Mike Shinoda Talks "LIVING THINGS" and Ranks His Top 5 Rappers

Over REEch Other · Apr 30, 2012

Complex got a chance to hear a few tracks from Linkin Park's 5th studio album "LIVING THINGS" and chat with Mike Shinoda. It's a great in-depth interview which focuses on a lot of topics ranging from Mike's favorite rappers, Linkin Park's influences and also reveals new details about LIVING THINGS, namely the track "UNTIL IT BREAKS" which is said to be a "rap-heavy" track with "big healthy drums". Check out some excerpts and be sure to read the full interview below.

The new songs have a big, modern polished sound, but with that warm, fuzzy, hard-hitting Rick Rubin feel to them. Linkin Park has evolved from MTV frat-house faves into a class act and MC Mike Shinoda makes that clear in the rap-heavy joint “Until It Breaks” off Living Things. Over a bed of big healthy drums, he confidently spits, “I’m a Banksy / You’re a Brainwash / Get the picture like that?” Yes, we get the picture.
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What excites you about the new Linkin Park album?

It doesn’t lose any of the creativity of the newer stuff and it brings in the energy of the older stuff. It’s kind of a comprehensive sound. I feel like we’ve been able to take all the stuff we’ve learned on the way and put it all together in each song and still keep it fresh and forward-thinking.

Whenever we get in the studio we react really badly to anything feeling like it’s a throwback or a repeat of what we’ve done—as long as it feels like we’re taking a step forward it feels good. This record echoes a lot of different random things from what we’ve learned along the way. I think every artist’s “new album” is their favorite one.

We’ve been immersed in this one for a year. It’s like we are currently in the eye of the storm. All of my focus is on getting this record perfect and presenting it to the fans in the way that I think is the perfect way. It’ll never be perfect, but we just do our best to make it the best it can be. I’m thrilled about the record, I couldn’t be more excited about people hearing it.
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Mike also discusses his favorite rappers:

Since you’re the rapper guy, who are your top 5 rappers?

I don’t think there would be any surprises there. It’s your typical favorite MCs, like Nas, Biggie and Rakim, etc. Let’s fill it out for five… ‘Pac and Em. If you get past that, who are the five that people wouldn’t expect to be in somebody’s top five but should be?

For me, I think its like, Redman, I would actually say Sean P, who I just think is a fucking genius. I might go Mos Def, I might go Black Thought. Who’s a West Coast dude… who’s like the shit? It’s tough, man. The West has always been a little less lyrical. Actually, I didn’t say Scarface, it would be Scarface. Face is retarded, he’s amazing.

That’s the thing for me, it’s always been about, like, that kind of lyricism. The stuff that really excites me a lot of times is the stuff that’s not going to be on the radio. It’ll be too much for them.
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Complex Talk with Mike Shinoda - Full Interview

Source: Complex.com via HypnoToad

HypnoToad · Apr 30, 2012

Yayyyy I got a credit

Super Sonic · Apr 30, 2012

As i posted just, this is a fantastic interview. Its got me really exited now.

Glad to hear that there's more rapping as well.

Agent · Apr 30, 2012

Someone liked Exit Through The Gift Shop a lot

Decay · Apr 30, 2012

This was a very interesting read! Thanks for posting this!

Over REEch Other · Apr 30, 2012

Agent O said: ↑

Someone liked Exit Through The Gift Shop a lot
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That's what I thought, haha.

So Until It Breaks is a rap-heavy joint with Mike spitting "over a bed of big healthy drums"?

Nobody Can Shave Me Now · Apr 30, 2012

Now I like these kind of interviews!

PIFRESH · Apr 30, 2012

sweeeet

Kaique Smart · Apr 30, 2012

I really thought it was going to be ''... and Ranks His Top 5 SONGS OF THE ALBUM''.

Dusty · Apr 30, 2012

Good stuff, my excitement keeps building!

deftonesfan867 · Apr 30, 2012

Def Tones?

Seriously??

Andreina · Apr 30, 2012

So it seems like UNTIL IT BREAKS could be another "statement" track..? We'd have 2 confirmed rap songs then..

CAN'T WAIT!!! :'D

Jack_Farrell · Apr 30, 2012

Agent O said: ↑

Someone liked Exit Through The Gift Shop a lot
Click to expand...

Once in Bath I exited through a fucking gift shop by accident and they didn't let me back in. lol.

PIFRESH · Apr 30, 2012

LP new Album is gonna be sweeeeeettttttt cant wait

Apop · Apr 30, 2012

Awesome! Some more rapping and with Mike doing more of a freestyle thing, I think the songs with rapping are going to sound a little less "cheesy" and more raw. Really excited for June 26th!

YoMarques · Apr 30, 2012

Amazing interview, can't wait for the new album!

The Prisoner · Apr 30, 2012

Cool Interview. I really enjoeyed reading it.
Hope complex.com sonn will release an article with descriptions and their opinion about the five songs they heard.
What's interesting, obviously they heard one song SPIN didn't hear, i.e. Until It Breaks.

Spin heard: Lost In the Echo, In My Remains, Burn It Down, I'll Be Gone, Castel of Glass.

Dusty · Apr 30, 2012

I really enjoyed this part of the interview.

The first two records were a whirlwind. Hybrid Theory was the best selling album in the world that year. We beat Britney Spears, which didn’t even make any sense to us. A couple years later we decided we needed to go back and basically completely change what we were doing or else we’d be stuck doing that thing forever.

We ended up doing an album called Minutes to Midnight, which was like taking a few steps out of the box and learning how to do something different. The last album was called A Thousand Suns and it was a complete departure. We went totally out of left field to people that were following the band.

But to us, it was a necessary step. We knew going into it that it was really going to be polarizing. It was going to take a lot of effort for a fan to get into it, which is a lot to ask of people. Because it was a concept record, the first two songs on the album were instrumental and had absolutely no traditional structure—you didn’t get a song until the third track in.

We absolutely lost and gained fans. If you look on the iTunes reviews its either one star or five stars. Everybody loved or hated it. That’s kind of the point. So coming back after that… we love that record and had a great time doing it and touring it. It kind of worked out exactly the way we wanted it to.

So coming into this record we’re like, what do we feel is the next step for us creatively? Like, what are we excited about doing? And, this is it. It’s definitely feeling like there was a thirst for a certain thing that is very “Linkin Park,” and we wanted to give them that. We’ve been holding it back for a long time and we felt like now is a good time. We’re excited about doing it. We’re excited for people to hear it.
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lime treacle · Apr 30, 2012

deftonesfan867 said: ↑

Def Tones?

Seriously??
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I thought that'd make you mad, haha

LPHybrid Soldier · Apr 30, 2012

Guess im waiting outside Best buy all night when Living things comes out, just like i did when Meteora came out =), so hyped!!!!! LP 4 LIFE

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Mike Shinoda Talks "LIVING THINGS" and Ranks His Top 5 Rappers

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Mike Shinoda Talks "LIVING THINGS" and Ranks His Top 5 Rappers

Over REEch Other a female witch. LPA Administrator

HypnoToad Glory to the HypnoToad! LPA VIP

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