12 Hard Rock Band Members Who Switched Instruments

Mike Shinoda has made a prosperous career out of being the angsty rapper of Linkin Park. Even though the band already had a skilled vocalist in screamer Chester Bennington, Shinoda's unique fusion of hip hop helped balance out the band's rock tendencies with something that was a little more down to earth.

However, things started to get a bit more complicated once the era of baggy pants and harsh home lives ended up going way out of style. For a band as omnipresent in the nu metal scene, Linkin Park were actually able to transition out of their adolescent phase gracefully thanks to Shinoda's work. Transitioning over to rhythm guitar, Shinoda decided to hang back and bring a greater sonic attack to the instrumental side of things.

That didn't mean Shinoda's wordplay had gone anywhere, with him still laying down impressive flows on A Thousand Suns and Minutes to Midnight, along with flexing his actual singing chops on a handful of tunes. On the other side of the board, Shinoda was also able to leave a greater mark on the band's music by collaborating with every producer the band enlisted like Rick Rubin. At a time when most rock fans expected bands like Linkin Park to fall on their face, Mike Shinoda stepped up to the plate and made sure this band would be a name you wouldn't soon forget.