Editing Devil Without a Cause

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox album
| name         = Devil Without a Cause
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[Kid Rock]]
| cover        = Kid Rock-Devil Without a Cause (album cover).jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = August 18, 1998
| recorded     = September 1997 – July 1998
| venue        = 
| studio       = * White Room ([[Detroit, Michigan]])
* MixRoom ([[Los Angeles, California]])
| genre        = * [[Rap rock]]
* [[rap metal]]
* [[nu metal]]
* [[hard rock]]
* [[Country music|country]]
| length       = 71:12<br />80:00 (Japanese bonus)
| label        = * [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
* [[Lava Records|Lava]]
* Top Dog<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9w0EAAAAMBAJ|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9w0EAAAAMBAJ/page/n206 28]|title=Billboard|date=December 25, 1999|publisher=Nielsen Business Media |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>
| producer     = * Kid Rock
* John Travis
| prev_title   = [[Early Mornin' Stoned Pimp]]
| prev_year    = 1996
| next_title   = [[The History of Rock]]
| next_year    = 2000
| misc         = {{Singles
 | name        = Devil Without a Cause
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = Welcome 2 the Party (Ode 2 the Old School)
 | single1date = July 30, 1998
 | single2     = [[I Am the Bullgod#1998 Single|I Am the Bullgod]]
 | single2date = November 23, 1998
 | single3     = [[Bawitdaba]]
 | single3date = February 15, 1999<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Upcoming New Releases|magazine=[[Hits (magazine)|Hits]]|volume=13|issue=630|page=60|date=February 12, 1999}}</ref>
 | single4     = [[Cowboy (Kid Rock song)|Cowboy]]
 | single4date = August 17, 1999
 | single5     = [[Only God Knows Why]]
 | single5date = October 9, 1999
 | single6     = Wasting Time
 | single6date = January 25, 2000
}}
}}

'''''Devil Without a Cause''''' is the fourth studio album by American musician [[Kid Rock]]. Released on August 18, 1998, the album saw Kid Rock continuing to develop his sound, and marked the finalization of his stage persona as a '[[redneck]] [[pimp]]'. Additionally, the song "[[Cowboy (Kid Rock song)|Cowboy]]" is seen as being instrumental in the development of the fusion genre [[country rap]].

''Devil Without a Cause'' was a major commercial success. Spurred by the popularity of the single "[[Bawitdaba]]", the album sold over 14 million copies, and was certified diamond. The album also received critical acclaim for its genre-mixing sound.

==Recording==
In 1997, Jason Flom, head of [[Lava Records]], attended one of Kid Rock's performances, and met with Kid Rock, who later gave him a demo containing the songs "Somebody's Gotta Feel This" and "I Got One for Ya", which led to Kid Rock signing with Atlantic Records.<ref name=freepearly/><ref name="Lava Record Deal">{{cite web|title=Interview Andy Karp Vice President of A&R at Lava/Atlantic in New York |publisher=AtlanticRecordsContact.com |url=http://www.atlanticrecordscontact.com/ |access-date=July 22, 2008 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705133859/http://www.atlanticrecordscontact.com/ |archive-date=July 5, 2008 }}</ref> As part of his recording deal, Kid Rock received $150,000 from the label.<ref name=cowboysindians>{{cite web|url=http://www.cowboysindians.com/2015/07/kid-rock/|title=Kid Rock - C&I Magazine|date=July 1, 2015}}</ref> By this time, Kid Rock had fully developed his [[pimp]] [[redneck]] stage persona and [[rap rock]] musical style and wanted to make a "redneck, shit-kicking [[rock and roll|rock 'n' roll]] rap" album.<ref name=freepearly>{{cite web|url=https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/brian-mccollum/2015/08/26/kid-rock-early-years-detroit/31193049/|title=Kid Rock before the fame: The definitive Detroit oral history}}</ref>

The album was recorded at the White Room in Detroit and mixed at the Mix Room in Los Angeles.<ref name=freepearly/> Kid Rock spent two months in the studio with "a hot tub, some girls and some illegal substances".<ref name=MTV>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/500525/kid-rock-raps-with-the-devil/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127202414/http://www.mtv.com/news/500525/kid-rock-raps-with-the-devil/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 27, 2018|title=Kid Rock Raps With The Devil|website=[[MTV]]}}</ref> In addition to the newly written songs, the band also re-recorded some of Kid Rock's older songs, including "[[I Am the Bullgod]]" from the album ''[[The Polyfuze Method]]'',<ref name=MTV/> and "Black Chick, White Guy" from the album ''[[Early Mornin' Stoned Pimp]]''.<ref name=freepearly/><ref name=heartbreak>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/kid-rocks-cure-for-heartbreak-20071018|title=Kid Rock's Cure for Heartbreak|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|first1=Austin|last1=Scaggs|date=October 18, 2007|access-date=February 2, 2018}}</ref>

During the recording sessions, [[Eminem]] was mixing ''[[The Slim Shady LP]]'' at the same studio, and, being friends with Kid Rock, asked him to record [[scratching]] for the song "Just Don't Give A Fuck." In return, Eminem delivered a guest [[rapping|rap]] verse on Kid's song "Fuck Off." In a 1999 interview with Spin Magazine, Eminem told the interviewer that he used cocaine for the first and last time ever while writing and recording his verse with Kid. According to Eminem, Kid was in "full party mode with tons of different drugs just laid out near the studio mixing board. There were ''[[Playboy]]'' playmates just passed out naked with coke on their nose. It was overwhelming. I never touched that shit again."<ref name=freepearly/>

