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.
Right Now
Fort Minor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking down at the street and wondering where their car went
Someone in a car is sitting at a signal
In front of a restaurant staring through the window at
Someone right now with their finger in their teeth
Who could use a little floss, right across the street
There's somebody on the curb who really needs a jacket
But spent half the rent at a bar getting plastered
Just to work at a shop where he's about to get fired
Someone right now is looking pretty tired
Staring at a laptop trying to get inspired
As somebody living right across the street
Just wrote the best thing that she's written all week
But her best friend's coughing up blood in the sink
He can't even think what happened, feeling so confused
And he knows it looks bad but nothing he can do
I wonder what it's like to be right there in his shoes but...
Yo, I'm just taking it in
Out the window of a hotel bedroom again
Tomorrow I'll be gone, I don't know when I'll be back
But in this world everything can change just like that...
Somebody right now is dropping his vote
Inside a box trying to not get shot in his throat
For the act of freedom, right now somebody's stuck in Iraq
Hoping that he gets shipped back breathing
In a war but he's not really sure the reasons
So we show our support when the press mislead him
Though we mourn, remain proud, salute the troops
Get some, I know you boys got some work to do
Meanwhile, right now someone's 25-to-life-ing
Standing on a corner with their thumb up hitchhiking
Scratching off a lotto ticket hoping for a real winner
Sneaking through the border just to work and eat a real dinner
Right now someone wishes they were you and I
Instead of second-guessing fatal thoughts of quiet suicide
But right now I'm staring out the window at a fiend
With holes in his arm and holes in his jeans
He pulled out a cigarette and sparked a light
And walked right around the corner just out of my sight but...
I'm just taking it in
From a second storey hotel window again
The TV's on and my bags are packed
But in this world everything can change just like that
Yeah, right now somebody's sittin' in the darkness
Tryin' to figure how to put some heat in their apartment
But they got a little mattress, little carpet
And they appreciate it 'cause some people on a park bench
You see 'em rushing to get to the office
Wife ride by 'em when she up from the market
Right now somebody comin' out the pocket
Tryin' to dump that rock they runnin' round the block with
Same time the cops is raisin' the glock
With aim to fill your legs and your back with some hot shit
Right now somebody's struggling to stop this man
That's kicking and punching and cussing at the doctors
Down the hall a child is takin' its first breath
The doctors ain't even passed him to the nurse yet
Yo, I wonder of he understand what it's worth yet
Life, the time spent while we here on the earth yet
The answers to the questions we all seek
Can be found, it depend on how free y'all think
Right now, it's somebody who ain't eat all week
That would kill for the shit you throw away in the street
I guess one man's trash is a next man's treasure
One man's pain is a next man's pleasure
One says infinity the next say forever
Right now everybody got to get it together man
I'm just taking it in
In another strange hotel lobby again
With my luggage on my back, I don't know where I'm at
I'm in a world where it all changes just like that
Like that
Yo, I'm just taking it in
Out the window of a hotel bedroom again
Tomorrow I'll be gone, I don't know when I'll be back
But in this world everything can change just like that
The lyrics of "Right Now" by Fort Minor describe the different situations and experiences that people are going through at the same moment. The verses paint a picture of daily life struggles, including people dealing with missing cars, waiting at a signal light or in a place they cannot afford, and trying to get inspired or get rid of suicidal thoughts, voting, and getting stuck in a war. These people are juxtaposed with those who are scraping by and those who have material wealth. The song aims to emphasize that anything can happen without warning, and that everyone is going through different struggles in their lives, and to be more understanding, empathetic, and appreciative of what we have.
