Kid Rock at Pine Knob Music Theatre

American singer, songwriter, rapper, musician, record producer and actor Kid Rock originally made his name in music in the 1980s as a member of Michigan hip hop group The Beast Crew. A self-taught rapper, he caught the eye of Insane Clown Posse producer Mike E. Clark, and after recording a demo with him, he became embroiled in a bidding war between six major labels. Rock eventually signed with Jive Records that year, and a few months later he released his debut studio album, Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast. After his debut, he began to make waves in the hip hop scene, but it wasn't until a decade later, when he released his fourth studio album Devil Without a Cause (1998), that Kid Rock found fame. The album blended rap, country and heavy metal, exemplifying his now signature sound, and was eventually certified eleven-times platinum by the RIAA. The album was also pioneering and influential in terms of genre, and its single "Cowboy" is considered by AXS to be the first in the country rap genre. Kid Rock has experimented with a variety of genres over the years: Cocky (2001) featured several ballads, Kid Rock (2003) veered more towards hard rock and outlaw country, whereas his following three albums – Born Free (2010), First Kiss (2012) and First Kiss (2015) – were predominantly more traditional country. His latest release, 2017's Sweet Southern Sugar, was a return to hip hop for the artist.