Linkin Park producer and emcee, Mike Shinoda, 29, seized the opportunity to create a solo project called Fort Minor that has helped him focus on his hip-hop roots.

Shinoda experienced nothing but success from Linkin Park, the band sold around 36 million records, picked up a Grammy award, sold out shows thanks to their fast growing fan base, and received praise from critics for their brand of music that is a hybrid of rock and hip-hop. They also worked with Jay-Z and released “Collision Course,” a collaboration of mash-ups of Linkin Park’s music.

In 2005, Linkin Park collaborated with another big name, the American Red Cross, after the tsunamis caused destruction to Asia. The band donated $100,000 and formed Music for Relief, a charity that would give aid to the victims (www.mtv.com). They also held the Music for Relief concert in Los Angeles that featured No Doubt, Blink-182, Ozzy Osbourne, and other A-list musicians.

As busy as he seems, Shinoda is the first member of Linkin Park to release a solo album. For the Fort Minor album, Shinoda called on friends such as Jay-Z to help produce and tapped the shoulders of artists from his record label, Machine Shop Recordings, to record an album with a more hip-hop sound. Fort Minor’s album was released in 2005 and took off overseas but failed to catch radio attention in the United States until the single “Where’d You Go?” hit the air waves.

Q: Coming off the success of Linkin Park’s albums did you feel it was the right time to pursue a solo project?
A: I wanted to bring it back to what I did pre-Linkin Park and get back to my roots. Fort Minor was a hobby that started a little over two years ago. It was the type of music I used to make pre-Collision Course with Jay-Z.

Q: Why did you decide to pursue a solo project and how is it different from Linkin Park?
A: This is not a vanity project. It’s different from Beyonce and Justin Timberlake. Musically I wanted to do something on my own and I wanted to fill a void.

Q: How did you get into the rock and hip-hop movement and who has influenced your sound?
A: It’s pretty rare that you have a hip-hop record that’s not talking about guns. I’ve always been into hip-hop mainly and listened to the Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, NWA, and Public Enemy.

Q: You’ve worked with Jay-Z before but how was it having Jay-Z as executive producer on the Fort Minor album?
A: He was a last-minute add and he didn’t write the music. I wrote and produced the Fort Minor album. I was starting to lose objectivity and he gave me a fresh take. He loved the [tracks] and thought they sounded great. On his end it was an easy job. He’s such a great guy to work with ... such a visionary. I trust his ear and his judgment.

Q: I can’t turn on the radio without hearing the single “Where’d You Go?” The single has really taken off in the past few months.
A: It was shocking to me, the album came out months ago but it was more of an underground album. Now it’s blown open overseas and charting top five, 10, 25 in Asia and Europe. The (United) States took a while. At 20 stations it was the number one most added song but the radio stations didn’t have the song and downloaded it to play on the air. It was organic, the fans asked for it.
“Where’d You Go?” is a song for my wife, it’s a story from her perspective until the end of the track. It took me five minutes to write the chorus and melody. I needed a female voice and Holly (Brook, a female vocalist releasing an album on Machine Shop Recordings) did a great job.

Q: If you had to play favorites, who did you most enjoy working with on this album?
A: Everyone on this record is a friend of mine and people I knew, except John Legend. I had the most fun working with Styles of Beyond who came along on the tour.

Q: What do you have planned for the future? Is Linkin Park going to release a new album?
A: There will be a new Linkin Park album and we worked with producer Rick Rubin. I will get production credit but he’s in the lead. I was excited to learn from him, he has the ability to do diverse types of music. We wanted to work with him and wanted to do it as a band.

Q: What does the rest of 2006 hold in store for you?
A: There will be a Linkin Park LP. Linkin Park can’t put out a record that sounds like the other so at this point we’re focusing on doing something different. People need to recognize that the LP has to be different and brand new doesn’t come over night. You have to take things as they come and pretty soon you’ve got a full schedule before you know it.