Rollin’ or Posin’?

Limp Bizkit’s Role in

Nu Metal 
Brendan O’Neal Trigger Warning: Themes of violence, sexual abuse, and self-harm; language
Rollin’ (2000)
https://youtu.be/RYnFIRc0k6E
-A single from Nu Metal band Limp Bizkit’s third platinum-winning
LP release crudely named Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog
Flavored Water (2000)
-Filmed atop the South Tower of the then World Trade Center in 2000,
budget was $3mil, features the likes of Ben Stiller and Stephen Dorff
(filming Zoolander at the time, which Bizkit frontman Fred Durst
made an appearance in)
-Peaked at #65 on US Billboard Hot 100, at #1 in several other
countries, was used as WWE’s Undertaker’s entrance theme for two
years, as well as the goal song for NHL’s Buffalo Sabres for two years.
 Limp Bizkit and Fred Durst
Going platinum with their debut album Three Dollar Bill, Y’all,
Limp Bizkit is an active Nu metal band that was mostly popular
in the late 90s/early 00s

Combining metal riffs/breakdowns, hip hop scratching and

vocals, and funk drum beats, Limp Bizkit was at the forefront of
the Nu metal hybrid genre along with Korn, Disturbed, System
of a Down, Slipknot, and Linkin Park

Unlike those other Nu metal tastemakers, who were at least

respected if not liked by critics and rockers, Limp Bizkit had a
target on their back since the beginning for not only their music
but what they stood for

Thesis: Though ceaselessly made fun of and acting as the

punchline of early Nu metal, Limp Bizkit brought a necessary
lightheartedness to a genre focused on the expression of
emotional turmoil. 
Metal and Masculinity
Metal has traditionally been a male-dominated genre--overwhelming majority of
listeners are young males

What are the tenets of metal: Misogyny, glorified drug use, and overall hedonism? At one
point.

Early glam metal bands like Poison, Winger, Twisted Sister etc. incorporated lyrical
content focused on these themes, ie Poison’s “Nothin’ but a Good Time” (1988): “They say
I spend my money on women and wine/ But I couldn’t tell you where I spent last night”

Modern Tenets of metal: Anger, death, and suffering? Actually, yes.

“Objectification of women and self-indulgence yielded to introspection, the expression of

emotional pain, and a limitless exploration of violent fantasy.” (Rafalovich, 2006)

A comparatively tame example for the genre, “I hope you know I pack a chainsaw/ I’ll
skin your ass raw”--”Break Stuff” by Limp Bizkit (1999)
 Tragedy and Individualism in
Metal
Two primary narratives in metal lyrics are: 1. Conveying the self as dominated vs.  2. The self as
dominant; usually depicting a generic “you” as an antagonist to be overcome

1. Korn’s “Daddy”: “You’ve raped!/I feel dirty/It hurt!/As a child/Tied down!/That’s a good boy/And
fucked!” Ending with singer Jonathan Davis sobbing uncontrollably

Bizkit’s “My Generation”: “Hey kid, take my advice, you don’t want to step into a big pile of
shit/Captain’s drunk, your world is Titanic, Floatin’ on the funk, so get your groove on” Durst
compares those in dominant positions to a drunk captain, saying that the world hangs in the
balance, and that this is the reason why we must deal with it and simply get our “groove
on”--suggesting music as a solution to circumstances

2. Slipknot’s “My Plague”: “You fuckin’ touch me I will rip you apart/I’ll reach in and take a bite
out of that shit you call a heart” - Visceral  lyrics depicting the self as dominant and
uncomforted. This individuality, this theme of not being helped by companionship and turning
to  anger/violence to overcome tragedy is common in Metal. 

Bizkit’s “Full Nelson”: “Then step your ass up, and say it right to my face/You’ll get knocked the
fuck out”
 Why So Dark?
Even older than the “Do violent games
make violent children debate” is that
regarding Metal

My take:

Violent expression is commonly used in

metal, not as a command to maim and
murder real life human beings, but to
suggest emotive expression as an
alternative to pent-up
negativity/suicide. Metal fans connect
with violence and anger in lyrics
because they feel heard--they share
similar frustrations as their favorite
artists. Similarly, the mosh pit is not a
breeding ground for violence/angst, but
is rather a diffusion of negative energy.
 Does Bizkit Fit the Mold?
“Rollin’” incorporates both dominance narratives

1. Durst in his iconic baggy clothing and backwards red

Yankees cap symbolizes the common man

He is condescended to by Ben Stiller’s nicely dressed

character, a more ‘dominant’, or at least richer figure
with his Bentley Azure

2. Durst’s character then lives a dominance-fantasy,

driving around in the Bentley, imagining himself on top
of the World Trade Center (‘on top of the world’)
surrounded by his band and dancers

There is no violence in “Rollin’”, in fact there is no

negativity at all, with it’s dance-commanding verses “Move
in now move out/Hands up now hands down” and repetitive
chorus “Keep rollin rollin rollin rollin (What?)/Keep rollin
rollin rollin rollin (C’mon)”
 Bizkit’s Shtick
and Posin’
Limp Bizkit’s tongue-in-cheek attitude can be
gathered from their music, videos, and live
performances. Durst’s intro of “Rollin”, as he
addresses the listener with “Alright partner, keep on
rollin’ baby, you know what time it is,” is
unconventional and downright silly. 

At Ozzfest ‘98, the members of Limp Bizkit emerged

on stage through a gigantic toilet

Ahead of the release of Chocolate Starfish, Bizkit

guitarist Wes Borland put it simply in a Rolling
Stone interview: “We’re definitely a dumb rock
band.”

So, should Limp Bizkit receive proverbial hate for

being ironically “dumb”? 

Summing up the general consensus is MadTV’s

parody Posin’ (2001): https://youtu.be/dOAn6A_LjcE