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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/e6ef27ea9289f7bdbaa335bb51a189f2.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:Pictured: Every member of the band.]]
3
4->''This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill''\
5''Fifteen percent concentrated power of will''\
6''Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain''\
7''And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!''
8-->-- "Remember the Name"
9
10Fort Minor is a HipHop-based collaborative SoloSideProject formed in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles by Music/LinkinPark's Mike Shinoda. While Shinoda is the only member and plays almost all of the instruments on the record, Shinoda himself is [[IAmNotShazam not Fort Minor]]. Instead, it's the name of his musical project; calling him "Fort Minor" would be like calling him "Linkin Park". Thus, for the ease of this article, Fort Minor will be referred to as a band, so "they" will be used.
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12Fort Minor was formed in 2004 by Shinoda shortly after Linkin Park's ''Collision Course'' collaboration with Music/JayZ (who executive-produced Fort Minor's album). Shinoda used the name "Fort Minor" to refer to his collaborations with Ryu and Tak of Machine Shop alumni Styles of Beyond. They quickly began working on their first album ''Music/TheRisingTied''. Their first single was a double A-side containing "Petrified" and "Remember the Name". While the former was mostly ignored, the latter quickly became an anthem for sports events and has been used extensively in media. ''The Rising Tied'' was released shortly after to positive reviews and moderate success.
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14In 2006, they released "Where'd You Go?" featuring then-labelmate Holly Brook (later known as Skylar Grey) and indie rock musician Jonah Matranga. This provided them their [[OneHitWonder only radio hit]], reaching the Top 5 of the ''Hot 100''. Afterwards, Fort Minor went on an indefinite hiatus due to Shinoda's commitments with Linkin Park. In 2015, Fort Minor returned with their first single in nearly a decade, "Welcome"... [[HereWeGoAgain and promptly went back into hiatus]].
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16In 2018, one year after the death of Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington, Mike Shinoda released a second solo album, titled ''Music/PostTraumatic''. While very much a successor to Fort Minor's sound, Shinoda deliberately credited the album under his own name, '''not''' Fort Minor.
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18[[AC:Discography]]
19* ''Fort Minor: We Major'' (2005)
20* ''Music/TheRisingTied'' (2005)
21** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQLv3LMvj9Q "Petrified"]]
22** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDvr08sCPOc "Remember the Name"]] (feat. Styles of Beyond)
23** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVde2PTE3Tw "Believe Me"]] (feat. [[Music/CypressHill Eric Bobo]] and Styles of Beyond)
24** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feeuoERYOV0 "Where'd You Go?"]] (feat. Holly Brook and Jonah Matranga)
25* Other:
26** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REAwGmv0Fuk "Welcome"]]
27
28!!Tropes applying to Fort Minor:
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30* AlternativeHipHop / ConsciousHipHop: The focus of the project.
31* BoastfulRap: "Remember the Name" has Shinoda, Tak, and Ryu provided rap verses in a very self-satisfied manner.
32* TheCameo: The video of "Remember the Name" features cameos from all the other members of Linkin Park (sans Mr. Hahn), Holly Brook, and Rob & Big (who would later star in the reality show of the same name).
33** Mr. Hahn provided the turntables for ''The Rising Tied'''s final song, "Slip Out the Back".
34* DualMeaningChorus: The chorus of "Where'd You Go?" seems to correspond to the rest of the lyrics: the song's protagonist is complaining about his love interest always being gone. [[TwistEnding At the end of the song]], it's revealed that ''he'', tired of their long-distance relationship, has now left ''her'', so it's entirely possible the chorus is from her point of view [[FridgeBrilliance (especially considering the chorus is sung by Skylar Grey, not Mike Shinoda)]].
35* [[invoked]] ExecutiveMeddling: Shinoda {{discussed|Trope}} this on "Get Me Gone," where he talks about how Warner Bros. Records originally wanted [[Music/LinkinPark his other band]] to drop the RapRock style and "just be a rock band," and when they refused, the label lied and said they were a fabricated group.
36* TheFourChordsOfPop: "Where'd You Go."
37* GenreShift: Compared to Shinoda's electronica-tinged NuMetal rapping on Music/LinkinPark, Fort Minor is much more infused in the world of HipHop culture.
38* IAmTheBand: Mike Shinoda. He's the only official member, produced, and played all the instruments on the project.
39* NWordPrivileges: Subverted with "Kenji." The word "jap" appears in the lyrics not to encourage Japanese people to "take back" the word in the same way African-Americans did with the word "nigger," but rather to illustrate the irrational hatred Shinoda's grandfather faced in post-Pearl Harbor America which got him sent to an internment camp. In the liner notes, Shinoda stressed that he does ''not'' want the word "jap" to ever be seen as cool.
40* OutOfGenreExperience: "Believe Me" features Shinoda singing, something he hadn't done before in Linkin Park and didn't do so again until ''Minutes to Midnight''.
41* SpecialGuest: Numerous artist are featured in his songs:
42** Styles of Beyond in "Remember the Name", "Believe Me", "Right Now", "Back Home", and "Red to Black".
43** Eric Bobo of Music/CypressHill in "Believe Me".
44** Holly Brook in "Where'd You Go?".
45** Jonah Matranga in "Where'd You Go?" and "Red to Black".
46** Kenna in "Red to Black".
47** Black Thought of The Roots in "Right Now".
48** Common in "Back Home".
49** John Legend in "High Road".
50** Celph Titled in "The Battle".
51** [[Music/LinkinPark Joe "Mr." Hahn]] in "Slip Out the Back".
52* SurprisinglyGentleSong: "Where'd You Go?" is far gentler than the rest of their louder, underground RapRock material. It's also their [[BlackSheepHit only hit]].
53* WhenYouComingHomeDad: "Where'd You Go" is about this.
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