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Limp Bizkit

Ch. 1 of 8
— CH. 1 · INTRODUCTION —

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Limp Bizkit

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  • Limp Bizkit chose its name to chase certain listeners away. Singer Fred Durst said as much: "The name is there to turn people's heads away." He pictured shoppers picking up the disc and muttering, "Limp Bizkit. Oh, they must suck." Those, he said, were exactly the people the band did not want listening. The plan failed in the best possible way. The American nu metal band went on to sell 40 million records worldwide and earn three Grammy nominations. It also became one of the most argued-about names in rock. How does a group that courts resistance end up at the top of the charts? Why did one festival weekend and one tragedy hang over its biggest years? And what happened when a band known for picking fights with its peers was finally judged again, decades later?

  • Gastonia, North Carolina, is where Fred Durst grew up and where his taste for breakdancing, hip hop, punk rock and heavy metal took hold. He learned to rap, skate, beatbox and DJ. While mowing lawns and working as a tattoo artist, he began to picture a band that mixed rock with hip hop. Along the way he played in three groups, Split 26, Malachi Sage and 10 Foot Shindig. The first two went nowhere, and he walked away from the third to start something new.

    Sam Rivers, the bassist in Malachi Sage, got the pitch in blunt terms. Durst told him, "You need to quit this band and start a band with me that's like this: rappin' and rockin'." The new band took shape in 1994. Rivers recommended John Otto, who was studying jazz drumming at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and playing in local avant garde bands. The three jammed and wrote three songs together. Guitarists Rob Waters and Terry Balsamo each lasted only briefly before Wes Borland became the permanent guitarist.

    Funky Moses and the Red Sea Pedestrians was one of the alternatives that Borland says the band offered to record labels. Another was 600 Pounds of Furious Pig. Every label that showed interest pressed the members to change the name, and they refused. Borland told The Grand Rapids Press in November 1997 that the pressure only made them more determined. Durst explained that the band liked quirky and corny things and did not take itself seriously all the time.

    Danny Wimmer owned the Milk Bar, an underground punk club in Jacksonville, and he remembered Limp Bizkit as the biggest draw among local bands. In his telling, the crowds grew from ten people to eight hundred within months. He credited Durst's constant marketing, from visiting record stores to staying in touch with high schools. The pull was so strong that Sugar Ray, who already had a major label contract, opened for the still-unsigned band at Velocity, alongside the hip hop group Funkdoobiest.

    Cover versions of George Michael's "Faith" and Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" fueled the early live shows. Borland's bizarre costumes drew many fans all by themselves. Durst, meanwhile, tried to catch the ears of label A&R representatives by pretending to be the band's manager. It did not work.

    A touring Korn gave the band its real opening. When Korn came to town as the opening act for Sick of It All, Durst invited the members to drink beer and let him tattoo them. His tattoos were unimpressive, but he still talked Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu into hearing a demo with the songs "Pollution", "Counterfeit" and "Stalemate". Korn then added the unsigned Limp Bizkit to two tours, which put the band in front of a new audience.

    DJ Lethal, formerly of the hip hop group House of Pain, completed the lineup after the band toyed with adding a second guitarist. Borland concluded that another guitarist was not the answer, and Lethal joined as turntablist following a successful practice performance. The job let him try turntable techniques that hip hop had never allowed, and those experiments helped define the band's sound. Creative differences, though, pushed Borland out of the group at that point.

  • Flip Records, an independent label based in Los Angeles, offered Limp Bizkit a deal after the band's opening set for Korn at the Dragonfly in Hollywood went over well. The offer was $50,000. Soon afterward the major label Mojo, a subsidiary of MCA Records, made an offer of its own. Flip founder Jordan Schur later said the band told him only one thing would stop them from signing with Mojo: their van flipping over on the way to Los Angeles.

    On the drive to California to record the first album, the van flipped over five times, and every member suffered serious injuries. The near-death experience led Durst to make amends with Borland, who rejoined. It also soured the relationship with Mojo, because Durst felt the label wanted the band back at work too soon. Schur bought out the band's record and management contract and signed the group to Flip, at a cost of $175,000.

    Ross Robinson became the producer after Arvizu persuaded him to listen to the demo. Robinson put it off until his girlfriend appraised it. Impressed by the band's motivation and sound, he produced the debut at Indigo Ranch. Schur paid for the recording sessions, then negotiated a 50-50 agreement with Interscope Records to distribute the album.

