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Limp Bizkit is an American
nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...
band from
Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's musical style is marked by Durst's angry vocal delivery and Borland's sonic experimentation. Borland's elaborate visual appearance, which includes face and body paint, masks, and uniforms, also plays a large role in Limp Bizkit's live shows. The band has been nominated for three
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
, sold 40 million records worldwide, and won several other awards. Formed in 1994, Limp Bizkit became popular playing in the Jacksonville
underground music Underground music is music with practices perceived as outside, or somehow opposed to, Popular music, mainstream popular music culture. Underground styles lack the commercial success of popular music movements, and may involve the use of avant-g ...
scene in the late 1990s, and signed with Flip Records (with distribution from
Interscope Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...
), who released the band's debut album, '' Three Dollar Bill, Y'all'' (1997). The band achieved mainstream success with its second and third studio albums, '' Significant Other'' (1999) and '' Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water'' (2000). However, this success was marred by a series of controversies surrounding its performances at Woodstock '99 and the 2001
Big Day Out The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typi ...
festival. Borland left the group in 2001; however, Durst, Rivers, Otto, and Lethal continued to record and tour with guitarist Mike Smith. Following the release of their fourth album '' Results May Vary'' (2003), Borland rejoined the band and recorded the EP '' The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)'' (2005) with Durst, Rivers, Lethal, and drummer Sammy Siegler before entering a hiatus. In 2009, the band reunited with Borland playing guitar and began touring, culminating with the recording of the album '' Gold Cobra'' (2011), after which it left Interscope and later signed with Cash Money Records; DJ Lethal quit the band soon afterward, returning in 2018. After years of teasing an album tentatively titled ''Stampede of the Disco Elephants'', the band released its sixth studio album '' Still Sucks'' on October 31, 2021. The band has released 26 singles. Their most notable singles include " Nookie", " Re-Arranged", " Break Stuff", " Take a Look Around", " Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)", " My Generation", " My Way", " Eat You Alive", and their cover of
The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
's 1971 single " Behind Blue Eyes"; all of these have charted within the top 20 of the US Alternative Airplay Chart.


History


Formation and early years (1994–1996)

While growing up in Gastonia, North Carolina, Fred Durst took an interest in
breakdancing Breakdancing or breaking, also called b-boying (when performed by men) or b-girling (women), is a style of street dance originated by African Americans and Nuyorican, Puerto Ricans in The Bronx borough of New York City. Breakdancing consist ...
,
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
,
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
, and heavy metal. He began to rap, skate, beatbox, and DJ. While mowing lawns and working as a tattoo artist, he developed an idea for a band that combined elements of rock and hip hop. Durst played with three other bands: Split 26, Malachi Sage (both of which were unsuccessful), and 10 Foot Shindig, which Durst left to form a new band. Durst told Sam Rivers, the bassist for Malachi Sage, "You need to quit this band and start a band with me that's like this: rappin' and rockin'." Rivers suggested that John Otto, who was studying
jazz drumming Jazz drumming is the art of playing percussion (predominantly the drum kit, which includes a variety of drums and cymbals) in jazz styles ranging from 1910s-style Dixieland jazz to 1970s-era jazz fusion and 1980s-era Latin jazz. The techniques an ...
at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and playing in local avant garde bands, become the band's drummer. Durst, Rivers, and Otto jammed and wrote three songs together and after brief stints with guitarists Rob Waters and Terry Balsamo, Wes Borland joined as their permanent guitarist. Durst named the band ''Limp Bizkit'' because he wanted a name that would repel listeners. According to Durst, "The name is there to turn people's heads away. A lot of people pick up the disc and go, 'Limp Bizkit. Oh, they must suck.' Those are the people that we don't even want listening to our music." Fred said that the band liked quirky and corny things and that they didn't take themselves seriously all the time. Thus, the name "Limp Bizkit" represented these characteristics and the band as a whole. Other names that were considered by Durst included Gimp Disco, Split Dickslit, Bitch Piglet, and Blood Fart. Every record label that showed an interest in the band pressured its members to change its name. On an article for The Grand Rapids Press in November 1997, Wes stated "just because they wanted us to do it, we were determined not to change the name. We gave them other options, like Funky Moses and the Red Sea Pedestrians, and 600 Pounds of Furious Pig". Limp Bizkit developed a
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
in the
underground music Underground music is music with practices perceived as outside, or somehow opposed to, Popular music, mainstream popular music culture. Underground styles lack the commercial success of popular music movements, and may involve the use of avant-g ...
scene, particularly at the Milk Bar, an underground punk club in Jacksonville. The band's local popularity was such that
Sugar Ray Sugar Ray is an American rock band formed in Newport Beach, California, in 1986. Originally playing heavier funk metal and nu metal style music, the band achieved mainstream popularity in 1997 with their more pop-influenced single " Fly". Th ...
, who had a major label contract, opened for a then-unsigned Limp Bizkit at Velocity with hip hop group Funkdoobiest. Milkbar owner Danny Wimmer stated that Limp Bizkit "had the biggest draw for a local band. They went from playing orten people to eight hundred within months. Fred ... was always marketing the band. He would go to record stores and get people involved, he was in touch with high schools." However, the band knew that to achieve national success, it would have to distinguish themselves in its live performances. Attracting crowds by
word of mouth Word of mouth is the passing of information from person to person using oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day. Storytelling is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others a ...
, the band gave energetic live performances, covering
George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...
's "
Faith Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...
" and Paula Abdul's " Straight Up" and featuring Borland in bizarre costumes. Borland's theatrical rock style was the primary attraction for many concert attendees. Durst unsuccessfully tried to attract attention from A&R representatives at various labels by pretending to be the band's manager. Later when
Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, originally formed in 1993 by James Shaffer, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and David Silveria, who were members of the band ...
performed in town as the opening act for Sick of It All, Durst invited Korn to drink beer and tattoo them. Although Durst's tattoos were unimpressive, he was able to persuade Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu to listen to a demo, consisting of the songs "Pollution", "
Counterfeit A counterfeit is a fake or unauthorized replica of a genuine product, such as money, documents, designer items, or other valuable goods. Counterfeiting generally involves creating an imitation of a genuine item that closely resembles the original ...
", and "Stalemate". Korn added a then-unsigned Limp Bizkit to two tours, which exposed the band to a new audience. The band attempted to expand its sound by auditioning an additional guitarist, but Borland soon determined that another guitarist was not the answer and DJ Lethal, formerly of the
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
group House of Pain, joined the band as a turntablist after a successful practice performance. Joining the band gave Lethal an opportunity to experiment with his turntable technique in ways that hip hop had not allowed him to do, helping shape the band's style. Due to creative differences, Borland left the band at this point.


Record label deals and ''Three Dollar Bill, Y'all'' (1997–1998)