The chorus and bridge express that the singer is observing everything and taking it in from a hotel room, watching the world pass by, and that everything can change in a short time. The song encourages people to take a moment to appreciate what they have, to help those in need, to look for positivity in life's struggles, and to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone right now is leaving their apartment
At this moment, there are individuals departing their residence
Looking down at the street and wondering where their car went
They are observing the road below, filled with cars, possibly disoriented without finding their own vehicle
Someone in a car is sitting at a signal
Meanwhile, a driver is stopped at a traffic light
In front of a restaurant staring through the window at
Directly facing a café, gazing at
Someone right now with their finger in their teeth
There is a person, currently with a finger in their mouth
Who could use a little floss, right across the street
They may require some dental floss for their oral hygiene, directly located across the street
There's somebody on the curb who really needs a jacket
On the sidewalk, there exists a destitute individual who requires some warm clothing
But spent half the rent at a bar getting plastered
However, they have squandered half of their rent at an alcohol-serving establishment, imbibing heavily
Now he's gotta walk fourteen blocks
They must trek for considerable distance, covering fourteen blocks
Just to work at a shop where he's about to get fired
The purpose of this long walk is to arrive at their place of employment, which they risk losing their job at
Someone right now is looking pretty tired
At present, a single individual is exhibiting signs of exhaustion
Staring at a laptop trying to get inspired
This person is looking at a computer screen, attempting to find motivation
As somebody living right across the street
Simultaneously, an individual residing directly across the street
Just wrote the best thing that she's written all week
Has composed something of exceptional quality, which is the pinnacle of her writing so far this week
But her best friend's coughing up blood in the sink
Regrettably, her closest companion is currently vomiting blood in a washbasin nearby
He can't even think what happened, feeling so confused
Her friend is mentally overwhelmed and unable to process what is happening
And he knows it looks bad but nothing he can do
While he realizes the gravity of the situation, he is unable to take any action to alleviate it
I wonder what it's like to be right there in his shoes but...
One may ponder about experiencing his friend's plight and tribulations, but...
Yo, I'm just taking it in
Now, an individual in question is simply observing and absorbing what is occuring
Out the window of a hotel bedroom again
From a high-rise window, in another temporary residence
Tomorrow I'll be gone, I don't know when I'll be back
They are leaving the following day, unsure of their return
But in this world everything can change just like that...
All surroundings and circumstances may transform rapidly and unexpectedly, such is the nature of reality
Somebody right now is dropping his vote
At this very moment, an individual is casting their ballot
Inside a box trying to not get shot in his throat
While depositing their vote in the container, they are perhaps avoiding harm from firearms
For the act of freedom, right now somebody's stuck in Iraq
Somewhere, a person is enduring captivity in Iraq, fighting for their nation's freedom
Hoping that he gets shipped back breathing
Anticipating that he returns home alive and intact
In a war but he's not really sure the reasons
Despite being in a combat situation, he may be uncertain of the causes and motivations behind the war
So we show our support when the press mislead him
In the face of possible media misinformation, we express our solidarity and backing for him
Though we mourn, remain proud, salute the troops
Despite grieving for those who passed away, we maintain our pride and appreciation for the armed forces
Get some, I know you boys got some work to do
Encouraging the soldiers to keep working diligently and remain focused on their objectives
Meanwhile, right now someone's 25-to-life-ing
At present, there exist individuals sentenced and serving imprisionment for a lengthy term - 25 years to life, most likely
Standing on a corner with their thumb up hitchhiking
These same individuals may be standing on the intersection, attempting to hitch a ride
Scratching off a lotto ticket hoping for a real winner
Others may be scratching a lottery ticket with the hopes of winning big
Sneaking through the border just to work and eat a real dinner
Yet others are sneaking past the border, seeking opportunities for labour and sustenance
Right now someone wishes they were you and I
At this moment, there exists a person who desires to be in the same circumstances as oneself
Instead of second-guessing fatal thoughts of quiet suicide
Rather than contemplating horrific and final acts of self-harm and suicide in silence
But right now I'm staring out the window at a fiend
As it stands, the singer is gazing at an addict from a high-rise window
With holes in his arm and holes in his jeans
This person has piercings in his arms, likely from drug injections, and has worn-out trousers
He pulled out a cigarette and sparked a light
He has extracted a cigarette and proceeded to light it
And walked right around the corner just out of my sight but...