    The mood Robinson set in the studio let the band improvise, and a recording of that improvising became the final track, "Everything". Durst's trouble with his girlfriend inspired the song "Sour". Robinson opposed recording "Faith" and tried to talk the band out of it, but the finished version won him over, with heavier guitar and drums plus DJ scratching. Tool strongly influenced the album's sound, especially on "Nobody Loves Me", where Durst imitated the singing style of Maynard James Keenan.

    The title Three Dollar Bill, Y'all borrowed part of an existing phrase and added "Y'all" for Florida flavor. It fit the band's habit of choosing names meant to repel. The finished record had an abrasive, angry sound that the band hoped would draw listeners in.

    Interscope proposed paying $5,000 to guarantee that a Portland, Oregon, radio station would play "Counterfeit" fifty times. Announcements before and after would say that the airtime was paid for by Interscope. The media criticized the scheme as payola. Manager Jeff Kwatinetz later called it a "brilliant marketing move". Durst said, "It worked, but it's not that cool of a thing."

    Three Dollar Bill, Y'all came out on the 1st of July 1997 to minimal response. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine granted that the band lacked original ideas but praised its powerful rhythm section and memorable hooks. Robert Christgau panned the album. Even so, Interscope appointed Durst its Senior Vice President of A&R.

    Touring did what the record could not. Limp Bizkit joined the Warped Tour alongside Pennywise, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Sick of It All, Lagwagon and Blink-182, and it also toured with Primus and Deftones. Its Ladies Night in Cambodia club tour offered free tickets to women, in order to broaden a largely male audience, and the plan worked. Not every crowd was friendly. On the Album of the Year Tour for Faith No More, a band often credited with paving the way for nu metal, the opening act met a hostile reception. Faith No More keyboardist Roddy Bottum later recalled that Durst "had a really bad attitude".

    In 1998, the band joined Soulfly and Cold on Soulfly's first European tour. The second single, the cover of "Faith", became a radio hit and earned a slot on Ozzfest, the tour organized by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne. Fans kept breaking through barricades, and the band was almost thrown off after two days. In August, John Otto spent a night in jail in Auburn Hills, Michigan, on a concealed weapon charge after allegedly firing a BB gun and being found with a switchblade.

    Durst directed a video for "Faith" to promote its use in the film Very Bad Things, but he was unsatisfied and shot a second one. That version paid tribute to tourmates Primus, Deftones and Korn, who appeared in it. Borland said that George Michael, who wrote the song, hated the cover and "hates us for doing it".

  • Terry Date, who had produced albums for Pantera, White Zombie and Deftones, was the producer chosen for Limp Bizkit's second album. After the radio success of "Faith", the band wanted to prove it was neither a Korn soundalike nor a cover band. The new songs dealt with problems that came with sudden fame.

    Method Man appeared on a track that let Durst and Lethal return to their hip hop roots. Its original title, a profane command, became "N 2 Gether Now" for marketing reasons. Durst also recorded "Turn Me Loose" with Eminem, but it missed the album. Guests on the record included Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots, Jonathan Davis of Korn and Aaron Lewis of Staind, with interludes by Les Claypool and Matt Pinfield.

    Unannounced concerts in Detroit and Chicago helped build demand for "Nookie", the first single, as radio stations fielded a flood of requests. Significant Other reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 643,874 copies in its first week. Another 335,000 followed in the second. The band landed magazine covers including Spin, got mobbed for autographs, and began talking to fans on a website run by Dike 99. Durst moved from Jacksonville to Los Angeles.

    Critics were warmer than before but not won over. Reviews of Significant Other ran from mixed to positive, and a Spin profile claimed the band had yet to write a good song. Marilyn Manson and Trent Reznor also took shots. New York Times writer Ann Powers wrote that "DJ Lethal used his turntables as a metal guitar", and she found the band's slow tempos dull.

    The Limptropolis tour with Kid Rock opened with an injury. Sam Rivers smashed his bass in frustration over the poor sound and cut his hand. After stitches at a hospital, he returned to finish the set. On the 12th of July, Durst allegedly kicked a security guard in the head during a show in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was later arrested on assault charges.

    About 200,000 people watched Limp Bizkit at Woodstock '99 in the summer of 1999. Violence broke out during and after the set, and fans tore plywood from the walls while the band played "Break Stuff". Several sexual assaults were reported in the festival's aftermath.

