Phoenix and Emily Armstrong have been running point so far when it comes to promoting Linkin Park's 2025 U.S. shows in interviews, but their fellow band member Mike Shinoda is taking his turn now with a pair of interviews being released today. Funnily enough, both are for programs or radio stations which Phoenix and Armstrong also made appearances on in early April. The first a chat with DC101 host Mike Jones, which immediately kicks off with Jones asking about the now-infamous Linkin Shark, a highlight of the U.S. tour's opening night in Austin, Texas. Throughout this interview, Shinoda also touches on the changes Linkin Park experienced in their journey towards announcing a big return to music in 2024. He explains Brad Delson's current role in the band, and also gives a mention to former band member Rob Bourdon, along with talking about new members Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain (and even touring guitarist Alex Feder) filling in the gaps and infusing Linkin Park with fresh new energy. The conversation ends on a light-hearted note with Shinoda going in-depth about his hands-on experience with Nintendo's highly-anticipated hybrid console, the Switch 2. Second is an interview on 98 Rock Baltimore's afternoon program Kirk and Marianne, where hosts Kirk McEwen and Marianne Sierk, respectively, speak to Shinoda ahead of Linkin Park's imminent May 3 show at the CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore. During this conversation, Shinoda talks about the process of Emily Armstrong becoming an official member of Linkin Park, and the unusual challenge of connecting a changed line-up with a deep existing catalog of music. He also reflects on the success of From Zero lead single "The Emptiness Machine", and casually reveals that he used to participate in (and win) rap battles on the Internet. Check out both these interviews and, if you can find Shinoda's old rap battle posts, please stop by our message board and tell us where! Source: Mike Jones on YouTube / 98 Rock Baltimore on YouTube
“casually reveals that he used to participate in (and win) rap battles on the Internet.” King of the Dot performance when?