Disasterpieces

#8: The Kid's Not Alright


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It's that time again! In an effort to try and replicate on the big name appeal of our last episode, your favourite bad music reviewers are back with another heavy-hitter: Kid Rock's breakthrough record, Devil Without a Cause (1998).

Born Robert Ritchie, the son of a car dealership magnate, Kid didn't let his upper-middle class beginnings hold him back from embedding himself in the Detroit rap scene, and after a decade or so of false-starts his career finally kicked off with the release of this, his fourth studio album.

Kid's melding hip hop's street cred with nu metal's counter-cultural edge (all in an affected Southern twang) proved an irresistible cocktail of meathead patriotism, with Devil Without a Cause going on to sell over 10 million copies stateside – it remains among the top 100 highest selling albums in the US.

Despite riotous reception at the time (and two Grammy noms to boot), Kid Rock's pivot from libertarian rap rock to culture war country left a sour taste in many mouths, leading to this modern day reappraisal.

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DisasterpiecesBy Disasterpieces