Cover Story: Linkin Park - Rap Metal Rulers

Everyone in Linkin Park has a version of that story — of balancing school, jobs and the DIY demands of being in an unsigned band. Bourdon, 23, waited tables, worked in a bowling alley and studied accounting at Santa Monica College. Hahn also attended Art Center, where he met Shinoda, but left after a year to be a freelance illustrator, designing monsters and robots for the movies. Delson split his time between UCLA (where he received a degree in mass communications), songwriting in Shinoda's bedroom and an internship at Zomba Music, where his boss was Jeff Blue. "Brad took in the entire atmosphere of what it takes to get an act signed," says Blue. "He helped me send out Macy Gray demos and set up her showcases."

Linkin Park are not only one of the best-educated bands in new metal (Farrell, a native of Massachusetts and Delson's roommate at UCLA, holds a degree in philosophy); they are surely one of the best organized. Each member, according to his expertise, is in charge of some aspect of the group's artistic and business interests. As Hahn puts it, "We're the only guys that really get it. This is our career, and we take it seriously."

He and Shinoda are the visual generals; they created the drawings for the cover of Hybrid Theory. Delson and Bourdon specialize in finance and marketing. Bennington designs a clothing line and writes all of the lyrics with Shinoda. Farrell, who left the band before the making of Hybrid Theory but returned just prior to its release, writes a regular tour report for Linkin Park's Web site — no small chore: Linkin Park played 324 shows last year, almost a gig a day.

"They're the best people you could be in business with, if I can use that term for what they do," says Rob McDermott, who became the band's manager in February 2000. "A lot of rock bands go, 'Hey, we have a record deal,' and think they have it easy. These guys come from a whole different perspective. They built this thing."

"It really is a democracy — there's never a spot where one band member doesn't know what's going on," says Bourdon, who started drumming in the third grade after his parents took him to see Aerosmith. (Bourdon's mother, Patty, was a high school girlfriend of Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer, who credits her with helping him come up with the band's name.) Bourdon's own passion for detail goes back to his childhood: As a toddler, he once spent three hours sitting in a corner, teaching himself to tie his shoelaces. "I sat in that corner until I did it," he says, grinning. "That's one thing we all have in common — a strong work ethic."

Delson and Shinoda, friends in high school, made the first Xero music in 1996. By the time Bennington replaced original vocalist Mark Wakefield and Xero changed their name to Hybrid Theory, Shinoda — a classically trained pianist — was such a whiz at mixing hooks and rhythms with Pro Tools software that he produced the group's 1999 independent EP.

Bourdon cites "Points of Authority" on Linkin Park's album as an example of Shinoda's skill: "Brad wrote this riff, then went home. Mike decided to cut it up into different pieces and rearranged them on the computer." Shinoda rewrote Delson's riff so completely, Bourdon says, "that Brad had to learn his own part from the computer." Delson wasn't bugged. "Mike is a genius," he declares. "Trent Reznor-talented."

Undeterred by record-company apathy, Hybrid Theory used the word-of-mouth mechanics of hip-hop promotion to build an audience. Combining Internet savvy and snail mail, Hybrid Theory established their own street team: posting messages on other bands' Web sites to draw traffic to their own; uploading MP3s of their demos; and sending free T-shirts, stickers and tapes to people who responded. "They got so pissed off at the post office next to my old apartment," Bourdon says. "Priority Mail boxes are free, so I would take all of their boxes and run out of there. We would package the stuff in my apartment. My living room became a total mailroom."

Linkin Park now apply the same energy and logic to staying sane. (They had to change their name again when another Warner Bros. act, called Hybrid, turned up.) On tour, Linkin Park travel in two buses: One is outfitted as a mobile studio for writing and recording; the other vehicle is a band-only, no-party zone. Alcohol, smoking and guests are prohibited; when Bennington brings Samantha on the road, they stay in the studio bus.