Mike Shinoda

Michael Kenji “Mike Shinoda” was born in Agoura Hils, California, U.S. in 11, February 1977. He is best known as the rapper, keyboardist, songwriter, visual artist, vocalist of the rock band linkin park. His father is Japanese American and mother European. He has a younger brother. His name is Jason Shinoda. Mike Shinoda has been married to children's author Anna Hillinger since May 10, 2003. The couple have two children, the eldest, a son named Otis Akio Shinoda. According to Shinoda, the Fort Minor song "Where'd You Go" was written about Hillinger. High school graduation, Mike Shinoda's rap interests found a source of encouragement in Brad Delson, with whom he started to write and record songs in a makeshift studio set up in his bedroom. By the end of high school, Bourdon had become involved in their musical ventures. The trio formed the band Xero, and began to make a more serious attempt to pursue a career in the music industry. After high school, Shinoda enrolled in the Art Center College of Design to study graphic design and illustration. Mike was the youngest of his graduating class from Art Center College of Design of Pasadena in 1998, with a Bachelor of Arts in Illustration. He has had a hand in most artistic facets of Linkin Park's imagery, including album artwork, band merchandise, web design, and on-stage production art. In 2003 he did a collaborative remix shoe for DC shoes. In 2004, Shinoda created a series of ten paintings which became the basis of the Fort Minor album The Rising Tied. That series became the backbone for the packaging of the album, and was featured in Shinoda's first public art show "Diamonds Spades Hearts & Clubs. In October 2008 Mike and Mark Wakefield, former vocalist of Linkin Park back when they were named Xero, recorded and released the song "Barack Your World" under the name White Pegacorn.