After its performance opening for Korn at the Dragonfly in Hollywood was well received, Limp Bizkit were offered a record deal with the
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
-based independent label Flip Records, who attempted to sign the band for $50,000. Soon after that, however, they were also offered a record deal with the major label Mojo, a subsidiary of
MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...
. According to Flip Records' founder Jordan Schur, Limp Bizkit stated that the only way the band would not sign with Mojo was if the band's van flipped over on the way to Los Angeles. While heading to California to record its first album, the band's van flipped over five times, resulting in all of the band's members sustaining serious injuries. As a result of the near-death experience, Durst made amends with Borland, who rejoined the band. The accident also strained the band's relationship with Mojo, who Durst felt wanted the band to resume working prematurely, resulting in Schur buying out the band's record and management contract and signing the band to Flip, which cost him $175,000. Arvizu persuaded Ross Robinson to listen to the demo. Robinson neglected to listen to it until it was appraised by his girlfriend. Impressed by the band's motivation and sound, Robinson produced Limp Bizkit's debut, which was recorded at Indigo Ranch. Durst's problems with his girlfriend inspired him to write the song "Sour". The mood and tone set by Robinson in the studio allowed the band to improvise; a recording of the band improvising appeared as the last track on the album, "Everything". Schur bankrolled the recording sessions for the album, and following its completion negotiated a 50/50 agreement with
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...
to distribute the album. Despite the success of live performances of the band's cover of the song "Faith", Robinson was opposed to recording it and tried to persuade the band not to play it on the album. However, the final recording, which incorporated heavier guitar playing and drumming as well as DJ scratching, impressed him. Robinson also bonded with Borland, who he perceived as not taking the band seriously. The
progressive metal Progressive metal (often shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven sound of the former with t ...
band
Tool A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...
provided a strong influence in shaping the album's sound, particularly in the song "Nobody Loves Me", which contains a breakdown in which Durst imitated the singing style of
Maynard James Keenan Maynard James Keenan (born James Herbert Keenan; April 17, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, philanthropist, record producer, and winemaker. He is best known as the singer and primary lyricist of the rock bands Tool (band), Tool, A Perfe ...
. Continuing the band's policy of using names that would repulse potential listeners, Limp Bizkit named the album by using part of the phrase "queer as a three dollar bill" and adding the word "Y'all" for Florida flavor, titling it '' Three Dollar Bill, Y'all''. The completed album featured an abrasive, angry sound which Limp Bizkit used to attract listeners to its music. After the band completed recording, they toured with Korn and
Helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protecti ...
in 1997. Critics reacted unfavorably to performances of Korn and Limp Bizkit; ''Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel'' music critic Jon M. Gilbertson criticized Durst's performance, stating "The one attention-grabbing moment of Limp Bizkit's rap/thrash show was when the lead singer expressed a desire for gay men to be 'stomped'. Which isn't remotely rebellious. It's just puerile." That same year, they also notably served as an opening act on the Album of the Year Tour for
Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before September 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist ...
, a band often credited as paving the way for Limp Bizkit and the
nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...
genre. They were subject to a hostile reception from Faith No More's fans,Borland, Wes. 2017. ''Talk Toomey'' Podcast with the group's keyboardist Roddy Bottum later recalling, "That guy Fred Durst had a really bad attitude. He was kind of a jerk. I remembered he called the audience faggots at one show when they booed him. Not a good scene." Interscope proposed to the band that the label pay $5,000 to guarantee that a
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
, radio station play the song "Counterfeit" fifty times, preceded and concluded with an announcement that the air time was paid for by Interscope. The paid air time was criticized by the media, who saw it as "
payola Payola, in the music industry, is the name given to the illegal practice of paying a commercial radio station to play a song without the station disclosing the payment. Under U.S. law, a radio station must disclose songs they were paid to pla ...
". The band's manager Jeff Kwatinetz later termed the plan as a "brilliant marketing move". Durst stated, "It worked, but it's not that cool of a thing." Following the release of "Counterfeit" as a single, ''Three Dollar Bill, Yall'' was released on July 1, 1997, and was met with minimal response.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
writer
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
wrote, "They might not have many original ideas ... but they do the sound well. They have a powerful rhythm section and memorable hooks, most of which make up for the uneven songwriting." However,
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
panned the album. Despite the minimal response to his band's album, Durst was appointed Senior Vice President of A&R at Interscope. Limp Bizkit joined the
Warped Tour The Warped Tour is a Concert tour, touring Rock music, rock music festival that toured the United States and Canada each summer from 1995 until 2019, and returned in 2025 for its 30th anniversary. By 2015, Warped was the largest traveling music ...
, performing alongside the bands Pennywise,
Mighty Mighty Bosstones The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (informally referred to as The Bosstones and often stylized as The Mighty Mighty BossToneS) were an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. From the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky ...
, Sick of It All,
Lagwagon Lagwagon is an American punk rock band originally from Goleta, California, just outside Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara. They formed in 1989, went on hiatus in 2000, and reunited several times over the years. Their name comes from the ba ...
, and
Blink-182 Blink-182 is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Poway, California, in 1992. Its current and best-known line-up consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though its so ...
. Preceding the band's first tour with DJ Lethal, Otto became familiar with Lethal's contributions to collaborate with him better on stage. In addition to touring with Primus and
Deftones Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by frontman Chino Moreno, lead guitarist Stephen Carpenter and drummer Abe Cunningham, with bassist Chi Cheng and keyboardist and tu ...
, Limp Bizkit headlined the Ladies Night in Cambodia club tour, which was intended to diversify the band's largely male fanbase by offering free tickets to female attendees. This plan successfully increased the band's female fanbase. In 1998, Limp Bizkit toured with
Soulfly Soulfly is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1997. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera, who formed the band after he left the Brazilian group in 1996. To date the band has release ...
and
Cold Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjectivity, subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute t ...
on Soulfly's first European tour. Touring consistently increased Limp Bizkit's success and the second single from ''Three Dollar Bill, Y'all'', a cover of George Michael's "Faith", became a successful radio hit, leading to a slot on
Ozzfest Ozzfest was an annual music festival tour of the United States and sometimes Europe and later Japan, featuring performances by many heavy metal music, heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Sharon Osbourne and her husband O ...
, a tour organized by Ozzy and
Sharon Osbourne Sharon Rachel Osbourne (; born 9 October 1952) is an English-American television personality, music manager, and author. She is married to heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne and came to prominence while appearing on '' The Osbournes'' (2002–2 ...
. In July, Snot singer Lynn Strait was arrested after he emerged nude from Limp Bizkit's prop toilet, and was charged with indecent exposure. Because Limp Bizkit's fans would often break through the barricades, the band was almost kicked off the tour after two days. In August, John Otto spent the night in jail in Auburn Hills, Michigan on a misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed weapon after allegedly firing a
BB gun A BB gun is a type of air gun designed to shoot metallic spherical projectiles called BBs (not to be confused with similar-looking bearing balls), which are approximately the same size as BB-size lead birdshot used in shotguns ( in diameter) ...
and being arrested for carrying a switchblade. After completing Ozzfest, Limp Bizkit took a break from performing and later performed on Korn's Family Values Tour. Durst also directed a music video for the band's single "Faith" in promotion for its appearance in the film '' Very Bad Things'', but was unsatisfied with it and directed a second video which paid tribute to tourmates like Primus, Deftones, and Korn, who appeared in the video. Borland stated in an interview that George Michael, the song's writer, hated the cover and "hates us for doing it".


''Significant Other'' (1999–2000)

