Robert James Ritchie, known professionally as Kid Rock, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter. After having established himself in the Detroit hip hop scene, he broke through into mainstream success with a rap rock sound before shifting his performance style to country rock. A self-taught musician, he has said that he can play every instrument in his backing band and has overseen production on all but two of his albums.
Kid Rock performing in 2013
A display of pyrotechnics during one of Kid Rock's performances. His stage presence helped increase his local following in Detroit in the mid-1990s.
Kid Rock performing in Denver, Colorado in 2006
Kid Rock performing for the USO with Kellie Pickler and Zac Brown in 2008
Rap rock is a music genre that developed from the early to mid-1980s, when hip hop DJs incorporated rock records into their routines and rappers began incorporating original and sampled rock instrumentation into hip hop music. Rap rock is considered to be rock music in which lyrics are rapped, rather than sung. The genre achieved its greatest success in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Urban Dance Squad performing in 2006
CNN said that Beastie Boys' album Licensed to Ill "essentially invented rap-rock".
The music of Kid Rock was cited as a bridge between hip hop and rap rock.
Death Grips received acclaim for their 2011 rap rock mixtape Exmilitary.
