Limp Bizkit

Formation and early years (1994–1996) studied jazz drumming and played in local avant garde bands before joining Limp Bizkit. While growing up in Gastonia, North Carolina, Fred Durst took an interest in breakdancing, hip hop, punk rock, and heavy metal. He began to rap, skate, beatbox, and DJ. While mowing lawns and working as a tattoo artist, he developed an idea for a band that combined elements of rock and hip hop. Durst played with three other bands: Split 26, Malachi Sage (both of which were unsuccessful), and 10 Foot Shindig, which Durst left to form a new band. Durst, Rivers, and Otto jammed and wrote three songs together and after brief stints with guitarists Rob Waters and Terry Balsamo, Wes Borland joined as their permanent guitarist. Other names that were considered by Durst included Gimp Disco, Split Dickslit, Bitch Piglet, and Blood Fart. Every record label that showed an interest in the band pressured its members to change its name. Limp Bizkit developed a cult following in the underground music scene, particularly at the Milk Bar, an underground punk club in Jacksonville. The band's local popularity was such that Sugar Ray, who had a major label contract, opened for a then-unsigned Limp Bizkit at Velocity with hip hop group Funkdoobiest. The band attempted to expand its sound by auditioning an additional guitarist, but Borland soon determined that another guitarist was not the answer and DJ Lethal, formerly of the hip hop group House of Pain, joined the band as a turntablist after a successful practice performance. Joining the band gave Lethal an opportunity to experiment with his turntable technique in ways that hip hop had not allowed him to do, helping shape the band's style. Due to creative differences, Borland left the band at this point. Soon after that, however, they were also offered a record deal with the major label Mojo, a subsidiary of MCA Records. According to Flip Records' founder Jordan Schur, Limp Bizkit stated that the only way the band would not sign with Mojo was if the band's van flipped over on the way to Los Angeles. While heading to California to record its first album, the band's van flipped over five times, resulting in all of the band's members sustaining serious injuries. As a result of the near-death experience, Durst made amends with Borland, who rejoined the band. They were subject to a hostile reception from Faith No More's fans, with the group's keyboardist Roddy Bottum later recalling, "That guy Fred Durst had a really bad attitude. He was kind of a jerk. I remembered he called the audience faggots at one show when they booed him. Not a good scene." Interscope proposed to the band that the label pay $5,000 to guarantee that a Portland, Oregon, radio station play the song "Counterfeit" fifty times, preceded and concluded with an announcement that the air time was paid for by Interscope. The paid air time was criticized by the media, who saw it as "payola". However, Robert Christgau panned the album. Despite the minimal response to his band's album, Durst was appointed Senior Vice President of A&R at Interscope. Because Limp Bizkit's fans would often break through the barricades, the band was almost kicked off the tour after two days. The band allowed Durst and Lethal to explore their hip hop origins by recording a song with Method Man. The song was originally titled "Shut the Fuck Up", but was retitled "N 2 Gether Now" for marketing purposes. The band promoted the album by playing unannounced concerts in Detroit and Chicago as radio stations received a strong number of requests for the album's first single, "Nookie". Significant Other climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 643,874 copies in its first week of release. Durst stated during the concert, "People are getting hurt. Don't let anybody get hurt. But I don't think you should mellow out. That's what Alanis Morissette had you motherfuckers do. If someone falls, pick 'em up. We already let the negative energy out. Now we wanna let out the positive energy". "It's easy to point the finger and blame [us], but they hired us for what we do — and all we did is what we do. I would turn the finger and point it back to the people that hired us," said Durst in reference to original Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang. The album title is intended to sound like a fictional band; the phrase "Chocolate Starfish" refers to the human anus and Durst himself, who has frequently been called an "asshole". An Interscope spokesman stated that there was confusion over the band's set time. Durst was an outspoken advocate of file sharing. In response to the negative reactions to the performance, Durst remarked, "People always just wanna talk about Britney or Christina. What's the problem? Because they make a type of music we aren't allowed to like? Or you think they are the nemesis of what our music is about? Why segregate? Why be so musically fuckin' racist? What do you mean, I can't hang out with these types of people? Clearly I didn't give a fuck, which fed a lot of it, too. I mean, someone that's not going to give in and apologise... it's gonna make people carry on talking". Durst also appeared in the