Following the radio success of "Faith", the band was determined to record the follow-up to its first album in order to show that they were not a Korn soundalike or a cover band; the band began writing an album which dealt with issues deriving from its newfound fame. Terry Date, who had produced albums for
Pantera Pantera () is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Arlington, Texas in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul), and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, an ...
, White Zombie and
Deftones Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by frontman Chino Moreno, lead guitarist Stephen Carpenter and drummer Abe Cunningham, with bassist Chi Cheng and keyboardist and tu ...
, was chosen to produce the album. The band allowed Durst and Lethal to explore their hip hop origins by recording a song with
Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), known professionally as Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He is a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, and is half of the hip hop duo Method Man & R ...
. The song was originally titled "Shut the Fuck Up", but was retitled " N 2 Gether Now" for marketing purposes. Durst also recorded with
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
, but the collaboration, "Turn Me Loose", was left off the album. The album also featured guest appearances by
Stone Temple Pilots Stone Temple Pilots, commonly abbreviated as STP, is an American Rock music, rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1989. Originally consisting of lead vocalist Scott Weiland, guitarist Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo, and drummer :Songs ...
singer Scott Weiland, Korn's
Jonathan Davis Jonathan Howsmon Davis (born January 18, 1971), also known as JD, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is the lead vocalist and frontman of nu metal band Korn, which is considered a pioneering act of the nu metal genre. Davis's ...
,
Staind Staind ( ) is an American rock band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny April, and ...
singer
Aaron Lewis Aaron Francis Lewis (born April 13, 1972) is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and founding member of the alternative metal band Staind, with whom he released eight studio albums. Since 2010, he has p ...
, and interludes by
Les Claypool Leslie Edward Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is an American rock music, rock musician. He is the founder, lead singer, bassist, and primary songwriter of the band Primus (band), Primus. Listed as one of the greatest bassists of all time by ...
and
Matt Pinfield Matthew Pinfield (born May 28, 1961) is an American television host, disc jockey, and music executive. He first reached national prominence as a VJ on MTV. He served two stints as the host of the alternative music program ''120 Minutes'', from ...
. '' Significant Other'' saw Limp Bizkit reaching a new level of commercial success; the band was featured on the covers of popular music magazines including '' Spin'' and now found themselves repeatedly mobbed for autographs; the band was allowed to interact directly with its fans on a website established by Dike 99. Durst also moved from Jacksonville to Los Angeles. ''Significant Other'' was seen as an improvement over its debut and was generally well received by critics with mixed-to-positive reviews. However, the band also continued to be criticized by the media; an article profiling the band in ''Spin'' and discussing ''Significant Other'' claimed that "Limp Bizkit had yet to write a good song", and musicians
Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...
and
Trent Reznor Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and composer. He came to prominence as the founder, lead singer, multi-instrumentalist, and primary songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. T ...
criticized the band. The band promoted the album by playing unannounced concerts in Detroit and Chicago as radio stations received a strong number of requests for the album's first single, " Nookie". ''Significant Other'' climbed to No. 1 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' 200, selling 643,874 copies in its first week of release. In its second week of release the album sold an additional 335,000 copies. On the opening night of the band's Limptropolis tour with
Kid Rock Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter. After establishing himself in the Music of Detroit#Hip-hop, Detroit hip-hop scene, he broke through into m ...
, Sam Rivers smashed his bass in frustration over the venue's poor sound, cutting his hand. After his hand was stitched up at a hospital, Rivers returned to finish the set. On July 12, Durst allegedly kicked a security guard in the head during a performance in St. Paul, Minnesota and was later arrested on assault charges. Further criticisms of the band appeared in ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' and ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. ''New York Times'' writer Ann Powers wrote, "DJ Lethal used his turntables as a metal guitar, riffing expansively and going for effects instead of rhythm. John Otto on drums and Sam Rivers on bass never even tried to get funky, instead steering hip-hop's break-beat-based structure into a backbone for power chords. This makes for a hybrid that would be more interesting if the band did not constantly mire itself in boring tempos, and if Mr. Durst had any talent as a singer". In the summer of 1999, Limp Bizkit played at the highly anticipated Woodstock '99 show in front of approximately 200,000 people. Violent action sprang up during and after the band's performance, including fans tearing plywood from the walls during a performance of the song " Break Stuff". Several
sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...
s were also reported in the concert's aftermath . Durst stated during the concert, "People are getting hurt. Don't let anybody get hurt. But I don't think you should mellow out. That's what
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, she became a cultural phenomenon during the mid 199 ...
had you motherfuckers do. If someone falls, pick 'em up. We already let the negative energy out. Now we wanna let out the positive energy". Durst later stated in an interview, "I didn't see anybody getting hurt. You don't see that. When you're looking out on a sea of people and the stage is twenty feet in the air and you're performing, and you're feeling your music, how do they expect us to see something bad going on?" Les Claypool told ''
The San Francisco Examiner The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and has been published since 1863. Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst and the flagship of the H ...
'', "Woodstock was just Durst being Durst. His attitude is 'no press is bad press', so he brings it on himself. He wallows in it. Still, he's a great guy."
Jonathan Davis Jonathan Howsmon Davis (born January 18, 1971), also known as JD, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is the lead vocalist and frontman of nu metal band Korn, which is considered a pioneering act of the nu metal genre. Davis's ...
of
Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, originally formed in 1993 by James Shaffer, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and David Silveria, who were members of the band ...
also defended the band: "I think Bizkit is being blamed for it because they were the heavy band … I don't think it was their fuckin' fault". "It's easy to point the finger and blame s but they hired us for what we do — and all we did is what we do. I would turn the finger and point it back to the people that hired us," said Durst in reference to original Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang. Durst saw the band as being scapegoated for the event's controversy, and reflected on the criticisms surrounding the band in his music video for the single " Re-Arranged", which depicted the band members receiving death sentences for their participation in the concerts. The video ended with angry witnesses watching as the band drowned in milk while performing the song. Durst later stated that the promoters of Woodstock '99 were at fault for booking his band due to their reputation for raucous performances. Despite this controversy, ''Significant Other'' remained at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' charts; the band also headlined the year's Family Values Tour. Durst directed a music video for "N 2 Gether Now" which featured Method Man and
Pauly Shore Paul Montgomery Shore (born February 1, 1968) is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for his roles in 1990s comedy films. Shore began as a stand-up comedian at the age of 17, before becoming an MTV VJ in 1989. This led to a starring ...
, and was inspired by Inspector Clouseau's fights with his butler Cato Fong in the '' Pink Panther'' film series.


''Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water'' (2000–2001)

In 2000, Durst announced that the band's third studio album would be titled '' Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water''. The press thought he was joking about this title. The album title is intended to sound like a fictional band; the phrase "Chocolate Starfish" refers to the human anus and Durst himself, who has frequently been called an "asshole". Borland contributed the other half of the album's title when the band was standing around at a truck stop looking at bottles of flavored water, and Borland joked that the truck stop did not have hot dog or meat-flavored water. In June 2000, Limp Bizkit performed at the WXRK Dysfunctional Family Picnic, but showed up an hour late for their set. An Interscope spokesman stated that there was confusion over the band's set time. During the band's performance, Durst criticized
Creed A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) which summarizes its core tenets. Many Christian denominations use three creeds ...
singer Scott Stapp, calling him "an egomaniac". Creed's representatives later presented Durst with an autographed anger management manual. In the summer, Limp Bizkit's tour was sponsored by the controversial
file sharing File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digital media, such as computer programs, multimedia (audio, images and video), documents or electronic books. Common methods of storage, transmission and dispersion include ...
service
Napster Napster was an American proprietary peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing application primarily associated with digital audio file distribution. Founded by Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker, the platform originally launched on June 1, 1999. Audio shared ...
, doing free shows with a metal cage as the only thing separating them from the audience. Durst was an outspoken advocate of file sharing. They also did a "Guerrilla Tour", which involved the band setting up illegal and impromptu public gigs on rooftops and alleyways, some being shut down by the police. During the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, Durst performed "Livin' It Up", a song from the upcoming album, as a duet with
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
. In response to the performance, Filter frontman Richard Patrick was quoted as saying "Fred getting onstage with Christina Aguilera embarrassed us all." In response to the negative reactions to the performance, Durst remarked, "People always just wanna talk about Britney or Christina. What's the problem? Because they make a type of music we aren't allowed to like? Or you think they are the nemesis of what our music is about? Why segregate? Why be so musically fuckin' racist? What do you mean, I can't hang out with these types of people? Clearly I didn't give a fuck, which fed a lot of it, too. I mean, someone that's not going to give in and apologise... it's gonna make people carry on talking". Durst also appeared in the music video for Eminem's song " The Real Slim Shady", a song in which
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
suggests that Christina Aguilera and Durst had a sexual relationship. Durst denied the rumors and defended Aguilera, saying: "For one thing, it's not true, so it doesn't bother me. minem issort of answering the critics. He's going to the extreme with everything he can to now slap them in the face.... It's so over-the-top. For one thing, Christina's amazing. I really like that girl. I think she's an amazing singer. She's gonna have longevity. She's going to be one of those amazing icon women. I'm really attracted to her, I like her, and I've talked to her a couple of times, and that's that. I haven't had any type of relationship with her, or any type of intercourse with her. She's never sucked my dick, she's never sucked Carson's." Released on October 17, ''Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water'' set a record for highest first-week sales for a rock album, with over one million copies sold in the US in its first week of release. 400,000 of those sales happened during the first day, making it the fastest-selling rock album ever and breaking the record held for seven years by
Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...
's '' Vs.'' ''Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water'' was certified Gold, Platinum, and six times Multi-Platinum. Limp Bizkit headlined the first Anger Management Tour edition that year with Eminem acting as co-headliner along with support from
Papa Roach Papa Roach is an American Rock music, rock band from Vacaville, California, formed in 1993. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist Jacoby Shaddix, drummer Dave Buckner, guitarist Jerry Horton, bassist Will James, and trombonist Ben Luth ...
,
Xzibit Alvin Nathaniel Joiner (born September 18, 1974), better known by his stage name Xzibit (pronounced "''exhibit''), is an American rapper, actor, television presenter, radio personality, and record executive. He began his musical career in 1992, ...
, D12 and later,
Godsmack Godsmack is an American Rock music, rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is currently composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sully Erna and bassist Robbie Merrill. Since its formation, Godsmack has released eig ...
, DMX, Sinnistar. The tour lasted 35 dates from October 19 - December 19, 2000. The album received mixed reviews, with AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine writing, "Durst's self-pitying and the monotonous music give away that the band bashed Chocolate Starfish out very quickly – it's the sound of a band determined to deliver a sequel in a finite amount of time." ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' writer David Browne named it as the worst album title of 2000, whilst readers of ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'' magazine voted it the worst album of the year, as well as voting Limp Bizkit and Fred Durst as the worst band of 2000 and the "Arse of the Year", respectively. During a 2001 tour of Australia at the
Big Day Out The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typi ...
festival in Sydney, fans rushed the stage in the
mosh pit Moshing (also known as slam dancing or simply slamming) is an extreme style of dancing in which participants push or slam into each other. Taking place in an area called the mosh pit (or simply the pit), it is typically performed to aggressive s ...
and teenager Jessica Michalik died of
asphyxiation Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body which arises from abnormal breathing. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects all the tissues and organs, some more rapidly than others. There are ...
. In court, Durst, represented by long-time attorney Ed McPherson, testified he had warned the concert's organizers Aaron Jackson, Will Pearce, and Amar Tailor, as well as the concert's promoter Vivian Lees, of the potential dangers of such minimal security. After viewing videotapes and hearing witness testimony, however, the coroner said it was evident that the crowd's density was dangerous at the time Limp Bizkit took the stage, stating that Fred Durst should have acted more responsibly when the problem became apparent. Durst stated that he was "emotionally scarred" because of the teenager's death. Durst also stated that he was aware of the security problems, but that he and the band were forced to play in the festival: "There was a demand for us to play Big Day Out 2001, so we filled it. When we came to play we said, "The barricades aren't right – people are gonna go crazy so we're not playing." And they go, "No, you're goddamn wrong. You are playing – you're the headliners." And we go, "No, you gotta have the right barricade." The promoters who owned Big Day Out at the time were rude. The police came and it turned into this huge thing, with them telling us, "There's gonna be a riot if you don't play and if that happens, we're arresting you". Later in 2001, numerous hip-hop artists including P. Diddy,
Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...
,
Bubba Sparxxx Warren Anderson Mathis (born March 6, 1977), better known by his stage name Bubba Sparxxx, is an American rapper. His 2001 single, " Ugly" (featuring Timbaland) peaked at number 15 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and led him to sign with Timbaland ...
, and
Everlast Erik Francis Schrody (born August 18, 1969), known by his stage names Everlast and Whitey Ford, is an American Rapping, rapper, Singing, singer, and songwriter who was the Lead vocalist, frontman for Hip hop music, hip hop group House of Pain. ...
remixed famous songs from the band into hip-hop versions, adding their own styles and modifications. The album was called '' New Old Songs''.