Then, he proceeds to walk around the intersection and out of the artist's line of sight
I'm just taking it in
Again, the artist is solely observing and internalizing what is happening
From a second storey hotel window again
From another hotel window on a higher floor
The TV's on and my bags are packed
The television is on, and they have readied their bags for departure
But in this world everything can change just like that
However, in this unpredictable world, anything can change abruptly and unexpectedly
Yeah, right now somebody's sittin' in the darkness
Currently, a person is sitting in obscurity and dimness
Tryin' to figure how to put some heat in their apartment
They are racking their brains, figuring out how to warm up their residence
But they got a little mattress, little carpet
They possess only a meager mattress and some floor covering
And they appreciate it 'cause some people on a park bench
However, this humble abode is still cherished, as some individuals do not even possess benches in the park
You see 'em rushing to get to the office
Observing others hastening to reach their workplaces
Wife ride by 'em when she up from the market
A married woman travels past them on her way back from the market
Right now somebody comin' out the pocket
Instantaneously, an individual is removing money from their pocket
Tryin' to dump that rock they runnin' round the block with
They are attempting to get rid of a narcotic substance they were running around the block with
Same time the cops is raisin' the glock
At the same time, law enforcement officials are drawing their weapons
With aim to fill your legs and your back with some hot shit
Their intention is to shoot and injure the person in critical areas of the body
Right now somebody's struggling to stop this man
At present, there exist a person struggling to halt an attacker
That's kicking and punching and cussing at the doctors
This attacker is physically assaulting and verbally abusing the medical staff
Down the hall a child is takin' its first breath
Elsewhere, a newborn baby is taking their inaugural breath of air
The doctors ain't even passed him to the nurse yet
The medical professionals have yet to hand the infant over to the nurse
Yo, I wonder if he understands what it's worth yet
The singer contemplates whether or not the baby grasps the value and beauty of life just yet
Life, the time spent while we're here on the earth yet
Reflecting on the concept of existence, the time spent during our presence on Earth
The answers to the questions we all seek
All the solutions to the uncertainties and inquiries we all have
Can be found, it depend on how free y'all think
Are obtainable based on your level of freedom of thought and expression
Right now, it's somebody who ain't eat all week
At this very moment, there exists a person who has not ingested any food the past seven days
That would kill for the shit you throw away in the street
They are desperate enough that they would consider murder for food that others carelessly discard
I guess one man's trash is a next man's treasure
It's feasible that what an individual deems as garbage may be seen as valuable to another
One man's pain is a next man's pleasure
Similarly, what brings emotional anguish to one, may be enjoyable to someone else
One says infinity the next say forever
Additionally, one person's timeline may be of infinite duration, while another believes their existence will be perpetual
Right now everybody got to get it together man
It's high time for everyone to come together and improve their present circumstances
In another strange hotel lobby again
Once again, in a foreign-natured hotel lobby
With my luggage on my back, I don't know where I'm at
While carrying their bags, they don't have a clear understanding of their whereabouts
I'm in a world where it all changes just like that
They are aware of the capricious nature of the world and how quickly things can abruptly change
Like that
Thus, concludes the song with this final, succinct statement
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MATTHEW RYAN MAGINN, MIKE SHINODA, TAKBIR KHALID BASHIR, TARIK L. COLLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SAMEEofficial
-"I guess one man's trash is the next man's treasure one man's pain is the next man's pleasure" THIS LINE !!!!
@declanlacey337
SAMEE tbh i think it is one of the most important things to rememeber in life
@100timessquare
That's Black Thought from the roots.
@jacobmanning7262
Missed much bigger lines my man
@Jhosyc06
There are so many lines in this track you could pick out... They pretty much covered everybody... But black thought pretty much hit every line!
@bobeiger3275
C B T
@alex10mf
Mike Shinoda: Rapper, Pianist, Guitarist... The best
@miguelzazueta2051
...And awesome singer :)
@kata5606
And he is an awsome painter❤
@beandip5032
i love your linkin park icon