music video for Eminem's song "The Real Slim Shady", a song in which Eminem suggests that Christina Aguilera and Durst had a sexual relationship. Durst denied the rumors and defended Aguilera, saying: "For one thing, it's not true, so it doesn't bother me. [Eminem is] sort of answering the critics. He's going to the extreme with everything he can to now slap them in the face.... It's so over-the-top. For one thing, Christina's amazing. I really like that girl. I think she's an amazing singer. She's gonna have longevity. She's going to be one of those amazing icon women. I'm really attracted to her, I like her, and I've talked to her a couple of times, and that's that. I haven't had any type of relationship with her, or any type of intercourse with her. She's never sucked my dick, she's never sucked Carson's." Released on October 17, Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water set a record for highest first-week sales for a rock album, with over one million copies sold in the US in its first week of release. 400,000 of those sales happened during the first day, making it the fastest-selling rock album ever and breaking the record held for seven years by Pearl Jam's Vs. Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water was certified Gold, Platinum, and six times Multi-Platinum. The album received mixed reviews, with AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine writing, "Durst's self-pitying and the monotonous music give away that the band bashed Chocolate Starfish out very quickly – it's the sound of a band determined to deliver a sequel in a finite amount of time." whilst readers of Kerrang! magazine voted it the worst album of the year, as well as voting Limp Bizkit and Fred Durst as the worst band of 2000 and the "Arse of the Year", respectively. During a 2001 tour of Australia at the Big Day Out festival in Sydney, fans rushed the stage in the mosh pit and teenager Jessica Michalik died of asphyxiation. In court, Durst, represented by long-time attorney Ed McPherson, testified he had warned the concert's organizers Aaron Jackson, Will Pearce, and Amar Tailor, as well as the concert's promoter Vivian Lees, of the potential dangers of such minimal security. After viewing videotapes and hearing witness testimony, however, the coroner said it was evident that the crowd's density was dangerous at the time Limp Bizkit took the stage, stating that Fred Durst should have acted more responsibly when the problem became apparent. Durst stated that he was "emotionally scarred" because of the teenager's death. Durst also stated that he was aware of the security problems, but that he and the band were forced to play in the festival: "There was a demand for us to play Big Day Out 2001, so we filled it. When we came to play we said, "The barricades aren't right – people are gonna go crazy so we're not playing." And they go, "No, you're goddamn wrong. You are playing – you're the headliners." And we go, "No, you gotta have the right barricade." The promoters who owned Big Day Out at the time were rude. The police came and it turned into this huge thing, with them telling us, "There's gonna be a riot if you don't play and if that happens, we're arresting you". Durst also stated that the band would "comb the world for the illest guitar player known to man" to replace Borland. Durst held a nationwide audition for a new guitarist called "Put Your Guitar Where Your Mouth Is." However, Mike Henderson, who was one of the guitarists who went for the audition, revealed that the event was nothing more than a publicity stunt. Durst had no intention to recruit a new guitarist and the whole thing was intended to sell Guitar Center products. This caused an uproar amongst the guitarists who had been waiting for hours. The band eventually recorded with Snot guitarist Mike Smith, though they later scrapped the initial recording sessions with Smith. During the album's production, the working title changed from Bipolar and featured a cover of the Who's "Behind Blue Eyes", which differed from the original's arrangement in its inclusion of a Speak & Spell during the song's bridge. Limp Bizkit performed at WWE WrestleMania XIX, with both Smith and Korn's Brian Welch on guitars. In the summer of 2003, Limp Bizkit participated on the Summer Sanitarium Tour headlined by Metallica. An article in the Sun-Times stated that the hostility was started by radio personality Mancow. Results May Vary was released on September 23, 2003, and received largely unfavorable reviews. AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine panned the album, writing, "the music has no melody, hooks, or energy, [and] all attention is focused on the clown jumping up and down and screaming in front, and long before the record is over, you're left wondering, how the hell did he ever get to put this mess out?" In May, The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) was released. Sammy Siegler took over drumming duties for the band for much of the EP, which featured a more experimental sound, described by AllMusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine as "neo-prog alt-metal". Borland disagreed with the decision, suggesting that it