1. Kid Rock started his music career as a rapper, releasing his debut album Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast, on Jive Records.
57 Facts About Kid Rock
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Kid Rock's best-selling singles overall are "Picture" and "All Summer Long".
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Kid Rock was raised in his father's large home on extensive property, which included an apple orchard and barnyard for their horses.
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Kid Rock began his professional music career as a member of a hip-hop group called the Beast Crew in the late 1980s.
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In 1989, Kid Rock became a shareholder in an independent record label that was formed by Alvin Williams and Earl Blunt of EB-Bran Productions, called "Top Dog" Records.
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Ultimately, unfavorable comparisons to Vanilla Ice led to Jive dropping Kid Rock, according to Mike E Clark.
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In 1992, Kid Rock signed with local independent record label Continuum.
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Around this time, Kid Rock met local hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse through Mike E Clark, who was producing the duo.
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In 1993, Kid Rock recorded his second studio album, The Polyfuze Method, with producer Mike E Clark, who worked with Kid Rock to help give the album more of a rock-oriented sound than his debut.
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Kid Rock began releasing his "Bootleg" cassette series to keep local interest in his music.
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Later in the year, Kid Rock recorded the EP Fire It Up at White Room Studios in downtown Detroit, run by brothers Michael and Andrew Nehra, who were forming the rock-soul band Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise.
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Kid Rock developed his stage persona, performing dressed in 1970s pimp clothing with a real, possibly loaded, gun down the front of his pants.
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In promotion of the record, Kid Rock would join Limp Bizkit on a national tour spanning 27 dates.
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Kid Rock performed at Woodstock 1999 and made an appearance on the 1999 MTV VMA, including a performance alongside Aerosmith and Run-DMC.
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In May 2000, Kid Rock released the compilation album The History of Rock behind the single "American Bad Ass".
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Kid Rock would join Metallica on their 2000 Summer Sanitarium Tour along with Korn and System of a Down.
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In 2001, "American Bad Ass" was nominated for the Grammy for Best Hard Kid Rock Performance, losing out to Rage Against the Machine's "Guerrilla Radio".
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Kid Rock appeared in the comedy film Joe Dirt, starring David Spade.
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In November 2001, Kid Rock released his fifth studio album, Cocky, which was dedicated to Joe C The album became a hit, spurred by the crossover success of the single "Picture", a country ballad featuring Sheryl Crow which introduced Kid Rock to a wider audience and was ultimately the most successful single on the album.
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In support of the album, Kid Rock performed on the Cocky Tour in 2002 and opened for Aerosmith with Run-DMC on the Girls of Summer Tour.
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In 2002, Kid Rock covered ZZ Top's "Legs" to serve as WWE Diva Stacy Keibler's theme song; it appeared on the album WWF Forceable Entry.
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Kid Rock filed a lawsuit to gain full control over the Top Dog record label, resulting in his receiving full ownership of the label in 2003.
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Kid Rock's self-titled sixth album was released in 2003, which shifted his music further away from hip-hop; the lead single was a cover of Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love".
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Kid Rock appeared on the track 'My Name is Robert Too' on American blues artist R L Burnside's final studio album, A Bothered Mind.
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In July 2007, Kid Rock was featured in the cover of Rolling Stone magazine for the second time.
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In 2008, Kid Rock recorded and made a music video for the song "Warrior" for a National Guard advertising campaign.
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In 2010, Kid Rock released his country-oriented eighth studio album, Born Free, produced by Rick Rubin, and featuring guest appearances by Sheryl Crow and Bob Seger.
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In 2011, Kid Rock was honored by the NAACP, which sparked protests stemming from his past display of the Confederate flag in his concerts.
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One of the songs on the album, "Cucci Galore", introduced Kid Rock's alter ego, Bobby Shazam.
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In 2013, Kid Rock performed on the "Best Night Ever" tour, where he motioned to charge no more than $20 for his tickets.
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On July 12,2017, Kid Rock shared a photo of a "Kid Rock for US Senate" yard sign on Twitter.
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Kid Rock later clarified that the campaign was a hoax.
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Kid Rock donated $122,000, raised by selling "Kid Rock for US Senate" merchandise, to a voter registration group.
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In March 2018, Kid Rock said he would perform on Lynyrd Skynyrd's final tour before the Southern rock band retired, alongside Hank Williams Jr.
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Kid Rock released his first greatest hits album titled Greatest Hits: You Never Saw Coming on September 21,2018.
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On March 29,2020, Kid Rock released his first single under the name "DJ Bobby Shazam", entitled "Quarantine", which featured an old-school hip-hop sound.
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On January 25,2022, Kid Rock released a single, "We the People", in which he criticizes the media, Anthony Fauci, face masks, COVID-19 restrictions, and Big Tech to the chorus of "Let's Go Brandon".
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On March 10,2022, Kid Rock announced his upcoming twelfth studio album Bad Reputation, which would include his five previously released singles.
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In January 2023, Kid Rock collaborated with Fueled by 808, Austin Mahone, and Jimmie Allen on the single "No Limits".
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Kid Rock is a self-taught musician and has said that he can play every instrument used in his band.
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Kid Rock had an impact on hip-hop, serving as an influence on rappers like Yelawolf.
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Kid Rock subsequently raised his son as a single father.
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Kid Rock began dating actress Pamela Anderson in 2001 and they became engaged in April 2002, but ended their relationship in 2003.
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Kid Rock has called Nashville a part-time home since 2005, and splits time between his native Michigan and Alabama.
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Kid Rock sells tickets for as low as possible to increase concert attendance for lower income consumers, and to discourage scalping.
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Ritchie founded Kid Rock's Made in Detroit restaurant and bar, which specializes in Southern-style cuisine.
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Also in 1997, Kid Rock wrote the song "Cool, Daddy Cool" which was later used in the 2001 children's movie Osmosis Jones.
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In 2002, Kid Rock performed alongside Chuck D and Grandmaster Flash in tribute to slain DJ Jam Master Jay.
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In September 2005, Kid Rock filled in for Johnny Van Zant, the lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd, on the band's hit "Sweet Home Alabama" at the Hurricane Katrina benefit concert.
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Kid Rock pleaded no contest to one count and was fined $1,000, as well as being required to perform 80 hours of community service and complete a six-hour anger management course.
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Kid Rock stopped displaying the Confederate flag at his concerts since 2007.
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In 2012, Kid Rock performed alongside Travie McCoy and the Roots in honor of Beastie Boys, during the band's induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Kid Rock later defended his remarks while "reaffirming his love for his homosexual friends".
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Kid Rock later promoted the Happy Dad brand; which has partnered with Caitlyn Jenner, who is a transgender woman.
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Kid Rock later clarified that the campaign was a joke that he had started after a Michigan state legislator encouraged him to run for Senate.
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Kid Rock expressed surprise at the interest his potential candidacy had received, but disappointment that some opposed to his candidacy had brought up his previous use of the Confederate flag to label him a racist.
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Kid Rock donated the $122,000 he had raised by selling "Kid Rock for US Senate" merchandise to CRNC Action, a College Republican group.