Departure of Borland and ''Results May Vary'' (2001–2003)

In October 2001, Durst released a statement on their website stating that "Limp Bizkit and Wes Borland have amicably decided to part ways. Both Limp Bizkit and Borland will continue to pursue their respective musical careers. Both wish each other the best of luck in all future endeavors." Durst also stated that the band would "comb the world for the illest guitar player known to man" to replace Borland. When asked why Borland quit the band, Ross Robinson stated that he quit because "He doesn't sell out for money anymore". Durst held a nationwide audition for a new guitarist called "Put Your Guitar Where Your Mouth Is." However, Mike Henderson, who was one of the guitarists who went for the audition, revealed that the event was nothing more than a publicity stunt. Durst had no intention to recruit a new guitarist and the whole thing was intended to sell Guitar Center products. This caused an uproar amongst the guitarists who had been waiting for hours. The band eventually recorded with Snot guitarist Mike Smith, though they later scrapped the initial recording sessions with Smith. In May 2002, Durst posted Wes Borland's personal email address online and told fans to ask him to rejoin the group. Borland stated that 75% or more of all the emails pleaded for him not to return to the band. During the album's production, the working title changed from ''Bipolar'' to ''Panty Sniffer'', and was completed under the title '' Results May Vary''. Under Durst's sole leadership, the album encompassed a variety of styles and featured a cover of
the Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
's " Behind Blue Eyes", which differed from the original's arrangement in its inclusion of a Speak & Spell during the song's
bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
. ''Results May Vary'' consisted of various recording sessions, some of which included Smith on guitars and some without; however, Smith continued to play live shows with the band. Limp Bizkit performed at WWE WrestleMania XIX, with both Smith and Korn's Brian Welch on guitars. In the summer of 2003, Limp Bizkit participated on the Summer Sanitarium Tour headlined by
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
. At the tour's
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
stop, concert attendees threw items and heckled Durst from the moment he walked on stage. With the crowd chanting "Fuck Fred Durst" and continuing their assault on him, Durst threw the mic down after six songs and walked off stage, but not before heckling the crowd back. He repeatedly said, "Limp Bizkit are the best band in the world!" until a roadie took his microphone away. An article in the ''Sun-Times'' stated that the hostility was started by radio personality Mancow. ''Results May Vary'' was released on September 23, 2003, and received largely unfavorable reviews. AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine panned the album, writing, "the music has no melody, hooks, or energy, ndall attention is focused on the clown jumping up and down and screaming in front, and long before the record is over, you're left wondering, how the hell did he ever get to put this mess out?" ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' reviewer Caroline Sullivan wrote, "At least Limp Bizkit can't be accused of festering in the
rap-rock 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 co ...
ghetto ... But Durst's problems are ever-present – and does anybody still care?" Despite criticisms of the album, it was a commercial success, peaking at No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Smith departed from the band in August 2004. Durst later told a fan site that he had a falling-out with Smith, saying "We are the type of people that stay true to our family and our instincts and at any moment will act on intuition as a whole. Mike wasn't the guy. We had fun playing with him but always knew, in the back of our minds, that he wasn't where we needed him to be mentally."


Borland's return, ''The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)'' and hiatus (2004–2008)

In August 2004, Borland rejoined Limp Bizkit, which began recording their first EP, '' The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)''. In May, ''The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)'' was released. Sammy Siegler took over drumming duties for the band for much of the EP, which featured a more experimental sound, described by AllMusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine as "neo-prog alt-metal". At Durst's insistence, the EP was released as an underground release without any advertising or promotion. Borland disagreed with the decision, suggesting that it was "self-sabotage": "Maybe he was already unhappy with the music, and he didn't really want to put it out there." The EP received mixed reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the music, calling it "a step in the right direction – it's more ambitious, dramatic, and aggressive, built on pummeling verses and stop-start choruses." However, he felt that the band was being "held back" by Durst, whom he called "the most singularly unpleasant, absurd frontman in rock."
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
writer Spence D. similarly gave it a mixed review, as he felt that the EP lacked direction, but that showed potential for the band's musical growth. ''The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)'' sold over 37,000 copies in its first week of release, and debuted at No. 24 on the ''Billboard'' 200, but due to its lack of advertising sales fell off quickly and only sold 88,000 copies in the United States by March 2006. Following the release of the band's '' Greatest Hitz'' album, the band went on hiatus. Borland stated that it was unlikely that a sequel to ''The Unquestionable Truth'' would be produced and that "As of right now, none of my future plans include Limp Bizkit."


Reunion, ''Gold Cobra'' and departure from Interscope (2009–2011)

In 2009, Limp Bizkit reunited with Borland playing guitar and launched the Unicorns N' Rainbows Tour. Durst announced that they had begun to record a new album, which Borland titled '' Gold Cobra''. Borland said that the title does not have any meaning, and that it was chosen because it fit the style of music the band was writing for the album. The band recorded a spoken intro written by Durst and performed by
Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
member
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; ; born August 25, 1949) also known by his stage persona "The Demon", is an Israeli-born American musician. He was the bassist and co-lead singer of the hard rock band Kiss (band), Kiss, which he co-founded wit ...
for the album, but it was left off the completed album. The band also recorded additional "non-album" tracks, including "Combat Jazz", which featured rapper
Raekwon Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon ( ), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success following the release of the ...
and "Middle Finger", featuring
Paul Wall Paul Michael Slayton (born March 11, 1981), better known by his stage name Paul Wall, or the Ice Man, is an American rapper and DJ. He has spent much of his career affiliated with Swishahouse, and has released several albums under the label and ...
. "
Shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, peppergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which discharges numerous small ...
" was released as a single on May 17, 2011. The song is noted for featuring a guitar solo by Borland, something that the band is not known for. "Shotgun" received favorable reviews, with
Artistdirect Artistdirect (stylized as ARTISTdirect) is an American online digital media entertainment company. Overview Founded in 1996, it owns several websites, including artistdirect.com and artistdirectinterviews.com. These websites are a group of affi ...
writing, " Shotgun'feels like Bizkit approached the signature style on '' Three Dollar Bill Y'All'' and '' Significant Other'' with another decade-plus of instrumental experience and virtuosity, carving out a banger that could get asses moving in the club or fists flying in the
mosh pit Moshing (also known as slam dancing or simply slamming) is an extreme style of dancing in which participants push or slam into each other. Taking place in an area called the mosh pit (or simply the pit), it is typically performed to aggressive s ...
." ''Gold Cobra'' was released on June 28 and received mixed to positive reviews. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it "a return to the full-throttled attack of ''Three Dollar Bill Y'All''. IGN writer Chad Grischow wrote, "Though far from their best work, Limp Bizkit's latest at least proves that their 2005 ''Greatest Hitz'' album may have been premature." ''
Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...
'' writer Terry Bezer appraised the album, writing "Aside from the odd duff moment, Gold Cobra throws out the hot shit that'll make you bounce in the mosh pit over and over again." The band launched the Gold Cobra Tour in support of the album. A music video for the title track was released. ''Gold Cobra'' sold nearly 80,000 copies in the United States alone and peaked at No. 16 on the ''Billboard'' 200; however, the band left Interscope after the album's release.