    Durst told the crowd, "People are getting hurt. Don't let anybody get hurt. But I don't think you should mellow out." Later he said he never saw anyone get hurt, since the stage stood twenty feet above a sea of people. Les Claypool told The San Francisco Examiner, "Woodstock was just Durst being Durst." Jonathan Davis of Korn defended the band as well. Durst blamed the promoters for booking a band known for raucous shows, and he pointed at original Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang.

    The video for "Re-Arranged" answered the blame directly. It showed the band members receiving death sentences for their part in the concerts. It ended with angry witnesses watching as the band drowned in milk.

    The controversy did not dent the charts, and the band headlined that year's Family Values Tour. Durst directed the video for "N 2 Gether Now", which featured Method Man and Pauly Shore. He took his inspiration from Inspector Clouseau's fights with his butler Cato Fong in the Pink Panther films.

  • In 2000, Durst announced that the third album would be called Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, and the press assumed he was joking. The title was meant to sound like a fictional band. "Chocolate Starfish" was a crude jab at Durst himself, who had often been called an unflattering name. Borland supplied the second half at a truck stop, while the band stood looking at bottles of flavored water. He joked that the shop had no hot dog or meat-flavored water.

    In June 2000, the band arrived an hour late for the WXRK Dysfunctional Family Picnic, and an Interscope spokesman blamed confusion over the set time. On stage, Durst called Creed singer Scott Stapp "an egomaniac". Creed's representatives later presented him with an autographed anger management manual.

    Napster sponsored the band's tour that summer, and the shows were free, with only a metal cage between band and audience. Durst was an outspoken advocate of file sharing. A "Guerrilla Tour" followed, with illegal, impromptu gigs on rooftops and in alleyways, some of them shut down by police.

    At the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, Durst performed "Livin' It Up", a song from the upcoming album, as a duet with Christina Aguilera. Filter frontman Richard Patrick said, "Fred getting onstage with Christina Aguilera embarrassed us all." Durst answered by asking why musicians should be kept apart by genre. Eminem's song "The Real Slim Shady", which featured Durst in its video, hinted at a relationship between Durst and Aguilera. Durst denied it and praised her as a singer.

    Released on the 17th of October 2000, the album sold over one million copies in the US in its first week, a record for a rock album. About 400,000 of those sales came on the first day. That made it the fastest-selling rock album ever and broke a record Pearl Jam's Vs. had held for seven years. It was certified Gold, Platinum, and six times Multi-Platinum.

    Reviews were mixed. Erlewine at AllMusic heard "the sound of a band determined to deliver a sequel in a finite amount of time". Entertainment Weekly's David Browne named it the worst album title of 2000. Readers of Kerrang! magazine voted it the worst album of the year and named Limp Bizkit the worst band.

    At the Big Day Out festival in Sydney in 2001, fans rushed the stage in the mosh pit, and a teenager named Jessica Michalik died of asphyxiation. In court, Durst testified that he had warned the organizers Aaron Jackson, Will Pearce and Amar Tailor, and promoter Vivian Lees, about the dangers of minimal security. Durst was represented by his long-time attorney Ed McPherson. After viewing videotapes and hearing witnesses, the coroner said the crowd was dangerously dense when Limp Bizkit took the stage. The coroner added that Durst should have acted more responsibly once the problem became apparent.

    Durst said he was "emotionally scarred" by the death. He said the band told the promoters the barricades were wrong and refused to play, but was told that as headliners it had to go on. According to Durst, police warned of a riot and said they would arrest the band if it did not perform.

    In February 2012, the band returned to Australia for the first time in 11 years, to play the Soundwave festival. Durst dedicated the shows to Jessica Michalik.

  • In October 2001, Durst posted a statement on the band's website saying that Limp Bizkit and Wes Borland had "amicably decided to part ways". He promised to "comb the world for the illest guitar player known to man". Producer Ross Robinson offered a sharper explanation for the split: "He doesn't sell out for money anymore." Later that year, artists including P. Diddy, Timbaland, Bubba Sparxxx and Everlast remixed band songs into hip-hop versions on an album called New Old Songs.

    The search for a replacement was a nationwide audition called "Put Your Guitar Where Your Mouth Is". Guitarist Mike Henderson, who tried out, later revealed that it was a publicity stunt to sell Guitar Center products. Durst had no intention of recruiting a new player, and guitarists who had waited for hours were furious.

