They are known for the 2006 single, "Where'd You Go", which features Holly Brook and Jonah Matranga, and also his single, "Remember the Name". Thus far, Fort Minor has released one album, 2005's The Rising Tied (as well as one mixtape, FMInvasion - We Major, which featured DJ Green Lantern), and also has a fan club similar to Linkin Park Underground, titled Fort Minor Militia.
Mike Shinoda's plan was to make music while enjoying time with his friends, who include Ryu, Tak, and many other leading musical artists.
Fort Minor's first major album The Rising Tied, features 16 tracks (with three bonus tracks on the Limited Edition), many of which are specific to the lives of Shinoda and his collaborators. "Remember the Name", for example, describes the group's views on being rappers, while "Kenji" describes the experiences of Shinoda's family during the Japanese American internment of World War II. Other tracks, such as "Slip Out the Back" which features Joe Hahn of Linkin Park, have more general lyrical themes. In the lyrics of the track "Get Me Gone", Shinoda says that before the debut album of Linkin Park came out, someone at Warner Bros. Records told him to quit rapping and just play keyboards because the band didn't need an MC in addition to a singer. He goes on to say that with the help of the band, Mike released the album as it was and many critics were silenced.
Fort Minor won Ringtone of the Year for "Where'd You Go" at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.
In mid August of 2006 Fort Minor performed at the Summer Sonic 2006 along side Linkin Park and other bands.
In November of 2006, Fort Minor released a video for "Remember the Name", which features a montage of various amazing feats. Shinoda has stated he felt the video was a nice wrap-up for Fort Minor. Also in November, Shinoda stated that Fort Minor is on hiatus, because of his dedication to Linkin Park.
As of August 19, 2006, Fort Minor's debut album has sold 400,000 copies.
In 2006, Holly Brook released an exclusive version of 'Where'd You Go?' to radio stations, made completely by Holly Brook. Mike does not appear on this version, which can be heard by request on various American radio stations.
In 2015, after Shinoda teased it on his own and Fort Minor's social media, the stand-alone single Welcome was released on June 21.
Kenji
Fort Minor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was fifteen when he, immigrated from Japan
He, he, he worked until he was able to buy
To actually build a store"
Let me tell you a story in the form of a dream
I don't know why I have to tell it, but I know what it means
Close your eyes, just picture the scene
It was World War II
When this man named Kenji woke up
Ken was not a soldier, he was just a man
With a family who owned a store in L.A
That day, he crawled out of bed like he always did
Bacon and eggs with wife and kids
He lived on the second floor of a little store he ran
He moved to L.A. from Japan
They called him immigrant, in Japanese
He'd say he was called "issei"
That meant first generation
In the United States when
Everybody was afraid of the Germans, afraid of the Japs
But most of all, afraid of a homeland attack
And that morning, when Ken went out on the doormat
His world went black, 'cause
Right there, front page news
Three weeks before 1942
Pearl Harbor's been bombed and "The Japs are Coming"
Pictures of soldiers dying and running
Ken knew what it would lead to
And just like he guessed, the president said
"The evil Japanese in our home country
Would be locked away"
They gave Ken a couple of days
To get his whole life packed in two bags
Just two bags, he couldn't even pack his clothes
And some folks didn't even have a suitcase
To pack anything in
So two trash bags, is all they gave them
And when the kids asked mom, "Where are we going?"
Nobody even knew what to say to them
Ken didn't wanna lie
He said, "The U.S. is looking for spies
So, we have to live in a place called Manzanar
Where a lot of Japanese people are"
Stop it, don't look at the gunmen
You don't wanna get the soldiers wondering
If you're gonna run or not
'Cause if you run, then you might get shot
Other than that, try not to think about it
Try not to worry 'bout it being so crowded
'Cause someday, we'll get out
Someday, someday
"Yeah, soon as war broke out, the FBI came and
They just come through the house and, you have to come
All the Japanese have to go
They took Mr. Ni, the people couldn't understand
Why they had to take him because he's an innocent laborer"
So now, they're in a town with soldiers surrounding them
Every day, every night, looked down at them
From watchtowers up on the wall
Ken couldn't really hate them, at all
They were just doing their job
And he wasn't gonna make any problems
He had a little garden
Vegetables and fruits that he gave to the troops
In a basket his wife made
But in the back of his mind, he wanted his family's life saved
Prisoners of war in their own damn country, what for?
And time passed in the prison town
He wondered if he'd live it down
If and when they were free
The only way out was joining the Army, and supposedly
Some men went out for the army, signed on
And ended up flying to Japan with a bomb
That fifteen kiloton blast
Put an end to the war pretty fast
Two cities were blown to bits
The end of the war came quick
And Ken got out, big hopes of a normal life
With his kids and his wife, but
Then they got back to the home
And what they saw made him feel so alone
These people had trashed every room
Smashed in the windows and bashed in the doors
Written on the walls and the floor
"Japs not welcome, anymore!"