was "self-sabotage": "Maybe he was already unhappy with the music, and he didn't really want to put it out there." The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) sold over 37,000 copies in its first week of release, and debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard 200, but due to its lack of advertising sales fell off quickly and only sold 88,000 copies in the United States by March 2006. Following the release of the band's Greatest Hitz album, the band went on hiatus. Borland stated that it was unlikely that a sequel to The Unquestionable Truth would be produced and that "As of right now, none of my future plans include Limp Bizkit." Durst announced that they had begun to record a new album, which Borland titled Gold Cobra. Borland said that the title does not have any meaning, and that it was chosen because it fit the style of music the band was writing for the album. The band also recorded additional "non-album" tracks, including "Combat Jazz", which featured rapper Raekwon and "Middle Finger", featuring Paul Wall. Gold Cobra was released on June 28 and received mixed to positive reviews. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it "a return to the full-throttled attack of ''Three Dollar Bill Y'All. Metal Hammer'' writer Terry Bezer appraised the album, writing "Aside from the odd duff moment, Gold Cobra throws out the hot shit that'll make you bounce in the mosh pit over and over again." The band launched the Gold Cobra Tour in support of the album. A music video for the title track was released. Gold Cobra sold nearly 80,000 copies in the United States alone and peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200; however, the band left Interscope after the album's release. Stampede of the Disco Elephants and Still Sucks (2012–2022) in 2015 In February 2012, the band returned to Australia for the first time in 11 years to perform at the Soundwave festival. Durst dedicated the shows to Jessica Michalik, who died during the Limp Bizkit performance at Big Day Out 2001. Limp Bizkit signed with Cash Money Records. Following a dispute between Durst, Lethal, and Otto about the latter two's alleged chronic drug and alcohol use, DJ Lethal angrily left the band. DJ Lethal later posted an apology to the band on Twitter, but was ultimately not allowed back into the band. Fred Durst was featured in the song "Champions" by Kevin Rudolf, which was used as a theme for WWE's Night of Champions. The song debuted on WWE Raw on September 3, 2012. This was the first time Limp Bizkit has worked with WWE since 2003. The band recorded their seventh studio album, Stampede of the Disco Elephants with producer Ross Robinson, who also produced the band's debut album Three Dollar Bill, Yall and the 2005 EP The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1). In November a cover of the Ministry song "Thieves" was released by the band via their official Facebook and Twitter accounts. In December, the band released the previously leaked song "Lightz" along with an accompanying music video. The next single off the album, "Endless Slaughter", was set to be released only on cassette and during concerts, but can be downloaded at the band's official website. In October 2014, Fred Durst revealed that the band had left Cash Money and became independent again. The split was carried out amicably and Fred says that "We really love the jam we did with Lil Wayne, though. We love that song." Limp Bizkit performed as headliners of the ShipRocked 2015 cruise from February 2 to 6. Other bands present were Chevelle, Black Label Society, P.O.D., and Sevendust among others. The band announced their major 2015 tour called "Money Sucks", a Russian 20-date tour to take place during October and November celebrating Limp Bizkit's 20th anniversary. The tour name was a nod to the difficult economic situation that Russia was facing at the time. The tour gathered criticism on the background of the Russo-Ukrainian War and Durst's behavior, who was shown in a picture that had surfaced during the tour, holding a flag saying "Crimea = Russia" in reference to the illegal annexation by Russia. Before the band traveled to Europe to attend the "Money Sucks" Tour, Sam Rivers was diagnosed with a degenerative disease of the spinal discs that was complicated due to a pinched nerve, causing a lot of pain in such areas and which prevented him from being with the band. 23-year-old German bassist Samuel Gerhard Mpungu replaced Rivers for the tour. Limp Bizkit offered several concerts in the United Kingdom during winter 2016 alongside Korn. Regarding this tour, Fred says: "You may have experienced a lot of cool concerts in your life, but I can guarantee you that an evening with Korn and Limp Bizkit will always and forever be your favorite. No one brings the party harder, heavier, and more exciting than us. No one. And ... make sure you get plenty of rest the night before. It's time to bring it back!" Because of little information and constant delays for the release of Stampede, in an interview/talk with the podcast "Someone Who Isn't Me", Wes said that Fred "isn't happy" with what he was working on. The guitarist said that Durst will "just keep working