Mike Shinoda's piercing emotional honesty and unflappable flow make him a sage-like hip-hop guru. With '00s nu-metal kingpins LINKIN PARK, he colours in angsty details about personal insecurity ("Papercut") and abject despair ("Bleed It Out") with metronomic precision, while his 2002 collaboration with The X-Ecutioners, "It's Goin' Down", combines sonic prowess with frankness. His other work offers even more honesty: Fort Minor's piano-driven "Welcome" asserts Shinoda's status as a proud outsider, while the grief-stricken "Over Again" details the emotional roller-coaster of a tribute concert honouring late bandmate Chester Bennington.