''Stampede of the Disco Elephants'' and ''Still Sucks'' (2012–2022)

In February 2012, the band returned to Australia for the first time in 11 years to perform at the Soundwave festival. Durst dedicated the shows to Jessica Michalik, who died during the Limp Bizkit performance at
Big Day Out The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typi ...
2001. Limp Bizkit signed with Cash Money Records. Following a dispute between Durst, Lethal, and Otto about the latter two's alleged chronic drug and alcohol use, DJ Lethal angrily left the band. DJ Lethal later posted an apology to the band on Twitter, but was ultimately not allowed back into the band. Fred Durst was featured in the song "Champions" by Kevin Rudolf, which was used as a theme for WWE's Night of Champions. The song debuted on ''
WWE Raw ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE. It currently airs Live television, live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Netflix. The show fe ...
'' on September 3, 2012. This was the first time Limp Bizkit has worked with WWE since 2003. The band recorded their seventh studio album, ''Stampede of the Disco Elephants'' with producer Ross Robinson, who also produced the band's debut album ''Three Dollar Bill, Yall'' and the 2005 EP ''The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)''. On March 24, 2013, the first single from the album, " Ready to Go" (featuring Lil Wayne) was released on limpbizkit.com. In November a cover of the Ministry song "Thieves" was released by the band via their official Facebook and Twitter accounts. In December, the band released the previously leaked song "Lightz" along with an accompanying music video. The next single off the album, " Endless Slaughter", was set to be released only on cassette and during concerts, but can be downloaded at the band's official website. In October 2014, Fred Durst revealed that the band had left Cash Money and became independent again. The split was carried out amicably and Fred says that "We really love the jam we did with Lil Wayne, though. We love that song." Limp Bizkit performed as headliners of the ShipRocked 2015 cruise from February 2 to 6. Other bands present were Chevelle, Black Label Society, P.O.D., and
Sevendust Sevendust is an American Rock music, rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1994 by bassist Vinnie Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly (musician), John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon an ...
among others. The band announced their major 2015 tour called "Money Sucks", a Russian 20-date tour to take place during October and November celebrating Limp Bizkit's 20th anniversary. The tour name was a nod to the difficult economic situation that Russia was facing at the time. The tour gathered criticism on the background of
Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...
and behaviour of Fred Durst who showed a flag saying "
Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...
= Russia", referring to illegal annexation by Russia in 2014. Before the band traveled to Europe to attend the "Money Sucks" Tour, Sam Rivers was diagnosed with a degenerative disease of the spinal discs that was complicated due to a pinched nerve, causing a lot of pain in such areas and which prevented him from being with the band. 23-year-old German bassist Samuel Gerhard Mpungu replaced Rivers for the tour. Limp Bizkit offered several concerts in the United Kingdom during winter 2016 alongside
Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, originally formed in 1993 by James Shaffer, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and David Silveria, who were members of the band ...
. Regarding this tour, Fred says: "You may have experienced a lot of cool concerts in your life, but I can guarantee you that an evening with Korn and Limp Bizkit will always and forever be your favorite. No one brings the party harder, heavier, and more exciting than us. No one. And ... make sure you get plenty of rest the night before. It's time to bring it back!" Because of little information and constant delays for the release of ''Stampede'', in an interview/talk with the podcast "Someone Who Isn't Me", Wes said that Fred "isn't happy" with what he was working on. The guitarist said that Durst will "just keep working on something until he's happy with it, even if it takes years and years". DJ Lethal resumed performing with the band on March 17, 2018, at the Storm the Gates festival in
Auckland, New Zealand Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
. On July 8, 2019, the band played a new song from their forthcoming album called "Wasteoid" live in Paris. Borland provided an album update in June 2021, detailing the struggles with the album: In August 2021, just a week after their main stage set at Lollapalooza, the band canceled their summer tour, "out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of the band, crew and most of all the fans" in relation to rising COVID-19 cases in the United States. On August 25, 2021, the band revealed new music would be "leaked" in rapid succession with their new album to follow soon after. On September 30, 2021, the band released a new single "Dad Vibes". On October 19, Durst teased on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
that more songs would be coming soon, revealing the titles "Turn It Up Bitch" and "Goodbye", as well as the album containing 12 tracks. On October 28, 2021, Durst confirmed via Instagram that the band's sixth album – now titled '' Still Sucks'' – would be released on October 31, 2021.


Upcoming seventh studio album (2023–present)

Borland revealed in early 2023 that plans for Limp Bizkit's seventh studio album were underway for 2024. In late October 2024, Durst confirmed that he was "in the studio with John Otto" recording drum tracks for the album.


Artistry


Music

Durst wanted Limp Bizkit to be a "megaband" which could cross over into as many different styles of music as possible. Limp Bizkit's music has predominately been described as , and
rap rock 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 co ...
. Limp Bizkit have also been described as
alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...
,
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
, and
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
. In 2000, the ''
New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...
'' labelled the band as " frat-metal". Limp Bizkit's music is noted for its "kinetic, frenzied energy". Otto is adept in drumming in a variety of styles ranging from Brazilian and Afro-Cuban music to
bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early to mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo (usually exceeding 200 bpm), complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerou ...
and
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
. DJ Lethal functions as a
sound design Sound design is the art and practice of creating auditory elements of media. It involves specifying, acquiring and creating audio using production techniques and equipment or software. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking ...
er for the band, shaping their sound. According to Lethal, "I try and bring new sounds, not just the regular chirping scratching sounds. ... It's all different stuff that you haven't heard before. I'm trying to be like another guitar player." Borland's guitar playing is experimental and nontraditional, and he is noted for his creative use of six and
seven-string guitar The seven-string guitar adds one additional string to the more common six-string guitar, commonly used to extend the bass range (usually a low B) or also to extend the treble range. The additional string is added in one of two different ways: b ...
s. ''Three Dollar Bill, Yall'' features him playing without a
guitar pick A guitar pick (American English) is a plectrum used for guitars. Picks are generally made of one uniform material, such as some kind of plastic (nylon, Delrin, celluloid), rubber, felt, Tortoiseshell material, tortoiseshell, wood, metal, glass, ...
, performing with two hands, one playing melodic notes, and the other playing chord progressions. His guitar playing has made use of octave shapes, and choppy, eighth-note rhythms, sometimes accompanied by muting his strings with his left hand, creating a percussive sound. Borland has also made use of unevenly accented syncopated sixteenth notes to create a disorienting effect, and hypnotic, droning licks. The song "Stuck" uses a sustain pedal in the first bar, and muted riffs in the second bar. AllMusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that the band's album ''Significant Other'' contains "flourishes of
neo-psychedelia Neo-psychedelia is a genre of psychedelic music that draws inspiration from the music production approaches and songwriting of 1960s psychedelia, either exploring emulations of the sounds of the era or applying its ethos to new styles of music ...
on pummeling metal numbers" and "swirls of strings, even crooning, at the most unexpected background". The band did not employ solos until ''Gold Cobra'' (except for the song "Underneath the Gun" from ''Results May Vary''), however, during the recording of ''Significant Other'', drummer John Otto performed an extended solo in the middle of the song "Nobody Like You". A drum solo can also be heard on "9 Teen 90 Nine" from the same album.


Lyrics

Durst's lyrics are often profane, scatological or angry. Much of Durst's lyrical inspiration came from growing up and his personal life. The song "Sour", from the album ''Three Dollar Bill, Yall'', was inspired by Durst's problems with his girlfriend. His breakup with her inspired the ''Significant Other'' songs " Nookie" and . When describing Limp Bizkit's lyrics, ''
The Michigan Daily ''The Michigan Daily'', also known as "''The Daily''", is the independent student newspaper of the University of Michigan published in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Established on September 29, 1890, the newspaper is financially and editorially independe ...
'' said "In a less-serious vein, Limp Bizkit used the nu-metal sound as a way to spin testosterone fueled fantasies into snarky white-boy rap. Oddly, audiences took frontman Fred Durst more seriously than he wanted, failing to see the intentional silliness in many of his songs." Durst said that people failed to understand the band's proposal, "There was always a lot of pain in my life. Mental and physical abuse happens regularly in my life. I've been bullied my whole life, but I also love having fun and getting crazy and being silly and outrageous. We always had that in our band and a lot of people didn't understand that." Durst also said that the band's purpose was to serve as a satire but "We just didn't make it that obvious." The band's guitarist, Wes Borland, said that "Limp Bizkit is definitely a dumb rock band." Limp Bizkit's lyrics have also been described as "misogynistic". In response to these accusations, Durst said: "That's because I said the words whore and bitch. My whole record is about my girlfriend who put me through the ringer for three years and my insecurity about it. It became this big thing." ''
The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...
'' talked about the band's song "Nookie", which is accused of being sexist and misogynistic, "Despite its seemingly salacious title, 'Nookie' is not about the joy of sex; instead, it finds singer Fred Durst talking about how he let his girlfriend take advantage of him because he was a fool for love. So when he gets to the chorus catch-phrase - 'I did it all for the nookie' - what we hear is more self-recrimination than boast." ''The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)'' focuses on more serious and darker lyrical subject matter, including Catholic sex abuse cases, terrorism and fame.