    Snot guitarist Mike Smith eventually recorded with the band, though the first sessions were scrapped. In May 2002, Durst posted Borland's personal email address online and urged fans to ask him to return. Borland said that 75% or more of the messages begged him not to come back.

    Results May Vary passed through the working titles Bipolar and Panty Sniffer before getting its final name. It included a cover of The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" that added a Speak & Spell during the bridge. Smith played on some of the sessions and appeared live with the band, including at WWE WrestleMania XIX alongside Korn's Brian Welch.

    At the Chicago stop of the 2003 Summer Sanitarium Tour, headlined by Metallica, the crowd threw items and heckled Durst from the moment he walked out. He threw down the mic after six songs and left the stage, insisting that Limp Bizkit was the best band in the world. A Sun-Times article said radio personality Mancow had started the hostility.

    The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) reached stores in May 2005, with Sammy Siegler on drums for much of it. Erlewine described its sound as "neo-prog alt-metal". At Durst's insistence, it came out as an underground release with no advertising, which Borland called "self-sabotage". It sold over 37,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 24. Then it faded, reaching only 88,000 US sales by March 2006. After the Greatest Hitz collection, the band went on hiatus, and Borland said none of his future plans included Limp Bizkit.

    In 2009, the band reunited with Borland and launched the Unicorns N' Rainbows Tour. The album that followed, Gold Cobra, took its title from Borland, who said the name means nothing. Gene Simmons of Kiss performed a spoken intro written by Durst, but it was left off. The single "Shotgun", released on the 17th of May 2011, features a Borland guitar solo, a rarity for the band. Gold Cobra arrived on the 28th of June 2011, peaked at No. 16 and sold nearly 80,000 copies in the US. The band then left Interscope.

    Cash Money Records signed the band next. A dispute among Durst, Lethal and Otto over alleged chronic drug and alcohol use ended with DJ Lethal angrily leaving. He later apologized on Twitter but was not allowed back. He resumed performing with the band on the 17th of March 2018 at the Storm the Gates festival in Auckland, New Zealand.

    Ross Robinson returned to produce the album then titled Stampede of the Disco Elephants. "Ready to Go", featuring Lil Wayne, appeared on limpbizkit.com on the 24th of March 2013. In October 2014, Durst revealed that the band had left Cash Money and was independent again. In June 2021, Borland said the band had gone into the studio about seven times to finish the record. He said roughly 35 songs existed as instrumentals, and Durst had recorded vocals on them and then thrown the vocals away.

    A 20-date Russian tour in 2015, called "Money Sucks", celebrated the band's 20th anniversary. It drew criticism against the backdrop of the Russo-Ukrainian War, after a picture surfaced of Durst holding a flag reading "Crimea = Russia". Rivers had been diagnosed with a degenerative disease of the spinal discs, complicated by a pinched nerve, and could not travel. The 23-year-old German bassist Samuel Gerhard Mpungu replaced him for the tour.

    The single "Dad Vibes" arrived on the 30th of September 2021. Durst teased more songs on Instagram, and he confirmed that the sixth album, now titled Still Sucks, would be released on the 31st of October 2021. It was due to contain 12 tracks.

    On the 8th of October 2024, the band, Durst and his label Flawless Records sued Universal Music Group. They alleged it owed over $200 million in unpaid royalties and had failed to provide royalty statements between 1997 and 2004. In March 2025, judge Percy Anderson dismissed 14 claims, including breach of contract, but let the federal copyright infringement claim continue.

    Sam Rivers last performed with the band at the Leeds Festival in the United Kingdom in August 2025. He died on the 18th of October 2025 at the age of 48. Rivers had recruited Otto into the band. On the 29th of November 2025, the band played its first Mexico City concert without its original bassist, with Richie Buxton of Ecca Vandal on bass.

    In February 2026, Limp Bizkit was confirmed as a headliner at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, set for September, alongside Iron Maiden, My Chemical Romance and Tool.

  • Durst wanted Limp Bizkit to be a "megaband" that could cross over into as many styles of music as possible. Writers have called its sound nu metal, rap metal and rap rock, along with alternative metal, post-grunge and hard rock. In 2000, the New York Daily News labelled the band "frat-metal". Its music is noted for a "kinetic, frenzied energy".

    John Otto can move between Brazilian and Afro-Cuban music, bebop and funk. During the recording of Significant Other, he performed an extended drum solo in the middle of "Nobody Like You". Another drum solo can be heard on "9 Teen 90 Nine" from the same album.

