Mike Shinoda Biography

Michael Kenji Shinoda, popularly known as Mike Shinoda in the American rock band circuit, is an American musician, vocalist, rapper, keyboardist, guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is better known as the co-founder of the popular American rock band ‘Linkin Park’. Shinoda first formed the band along with his schoolmate Brad Delson, under the name ‘Xero’, and after achieving a college degree in graphic design and illustration and side by side working on putting the band properly together, the band was named ‘Linkin Park’—in 2002 its first album ‘Hybrid Theory’ was released. Shinoda remained mostly involved with the technical intricacies of the band and its production processes in the beginning but later on expanded his role by giving his vocals, rapping and actively working on the artwork of the album. ‘Fort Minor’ is another individual project of Shinoda’s, which he initiated to satiate his desire to create hip-hop music. He is a talented artist with a natural knack for artwork and design and has had two public showcases of his artwork—one in America and the other in Japan. Shinoda began a college scholarship at Art Center College of Design to help future illustrators and graphic designers—‘Michael K. Shinoda Endowed Scholarship’- it is awarded based on financial necessitate and creative credentials.