, John Legend". MTV News. MTV Network. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  5. ↑ "Ballerstatus Mike Shinoda: We Major, Not Minor". Mike Shinoda Clan. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
  6. 1 2 Moss, Corey (2 September 2005). "Mike Shinoda Respects Jay-Z's Retirement, Says Linkin Park Not On Hiatus". MTV News. MTV Network. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  7. ↑ Lim, Cathy (28 April 2006). "Getting Back to His Roots". The Rafu Shimpo.
  8. ↑ Moss, Corey. "Mike Shinoda: Storyteller". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  9. 1 2 Adaso, Henry. "Fort Minor - The Rising Tied Review". About.com. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  10. 1 2 Dona, Greg (27 March 2006). "Fort Minor - The Rising Tied". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  11. 1 2 The Rising Tied at AllMusic
  12. 1 2 3 Luhn, Alec (28 November 2005). "Linkin Park vocalist delves into hip-hop". The Badger Herald. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "CD Reviews: The Rising Tied". Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  14. 1 2 Lynsky, Dorian (18 November 2005). "Fort Minor, The Rising Tied Review". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  15. 1 2 Spence. D (4 January 2006). "Fort Minor, The Rising Tied Review". IGN. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  16. 1 2 Sanneh, Kelefa (4 May 2006). "Fort Minor's 'Where'd You Go' Is a Rap Hit by a Rocker". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Fort Minor, The Rising Tied Reviews". The Linkin Park Times. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  18. ↑ J-23 (19 December 2005). "Fort Minor - The Rising Tied". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  19. 1 2 Timbuong, Jo. "Review: Fort Minor, "The Rising Tied"". The Star. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  20. ↑ Foley, Jack. "Fort Minor - The Rising Tied". IndieLondon. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  21. ↑ DJ Z. "Review: The Rising Tied by Fort Minor". DJ Booth. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  22. ↑ "Fort Minor, The Rising Tied Review". Okayplayer. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  23. ↑ Juon, Steve (2005-11-29). "Fort Minor :: The Rising Tied :: Warner Bros. Records". Rapreviews.com. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
  24. ↑ "American single certifications – FortMinor – Function". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
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