Metal Hammer magazine interviewed Linkin Park‘s Mike Shinoda who spoke about how the band’s debut album, “Hybrid Theory”.

Mike touched upon how it defied the categorization and helped diversify metal’s appeal beyond its core audience with its blend of hip-hop swagger, screaming, irresistible pop hooks and circuit-bending.

He also spoke about the ”hair metal” term.

When asked about the metal music, Mike said:

“At the time, if you asked somebody what they were listening to they’d say… ‘Rock. I listen to hip-hop. I listen to jazz.’ It wasn’t until five years later they’d say, ‘Everything.’ Hybrid Theory did some of that work. It was part of the progression towards breaking down boundaries between styles of music.”

On Hair metal, he said:

“I listened to 90 percent rap music, then I’d look at a lot of rock bands and I’d be like, ‘There’s something too white [about it].’ That was one of the things that turned me off, especially hair metal. Hair metal felt like very white music and I was growing up in a very diverse city so I didn’t gravitate to it.”