And Kenji dropped both of his bags at his sides
And just stood outside
He looked at his wife without words to say
She looked back at him wiping tears away
And said someday, we'll be okay, someday
Now, the names have been changed, but the story is true
My family was locked up, back in '42
My family was there, where it was dark and damp
And they called it an internment camp
When we first got back from camp, uh
It was pretty, pretty bad
I-I remember, my husband said
Oh we're gonna stay 'til last
Then my husband died, before they closed the camp
The above lyrics are from Fort Minor’s song Kenji, which tells the heartbreaking story of a Japanese-American family's experience during World War II when they were forced to live in an internment camp. The song's protagonist, Kenji, was born and raised in Los Angeles and owned a store with his family. When World War II broke out and Pearl Harbor was bombed, the United States government ordered that all individuals of Japanese descent living in America, including Kenji and his family, be interned in remote camps. Kenji and his family were allowed only to bring two bags with them to the camps and were forced to leave behind everything else they owned. Kenji's experience is used to offer insight into the fear and dehumanization that come with being deemed a "national security threat" and forcibly removed from one's home and community.
The lyrics of the song are incredibly powerful and paint a vivid picture of the trauma that Japanese-Americans endured during World War II. The song speaks to larger issues of xenophobia and racism and the ways in which fear can be used to justify systemic violence and oppression. Through Kenji's story, Fort Minor highlights the painful history of Japanese-Americans and serves as a reminder that we must continue to fight against prejudice and discrimination so that such injustice never happens again.
Line by Line Meaning
My father, came from Japan, in 1905
Kenji's father immigrated to the United States from Japan in 1905.
He was fifteen when he, immigrated from Japan
Kenji's father was just fifteen years old when he immigrated to the United States.
He, he, he worked until he was able to buy
To actually build a store
Kenji's father worked tirelessly until he was able to afford to build his own store.
Let me tell you a story in the form of a dream
The artist is about to tell a story that has been inspired by a dream they had.
I don't know why I have to tell it, but I know what it means
The artist feels compelled to share this story and believes it to have a significant meaning.
Close your eyes, just picture the scene
As I paint it for you
The singer is encouraging the listener to imagine the story as they tell it.
It was World War II
When this man named Kenji woke up
The story takes place during World War II and is focused on a man named Kenji.
Ken was not a soldier, he was just a man
With a family who owned a store in L.A
Kenji was not enlisted as a soldier; he was simply a man with a family and a store in Los Angeles.
That day, he crawled out of bed like he always did
Bacon and eggs with wife and kids
He lived on the second floor of a little store he ran
He moved to L.A. from Japan
The day starts off like any other for Kenji, waking up and enjoying breakfast with his family in the second-floor apartment above the store he owned after moving to Los Angeles from Japan.
They called him immigrant, in Japanese
He'd say he was called "issei"
That meant first generation
In the United States when
Kenji was referred to as an immigrant in Japanese, but he referred to himself as "issei," meaning first generation, in the United States.
Everybody was afraid of the Germans, afraid of the Japs
But most of all, afraid of a homeland attack
And that morning, when Ken went out on the doormat
His world went black, 'cause
During World War II, people were generally afraid of both Germans and Japanese, but they were particularly afraid of the possibility of an attack on their homeland. Kenji experiences a traumatic event when he reads the news about the bombing of Pearl Harbor, as he knows it will lead to negative consequences for people of Japanese descent.
Right there, front page news
Three weeks before 1942
Pearl Harbor's been bombed and "The Japs are Coming"
Pictures of soldiers dying and running
The front-page news that Kenji sees pertains to the bombings at Pearl Harbor, and includes disturbing images of soldiers dying or fleeing.
Ken knew what it would lead to
And just like he guessed, the president said
"The evil Japanese in our home country
Would be locked away"
Kenji knows that the news of the bombing will lead to negative consequences for Japanese Americans, and as expected, President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders that Japanese Americans be locked away in internment camps during World War II.
They gave Ken a couple of days
To get his whole life packed in two bags
Just two bags, he couldn't even pack his clothes
And some folks didn't even have a suitcase
Kenji has only a few days to pack up his life and belongings into two bags, and other people don't even have a suitcase to use.
To pack anything in
So two trash bags, is all they gave them
And when the kids asked mom, "Where are we going?"
Nobody even knew what to say to them
Many people have only trash bags to put their belongings in, and even parents have no answers when children ask where they're being taken.