on something until he's happy with it, even if it takes years and years". DJ Lethal resumed performing with the band on March 17, 2018, at the Storm the Gates festival in Auckland, New Zealand. The band again played on the Vans Warped Tour in 2018. On July 8, 2019, the band played a new song from their forthcoming album called "Wasteoid" live in Paris. Borland provided an album update in June 2021, detailing the struggles with the album: In August 2021, just a week after their main stage set at Lollapalooza, the band canceled their summer tour, "out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of the band, crew and most of all the fans" in relation to rising COVID-19 cases in the United States. On August 25, 2021, the band revealed new music would be "leaked" in rapid succession with their new album to follow soon after. On September 30, 2021, the band released a new single "Dad Vibes". On October 19, Durst teased on Instagram that more songs would be coming soon, revealing the titles "Turn It Up Bitch" and "Goodbye", as well as the album containing 12 tracks. On October 28, 2021, Durst confirmed via Instagram that the band's sixth album – now titled Still Sucks – would be released on October 31, 2021. Upcoming seventh studio album and Sam Rivers' death (2023–present) Borland revealed in early 2023 that plans for Limp Bizkit's seventh studio album were underway for 2024. In late October 2024, Durst confirmed that he was "in the studio with John Otto" recording drum tracks for the album. The band's first song in four years was initially teased in a staged partial leak on Instagram, and released on September 12, 2025, entitled "Making Love to Morgan Wallen", as part of the soundtrack for the video game Battlefield 6. They also contributed the song "Battlefield: The After-party" (a reimagining of the traditional Battlefield theme) to the soundtrack, and their 2000 single "Break Stuff" to the game's trailer. Bassist Sam Rivers, who last performed with Limp Bizkit at the August 2025 Leeds Festival in the United Kingdom, died on October 18, 2025 at the age of 48. On November 29, 2025, Limp Bizkit performed their first concert in Mexico City without their original bassist, with Richie Buxton, from Ecca Vandal, taking the place of Rivers. On October 8, 2024, Limp Bizkit, Durst, and his record label Flawless Records sued Universal Music Group in federal district court, alleging that it owed them over $200 million in unpaid royalties from record sales, online streams, and music videos derived from their master recordings, and failed to provide royalty statements between 1997 and 2004. UMG filed a motion to dismiss on November 22. On March 17, 2025, judge Percy Anderson dismissed 14 of the claims against UMG, including for breach of contract, fraudulent concealment, and rescission of the record contracts, ruling that they must be adjudicated in California and New York state courts. However, he allowed the band's federal copyright infringement claim to continue. In February 2026, the band was confirmed to be among the headlining acts for Louder Than Life festival taking place in Louisville in September, along with Iron Maiden, My Chemical Romance and Tool. == Artistry ==

Music Durst wanted Limp Bizkit to be a "megaband" which could cross over into as many different styles of music as possible. and rap rock. Limp Bizkit have also been described as alternative metal, alternative rock, and hard rock. In 2000, the New York Daily News labelled the band as "frat-metal". Limp Bizkit's music is noted for its "kinetic, frenzied energy". Borland has also made use of unevenly accented syncopated sixteenth notes to create a disorienting effect, and hypnotic, droning licks. The band did not employ solos until Gold Cobra (except for the song "Underneath the Gun" from Results May Vary), however, during the recording of Significant Other, drummer John Otto performed an extended solo in the middle of the song "Nobody Like You". Much of Durst's lyrical inspiration came from growing up and his personal life. When describing Limp Bizkit's lyrics, The Michigan Daily said "In a less-serious vein, Limp Bizkit used the nu-metal sound as a way to spin testosterone fueled fantasies into snarky white-boy rap. Oddly, audiences took frontman Fred Durst more seriously than he wanted, failing to see the intentional silliness in many of his songs." Durst said that people failed to understand the band's proposal, "There was always a lot of pain in my life. Mental and physical abuse happens regularly in my life. I've been bullied my whole life, but I also love having fun and getting crazy and being silly and outrageous. We always had that in our band and a lot of people didn't understand that." Durst also said that the band's purpose was to serve as a satire but "We just didn't make it that obvious." The band's guitarist, Wes Borland, said that "Limp Bizkit is definitely a dumb rock band." Limp Bizkit's lyrics have also been described as "misogynistic". In response to these accusations, Durst said: "That's because I said the words whore and bitch. My whole record is about my girlfriend who put me through the ringer for three years and my insecurity about it. It became