Robert James Ritchie, known professionally as Kid Rock, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter. After establishing himself in the Detroit hip-hop scene, he broke through into mainstream success with a rap rock sound before shifting his performance style to country rock. A self-taught musician, he can play 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, 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, and rock. His 2003 self-titled album and Rock n Roll Jesus (2007) saw him distance further from his rap rock sound and moving towards country rock. He has since released Born Free (2010), Rebel Soul (2012), First Kiss (2015), and Sweet Southern Sugar (2017).