Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda reflects upon the band's early days in a new interview with Vulture, and suggests that the LA sextet stood out from their peers on the nu metal scene because they never bought in to its testosterone-heavy "tough-guy shit".
Looking back to when the group were still operating under its original name, Xero, Shinoda notes, "We had met with every label and most of the indies and got turned down by everybody. Then we got Chester [Bennington], and we were like, 'Now we’re going to get signed.' We went and met with everybody again, showcased for everybody, and they all turned us down again."