this big thing." The Baltimore Sun talked about the band's song "Nookie", which is accused of being sexist and misogynistic, "Despite its seemingly salacious title, 'Nookie' is not about the joy of sex; instead, it finds singer Fred Durst talking about how he let his girlfriend take advantage of him because he was a fool for love. So when he gets to the chorus catch-phrase - 'I did it all for the nookie' - what we hear is more self-recrimination than boast." The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) focuses on more serious and darker lyrical subject matter, including Catholic sex abuse cases, terrorism and fame. Live performances Guitarist Wes Borland is known for his use of costumes and body paint during concerts, appearing in bunny and kung fu suits, Borland's black contacts were customized for him by a company noted for making contacts for the science fiction TV series Babylon 5. Faith No More, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, the Jesus Lizard, Primus, Pantera, Anthrax, Minor Threat, the Fat Boys, the Treacherous Three, Deftones, the Circle Jerks, Criticism Despite receiving praise for their artistry and musical contributions, the band has received a share of negative criticism from fellow musicians. As pointed out by author Joel McIver, Limp Bizkit's mix of rap and metal was notably preceded by the bands Rage Against the Machine and Faith No More, but its lyrics widely differed from the radical politics of the former and the existential poetry of the latter. Durst cited both bands as two of his biggest influences. The frontmen of both groups have distanced themselves from Limp Bizkit; Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine stated that Limp Bizkit "sucks", while Faith No More vocalist Mike Patton paraphrased the quote attributed to Götz von Berlichingen, Er kann mich am Arsch lecken – "He can lick my ass", when asked by a German reporter about Durst's interest in releasing his music through Interscope Records. During the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, Rage Against the Machine bassist Tim Commerford climbed part of the set in protest of Limp Bizkit winning the award for Best Rock Video, later expressing his dislike of the band during a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, claiming "I apologize for inspiring such shit". ==Feuds==

Slipknot Korn and Limp Bizkit shared a long-standing friendship after bassist Reginald Arvizu assisted the latter in acquiring a record deal in 1996. The bands continued to strengthen their relationship as they often toured together frequently throughout the late 1990s. Slipknot at the time was an up-and-coming band and would have its self-titled debut produced by Ross Robinson (a producer who worked with all three bands). While on tour promoting their upcoming album during the 1999 Ozzfest tour, lead singer Corey Taylor took notice of Korn drummer David Silveria's modeling campaign for Calvin Klein in several magazines while the band was at a truck stop in Texas. Disgusted with Silveria's business decisions to expand into modeling, Taylor purchased numerous copies of the magazine issue and publicly burned copies onstage during Slipknot's live performances. According to Taylor, Durst and DJ Lethal were enraged by this and attacked Slipknot in various interviews in the spring of 1999. Taylor admits that he and multiple Slipknot members were impressed with Limp Bizkit's 1997 debut record, even citing it as an influence on their debut album, but he later claimed they lost respect for the band following the release of Significant Other in 1999, accusing the band of selling out. Durst would make further retaliatory comments towards Slipknot's fans in December 1999, referring to them as "fat, ugly kids". Slipknot singer Corey Taylor responded during a February 2000 fan interview in Sydney, Australia by claiming that the fans of Slipknot "for the most part, enjoy all kinds of music, like Limp Bizkit… maybe." Taylor went on to claim that insulting fans of Slipknot could also be insulting fans of Limp Bizkit. During an interview with VH1 in October 2000, Durst praised Slipknot's music, expressing his desire to quell the tension between both sides. When asked about Slipknot's music Durst told reporters: "Man this band is super phat, man; we don't even know them. That's their whole thing, that's their chant, that's their thing, that's cool. Maybe all this hate that's going around the world, that's why I said 'It's all the world has even seen lately'". Despite this, Taylor retorted with praise for Durst's financial ventures but attacked his artistic motives, claiming "Fred Durst is a great businessman, but he is not an artist". Despite the attacks between the two bands, they shared numerous UK festival dates together through 2000, including the 2000 Reading and Leeds Festivals. Taylor later claimed that feud began to subside during the late 2000s after the two bands shared a friendly encounter during the 2009 Download Festival in which Durst approached him, informing Taylor that his children were fans of Slipknot's music. Durst asked Taylor if he would sign several autographs for his son, to which Taylor kindly obliged. The