    DJ Lethal works as the band's sound designer. He says he looks for sounds beyond the usual chirping scratches, things listeners have not heard before. "I'm trying to be like another guitar player," he said.

    Three Dollar Bill, Y'all shows Wes Borland playing without a pick, using two hands, one for melodic notes and the other for chord progressions. He is noted for creative use of six and seven-string guitars, octave shapes and choppy eighth-note rhythms. Sometimes he mutes strings with his left hand for a percussive sound. He also uses unevenly accented syncopated sixteenth notes to create a disorienting effect. On "Stuck", a sustain pedal is used in the first bar and muted riffs in the second.

    A breakup with Durst's girlfriend gave the band two of its biggest songs, "Nookie" and "Re-Arranged". Durst's lyrics are often profane, scatological or angry, and accusations of misogyny followed them. He replied that the record was about a girlfriend who put him through the ringer for three years. The Baltimore Sun argued that "Nookie" is not about the joy of sex at all. It reads, the paper said, as self-recrimination from a man who let his girlfriend take advantage of him.

    The Michigan Daily observed that audiences took Durst more seriously than he wanted, missing the intentional silliness in many songs. Durst said the band's purpose was satire, but "We just didn't make it that obvious." Borland put it more bluntly: "Limp Bizkit is definitely a dumb rock band." The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) turned darker, with lyrics about Catholic sex abuse cases, terrorism and fame.

    On stage, Borland appeared in bunny and kung fu suits, painted as a skeleton, and as a character he calls a "burnt match". He described it this way: "I go onstage wearing almost nothing." He wore underwear and boots, painted his head black from the neck up, and wore black contacts. "All you can see is these glowing teeth." A company noted for making contacts for the TV series Babylon 5 customized the lenses.

    Apocalypse Now supplied the look for the Ladies Night in Cambodia club tour, with an empty Jeep, camouflage mesh and palm trees on stage. On the tour with Primus, the band took inspiration from the slogan "Primus sucks". All five members took the stage with middle fingers raised. Borland said the Primus crowd answered in kind, which to him meant they loved the band. Les Claypool came out on the first night and got a big kick out of it.

    Ozzfest audiences heckled the band in 1998, so it built a 30 ft toilet as a stage prop and emerged from it during each set. The members punctuated their shows by "flushing" cardboard cutouts of pop stars such as Hanson and the Spice Girls. In July, Snot singer Lynn Strait was arrested for indecent exposure after emerging nude from the prop.

    The Los Angeles Times described the first Family Values Tour set as "a mix of The War of the Worlds and Mars Attacks". The band came out of a spaceship. On the tour's Halloween show, each member dressed as Elvis Presley at a different stage of his career.

  • Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine said that Limp Bizkit "sucks". Author Joel McIver noted that the band's mix of rap and metal was preceded by Rage Against the Machine and Faith No More, though its lyrics differed from the radical politics of the former and the existential poetry of the latter. Durst named both as influences. At the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, Rage bassist Tim Commerford climbed part of the set to protest Limp Bizkit winning Best Rock Video. In a 2015 Rolling Stone interview, he apologized for inspiring the band.

    The Slipknot feud began on the 1999 Ozzfest tour, when singer Corey Taylor noticed Korn drummer David Silveria's Calvin Klein modeling campaign. Taylor bought many copies of the magazine and burned them on stage. Durst and DJ Lethal were enraged and attacked Slipknot in interviews that spring. Taylor admitted that Slipknot admired the Limp Bizkit debut, but he said respect faded after Significant Other, which he saw as selling out.

    In December 1999, Durst called Slipknot's fans "fat, ugly kids". Taylor later said of Durst, "Fred Durst is a great businessman, but he is not an artist." The peace came slowly. At the 2009 Download Festival, Durst approached Taylor to say his children were fans and asked for autographs for his son. Durst gave Taylor a shoutout on the Gold Cobra song "90.2.10". In August 2021, he paid tribute to Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, who had died on the 26th of July, at a concert in Des Moines, Iowa, Slipknot's hometown. On the 19th of May 2024, Slipknot turntablist Sid Wilson joined Limp Bizkit on stage at the Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio.

