Kid Rock’s journey to mainstream success was anything but overnight. After his 1990 debut Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast led to his departure from Jive Records, he spent much of the decade toiling in relative obscurity, self-releasing albums and cultivating a small but loyal Midwest following. And by the time rap-metal exploded into the mainstream in the late ’90s, Kid Rock’s larger-than-life persona was tailor made to find success. Devil Without a Cause blurred genre lines, fusing hip-hop beats, metal riffs, and country twang into an unapologetic, rowdy party record. Tracks like “Bawitdaba” and “Cowboy” became anthems of the era, fueled by Kid Rock’s swaggering delivery and rebellious energy.
This was an album that was a mainstay in my repertoire during the golden ages of middle school alongside Limp Bizkit’s Significant Other and Korn’s Follow The Leader. It’s impossible not to get amped when the build up of “Bawitdaba” finally gets rolling. But even beyond its nostalgia factor, the album’s genre-mashing approach foreshadowed the country-rock crossover that would later define Kid Rock’s career. It may have started as a party record but it also became a blueprint for his evolution from rap-rock wild child to Southern rock mainstay.
Standout Songs: “Bawitdaba”, “Cowboy”, “Devil Without A Cause”
