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This podcast is brought to you by The Tim Ferriss Book Club, which features a handful of books that have changed my life. Here’s the list.
Now, on to our guest…
Mike Shinoda is best known as the rapper, principal songwriter, keyboardist, rhythm guitarist and one of the two vocalists (yes, an insane list) of Linkin Park, which has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide and earned two Grammy Awards in the process.
Mike has collaborated with everyone from Jay-Z to Depeche Mode, and he’s also the lead rapper in his side project Fort Minor, which I’m a huge fan of.
As if that’s not enough, he’s also provided artwork, production and mixing for all the projects mentioned above. The man is a beast… but did he start out that way? His answers might surprise you.
This episode covers how Mike got started, advice for aspiring musicians (or creatives/artists of any type), navigating “entertainment” and Hollywood, daily rituals, how he writes songs, how he rehearses, and much more.
Enjoy!
You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.
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Show Notes and Select Links from Episode 21…
- Mike’s first love, and what he thought he would do with his life
- The humble, “boots-on-the-ground” beginnings of Linkin Park
- From Linkin Park to Fort Minor, how Mike fills the void in music with what he wants to hear
- How Linkin Park band members stood up to a major record label to get signed on their own terms
- The story of how a few 19-year-old kids with red hair, tattoos, and facial piercings told Warner Brothers execs how to do their jobs
- The importance of developing a fine-tuned radar for the subtle edits that can completely change your art into a “watered-down commercial nightmare”
- An inside look at the various techniques to recording music
- How songs are born
- How Mike finds inspiration for his craft in things unrelated music
- Why he will either delete your email or reply with a dissertation
- Linkin Park’s rehearsal process
- The software Linkin Park uses for rehearsals and shows
- The one thing he would change about himself, if he could
- And much more… Here’s the episode.
SELECT LINKS FROM EPISODE 21
- Visit the Tim Ferriss Book Club to find a new book each month (or so) that’s changed my life
- Fort Minor
- Music for Relief – Non-profit org founded by Linkin Park
- DJI Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter
- Ableton Live 9
- This American Life
- Learn more about Rick Rubin
- Chase Jarvis’ Official Site
- Linkin Park | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
- Mike Shinoda | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Books Mentioned in the Episode
- The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
- Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
- Becoming a Category of One by Joe Calloway
- Learning Not to Drown by Anna Shinoda
Music Mentioned in the Episode
- Check out Mike Shinoda’s Spotify and Beats playlists
- Mongol Horde
- Doom Riders
- Royal Blood
Movies Mentioned in the Episode
- The Godfather
- The Usual Suspects
- Fight Club
- Seven
- Akira
- Wall-E
- Ninja Scroll
- Mall directed by Joe Hahn of Linkin Park