Live performances

Guitarist Wes Borland is known for his use of costumes and body paint during concerts, appearing in bunny and kung fu suits, and painted as a skeleton and what he describes as a "burnt match". Describing the character, he stated, "I go onstage wearing almost nothing. I have underwear and my boots on, and I paint my whole head black—from the neck up—and I have the black contacts. All you can see is these glowing teeth." Borland's black contacts were customized for him by a company noted for making contacts for the science fiction TV series ''
Babylon 5 ''Babylon 5'' is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Tel ...
''. In addition to Borland's visual appearance, the band has also used elaborate stage setups in their performances. Their Ladies Night in Cambodia club tour visually paid tribute to the film ''
Apocalypse Now ''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American psychological epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius, and Michael Herr, is loosely inspired by the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkn ...
'', with an elaborate stage setup which featured an empty Jeep, camouflage mesh and palm trees. During the band's tour with Primus, Limp Bizkit took inspiration from Primus' trademark self-deprecatory slogan "Primus sucks": Durst, Borland, Rivers, Otto and Lethal took the stage with middle fingers raised. According to Borland, "they finger us back—and you know what that means to us—that they love us. It's kind of like saying something is bad when you really mean good. Les Claypool came out the first night of the tour and got a big kick out of it. We figured it was the right idea. It makes hecklers go 'huh.'" During the band's sets at Ozzfest, audience members at the tour heckled Limp Bizkit, leading the band to use a toilet as a stage prop, which they would emerge from during each performance; the band punctuated their sets by "flushing" cardboard cutouts of pop stars like Hanson and the
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...
. During their appearance at the first Family Values Tour, Limp Bizkit performed on a set which the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' described as "a mix of ''
The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells. It was written between 1895 and 1897, and serialised in '' Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and ''Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US in 1897. The full novel was ...
'' and '' Mars Attacks''". The band emerged from a spaceship during the tour, and Borland continued to experiment with visual appearances. During the band's
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
performance on the tour, each of the band's members dressed as
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
at various stages in his career.


Influences

Limp Bizkit cites their inspirations and influences as such acts as
Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
,
Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before September 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist ...
, the
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
,
Run-DMC Run-DMC (also formatted Run-D.M.C., RUN DMC, or some combination thereof) was an American hip-hop group formed in Hollis, Queens, New York City in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the mos ...
, the
Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
,
Public Enemy Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...
,
the Jesus Lizard The Jesus Lizard is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1987 in Austin, Texas by vocalist David Yow, guitarist Duane Denison and bassist David Wm. Sims. They relocated to Chicago, Illinois, in 1989, where they found kindred spirits in ...
,
Tomahawk A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Native Americans in the United States, Indian peoples and nations of North America, traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. Etymology The name comes from Powhatan langu ...
,
Dave Matthews Band Dave Matthews Band (also known as DMB) is an American rock band from Charlottesville, Virginia. The band's lineup consists of Dave Matthews (lead vocals, guitar), Stefan Lessard (bass), Carter Beauford (drums), Tim Reynolds (lead guitar), R ...
, Portishead, Mr. Bungle,
Sepultura Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band formed in Belo Horizonte in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. They were a major force in the groove metal, thrash met ...
, Ministry, Prong,
Tool A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...
, Primus,
Pantera Pantera () is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Arlington, Texas in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul), and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, an ...
,
Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...
,
Testament A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true. In law it usually means last will and testament. Testament or The Testament can also refer to: Books * ''Testament'' (comic book), a 2005 comic book * ''Testament'', a thriller no ...
,
Suicidal Tendencies Suicidal Tendencies is an American crossover thrash band formed in 1980 in Venice, California, by vocalist Mike Muir. The band has undergone various lineup changes, with Muir as the only remaining original member. Their current lineup includes ...
,
Minor Threat Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C., by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guita ...
, the Angry Samoans, Black Flag,
N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip-hop group formed in Compton, California in 1987. Among the earliest and most significant figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, the group is widely considered one of the great ...
,
the Fat Boys The Fat Boys were an American hip-hop trio from Brooklyn, New York (state), New York, who emerged in the early 1980s. The group was briefly known originally as the Disco 3, originally composed of Mark "Prince Markie Dee" Morales, Damon Wimbley, ...
, the
Treacherous Three The Treacherous Three was a pioneering American hip hop group that was formed in 1978 and consisted of DJ Easy Lee, Kool Moe Dee, L.A. Sunshine, Special K and Spoonie Gee (who left in the late 1970s), with occasional contributions from DJ D ...
, the Cold Crush Brothers, Urban Dance Squad,
Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to Rage) was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1991. It consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim ...
,
Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, originally formed in 1993 by James Shaffer, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and David Silveria, who were members of the band ...
,
Deftones Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by frontman Chino Moreno, lead guitarist Stephen Carpenter and drummer Abe Cunningham, with bassist Chi Cheng and keyboardist and tu ...
,
Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1985. The band's best known line-up consisted of lead vocalist Perry Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins and guitarist Dave Navarro. Jane's Addicti ...
, the
Circle Jerks Circle Jerks (stylized as Ciʀcle JƎʀᴋs) are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California. The group was founded by former Black Flag (band), Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris and Redd Kross guitarist Greg Hetso ...
, and
John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conducting, conductor, saxophonist, arrangement, arranger and record producer, producer who "deliberately resists category". His Avant-garde music, avant-garde and experimental music, ex ...
.


Criticism

Despite receiving praise for their artistry and musical contributions, the band has received a share of negative criticism from fellow musicians. As pointed out by author Joel McIver, Limp Bizkit's mix of rap and metal was notably preceded by the bands Rage Against the Machine and Faith No More, but its lyrics widely differed from the radical politics of the former and the existential poetry of the latter. Durst cited both bands as two of his biggest influences. Faith No More's semi-ironic cover of " Easy" by
Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the Motown group Commodores; writing and recor ...
in 1992 hinted what would be the recording of
George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...
's "
Faith Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is " belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, inc ...
" by Limp Bizkit in 1997. The frontmen of both groups have distanced themselves from Limp Bizkit;
Zack de la Rocha Zacharias Manuel de la Rocha (born January 12, 1970) is an American musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Rage Against the Machine. Through both Rage Against ...
of Rage Against the Machine stated that Limp Bizkit "sucks", while Faith No More vocalist
Mike Patton Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock bands Faith No More and Mr. Bungle. He has also fronted and/or played with Tomahawk, The ...
paraphrased the quote attributed to
Götz von Berlichingen zu Hornberg (, ; 15 November 1480 – 23 July 1562), also known as Götz of the Iron Hand (German language, German: Eisenfaust), was a 16th-century Germany, German (Franconian) Imperial Knight (''Reichsritter''), mercenary and poet. He wa ...
, ''Er kann mich am Arsch lecken'' – "He can lick my ass", when asked by a German reporter about Durst's interest in releasing his music through Interscope Records. During the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, Rage Against the Machine bassist
Tim Commerford Timothy Commerford (born February 26, 1968) is an American musician, best known as the bassist and backing vocalist for rock band Rage Against the Machine and supergroups Audioslave and Prophets of Rage. Since 2013 and 2015, respectively, he ha ...
climbed part of the set in protest of Limp Bizkit winning the award for Best Rock Video, later expressing his dislike of the band during a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, claiming "I apologize for inspiring such shit".


