So you say you know how LP met right? Mike and Brad went to middle school
together or something like that--yada yada yada. It's all lies. Here you
will find the true story of how LP met.
It was one night in the warmth of July's night, that Mike Shinoda, now emcee of the
band Linkin Park, ventured out to an underground freestyle battle. As he watched in
admiration at the freestylists, it was then that he knew that he wanted to be an emcee.
He went home to break the news to his parents. However, discouraged with Mike's discision,
they sent him to his room to practice his piano skills. They made it very clear to Mike that,
in order to find the perfect wife, one must hold a decent job--not talk fast in underground
contests. Mike was quite disappointed. His dream had been shattered--or had it.
That night, Mike went online and entered his favorite chatroom--The Official California
Underground Emcee Chatroom. It was there that he began to chat with a boy named
Joe Hahn, who has a DJ looking for an emcee to back up. As years passed by, Joe and Mike
grew very close online, sharing similar interests and dreams. Eight years later,
the young 23 year old Mike met up with Joe Hahn in a local karoke bar-Delson's. The two began
to chat. Over hearing the conversation was Brad Delson, who's father had entrusted him
with the fifty year old bar. Brad told Mike and Joe that he overheard their conversation and
suggested that if they wished to start a band that he would play guitar. Mike and Joe,
a bit freaked out that a random man would show so much interest in their conversation, decided
that they did not need a guitarist for their emcee battles. Heartbroken, Brad slowly
dragged his feet and served the next customer his beer. This would not be the last time,
however, that they would hear from Brad.
After two months of hardcore emcee competitions, Mike and Joe got no where. They knew they
had to change their style when Eminem came into a battle and chose 50 cent over Mike and
Joe. This pained them heavily, and it was then that Mike began to write lyrics from his heart.
As Mike and Joe continued to work on meaningful battle lyrics, it hit them--why not try to
get famous. Show Eminem that they can make it without him. As Mike and Joe continued to work
on beats, they realized that they needed actual band members. Mike and Joe had become poor, wasting
their money on "Idiot's Guide to Emcee Battle" books, and could no longer afford a decent
turntable. They figured that if they could find some members who had instruments, that could
be just as good as their ghetto turntable (which could now only play 2 distinct beats). They
soon began their band member search.
They ventured back to Delson's, and asked Brad if he would like to join their band. Estatic,
Brad agreed, for he was now able to leave the bar in the hands of his cousin from Alabama.
Since the guys were looking for a basist, Brad suggested that he call his good friend Dave, also
known as Phoenix. Phoenix and Brad had met in day care, that faithful morning when Brad chased
a girl all around the playground for knocking over Phoenix's ice-cream cone. Since then, they were
the best of friends, and Brad knew he couldn't let Phoenix miss this opportunity.
So Mike, Phoenix, Brad, and Joe thought they had the band together. They realized however, that
they needed more of a beat. They also nominated that they get a vocalist who can hit high pitches
because they were sick of Mike's voice cracking when it came to the high notes. So they were
back in their van looking for a drummer and a singer.
One day in a shoe store, Joe was trying on a few shoes, when he noticed a young gentleman who
had a stack of fifteen shoes waiting to be rung up. The gentleman went to try on another pair of shoes,
when he screamed--a very high pitched scream in fact--and began crying that a spider
had walked out of the shoe and crawled on his hand. It was "Crawling" on his skin, he told
the clerk. Joe knew at that moment who their singer would be and what a possible song title could be--"Crawling".
Therefore, it was then, that Chester Bennington became 1/6 of Linkin Park.
Now all the boys needed was a drummer. None of them knew anyone who they could find, so they
were about to give up hope. As the guys were walking down the street, a piece of paper stuck to
Phoenix's shoe. He grabbed it and read what was on it--Drummer looking for a band. Their prayers
were answered. They contacted the number on the flyer, and the rest is history. Who would have
thought that the little boy who's dreams of becoming an emcee would actually come true?
