Happy Birthday Kid Rock's Devil Without a Cause

Devil Without a Cause is the fourth studio album by Kid Rock, released on August 18, 1998. The album was produced by Kid Rock with John Travis. It is Kid Rock's last album to be categorized as "hip hop" before crossing over to more traditional rock music. AllMusic labeled the album as a "rap-rock masterpiece".

The album was certified 11× Platinum by the RIAA by April 2003. It is Kid Rock's best-selling album, and as of 2015 it has sold 9,500,000 plus copies in the United States, according to Nielsen soundscan. (RIAA is units shipped, Soundscan is units scanned)

Initially, Atlantic Records was not sold on the idea of signing Kid Rock based on the strength of his material. Kid Rock then entered the studio and cut a two-song demo tape featuring "Somebody's Gotta Feel This", a punk rock song with a southern rock chorus and "I Got One for Ya" a blues song with Robert Bradley. Jason Flom immediately signed him and the band for $100,000 after hearing the tracks.

The song "Bawitdaba" which blended hard rock and hip hop helped increase the popularity of nu/rap metal along with the bands Limp Bizkit and Korn. This led to the success of new groups like Linkin Park, P.O.D., Papa Roach and Saliva. "Cowboy" also aided in ushering in the then-new genre "country rap" or "hick hop". The song has gone on to influence Toby Keith, Blake Shelton, Trace Adkins, Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Jason Aldean, Brantley Gilbert, Eric Church, Rehab, Moonshine Bandits and Colt Ford.

Originally "Cowboy", "Devil Without a Cause" and "Only ? Knows Why" were rejected by Atlantic Records. The label did not understand a rap song about a cowboy and wanted him to take the "I'm going platinum" line out of the title track, because at that point, his albums had gone nowhere. "Only ? Knows Why" was too country; they wanted a pure rock album. Rock wrote the first four lines of the song in jail after being arrested for a bar fight he got into while celebrating being signed to Atlantic. The song "Wasting Time" documented his frustrations with the label after he developed writer's block. Because of this he brought back four old tracks—"I Am the Bullgod" from 1993's Fire It Up EP; "Roving Gangster (Rollin)", a demo left off Early Mornin' Stoned ? ; as well as "Where U at Rock" and "Black Chick, White Guy" off EMSP. The album got its first exposure on the video game Road Rash 3D; it used "Somebody's Gotta Feel This".

1. "Bawitdaba" Kid Rock, Matthew Shafer, Jason Krause, David Parker, Sylvia Robinson 4:27
2. "Cowboy" Kid Rock, Matthew Shafer, John Travis, James Trombly 4:17
3. "Devil Without a Cause" (featuring Joe C.) Kenny Olson, Kid Rock, Matthew Shafer, Too $hort, Larry Smith, Jalil "Whodini" Hutchins 5:32
4. "I Am the Bullgod" Kid Rock 4:50
5. "Roving Gangster (Rollin')" Kid Rock, Matthew Shafer, Mark Morales, Darren Robinson, Andy Nehra, Damon Wimbley 4:24
6. "Wasting Time" Kid Rock, Matthew Shafer, Lindsey Buckingham 4:02
7. "Welcome 2 the Party (Ode 2 the Old School)" Kid Rock, Matthew Shafer, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland, Brian Holland 5:14
8. "I Got One for Ya'" (featuring Robert Bradley) Kenny Olson, Kid Rock, Matthew Shafer, John Travis, Jerry Williams 3:43
9. "Somebody's Gotta Feel This" Kid Rock, Matthew Shafer, Kenny Olson, John Travis 3:09
10. "Fist of Rage" Kid Rock, Matthew Shafer, John Travis 3:23
11. "Only ? Knows Why" Kid Rock, Matthew Shafer, John Travis 5:27
12. "? Off" (featuring Eminem, does not appear on clean version) Kid Rock, Matthew Shafer, Marshall Mathers, Jason Krause 6:13
13. "Where U at Rock" Kid Rock 4:24
14. "Black Chick, White Guy / I Am the Bullgod (Remix; hidden track)" (The song "Black Chick, White Guy" ends at 7:07 and the hidden track begins at 7:10) Kid Rock 12:01

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUII5J-EGdQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J9ayHYClw8