Editing Limp Bizkit (section)

=== Formation and early years (1994–1996) ===
[[File:Drummer John Otto of Limp Bizkit in 2006.jpg|thumb|left|[[John Otto (drummer)|John Otto]] studied [[jazz drumming]] and played in local [[avant garde music|avant garde]] bands before joining Limp Bizkit.]]
While growing up in [[Gastonia, North Carolina]], [[Fred Durst]] took an interest in [[breakdancing]], [[hip hop music|hip hop]], [[punk rock]], and [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]]. He began to [[rapping|rap]], [[skateboard|skate]], [[beatboxing|beatbox]], and [[disc jockey|DJ]].

While mowing lawns and working as a tattoo artist, he developed an idea for a band that combined elements of rock and hip hop.<ref>{{cite book |last=Devenish |first=Colin |title=Limp Bizkit |year=2000 |publisher=[[St. Martin's Griffin]] |isbn=0-312-26349-X |pages=[https://archive.org/details/limpbizkit0000deve/page/1 1–20] |chapter=Chapter 1 |url=https://archive.org/details/limpbizkit0000deve/page/1}}</ref> Durst played with three other bands: Split 26, Malachi Sage (both of which were unsuccessful), and 10 Foot Shindig, which Durst left to form a new band.<ref name="Devenish21">{{cite book |last=Devenish |first=Colin |title=Limp Bizkit |year=2000 |publisher=St. Martin's Griffin |isbn=0-312-26349-X |pages=[https://archive.org/details/limpbizkit0000deve/page/21 21–51] |chapter=Chapter 2 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/limpbizkit0000deve/page/21}}</ref> Durst told [[Sam Rivers (bassist)|Sam Rivers]], the bassist for Malachi Sage, "You need to quit this band and start a band with me that's like this: rappin' and rockin'."<ref name="Devenish21" /> Rivers suggested that [[John Otto (drummer)|John Otto]], who was studying [[jazz drumming]] at the [[Douglas Anderson School of the Arts]] and playing in local [[avant garde music|avant garde]] bands, become the band's drummer.<ref name="Devenish21" /> Durst, Rivers, and Otto jammed and wrote three songs together and after brief stints with guitarists Rob Waters and [[Terry Balsamo]], [[Wes Borland]] joined as their permanent guitarist.<ref name="Devenish21" />

Durst named the band ''Limp Bizkit'' because he wanted a name that would repel listeners. According to Durst, "The name is there to turn people's heads away. A lot of people pick up the disc and go, 'Limp Bizkit. Oh, they must suck.' Those are the people that we don't even want listening to our music."<ref name=Devenish21/> Fred said that the band liked quirky and corny things and that they didn't take themselves seriously all the time, and thus the name "Limp Bizkit" represented these characteristics and the band as a whole.<ref>{{Citation |title=kdge.com Ef 20 Limp Bizkit Interview Part 1 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgb5K8N8Msw |language=en |access-date=2022-07-03 |archive-date=July 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703190428/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgb5K8N8Msw |url-status=live }}</ref> Other names that were considered by Durst included Gimp Disco, Split Dickslit, Bitch Piglet, and Blood Fart.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1iry4g/i_am_fred_durst_of_limp_bizkitask_me_anything/cb7gdo0 |title=I am Fred Durst of LIMP BIZKIT ... Ask Me Anything |author=Fred Durst/Reddit |date=July 21, 2013 |publisher=Reddit |access-date=July 21, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712185412/http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1iry4g/i_am_fred_durst_of_limp_bizkitask_me_anything/cb7gdo0 |archive-date=July 12, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Every record label that showed an interest in the band pressured its members to change its name.<ref name=Devenish21/> On an article for The Grand Rapids Press in November 1997, Wes stated "just because they wanted us to do it, we were determined not to change the name. We gave them other options, like Funky Moses and the Red Sea Pedestrians, and 600 Pounds of Furious Pig".<ref>{{cite av media |title=Wes Borland Quit-And Limp Bizkit's Sales Plummeted - Results May Vary |publisher=Rock N' Roll True Stories |time=1:25–1:31 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZxWQhmZYYQ&t=85s |via=YouTube |access-date=2025-05-26}} At 1:25–1:31, the video displays a screenshot of a newspaper article titled "Limp Bizkit: Stupid name, but that's the point," written by John Serba of ''The Grand Rapids Press''.</ref>

Limp Bizkit developed a [[cult following]] in the [[underground music]] scene, particularly at the Milk Bar, an underground punk club in Jacksonville. The band's local popularity was such that [[Sugar Ray]], who had a major label contract, opened for a then-unsigned Limp Bizkit at Velocity with hip hop group [[Funkdoobiest]].<ref name="Devenish21" /> Milkbar owner Danny Wimmer stated that Limp Bizkit "had the biggest draw for a local band. They went from playing [for] ten people to eight hundred within months. Fred ... was always marketing the band. He would go to record stores and get people involved, he was in touch with high schools."<ref name="Devenish21" /> However, the band knew that to achieve national success, it would have to distinguish themselves in its live performances.<ref name="Devenish21" /> Attracting crowds by [[word of mouth]], the band gave energetic live performances, covering [[George Michael]]'s "[[Faith (George Michael song)|Faith]]" and [[Paula Abdul]]'s "[[Straight Up (Paula Abdul song)|Straight Up]]" and featuring Borland in bizarre costumes.<ref name="Devenish21" /> Borland's theatrical rock style was the primary attraction for many concert attendees.<ref name="Devenish21" />

Durst unsuccessfully tried to attract attention from A&R representatives at various labels by pretending to be the band's manager.<ref name="Devenish21" /> Later when [[Korn]] performed in town as the opening act for [[Sick of It All]], Durst invited Korn to drink beer and tattoo them. Although Durst's tattoos were unimpressive, he was able to persuade [[Reginald Arvizu|Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu]] to listen to a demo, consisting of the songs "Pollution", "[[Counterfeit (song)|Counterfeit]]", and "Stalemate". Korn added a then-unsigned Limp Bizkit to two tours, which exposed the band to a new audience.<ref name="Devenish21" /><ref name="amg">{{cite web |last=Bush |first=John |title=Limp Bizkit&nbsp;– Biography |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p213327/biography|pure_url=yes}} |publisher=AllMusic |year=2006 |access-date=January 27, 2008}}</ref> The band attempted to expand its sound by auditioning an additional guitarist, but Borland soon determined that another guitarist was not the answer and [[DJ Lethal]], formerly of the [[hip hop music|hip hop]] group [[House of Pain]], joined the band as a [[turntablist]] after a successful practice performance.<ref name="LarkinHR">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1999|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0257-7|page=265}}</ref> Joining the band gave Lethal an opportunity to experiment with his turntable technique in ways that hip hop had not allowed him to do, helping shape the band's style. Due to creative differences, Borland left the band at this point.<ref name="Devenish21" />