Ken didn't wanna lie
He said, "The U.S. is looking for spies
So, we have to live in a place called Manzanar
Where a lot of Japanese people are"
Rather than lying to his family, Kenji tries to explain the situation to them honestly and says that they'll be living in an internment camp called Manzanar, along with many other Japanese people, because the US government is looking for potential spies.
Stop it, don't look at the gunmen
You don't wanna get the soldiers wondering
If you're gonna run or not
'Cause if you run, then you might get shot
Kenji warns his family to avoid looking at the guards, as it may cause suspicion and possibly even lead to them being injured or killed if they are perceived as a threat.
Other than that, try not to think about it
Try not to worry 'bout it being so crowded
'Cause someday, we'll get out
Someday, someday
Despite the difficult living conditions, Kenji tries to remain optimistic and tells his family to focus on the fact that they will eventually be released from the internment camp and can once again lead a more normal life.
"Yeah, soon as war broke out, the FBI came and
They just come through the house and, you have to come
All the Japanese have to go
They took Mr. Ni, the people couldn't understand
Why they had to take him because he's an innocent laborer"
The FBI took various people into custody, including an innocent laborer named Mr. Ni, and people didn't understand why they were being taken.
So now, they're in a town with soldiers surrounding them
Every day, every night, looked down at them
From watchtowers up on the wall
Ken couldn't really hate them, at all
In the internment camp, Kenji and his family feel trapped and are constantly under surveillance, but Kenji can't bring himself to hate the soldiers who are simply carrying out their orders.
They were just doing their job
And he wasn't gonna make any problems
He had a little garden
Vegetables and fruits that he gave to the troops
Kenji doesn't blame the soldiers for doing their job, and instead tries to be helpful by using his skills to grow a garden and providing fresh produce to the soldiers.
In a basket his wife made
But in the back of his mind, he wanted his family's life saved
Prisoners of war in their own damn country, what for?
Though Kenji tries to remain positive and helpful, he can't help but wonder why he and his family are being treated like prisoners of war in their own country.
And time passed in the prison town
He wondered if he'd live it down
If and when they were free
The only way out was joining the Army, and supposedly
As time goes on in the internment camp, Kenji wonders if he'll ever escape this difficult period of his life. He contemplates joining the Army as a way out.
Some men went out for the army, signed on
And ended up flying to Japan with a bomb
That fifteen kiloton blast
Put an end to the war pretty fast
Some Japanese Americans enlisted in the Army and ended up flying to Japan with a bomb, which ultimately led to the bombing of Hiroshima and helped bring an end to the war.
Two cities were blown to bits
The end of the war came quick
And Ken got out, big hopes of a normal life
With his kids and his wife, but
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki signaled the end of World War II. Kenji was released from the internment camp with hopes of reuniting with his family and living a normal life.
Then they got back to the home
And what they saw made him feel so alone
These people had trashed every room
Smashed in the windows and bashed in the doors
When Kenji and his family return to their home after being released from the internment camp, they find that their home has been vandalized and damaged, leaving Kenji feeling isolated and overwhelmed.
Written on the walls and the floor
"Japs not welcome, anymore!"
And Kenji dropped both of his bags at his sides
And just stood outside
Kenji and his family are confronted with an anti-Japanese sentiment that was made clear through vandalism throughout their home. Upon seeing this, Kenji drops his bags and steps outside, overcome with emotion.
He looked at his wife without words to say
She looked back at him wiping tears away
And said someday, we'll be okay, someday
Kenji is unable to verbalize his emotions to his wife, and instead they share a somber moment together. Kenji's wife reminds him that things will eventually get better.
Now, the names have been changed, but the story is true
My family was locked up, back in '42
My family was there, where it was dark and damp
And they called it an internment camp
The artist reveals that the story is actually about their own family's experience, but that the names have been changed to protect privacy. The family was interned during the war and had to endure harsh living conditions as a result.
