Also known as Mike Shinoda's of Linkin Park's solo hip-hop album.
This is a bit of a surprise, honestly, I think I like it better than I like most of LP's material. Mike Shinoda still sounds a bit dull sometimes, like he does with LP, but the album shows off how good his flow is. It isn't the best, but I gained a new respect for his musicianship after hearing this album.The beats are actually pretty good. I think Joseph Hahn made the beats for Linkin Park, which weren't exactly great, so it makes me wonder why they don't let Mike make more of the beats, because he's basically kicking ass and taking names with some of them on here, like in 'Petrified', although that one reminds me of another song I can't place the name of (someone help me here!) but I think he should bring more of this into LP's style, it'd make them better, and possibly even more respected amongst hip-hop fans.
Part of the problem though is that some of the songs sound kind of similar, and a lot of Mike's guests on his songs outshine him sometimes. Mike isn't exactly a brilliant lyricist either, not saying he's bad, but all of his rhymes are pretty simple. Not saying that's a big deal-breaker, because music should come first, but it knocks it down a notch in my eyes.
LP fans will definitely enjoy this, and people who hate LP might even like this. Meaning the hip-hop fans that always liked Mike better than Chester in Linkin Park should check this out. This isn't exactly a landmark album, but nobody's saying it's bad, because it's certainly not. I'd like to see another Fort Minor album, and I think Mike Shinoda should focus on it before putting out another Linkin Park album, but hey, that's just my opinion.7/10
Recommended tracks: Remember the Name, Petrified, Where'd You Go
