Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), better known as Kid Rock and occasionally Bobby Shazam, is an American rapper, disc jockey, singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. His style alternates between rock, hip hop, country, and heavy metal. A self-taught musician, he plays every instrument in his backing band and has overseen production on all but two of his albums.
Kid Rock started his music career as a rapper and DJ, releasing his debut album Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast (1990) on Jive Records. His subsequent independent releases The Polyfuze Method (1993) and Early Mornin’ Stoned Pimp (1996) saw him developing a more distinctive style, which was fully realized on his breakthrough album Devil Without a Cause (1998), which sold 14 million copies. This album and its follow-up, Cocky (2001), were noted for blending elements of hip hop, country, rock and heavy metal. His most successful single from that period, “Cowboy” (1999), is considered a pioneering song in the country rap genre. His best-selling singles overall are “Picture” (2002) and “All Summer Long” (2008). Starting with his 2007 album Rock n Roll Jesus, his musical output has tended to be in the country and rock styles.