two would continue to find themselves on friendlier terms in 2010. While Limp Bizkit was recording "Gold Cobra", Durst included a line on the song 90.2.10 giving a shoutout to Taylor. Limp Bizkit was later booked on the 2014 Japanese leg of Slipknot's Knotfest tour along with Korn. In August 2021, Limp Bizkit gave a public tribute to Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison who had recently died on July 26. Durst and the band paid tribute to him during their concert in Des Moines, Iowa (Slipknot's hometown). Durst asked the audience: "Slipknot's from somewhere around here, aren't they?" before expressing support for Jordison and the rest of the band, later telling the crowd "Rest in peace, let's hear it! That's beautiful. Life is short and it's always fleeting so, man, let's just remember all we are is right now" while riling the crowd to chant Jordison's name. On May 19, 2024, Slipknot turntablist Sid Wilson made a live appearance during Limp Bizkit's performance at that year's Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio. Marilyn Manson and Trent Reznor Marilyn Manson was known to be overly vocal against Limp Bizkit's music; in 1999, he attacked the band's artistry and their fans, referring to them as "illiterate apes that beat your ass in high school for being a 'fag' and now sell you tuneless testosterone anthems of misogyny and pretend to be outsiders...". Durst responded to Manson and Reznor's insults: "I understand that Marilyn Manson is very unhappy that his career has gone in a shambles and he's alienated his fans, so if he has to say things like that because he's very mad at himself, I would forgive him. And Trent Reznor's in the fucking same boat. Trent Reznor is obviously unhappy with how he's alienated the world, how long he took to make a record, and how he thought he was immortal. We're just here doing what we do and we have nothing to say about anybody. I wish them both luck and I feel sorry that they're so jealous and mad at themselves that they have to talk shit." Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland later joined Manson's touring band in 2008. Borland later departed Manson's touring band after less than nine months, citing an inability to songwrite and criticizing Manson's overbearing leadership. In 2021, Manson would become the subject of further controversy surrounding numerous sexual abuse allegations against him. Borland proceeded to attack Manson in numerous interviews, denouncing him as a "bad fucking dude". Trent Reznor, in an apparent change-of-heart, supported Borland's claims against Manson's misconduct, while also attacking him for the abuse allegations, during an interview with Ultimate Guitar. Placebo Limp Bizkit and Placebo began a long-standing feud, stemming from a show Durst was hosting at Irving Plaza in December 1998. Durst claimed he was prepared to introduce Placebo to the audience before singer Brian Molko insulted him, unaware of who he was. Durst later explained: "I was on the side of the stage, and the singer comes and pushes me and says, 'Get the fuck out of here!' And I'm like, 'I'm just here because I was asked to introduce you.' And he's like, 'I don't give a fuck who you are, get off my stage' or whatever the fuck he was saying. So I guess he didn't know I was from Limp Bizkit, and I was introducing him." Molko's behavior prompted Durst to rile up the crowd to chant "Placebo sucks!" prior to their performance. On June 11, 1999, Durst was introducing the band Staind, prior to their performance as part of K-Rock's Dysfunctional Family Picnic in Holmdel, New Jersey, when he once again instigated the audience to chant "Fuck Placebo". The feud was reignited during Big Day Out 2001, in which Placebo were billed below Limp Bizkit, with the band's bassist, Stefan Olsdal, claiming Placebo was fearful of the audience as they hostily waited for Limp Bizkit's performance during their set. == Legacy and influence ==

Limp Bizkit is considered one of the defining bands of the nu metal genre. Metal Injection stated that "it's impossible to tell the story of late-'90s heavy music without Limp Bizkit" and argued that they are worthy of induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, saying "their continued festival dominance shows the nostalgia (and impact) is real." Kerrang! magazine talked about the impact of the band's song "Break Stuff": "If Deftones represented something deeper about nu-metal, Limp Bizkit represented something entirely at the other end of the scale. Despite having a genuinely innovative guitarist in Wes Borland, whose vision for his genre-straddling band was probably more in line with bands like Primus, Faith No More and Mr. Bungle... Break Stuff, ahem, broke Limp Bizkit through its fiendishly simple two-chord motif, kick-up-the-arse drop, and its glued-to-MTV video featuring Jonathan Davis, Flea, as well as rap megastars Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Dr. Dre, taking them to an audience far beyond metal. The celebrity that followed was huge. The influence it left was huger." Although Limp Bizkit inspired nu metal bands like Linkin Park in the 2000s, new bands in the genre continue to use Bizkit's