Kid Rock

Robert James Ritchie, known professionally as Kid Rock, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter. After establishing his career within the Detroit hip-hop scene, he achieved mainstream success by combining rap and rock before shifting his performance style toward country rock. A self-taught musician, Ritchie can play every instrument featured in his backing band and has overseen the production on all but two of his studio albums.

Ritchie was born on January 17, 1971, in Romeo, Michigan, to Susan and William "Bill" Ritchie, who owned multiple car dealerships. He was raised on an extensive property that included an apple orchard and a barnyard for horses, and he attended Romeo High School. During the 1980s, he developed an interest in hip-hop, taking up breakdancing, rapping, and DJing while performing in local talent shows in and around Detroit.

His professional musical career began in the late 1980s as a member of the hip-hop group Beast Crew. Through connections with D-Nice and producer Mike E. Clark, he acquired an ownership stake in Top Dog Records and signed with Jive Records at age 17, releasing his debut album, Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast, in 1990. He subsequently signed with the independent label Continuum to release The Polyfuze Method in 1993 and the EP Fire It Up. During this period, he formed his live backing band, Twisted Brown Trucker, incorporated hype man Joe C. into his shows, and self-distributed his 1996 album, Early Mornin' Stoned Pimp.

Kid Rock gained widespread national success after signing with Atlantic Records and releasing Devil Without a Cause in 1998. Driven by hit singles such as "Bawitdaba" and the pioneering country rap track "Cowboy," the album sold 14 million copies and earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist of 2000. He followed this success with the double-platinum compilation album The History of Rock in 2000 and his fifth studio album, Cocky, in 2001. Cocky featured the crossover hit country ballad "Picture," a collaboration with Sheryl Crow that became his most successful single of that period.

He continued to move away from hip-hop on his self-titled 2003 album and Rock n Roll Jesus in 2007. The latter became his first album to peak at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and included the international hit single "All Summer Long." His subsequent releases further embraced a country rock sound, including Born Free in 2010, Rebel Soul in 2012, First Kiss in 2015, and Sweet Southern Sugar in 2017. He later returned to a rap rock style with his 2022 album, Bad Reputation.

In addition to his recording career, Kid Rock has appeared in films such as Joe Dirt and provided voice work for projects like Osmosis Jones and The Simpsons. He gained full ownership of the Top Dog record label in 2003. A self-described libertarian, he is a vocal supporter of the U.S. Republican Party and United States president Donald Trump. His past use of the Confederate flag and political commentary have generated controversy, though his publicist announced in 2011 that he had officially distanced himself from the flag.