MIKE SHINODA BELIEVES HIS NAME WOULD BE HIS FORTUNE

Mike. Yes, Mike Shinoda. You must know Mike... Mike... little beard? Surprising amount of teenage angst for a millionaire bloke on the cusp of middle age? That's right, Mike from Linkin Park. He's put together a solo work, and he's taken what he suggests is a risk by not calling his outfit Mike Shinoda's Side Project:

"Some people have asked me about why, why did I name the project Fort Minor instead of just going out there and saying this is an album by Mike Shinoda?” Shinoda said. “It's because I do appreciate my privacy and I make music because I love to make music. I don't make music for the celebrity of it. By putting a name on the album and putting, you know, artwork on the cover instead of my picture, I thought that that hopefully will put the attention on the music a little more."

To be honest, Mike, we doubt if anyone to whom your name means anything would be unaware that Fort Minor is you; and if you did release an album with an allusion to your status as one of Linkin Park, it would be more likely to harm sales.

Sadly, this solo work doesn't signal the end of Linkin Park - they're going to do a new album next year.

music linkin park fort minor mike shinoda