Robert James Ritchie, better known by his stage name Kid Rock or by his alternative stage name Bobby Shazam, is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. He was born on January 17, 1971 in Romeo, Michigan. He grew up in a wealthy family who owned multiple car dealerships. In his late teens, Rock got interested in hip hop culture, so he learnt to breakdance and taught himself how to DJ. He soon started performing as a DJ in Detroit nightclubs.
Rock joined the rap group “The Beast Crew” in the late 1980’s. Soon after, he got to perform early Kid Rock concert shows as an opening act for rapper D-Nice. Another connection that paid off for him was his partnership with producer Mike E. Clark, who produced his early demo tapes for him. This led to offers for Rock from 6 different major labels. His debut album came out in November 1990, with the title “Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast” and through the label Jive Records. However, it failed to chart in the US. Despite that, it made him a local celebrity in the Detroit area, and got to go on a nationwide Kid Rock concert tour promoting the album, with appearances from Ice Cube and Too Short.
The second Kid Rock album was released by his own label, Top Dog Records. However, the first record of his that managed to get into the charts was his fourth one, “Devil Without a Cause” from August 1998. That one, however, became quite a hit, peaking at the #4 spot on the famous Billboard 200 chart. It fused the genres of hip hop, rock, metal, and even country, with songs on the tracklist such as “I Am the Bullgod”, and “Cowboy”.
Overall, Kid Rock has released 12 studio albums during his career. The best selling one among them is the aforementioned “Devil Without a Cause” from 1998, which sold over 11 million copies worldwide. Meanwhile, the latest new Kid Rock album came out in March 2022, with the title “Bad Reputation”. The biggest hits in the Kid Rock setlist to date are “Only God Knows Why” (1998), “Picture” (2001) featuring Sheryl Crow, “AllSummer Long” (2007), and “Born Free” (2010).
Comments (0)
Your comment
You can share your thoughts on a Kid Rock concert or setlist.
Comment in English (or use the appropriate site version to comment in another language).