I’ve been a fan of both rap music and rock music for a really long time. Both genres bear many similarities and the fusion of the two just creates an energy that cannot be replicated in each genre individually. I was recently trying to find old music to listen to as a breather from the new school sound which is dominating the airwaves, and I came across some of my old rap/rock music. This got me thinking of some of my favorite bands and below is a list of some them in no particular order.
Twenty One Pilots
This is my favorite group in recent times. I came across their music when they performed at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards. Based off of that single performance I scoured the Internet to find out more about them and dove into their discography. I played their songs to anyone who would listen, that’s how much of an impression they made on me. Their best work to date is their 2013 album Vessel. Though a lot of their work isn’t rap/rock per se influences from both genres are very present in their music. No other group on this list fuses genres the way Twenty One Pilots does. I love this group because their songs make me think.
Run DMC
When you talk about pioneers of the entire genre Run DMC is at the top of that list. They had a lot of cross-over hits which officially brought rap music into the main stream. Songs like Walk This Way, and The King of Rock are amongst their work. Walk This Way in particular is normally on a lot of ‘top/most influential rap songs’ lists because of the impact it had on the genre as a whole. Run DMC is one of my favorite rap/rock groups because they produced a lot of straight up bangers.
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is by far one of the best things to ever happen to music. The group had a very rocky start though. They failed to secure record deals multiple times and had members leave before finally getting signed in 1999 by Warner. Story has it that Linkin Park initially almost got signed to Jive Records but the deal didn’t go through because the label had recently signed a similar act, Kid Rock. They’ve had massive success ever since signing their deal. Their first album Hybrid Theory was a huge commercial success. They went on to record a mash-up EP years later with Jay-Z titled Collision Course which mixed tracks from the group’s discography with songs from the Jigga Man’s repertoire. My favorite songs from them are Breaking The Habit, Numb, and their signature song In The End.
Kid Rock
Story has it that Linkin Park initially almost got signed to Jive Records but the deal didn’t go through because the label had recently signed a similar act, Kid Rock. Kid Rock is an energetic on-stage performer. His fourth album Devil Without a Cause sold over 13 million copies. No one sells that many copies by chance.
P.O.D.
If there’s a band that I love ever-so dearly it’s P.O.D. They have sang classics such as Boom!, Youth of the Nation, and Satellite. P.O.D. sings conscious music with lyrics that make you think and touch your soul. They have an earnestness and down-to-earth vibe which makes them easy to relate with. If I was to get rid of all my other rap/rock music and remain with only one band it would be toss-up between P.O.D. and Linkin Park.
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit has a song which had over 50 uses of the F word. Yikes! I’m not a fan of profanity, and the group could indeed get very profane, but what I like about it is that from a purely musical stand-point it was 100% pure enjoyment. They had many hits during their time with songs such as My Way and The Nookie. In my opinion Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water is their magnum opus. The group also has calmer songs such as Hold On and Behind Blue Eyes which are not strictly rap-rock songs but they are nonetheless powerful and illustrate the band’s flexibility.