sound as an influence, such as acclaimed nu metal revival band Wargasm, whose members grew up listening to Limp Bizkit and have said that they "wouldn't be the band we are today without them". Other bands that have cited Limp Bizkit as influence include Emmure, Hacktivist, Lionheart, Islander, Vision Eternel, and Zeal & Ardor. Richard Cheese performed a lounge rendition of the songs "Nookie" and "Break Stuff" on his debut album, Lounge Against the Machine. The Vitamin String Quartet recorded a tribute album called The String Quartet Tribute to Limp Bizkit: Break Stuff, which contains reinterpretations of the band's songs performed by a violinist backed by cellos, synthesizers, and keyboard percussion. The Blackout covered "My Generation" for the compilation Higher Voltage!: Another Brief History of Rock. Limp Bizkit also had a major impact on the professional wrestling world. They famously provided the track "My Way" for the music video for the WrestleMania 17 clash between Steve Austin and The Rock. Fred Durst is also featured in the SmackDown! Just Bring It video game. They performed their buzz single "Crack Addict" and also during WWE Legend, The Undertaker's entrance at Wrestlemania 19. They are the favorite band of several wrestlers including former WWE Diva's Champion and fellow Jacksonville native Kelly Kelly and former AEW athlete Sonny Kiss. The band was negatively perceived in the early 21st century. In 2003, Guitar World readers voted Limp Bizkit the "worst band of the year". A 2013 Rolling Stone readers' poll voted Limp Bizkit as the third-worst band of the 1990s, behind Creed and Nickelback. The band was insulted by fellow musicians including Deftones' Chino Moreno and Slayer's Kerry King, with King admitting that Limp Bizkit's popularity made him consider quitting music. Slate noted how "liking Limp Bizkit can seem like an ethical failure: Durst's lyrics frequently affirm a noxious value system in which a seething hatred of The Man coexists with a seething hatred of women." The Independent stated that "Limp Bizkit was often... used as a similar shorthand for the misery bad rock music has apparently wrought upon the world." Following the band's set at Lollapalooza 2021, which was broadcast on Hulu, and the release of the song "Dad Vibes", the band began having a shift in public opinion, garnering positive responses from critics and audiences. The band's comeback album Still Sucks helped with the shifting opinion, with the album receiving mostly positive reviews. Limp Bizkit was mentioned in a scene between Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik and Idris Elba's Knuckles in the film Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022), where Robotnik compares Knuckles to being as useless as a "Limp Bizkit backstage pass". Limp Bizkit appears in Generation Kill (2004), originally conceived by journalist Evan Wright as a three-part Rolling Stone magazine series, before being released as a full-length book and becoming a 2008 HBO mini-series under the same name. Generation Kill chronicles Wright's experience as a reporter traveling with a platoon of U.S. Recon Marines during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. While driving along a winding canal en route to Baghdad, a Ripped, Fuel-ed Corporal from Missouri named Josh Ray Person (played by actor James Ransone) memorably "recounts the band he formed after high school, Me or Society. A heavy-metal rap group, his band once opened for Limp Bizkit at a show in Kansas City. 'We sucked, but so did they,' Person says. 'The only difference is, they became famous right after we played together. I became a Marine. == Band members ==

Current • Fred Durst – lead vocals , guitar • John Otto – drums • Wes Borland – guitar, backing vocals • DJ Lethal – turntables, sampling, keyboards, programming , backing vocals Current touring musicians • Richie Buxton  – bass Former • Sam Rivers – bass, backing vocals , guitar • Rob Waters – guitar • Terry Balsamo – guitar • Scott Borland – keyboards, programming (1995–1996, session member 1996–2000) • Mike Smith – guitar Former touring and session musicians • Brian Welch – guitar • Sammy Siegler – drums • Franko Carino (DJ SK3L3TOR) – sampling, programming , backing vocals • Samuel G Mpungu – bass • Nick Annis – guitar • Tsuzumi Okai – bass • Brandon Pertzborn – drums • Danny Connell – bass Timeline == Discography ==

• ''Three Dollar Bill, Y'all'' (1997) • Significant Other (1999) • Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000) • Results May Vary (2003) • Gold Cobra (2011) • Still Sucks (2021) == Accolades ==

Limp Bizkit has been nominated for and won several awards. At the 2000 and 2001 Blockbuster Awards, the band won the Favorite Group (Rock) award. That year also saw the band winning a MuchMusic Award for Best International Video, honoring their video for the song "Break Stuff". At the 2001 Echo Awards, the band won the Best International Metal Band award. At the 2009 Kerrang! Awards, the band won the Hall of Fame award. Further expanding upon the group's achievements and popularity, they were also the first group inducted into MTV's Total Request Live "Hall of Fame" on May 26, 2001. == See also ==