It’s hard to imagine Linkin Park without the contributions of Mike Shinoda. But truth is, be barely made it through the recording of Hybrid Theory, the band’s debut album.
The issue was meddling by the label. They saw Linkin Park as something that should coalesce around the voice and image of Chester Bennington, squeezing Mike out of any lead role, if not out of the group entirely. The label went to Chester first, hoping to get him on their side. But then he—as the newest member of the group—went back to everyone and said, “Look, this is what just happened. You guys need to know about it. But you should also know that I told them to get lost.”
That episode was a defining moment for Linkin Park, and something that made them stronger.
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