Fort Minor

A solo project from Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, Fort Minor's The Rising Tide album was entirely written and produced by him, with executive backing from his homie Jay-Z. While not as aggro as the stuff he does with his primary crew, it still maintains that heavy sound, fusing rock-tinged drums and guitar riffs with Timbaland/Neptune-style synth squiggles. The record also touches on unique issues; one song addresses Japanese internment camps during WWII, while another was inspired by a Robert Altman film.