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Led by self-confessed "freak" Fred Durst (b. William Frederick Durst, Jacksonville, Florida, USA), the son of a policeman, hard rock/hip-hop fusion band Limp Bizkit were formed in 1994 in Jacksonville, Florida. Completed by guitarist Wes Borland (b. Richmond, Virginia, USA), bass player Sam Rivers (b. Jacksonville, Florida, USA)and drummer John Otto (b. Jacksonville, Florida, USA), the band were further augmented in 1996 by the services of DJ Lethal (b. Leor DiMant, Latvia) when his former employers House Of Pain ran aground. The connection was made originally when Limp Bizkit supported House Of Pain on their final tour. On his move from hip-hop to an (admittedly eclectic) rock sound, augmented commented: "80% of the drums in rap come from old rock records. People who talk shit about me being white and doing hip-hop better check who the fuck they're sampling!" The band made its debut with Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$ in 1997, a record that went on to notch up sales in excess of 1.5 million as it was adopted by a new generation of MTV rock fans. The band's striking live shows, complete with breakdancers and garish backdrops, also earned them high-profile slots on the Ozzfest, Warped and Family Values tours.
Fred Durst continued to court celebrity and self-publicity, making guest appearances on albums by Korn and Soulfly during this period. Fred Durst also became an A&R executive for his record label, Flip, fellow Jacksonville band Cold being his first signing. Limp Bizkit returned in July 1999 with Significant Other, with production work by DJ Premier and a guest from Method Man affirming the band's hip-hop credentials. The album debuted at number 1 on the US album chart, confirming the band as one of the leading alternative acts in America. The following year they achieved a big transatlantic hit with "Take A Look Around", the theme song for the Tom Cruise movie Mission: Impossible 2. They capitalised on their high profile with the release of Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water, which went straight to number 1 on the US charts. The band also spearheaded the "nu-metal" breakthrough in Europe, with "Rollin'" topping the UK singles chart for two weeks in January 2001. Borland, who had earlier recorded an album with his side-project Big Dumb Face, left the band in October.
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