Feuds


Slipknot

Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, originally formed in 1993 by James Shaffer, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and David Silveria, who were members of the band ...
and Limp Bizkit shared a long-standing friendship after bassist Reginald Arvizu assisted the band in acquiring a record deal in 1996. The bands continued to strengthen their relationship as they often toured together frequently throughout the late 1990s. Slipknot at the time were an up and coming band and would have their self-titled debut produced by Ross Robinson (a producer who worked with all three bands). Whilst on tour promoting their upcoming album during the 1999
Ozzfest Ozzfest was an annual music festival tour of the United States and sometimes Europe and later Japan, featuring performances by many heavy metal music, heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Sharon Osbourne and her husband O ...
tour, lead singer
Corey Taylor Corey Todd Taylor (born December 8, 1973) is an American musician, songwriter, author and actor. He is the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Slipknot (band), Slipknot, in which he is designated #8, as well as the lead vocalist, guitarist, ly ...
took notice of Korn drummer David Silveria's modeling campaign for Calvin Klein in several magazines whilst the band were at a truck stop in Texas. Disgusted with Silveria's business decisions to expand into modeling, Taylor purchased numerous copies of the magazine issue and publicly burnt copies onstage during the band's live performances. According to Taylor, Durst and DJ Lethal were enraged by the gestures and attacked Slipknot in various interviews in the spring of 1999. Taylor admits that he and multiple Slipknot members were impressed with Limp Bizkit's 1997 debut record, even citing it as an influence on their debut album, but he later claimed they lost respect for the band following the release of "Significant Other" in 1999, accusing the band of selling out. Durst would make further retaliatory comments towards Slipknot's fans in December 1999, referring to them as "fat, ugly kids". Slipknot singer Corey Taylor responded during a February 2000 fan interview in
Sydney, Australia Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 km (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean ...
by claiming that the fans of Slipknot "for the most part, enjoy all kinds of music, like Limp Bizkit… maybe." Taylor went on to claim that insulting fans of Slipknot could also be insulting fans of Limp Bizkit. During an interview with VH1 in October 2000, Durst praised Slipknot's music, expressing his desire to quell the tension between both sides, when asked about Slipknot's music Durst told reporters: "Man this band is super phat, man; we don't even know them. That's their whole thing, that's their chant, that's their thing, that's cool. Maybe all this hate that's going around the world, that's why I said 'It's all the world has even seen lately'". Despite this, Taylor retorted with praise for Durst's financial ventures but attacked his artistic motives, claiming "Fred Durst is a great businessman, but he is not an artist". Despite the attacks between the two bands, they shared numerous UK festival dates together through 2000, including the 2000
Reading and Leeds Festivals The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...
. Taylor later claimed that feud began to subside during the late 2000s after the two bands shared a friendly encounter during the 2009 Download Festival in which Durst approached him, informing Taylor that his children were fans of Slipknot's music. Durst asked Taylor if he would sign several autographs for his son, to which Taylor kindly obliged. The two would continue to find themselves on friendlier terms in 2010. Whilst Limp Bizkit were recording "Gold Cobra", Durst included a line on the song 90.2.10 giving a shoutout to Taylor. Limp Bizkit was later booked on the 2014 Japanese leg of Slipknot's Knotfest tour along with Korn. In August 2021, Limp Bizkit gave a public tribute to Slipknot drummer
Joey Jordison Nathan Jonas "Joey" Jordison (April 26, 1975 – July 26, 2021) was an American musician. He was the original drummer of the nu metal band Slipknot (band), Slipknot, in which he was designated #1, and the guitarist for the horror punk Supergroup ...
who had recently died on July 26. Durst and the band paid tribute to him during their concert in Des Moines, Iowa (Slipknot's hometown). Durst asked the audience: "Slipknot's from somewhere around here, aren't they?" before expressing support for Jordison and the rest of the band, later telling the crowd "Rest in peace, let's hear it! That's beautiful. Life is short and it's always fleeting so, man, let's just remember all we are is right now" while riling the crowd to chant Jordison's name. On May 19, 2024, Slipknot turntablist Sid Wilson made a live appearance during Limp Bizkit's performance at that year's Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio.


Marilyn Manson and Trent Reznor

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...
was known to be overly vocal against Limp Bizkit's music; in 1999, he attacked the band's artistry and their fans, referring to them as "illiterate apes that beat your ass in high school for being a 'fag' and now sell you tuneless testosterone anthems of
misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against Woman, women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than Man, men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been wide ...
and pretend to be outsiders...". Manson, along with
Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN (stylized as NIИ), is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988. Its members are the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor and his frequent col ...
frontman
Trent Reznor Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and composer. He came to prominence as the founder, lead singer, multi-instrumentalist, and primary songwriter of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. T ...
, once again took aim at Durst and the band in Nine Inch Nails' video for the song " Starfuckers, Inc.", in which the two take aim at multiple artists, ranging from
The Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also simply known as Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. The ...
' frontman
Billy Corgan William Patrick Corgan Jr. (born March 17, 1967) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and professional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the co-founder, lead guitarist, primary songwriter, singer, and only constant member of alter ...
,
Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Stipe was born in Metro Atlanta in January 1960. Due to his father's militar ...
of
R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...
, and (most blatantly) Durst and Limp Bizkit. In a 2000 interview, Manson later explained: "With this video, we didn't wanna seem bitching like about somehow that Limp Bizkit's doing better than we are, in their mind." Reznor later added to the comment, stating; "I don't have to say Limp Bizkit sucks, you know it, I know it, I shouldn't have to say it". Durst responded to Manson and Reznor's insults: "I understand that Marilyn Manson is very unhappy that his career has gone in a shambles and he's alienated his fans, so if he has to say things like that because he's very mad at himself, I would forgive him. And Trent Reznor's in the fucking same boat. Trent Reznor is obviously unhappy with how he's alienated the world, how long he took to make a record, and how he thought he was immortal. We're just here doing what we do and we have nothing to say about anybody. I wish them both luck and I feel sorry that they're so jealous and mad at themselves that they have to talk shit." Durst's relationship with Manson had seemingly grown cordial as the two later appeared on the cover of a ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine issue in June 2003 alongside
James Hetfield James Alan Hetfield (born August 3, 1963) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, co-founder, and a primary songwriter of heavy metal band Metallica. He is mainly known for his raspy voice and intricate rhythm playi ...
and
Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...
. Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland later joined Manson's touring band in 2008. Borland later departed Manson's touring band after less than nine months, citing an inability to songwrite and criticizing Manson's overbearing leadership. In 2021, Manson would become the subject of further controversy surrounding numerous sexual abuse allegations against him. Borland proceeded to attack Manson in numerous interviews, denouncing him as a "Bad fucking dude". Trent Reznor, in an apparent change-of-heart, supported Borland's claims against Manson's misconduct, while also attacking him for the abuse allegations, during an interview with ''
Ultimate Guitar Ultimate Guitar (Ultimate Guitar USA LLC), also known as Ultimate-Guitar.com or simply UG, is an online platform for guitarists and musicians, started on October 9, 1998 by Eugeny Naidenov and based in San Francisco, US. Its website and mobile ...
''.


Placebo

Limp Bizkit and
Placebo A placebo ( ) can be roughly defined as a sham medical treatment. Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like saline), sham surgery, and other procedures. Placebos are used in randomized clinical trials ...
began a long-standing feud, stemming from a show Durst was hosting at
Irving Plaza Irving Plaza (known through sponsorship as Irving Plaza, powered by Verizon 5G and formerly known as the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza) is a ballroom-style music venue located within the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York ...
in December 1998. Durst claimed he was prepared to introduce Placebo to the audience before singer
Brian Molko Brian Molko (born 10 December 1972) is a British-American musician who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and lyricist of the band Placebo (band), Placebo. He is known for his nasal voice and high registered vocals, feminine/androgynous appearance ...
insulted him, unaware of who he was. Durst later explained:
"I was on the side of the stage, and the singer comes and pushes me and says, 'Get the fuck out of here!' And I'm like, 'I'm just here because I was asked to introduce you.' And he's like, 'I don't give a fuck who you are, get off my stage' or whatever the fuck he was saying. So I guess he didn't know I was from Limp Bizkit, and I was introducing him."
Molko's behavior prompted Durst to rile up the crowd to chant "Placebo sucks!" prior to their performance. Molko later expressed that he was completely unaware that Durst was hosting the show. On June 11, 1999, Durst was introducing the band
Staind Staind ( ) is an American rock band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist and backing vocalist Johnny April, and ...
, prior to their performance as part of K-Rock's '' Dysfunctional Family Picnic'' in Holmdel, New Jersey, when he once again instigated the audience to chant "Fuck Placebo". The feud was reignited during ''
Big Day Out The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typi ...
'' 2001, in which Placebo were billed below Limp Bizkit, with the band's bassist, Stefan Olsdal, claiming Placebo was fearful of the audience as they hostily waited for Limp Bizkit's performance during their set. By 2004, the feud had reportedly ended.