    In 1999, Marilyn Manson called the band's fans "illiterate apes". He and Trent Reznor later aimed at Durst in the Nine Inch Nails video for "Starfuckers, Inc." Reznor said, "I don't have to say Limp Bizkit sucks, you know it, I know it." Durst replied that both men were unhappy and jealous. By June 2003, Durst and Manson shared a Rolling Stone cover with James Hetfield and Ozzy Osbourne. Borland joined Manson's touring band in 2008 and left within nine months, citing an inability to write songs and Manson's overbearing leadership.

    Placebo clashed with Durst at Irving Plaza in December 1998. Durst was hosting the show, and he said singer Brian Molko pushed him and ordered him offstage, not knowing who he was. Durst responded by leading the crowd in a chant against Placebo. He did it again on the 11th of June 1999 in Holmdel, New Jersey. At Big Day Out 2001, Placebo were billed below Limp Bizkit, and bassist Stefan Olsdal said his band feared the crowd waiting for Limp Bizkit. By 2004, the feud had reportedly ended.

    Alternative Press said Limp Bizkit "established the ground rules of nü metal". Metal Injection argued that "it's impossible to tell the story of late-'90s heavy music without Limp Bizkit" and made the case for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Kerrang! credited "Break Stuff" with taking the band far beyond metal, and its MTV video featured Jonathan Davis, Flea, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Dr. Dre.

    Linkin Park was inspired by the band in the 2000s. The revival band Wargasm says it "wouldn't be the band we are today" without Limp Bizkit. Emmure, Hacktivist, Lionheart, Islander, Vision Eternel and Zeal & Ardor also cite it. Richard Cheese recorded lounge versions of "Nookie" and "Break Stuff", and the Vitamin String Quartet released a tribute album.

    Professional wrestling embraced the band. Its track "My Way" soundtracked the video for the WrestleMania 17 match between Steve Austin and The Rock. The band played "Crack Addict" for The Undertaker's entrance at WrestleMania 19. Fellow Jacksonville native Kelly Kelly, a former WWE Divas Champion, counts Limp Bizkit among her favorite bands.

    In 2003, readers of Guitar World voted Limp Bizkit the worst band of the year. A 2013 Rolling Stone readers' poll ranked it the third-worst band of the 1990s, behind Creed and Nickelback. Slayer's Kerry King admitted that the band's popularity made him consider quitting music. Slate wrote that liking Limp Bizkit "can seem like an ethical failure".

    The band's set at Lollapalooza 2021, broadcast on Hulu, began a shift in opinion, and the new music that followed brought warmer responses from critics and audiences. Still Sucks received mostly positive reviews. In the 2022 film Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik compares Idris Elba's Knuckles to a "Limp Bizkit backstage pass", meaning something useless.

Updated

Common questions

Who are the members of Limp Bizkit?

Limp Bizkit's lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland and turntablist DJ Lethal. Founding bassist Sam Rivers died on the 18th of October 2025 at the age of 48.

Where and when was Limp Bizkit formed?

Limp Bizkit formed in 1994 in Jacksonville, Florida, when Fred Durst recruited Sam Rivers, the bassist from Malachi Sage. John Otto joined as drummer on Rivers's recommendation, and Wes Borland later became the permanent guitarist.

Why is the band called Limp Bizkit?

Fred Durst chose the name Limp Bizkit to turn people's heads away from the band. He said he did not want listeners who would dismiss the group as bad, and record labels that pressed the band to change it were refused.

What are Limp Bizkit's best-known albums and singles?

Limp Bizkit's best-known albums are Three Dollar Bill, Y'all (1997), Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000). Notable singles include "Nookie", "Re-Arranged", "Break Stuff", "My Way" and a cover of The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes".

How many records has Limp Bizkit sold?

Limp Bizkit has sold 40 million records worldwide and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards. Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water sold over one million copies in the US in its first week, a record for a rock album.

What happened to Limp Bizkit at Woodstock '99?

Limp Bizkit played Woodstock '99 in front of approximately 200,000 people, and violence broke out during and after the set. Fans tore plywood from the walls during "Break Stuff", and several sexual assaults were reported afterward.

What happened at Limp Bizkit's Big Day Out show in Sydney in 2001?

Fans rushed the stage in the mosh pit at the 2001 Big Day Out in Sydney, and a teenager named Jessica Michalik died of asphyxiation. The coroner said the crowd was dangerously dense and that Fred Durst should have acted more responsibly once the problem became apparent.

Why did Wes Borland leave and rejoin Limp Bizkit?

Wes Borland left Limp Bizkit in October 2001 and rejoined in August 2004. He returned again in 2009 and recorded the album Gold Cobra with the band.

