By Nooreen Kara

Mean Fiddler , London

For years, Mike Shinoda has been the musical architect in Linkin Park – mixing a verse of rap into an otherwise heavy, drum-lined track; he helped create a new vision for rock. After Linkin Park’s recent mash-up collabo with hip-hop super rapper Jay-Z, Shinoda decided to take things one step further and set about creating his very own rap group. Step forward Fort Minor. Fort Minor consists of a number of hip-hop’s finest MCs and rappers, brought together by Shinoda for a rap album, ‘The Rising Tied’. Having already supported The Roots and played at the Reading Festival, Fort Minor were headlining their first UK show at London’s Meanfiddler on Tottenham Court Road.

Sway was the opening act and was surprisingly well received by an audience so different to what he is used to performing in front of. He played hits ‘Flo’ Fashion’ and ‘Up Your Speed’ and entertained the crowd with various freestyles. At one point he asked the audience to shout out things they wanted him to rap about – the response? Home, Sunday roast, cars, Tony Blair, paediatricians and the Meanfiddler: “My name’s Sway, and I’m in the Meanfiddler/ Everybody knows me as the riddler/ And I like getting up in the vagina/ I’m here supporting for Fort Minor/…These guys told me to rap about a paediatrician, but I’m Sway – that lyrical magician/… I think that Tony Blair is a phoney breh/ I don’t know what he’s promoting, and he can shush/ Cos I don’t give a f*ck about President Bush!”

Fort Minor then came bounding out to ‘Remember the Name’. Sharing his formula for success, Mike had the crowd bouncing up and down to the compelling beat: “10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will, 5% pleasure, 50% pain.”

An extremely charismatic Mike then pointed out a number of fans wearing Linkin Park T-Shirts and said the next song was for them – ‘In The End’. They performed ‘In Stereo’ and ‘Dolla’. Alongside Mike on stage were Styles of Beyond – Ryu and Takbir – who rapped their verses in each of the songs before performing their own medley. Ryu himself looked every part the rapper, with a ghetto-fabulous Gucci LA hat and ice hanging off his neck.

They performed their debut single ‘Believe’ next, before a number of other cuts from the new album. Prior to this concert, I had only heard ‘Remember The Name’, ‘Petrified’ and the tracks on the DJ Green Lantern mixtape. While on that mixtape there was some definite rap hits – ‘Spraypaint and Inkpens’ for example, which features Ghostface Killah and Lupe Fiasco – I was still slightly sceptical as to what the album would offer.

Judging by the songs they performed on the night, Fort Minor have hit the exact right balance – there’s some hardcore hip-hop rhymes, while still maintaining a rocky feel with dirty drums and hard pulsing strings. They did tracks including ‘Feel Like Home’ and ‘Red to Black’. For almost everyone in the audience, it was the first time hearing these but nevertheless, Mike had everyone jumping up and down and rocking their heads to the beat.

After disappearing off stage for a few minutes’ break, the group returned appropriately to the Linkin Park/Jay-Z collabo ‘Numb/Encore’. They then did ‘High Road’ - with Mike singing the chorus in the absence of the guest-featured John Legend – before ending the show with ‘Petrified’.

Throughout the concert, the group really managed to make an intimate show most effective by throwing out mixtapes and shaking hands with the audience. Mike, Styles of Beyond and Cheapshot – the DJ on the decks – stayed behind at the end of the show to sign autographs for everyone that wanted one.

Fort Minor have an extremely wide potential audience – from Linkin Park fans to hip-hop heads alike – they can take the rap game to a whole new level with the release of ‘The Rising Tied’.

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