Legacy and influence

Limp Bizkit is considered one of the defining bands of the nu metal genre. ''Alternative Press'' said: "As the years have gone by, some nü-metal outfits have progressively downplayed their bracket's hip-hop sensibilities. Even so, you can guarantee one of their primary influences were Limp Bizkit... the happily mismatched band from Jacksonville, Florida, established the ground rules of nü metal.. blur(ring) the lines between the two most polarizing genres in music... Limp Bizkit created timeless odes to teenage angst that, in time, we've discovered still apply right into adulthood." ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'' magazine talked about the impact of the band's song "Break Stuff": "If
Deftones Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by frontman Chino Moreno, lead guitarist Stephen Carpenter and drummer Abe Cunningham, with bassist Chi Cheng and keyboardist and tu ...
represented something deeper about nu-metal, Limp Bizkit represented something entirely at the other end of the scale. Despite having a genuinely innovative guitarist in Wes Borland, whose vision for his genre-straddling band was probably more in line with bands like Primus,
Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before September 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist ...
and Mr. Bungle... Break Stuff, ahem, broke Limp Bizkit through its fiendishly simple two-chord motif, kick-up-the-arse drop, and its glued-to-MTV video featuring
Jonathan Davis Jonathan Howsmon Davis (born January 18, 1971), also known as JD, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is the lead vocalist and frontman of nu metal band Korn, which is considered a pioneering act of the nu metal genre. Davis's ...
,
Flea Flea, the common name for the order (biology), order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by hematophagy, ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult f ...
, as well as rap megastars
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
,
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
and
Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
, taking them to an audience far beyond metal. The celebrity that followed was huge. The influence it left was huger." Although Limp Bizkit inspired nu metal bands like
Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...
in the 2000s, new bands in the genre continue to use Bizkit's sound as an influence, such as acclaimed nu metal revival band Wargasm, whose members grew up listening to Limp Bizkit and have said that they "wouldn't be the band we are today without them". Other bands that have cited Limp Bizkit as influence include Emmure,
Hacktivist Hacktivism (or hactivism; a portmanteau of '' hack'' and ''activism''), is the use of computer-based techniques such as hacking as a form of civil disobedience to promote a political agenda or social change. A form of Internet activism with roo ...
, Lionheart, Islander, Vision Eternel, and Zeal & Ardor. Richard Cheese performed a lounge rendition of the songs "Nookie" and "Break Stuff" on his debut album, '' Lounge Against the Machine''. The
Vitamin String Quartet Vitamin String Quartet (VSQ) is an American musical group from Los Angeles known for its series of tribute albums to rock and pop acts. VSQ is a series of string quartet projects developed and produced by CMH Records, an independent recor ...
recorded a
tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century a ...
called ''The String Quartet Tribute to Limp Bizkit: Break Stuff'', which contains reinterpretations of the band's songs performed by a violinist backed by cellos, synthesizers, and keyboard percussion. The Blackout covered " My Generation" for the compilation ''Higher Voltage!: Another Brief History of Rock''. Limp Bizkit also had a major impact on the
professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
world. They famously provided the track "My Way" for the music video for the WrestleMania 17 clash between Steve Austin and The Rock. Fred Durst is also featured in the SmackDown! Just Bring It video game. They performed their buzz single "Crack Addict" and also during WWE Legend, The Undertaker's entrance at Wrestlemania 19. They are the favorite band of several wrestlers including former WWE Diva's Champion and fellow Jacksonville native
Kelly Kelly Barbara Jean Blank Coba (née Blank; January 15, 1987), known professionally as Barbie Blank and by her ring name Kelly Kelly, is an American model and former professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under a legends contract. Blank has a ...
and former AEW athlete Sonny Kiss. The band was negatively perceived in the early 21st century. In 2003, ''
Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists and fans of guitar-based music and trends. The magazine has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original a ...
'' readers voted Limp Bizkit the "worst band of the year". A 2013 ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' readers' poll voted Limp Bizkit as the third-worst band of the 1990s, behind
Creed A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) which summarizes its core tenets. Many Christian denominations use three creeds ...
and
Nickelback Nickelback is a Canadian Rock music, rock band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, Hanna, Alberta. Throughout its history, it has consisted of lead guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Ryan ...
. The band was insulted by fellow musicians including
Deftones Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by frontman Chino Moreno, lead guitarist Stephen Carpenter and drummer Abe Cunningham, with bassist Chi Cheng and keyboardist and tu ...
' Chino Moreno and
Slayer Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
's Kerry King, with King admitting that Limp Bizkit's popularity made him consider quitting music. ''Slate'' noted how "liking Limp Bizkit can seem like an ethical failure: Durst's lyrics frequently affirm a noxious value system in which a seething hatred of The Man coexists with a seething hatred of women." ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' stated that "Limp Bizkit was often... used as a similar shorthand for the misery bad rock music has apparently wrought upon the world." Following the band's set at
Lollapalooza Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...
2021, which was broadcast on
Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
, and the release of the song "Dad Vibes", the band began having a shift in public opinion, garnering positive responses from critics and audiences. The band's comeback album '' Still Sucks'' helped with the shifting opinion, with the album receiving mostly positive reviews. Limp Bizkit was mentioned in a scene between
Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. Known primarily for his energetic slapstick performances, he has received two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for BAFTA Awards and ...
's Dr. Robotnik and
Idris Elba Idrissa Akuna Elba Order of the British Empire, OBE ( ; born 6 September 1972) is an English actor and musician. He has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three BAFTA Awards and six Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards. He w ...
's Knuckles in the film '' Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' (2022), where Robotnik compares Knuckles to being as useless as a "Limp Bizkit backstage pass". Limp Bizkit appears in '' Generation Kill'' (2004), originally conceived by journalist Evan Wright as a three-part ''Rolling Stone'' magazine series, before being released as a full-length book and becoming a 2008 HBO mini-series under the same name. ''Generation Kill'' chronicles Wright's experience as a reporter traveling with a platoon of U.S. Recon Marines during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. While driving along a winding canal en route to
Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
, a Ripped, Fuel-ed Corporal from Missouri named Josh Ray Person (played by actor James Ransone) memorably "recounts the band he formed after high school, Me or Society. A heavy-metal rap group, his band once opened for Limp Bizkit at a show in Kansas City. 'We sucked, but so did they,' Person says. 'The only difference is, they became famous right after we played together. I became a Marine.


Band members

Current members * Fred Durst – lead vocals , guitar * John Otto – drums * Sam Rivers – bass, backing vocals , guitar * Wes Borland – guitars, backing vocals * DJ Lethal
turntables A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration Waveform, waveforms are recorded as correspond ...
, sampling, keyboards, programming , backing vocals Former members * Rob Waters – guitars * Terry Balsamo – guitars * Scott Borland – keyboards, programming (1995–1996) * Mike Smith – guitars Former touring and session musicians * Brian Welch – guitars * Sammy Siegler – drums * Franko Carino (DJ SK3L3TOR) – sampling, programming, backing vocals * Samuel G Mpungu – bass * Nick Annis – guitar * Tsuzumi Okai – bass * Brandon Pertzborn – drums * Danny Connell – bass


Timeline


Discography

* '' Three Dollar Bill, Y'all'' (1997) * '' Significant Other'' (1999) * '' Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water'' (2000) * '' Results May Vary'' (2003) * '' Gold Cobra'' (2011) * '' Still Sucks'' (2021)


Accolades

Limp Bizkit has been nominated for and won several awards. Limp Bizkit has been nominated for three Grammy Awards including Best Hard Rock Performance (" Nookie"), Best Rock Album ('' Significant Other'') and Best Hard Rock Performance (" Take A Look Around"). Limp Bizkit has been nominated for 3 American Music Awards for Favorite Alternative Artist, winning one of them in 2002. In 1999, the band won the Maximum Vision Award at the Billboard Music Video Awards for their music video "Nookie" At the 2000 and 2001 Blockbuster Awards, the band won the Favorite Group (Rock) award. That year also saw the band winning a MuchMusic Award for Best International Video, honoring their video for the song " Break Stuff". At the 2001 ECHO Awards, the band won the Best International Metal Band award. At the 2009
Kerrang! Awards The ''Kerrang!'' Awards was an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine ''Kerrang!'' and focusing primarily on rock music. The annual awards featured performances by prominent artists, and some of the awards ...
, the band won the Hall of Fame award. Further expanding upon the group's achievements and popularity, they were also the first group inducted into MTV's ''
Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (commonly abbreviated as ''TRL'') is an American television program that premiered on MTV on September 14, 1998. The early version of ''TRL'' featured popular music videos played during its countdown and was also used as ...
'' "Hall of Fame" on May 26, 2001.


See also

* List of nu metal bands


References


Further reading

*


External links

* * {{Authority control 1994 establishments in Florida American musical quintets American rap metal musical groups American alternative metal musical groups American nu metal musical groups American rap rock groups Cash Money Records artists Flip Records (1994) artists Interscope Records artists Kerrang! Awards winners MTV Europe Music Award winners Musical groups established in 1994 Musical groups from Jacksonville, Florida