All sources

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  32. 58Limp Bizkit Launches 'Unicorns N' Rainbows' TourArtist Direct — April 24, 2009
  33. 59World exclusive! Limp Bizkit name new albumSimon — Bauer Performance — November 30, 2009
  34. 66JournalGold Cobra reviewTerry Bezer — July 6, 2011
  35. 68MagazineLIMP BIZKIT New RecordMarch 25, 2013
  36. 73Birdman, Slim and Fred Durst Discuss Limp Bizkit DealGrandmaster Grouchy Greg — AllHipHop — February 27, 2012
  37. 75DJ Lethal Reconciles With Limp Bizkit: Is Back In The BandBloodyDisgusting — October 15, 2012
  38. 81Ross Robinson involved in Limp Bizkit albumBram Teitelman — Metal Insider — Jan 30, 2013
  39. 82Producer Ross Robinson Involved In New Limp Bizkit Albumwookubus — theprp.com — January 29, 2013
  40. 84Free download set for "Thieves"Limp Bizkit — November 2013
  41. 85New Song and Video "Lightz" Has Been Released.Max — Limp Bizkit — December 11, 2013
  42. 87Fred Durst On Limp Bizkit's Split From Cash Money RecordsGary Graff — WDHA 105.5 FM — October 1, 2014
  43. 88Limp Bizkit to Tour 20 Russian Cities in OctoberAlex — thearmpit.net — January 15, 2015
  44. 89Money Sucks 2015 Russian TourBizkitlive.com — Bizkitlive.com — January 15, 2015
  45. 90Limp Bizkit to Headline ShipRocked 2015Alex — thearmpit.net — October 23, 2014
  46. 91Limp Bizkit frontman banned from UkraineDeutsche Welle — December 21, 2015
  47. 93Wie ein Berliner Bassist zu Limp Bizkit kommtTina Molin — June 14, 2016
  48. 95Korn and Limp Bizkit announce joint UK winter tourGeorge Simpson — September 15, 2016
  49. 96Looks Like Limp Bizkit May Never Release More MusicEmmy Mack — September 29, 2016
  50. 103Stop Everything: Limp Bizkit's New Era Has Arrived with 'Dad Vibes'Paul 'Browny' Brown — September 30, 2021
  51. 110"Please don't put it on the internet!" Did Limp Bizkit just tease a new song in the funnest way ever?Metal HammerLimp Bizkit enlist LA-based drummer Kristina Rybalchenko to tease unreleased track — September 4, 2025
  52. 112NewsLimp Bizkit Know How to Get Your Attention With New Song 'Making Love to Morgan Wallen'Jon Blistein — Rolling Stone — 12 September 2025
  53. 113NewsHow Limp Bizkit Ended Up On the Soundtrack for 'Battlefield 6'Christopher Cruz — Rolling Stone — 15 October 2025
  54. 119NewsSam Rivers, bassist and founding member of Limp Bizkit, dies aged 48Chandelis Duster — NPR — October 19, 2025
  55. 123BookEncyclopedia of Heavy Metal MusicWilliam, Brian — ABC-CLIO — 2009
  56. 124BookBrave Nu WorldTommy Udo — Sanctuary Publishing — 2002
  57. 125NewsLimp Bizkit consider gigs by satelliteBBC News — July 18, 2002
  58. 126BookNever Enough: The Story of The CureJeff Apter — Music Sales Group — 2009
  59. 127Album Review: Limp Bizkit – Gold CobraBuchanan, David — June 24, 2011
  60. 128MagazineLimp Bizkit: Gold Cobra < PopMattersJosh Langhoff
  61. 129BookStudies in Symbolic InteractionBen Hutcherson et al. — Emerald Group Publishing — 2010
  62. 131Limp BizkitJohn Bush — AllMusic
  63. 132New Album Gold Cobra For Florida Bad boys Limp BizkitSunshineslate.com — May 10, 2011
  64. 134Fred Durst Answers for Limp Bizkit's LegacyHerzog, Kenny — May 29, 2013
  65. 136Limp BizkitGrierson, Tim — About.com
  66. 137Limp Bizkit Lean Into The Backlash On Gold CobraShipley, Al — June 28, 2011
  67. 139MagazineCheck Out This Fred Durst-Directed eHarmony CommercialDionne, Zach — July 19, 2014
