Editing Scott Raynor (section)

===Mainstream success and dismissal from Blink-182===
[[File:Blink-182 at the Whiskey in Los Angeles, 10-7-1996.jpg|thumb|Blink-182 at [[the Whiskey]] in 1996]]
By March 1996, the trio began to accumulate a genuine buzz among major labels, resulting in a bidding war between [[Interscope Records|Interscope]], [[MCA Records|MCA]], and [[Epitaph Records|Epitaph]].<ref name="shooman37"/> MCA's persistence and sincerity won the band over, as well as their promise of complete artistic freedom.<ref name=p64>Hoppus, 2001. p. 64</ref> The band began recording their sophomore effort ''[[Dude Ranch (album)|Dude Ranch]]'' that winter. The record hit stores the following summer and the band headed out on the [[Warped Tour]], which Raynor described as "one of the most unequivocally positive experiences of my time with the band."<ref name=shooman37>Shooman, 2010. pp. 37-38</ref> When lead single "[[Dammit]]" began rotation at Los Angeles-based [[KROQ]], other stations took notice and the single was added to rock radio playlists across the country.<ref name=p74>Hoppus, 2001. p. 74</ref> Desperate for a break due to extended touring, the overworked band began to argue and tensions formed, centering largely around Raynor.<ref name=p81>Hoppus, 2001. p. 81</ref>
{{Quote box
| quote = I always had aspirations for the band that went beyond the independent paradigm. I didn't measure success in terms of oppositional credibility. I loved being on the radio and [[MTV]]. We were certified products of [[popular culture|pop culture]], born and bred in suburbia. I was happy for the band when we got signed.
| source = – Raynor on his relationship with the band<ref name="shooman37"/>
| quoted = 1
| width = 25%
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}}
Raynor had planned from the earliest days of the band to one day attend college, as he said in a partially [[tongue-in-cheek]] remark in a 1994 interview: "I don't want to be 30 and still in a punk-rock band. That seems kind of scary to me."<ref name="shooman50"/> Shortly after the band released ''Dude Ranch'', Raynor began to think outside of the situation, viewing the major label experience as nothing like he had hoped.<ref name=shooman50>Shooman, 2010. p. 50</ref> He had only been half invested in the band since signing to MCA, as he felt it offered less creative freedom, especially in comparison to Epitaph, which had been pursuing the band and was Raynor's first choice.<ref name=shooman56>Shooman, 2010. p. 56</ref> "I mean, I was intellectually invested, I recognized it as a smart move financially. But it's like that song says, '[[I Left My Heart in San Francisco]]'; I left my heart in the office at Epitaph. After that compromise I found it difficult to make further ones, and I felt like I was asked to make a lot. Eventually, there was not enough of my heart in the band to justify my sticking around. I backed away, I was dead weight."<ref name="shooman56"/>

The tension came to a head in February 1998 as the band embarked on [[SnoCore Tour|SnoCore]], described as "a winter version of the Warped Tour." Sharing the stage with [[Primus (band)|Primus]], the band was enjoying more success than ever before, but the drama between the musicians had grown substantially.<ref name=p83>Hoppus, 2001. p. 83</ref> Relations reached a low point when the band engaged in a fight on a [[Nebraska]] date after SnoCore's conclusion.<ref name=shooman47>Shooman, 2010. p. 47</ref> Shortly after the conclusion of SnoCore was a short mini-tour along the western coast, most notably Southern California, the band's favorite place to play. The tour ended with the band headlining a sold-out show at the [[Hollywood Palladium|Palladium]] in Hollywood, where the band had dreamed of performing for years.<ref name=p84>Hoppus, 2001. p. 84</ref>

Raynor suffered a "tragic loss" during the West Coast mini-tour and flew home, forcing the band to find a fill-in drummer: [[Travis Barker]] of the [[ska punk]] support band [[The Aquabats]].<ref name=shooman51>Shooman, 2010. p. 51</ref> Barker learned the drum tracks for the band's set in only 45 minutes prior to his first show.<ref name=shooman52>Shooman, 2010. p. 52</ref><ref name="p85"/> Raynor returned for the band's Hollywood Palladium performance, and the band became increasingly uneasy and arguments grew worse.<ref name=p85>Hoppus, 2001. p. 85</ref> To offset personal issues, Raynor began to drink heavily and it began to affect the band's performances.<ref name="shooman56">Shooman, 2010. p. 56</ref> Following a largely successful Australian tour in the spring, Hoppus and DeLonge presented an ultimatum: quit drinking or go to an in-patient rehab. Raynor agreed to both and informed the band of his decision after taking the weekend to mull options.<ref name="shooman56"/> According to Raynor, he was fired through a phone call despite his agreement to rehab.<ref name="ap2004">{{cite web |author=Tate |first=Jason |date=2004-04-16 |title=Scott Raynor (ex-Blink182) |url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=32568 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629034017/http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=32568 |archive-date=2012-06-29 |access-date=2012-07-28 |work=AbsolutePunk}}</ref> Despite this, he felt no malice toward his former bandmates and conceded they were "right" to fire him. The band minimized the impact of the situation in future interviews and remained vague regarding his departure.<ref name="shooman56" /> The band later worked Raynor's departure into a song, "[[Man Overboard (Blink-182 song)|Man Overboard]]", which makes reference to his alcohol abuse.<ref name="shooman80" /> 

According to Hoppus, who wrote about Raynor’s departure in his memoir [[Fahrenheit-182: A Memoir|''Fahrenheit-182'']], Raynor had chosen to quit the band after being given the ultimatum. Hoppus stated, "the relationship with [Raynor] ended on the worst note possible, I feel like there’s a lot unsaid with Scott, and I would love to have that kind of closure at some point in my life. I don’t know when that is and it’s not something that I can force." Hoppus also revealed that Raynor called him a year after he left the band and, "ran through a laundry list of grievances, both real and imagined, cursed me and Tom, called us hypocrites." The phone call was the last time Hoppus spoke to Raynor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Greene |first=Andy |date=2025-04-07 |title=10 Things We Learned From Mark Hoppus' New Memoir 'Fahrenheit-182' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/mark-hoppus-fahrenheit-182-book-things-we-learned-1235305595/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>