Kid Rock
Devil Without a Cause

THE REVIEW

In the year of our Lord this review was written, 2019, trap, electronic pop, and a bit of rock revival are all the rage, whereas in the nineties and 2000s things were different. Aside from scantily clad female pop and hip hop at the height of its power, nu metal and rap rock sounds also gained great following, in an attempt (only partially successful) to keep the now old rock and roll and its connections to other genres alive. Thus, in 1998, the Kid Rock phenomenon was born, with his official debut album. His vocation at the time, old-school rap rhythms on vaguely hard rock bases (and more), already felt dated but stood out for its party-themed yet reactionary messages, all centered on the lack of stimuli and modernity in the American countryside. The success of the metropolitan cowboy is mainly driven by tracks like the rough big single “Bawitdaba,” and then the title track, “Roving Gangster,” “I Am the Bullgod,” “Somebody’s Gotta Feel This,” “Fist of Rage,” and even a collaboration with Eminem, whose title speaks for itself. These are stereotypical but powerful and tacky songs, mixing white rap, scratching, and strong guitars, at the time considered music for those without an ear, but only on the surface. After this endeavor, Kid Rock gradually changed his genre, except for brief interludes. Now, of that experience and similar ones, only bittersweet memories and insignificant reprises on YouTube remain.