  68. 140BookGuitar Gods: The 25 Players Who Made Rock HistoryBob Gulla — Greenwood Publishing Group — December 23, 2008
  69. 143In Defense of Post-Grunge MusicSasha Geffen — October 7, 2013
  70. 144Limp Bizkit Video Challenges George Michael's 'Faith'Vanhorn, Teri — August 18, 1998
  71. 146Book7-String GuitarTobias Hurwitz et al. — Alfred Music Publishing — June 1, 2002
  72. 147Significant Other – Limp BizkitStephen Thomas Erlewine — AllMusic
  73. 149Gold Cobra – Limp BizkitStephen Thomas Erlewine — AllMusic
  74. 150BookLimp BizkitColin Devenish — St. Martin's Griffin — 2000
  75. 151NewsNu-metal's lasting legacyJack Porter
  76. 154MagazineQ&A: Wes Borland of Limp BizkitJenny Eliscu — 2000-08-31
  77. 155BookLimp BizkitColin Devenish — Macmillan Publishers — 2000
  78. 156MagazineQ&A: Fred DurstLorraine Ali — 1999-03-04
  79. 158The Unquestionable Truth, Pt. 1 – Limp BizkitStephen Thomas Erlewine — AllMusic
  80. 159BookThe 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All TimeJeff Kitts et al. — Hal Leonard Corporation — 2002
  81. 160MagazineWild, Wild WesKatherine Turman — June 1998
  82. 161Essi Berelian (2005), The Rough Guide to Heavy Metal, p. 259, "Faith No More must be counted among the pioneers of nu metal"
  83. 163Q&A with Fred DurstSeptember 18, 2014
  84. 164Every Beastie Boys album ranked from worst to bestJohn Consterdine — April 20, 2021
  85. 167"Lacquer Head" liner notes. Interscope Records (2000)
  86. 172Limp Bizkit: "We Got too Big, The Label Milked Us, We Fell Apart ..."Terry Bezer — TeamRock — October 17, 2016
  87. 173Nu-metal breakdownPhil Udell
  88. 174The 10 most influential songs, by Wes BorlandMatt Stocks — January 13, 2016
  89. 176Fred, shut the fuck upAlejandro Jofré
  90. 180Mike Patton zwischen allen StilenKonstantin Kalveram
  91. 184Slipknot FeudDecember 9, 1999
  92. 196Magazine2003 Rolling Stone Covers2004-05-12
  93. 199Pure MoaningJanuary 26, 2001
  94. 203NewsPlacebo: Accept no substituteOctober 29, 2004
  95. 213MagazineHow Korn, Bad Brains, A7X Helped Islander Find New 'Power'Jon Wiederhorn — 2016-06-17
  96. 215Vision Eternel InterviewKlemen Breznikar — December 24, 2020
  97. 218Lounge Against the Machine – Richard CheeseAlex Henderson — AllMusic
  98. 220MagazineGet ready for 'Higher Voltage'!June 20, 2007
  99. 229NewsWas Limp Bizkit Really That Bad?Jonah Weiner — 2009-04-14
  100. 231MagazineLolapalooza
  101. 233huge spikeAugust 6, 2021
  102. 234best albums 2021December 10, 2021
  103. 235top 10 altmetalDecember 17, 2021
  104. 237Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Review: Gotta Go Fast (Again)Jade King — The Gamer — March 28, 2022
  105. 238Generation Kill, p. 71.
  106. 248MagazineEchoes Debuts in BerlinWolfgang Spahr — 2001-03-31
  107. 250Hall of FameThe TRL Archive
  108. 251Record BookThe TRL Archive
  109. 255BillboardNovember 27, 1999
  110. 258NewsBrit Awards 2002: The nominationsJanuary 14, 2002
  111. 261Emma-gaalaJuly 14, 2001
  112. 263Limp BizkitNovember 23, 2020
  113. 264Jelöltek 2001August 12, 2016
  114. 265Jelöltek 2004August 12, 2016
  115. 267BillboardNielsen Business Media, Inc. — August 26, 2000
  116. 271MTV.com - On-AirApril 2, 2003
  117. 2722004: VMBOctober 28, 2011
  118. 273BillboardApril 2000
  119. 275BillboardNielsen Business Media, Inc. — December 16, 2000
  120. 282MagazineSurf's up!July 2001
  121. 283MagazineTeens in chargeOctober 2001
  122. 284NewsTOTP Awards: The winnersNovember 30, 2001

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