When we first got back from camp, uh
It was pretty, pretty bad
I-I remember, my husband said
Oh we're gonna stay 'til last
Then my husband died, before they closed the camp
After being released from the internment camp, things were still difficult for the singer and their family. The singer's husband planned to stay in camp until they were the very last to leave, but unfortunately passed away before it could happen.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MIKE SHINODA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
stephanie turner
I am hearing this for the first time Today it just popped on my YouTube playlist
And i am just speechless
Just wow to hear a song with this much emotion
I don't cry much but this song differently made me shed a tear
Its just so enmointal
Love you Mike. 💖💖💖
Adnan ahmed
My father, came from Japan, in 1905
He was fifteen when he, immigrated from Japan
He, he, he worked until he was able to buy
To actually build a store"
Let me tell you a story in the form of a dream
I don't know why I have to tell it, but I know what it means
Close your eyes, just picture the scene
As I paint it for you
It was World War II
When this man named Kenji woke up
Ken was not a soldier, he was just a man
With a family who owned a store in L.A
That day, he crawled out of bed like he always did
Bacon and eggs with wife and kids
He lived on the second floor of a little store he ran
He moved to L.A. from Japan
They called him immigrant, in Japanese
He'd say he was called "issei"
That meant first generation
In the United States when
Everybody was afraid of the Germans, afraid of the Japs
But most of all, afraid of a homeland attack
And that morning, when Ken went out on the doormat
His world went black, 'cause
Right there, front page news
Three weeks before 1942
Pearl Harbor's been bombed and "The Japs are Coming"
Pictures of soldiers dying and running
Ken knew what it would lead to
And just like he guessed, the president said
"The evil Japanese in our home country
Would be locked away"
They gave Ken a couple of days
To get his whole life packed in two bags
Just two bags, he couldn't even pack his clothes
And some folks didn't even have a suitcase
To pack anything in
So two trash bags, is all they gave them
And when the kids asked mom, "Where are we going?"
Nobody even knew what to say to them
Ken didn't wanna lie
He said, "The U.S. is looking for spies
So, we have to live in a place called Manzanar
Where a lot of Japanese people are"
Stop it, don't look at the gunmen
You don't wanna get the soldiers wondering
If you're gonna run or not
'Cause if you run, then you might get shot
Other than that, try not to think about it
Try not to worry 'bout it being so crowded
'Cause someday, we'll get out
Someday, someday
"Yeah, soon as war broke out, the FBI came and
They just come through the house and, you have to come
All the Japanese have to go
They took Mr. Ni, the people couldn't understand
Why they had to take him because he's an innocent laborer"
So now, they're in a town with soldiers surrounding them
Every day, every night, looked down at them
From watchtowers up on the wall
Ken couldn't really hate them, at all
They were just doing their job
And he wasn't gonna make any problems
He had a little garden
Vegetables and fruits that he gave to the troops
In a basket his wife made
But in the back of his mind, he wanted his family's life saved
Prisoners of war in their own damn country, what for?
And time passed in the prison town
He wondered if he'd live it down
If and when they were free
The only way out was joining the Army, and supposedly
Some men went out for the army, signed on
And ended up flying to Japan with a bomb
That fifteen kiloton blast
Put an end to the war pretty fast
Two cities were blown to bits
The end of the war came quick
And Ken got out, big hopes of a normal life
With his kids and his wife, but
Then they got back to the home
And what they saw made him feel so alone
These people had trashed every room
Smashed in the windows and bashed in the doors
Written on the walls and the floor
"Japs not welcome, anymore!"
And Kenji dropped both of his bags at his sides
And just stood outside
He looked at his wife without words to say
She looked back at him wiping tears away
And said someday, we'll be okay, someday
Now, the names have been changed, but the story is true
My family was locked up, back in '42
My family was there, where it was dark and damp
And they called it an internment camp
When we first got back from camp, uh
It was pretty, pretty bad
I-I remember, my husband said
Oh we're gonna stay 'til last
Then my husband died, before they closed the camp
AbdulKhujliwal786
Michael Shinoda is so damn underrated, it's unreal how he's so overlooked.
RaPmanTim
+
Matthew Williams
At the beginning of the year, my teacher gave out a syllabus that listed Mike Shinoda as one of the poets/authors that we would be dealing with. I spent the rest of the year anxiously awaiting the day we would read a work from him. Never expecting to be brought to tears the day he finally showed us. A few days ago, he showed us this song while talking about Japanese internment during World War II. This song should be shown in every classroom.
Syed Hasnain Ali
You got a great teacher.
Ibel Thorns
Matthew Williams your lucky
ItzChaos
Isaac McDaniel how is it fake? history covers everything. Crusaders to modern day culture. for one thing, my history teacher Ms Dixon went over this song as being a great poetic summary of what Japanese Americans went through during the 1940s. teachers use modern day examples to teach history, because a lot of kids tend to get bored, reading a history book for an hour every day.
Gavin Gaming
Isaac McDaniel How is it fake? I know it happened.
BatTub
Gavin Gaming Shinoda already told it about his grandfather's side and their experiences in war...
stewiebhoy89
It's so refreshing to hear a rap song that isn't about doing drugs, money, claiming to be a criminal and objectifying women but instead is a moving story about how poorly ordinary Japanese Americans were treated during WWII ...there needs to be more rap songs like this, it's the reason I like Fort Minor (aside from being a big Linkin Park fan)
Antonio De Medeiros
I agree!