==Composition==
===Style===
''[[The A.V. Club]]'' wrote that while ''Devil Without a Cause'' is "not [[nu metal|nü-metal]], [it] extended the lineage of [[rap-rock]] that [[Run-DMC]] and [[Aerosmith]] had first established."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/in-1998-rap-rock-and-nu-metal-really-did-seem-like-the-1828367971 |title=In 1998, rap-rock and nü-metal really did seem like the future |last=Anthony |first=David |date=August 22, 2018  |publisher=The A.V. Club |access-date=2023-05-04}}</ref> Nevertheless, the album has been described as a notable nu metal release,<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Hé |first=Kristen S. |date=2018-05-30 |title=August 18, 1998: Korn, Kid Rock, Orgy & The Biggest Day in Nu-Metal History |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/biggest-day-nu-metal-history-1998-korn-kid-rock-8458565/ |access-date=2023-05-30 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref> that helped "create the rap-rock/nu-metal phenomenon".<ref name=JackWhite>{{cite book |title=Jack White: How He Built an Empire From the Blues: Enhanced Edition |last=Hasted |first=Nick |year=2016 |publisher=Omnibus Press |isbn=9781783238842 |quote="Kid Rock, who helped create the rap-rock/nu-metal phenomenon with ''Devil Without A Cause'' (1998), wilfully fled to the ghetto from Detroit's furthest, quaintest, very white village, Romeo."}}</ref><ref name=NuMetalMeltdown>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/metal_meltdown/news_feature_030124/index3.jhtml |title=Nu Metal Meltdown |publisher=[[MTV]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030201100950/http://www.mtv.com/bands/m/metal_meltdown/news_feature_030124/index3.jhtml |archive-date=February 1, 2003 }} (Retrieved on September 21, 2015)</ref> [[AllMusic]] said that the album best demonstrated the "organic, integrated sound" of rap rock that differed sharply from that of [[rap metal]], which in contrast sounded "as if the riffs were merely overdubbed over scratching and beat box beats", whereas rap rock, as ''Devil Without a Cause'' demonstrated, was defined as "rock song[s] where the vocalist rapped instead of sang".<ref name="allmusic"/> According to [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]], "The key to [the album's] success is that it's never trying to be a [[hip hop music|hip-hop]] record. It's simply a monster rock album."<ref name=Allmusic/> Erlewine credits Kid Rock's backing band, [[Twisted Brown Trucker]], for crafting a sound defined by "thunderous, funky noise -- and that's funky not just in the classic sense, but also in a Southern-fried, white trash sense, as he gives this as much foundation in country as he does hip-hop."<ref name=Allmusic/> Erlewine believes the album's sound owed influence to [[Bob Seger]], [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]] and [[Van Halen (band)|Van Halen]]." Erlewine also believed the album was "firmly in the tradition of classic [[hard rock]]".<ref name=Allmusic/> ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' wrote, "it’s not a stretch to call ''Devil Without a Cause'', Rock’s breakthrough fourth record, the ''[[Appetite for Destruction]]'' or ''[[The Chronic]]'' of rap-rock."<ref name=billboard>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1998-week/8458565/biggest-day-nu-metal-history-1998-korn-kid-rock|title=August 18, 1998: Korn, Kid Rock, Orgy & The Biggest Day in Nu-Metal History|magazine=Billboard|date=May 30, 2018|access-date=July 9, 2018}}</ref>

===Music and lyrics===
[[File:Run DMC (cropped).png|thumb|The opening line to "[[Bawitdaba]]" paraphrased a line from [[Run-DMC]]'s song "Hit It Run" from the group's 1986 studio album ''[[Raising Hell (album)|Raising Hell]]'' (group pictured). It is a play on the cadence of the line: "'''...cause I'm the King of Rock'''" to "'''My name is Kid Rock'''"]]
"[[Bawitdaba]]" has been described as having a nu metal sound.<ref name=decibel_2015-08-13>{{cite magazine |url=http://decibelmagazine.com/blog/2015/8/13/they-did-it-all-for-the-nookie-decibel-explores-the-rise-and-fall-of-nu-metal |title=They Did It All for the Nookie: Decibel Explores the Rise and Fall of Nu-Metal |magazine=[[Decibel (magazine)|Decibel]]|access-date=February 2, 2018|date=August 13, 2015}} (August 13, 2005). Retrieved on September 15, 2015</ref><ref name=PhoenixNews_NuMetal>{{cite web|url=http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/10-nu-metal-songs-that-actually-dont-suck-7339562|title=10 Nu-Metal Songs That Actually Don't Suck|author=Josh Chesler|work=Phoenix New Times|access-date=August 11, 2015}}</ref> To create the chorus, Kid Rock combined the choruses of [[Busy Bee]]'s "Making Cash Money", [[the Marcels]]' recording of "[[Blue Moon (1934 song)|Blue Moon]]" and the [[Sugar Hill Gang]]'s "[[Rapper's Delight]]" into a "neo-[[Gregorian chant|gregorian]] drone".<ref name=billboard/><ref name=azcentral/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://coldfrontmag.com/song-of-the-week-bawitdaba-by-kid-rock/|title="Bawitdaba" by Kid Rock|access-date=January 31, 2018|archive-date=June 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624093303/http://coldfrontmag.com/song-of-the-week-bawitdaba-by-kid-rock/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=RSAlbumGuide>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/kid-rock/albumguide |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126073430/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/kid-rock/albumguide |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 26, 2011 |title=Kid Rock: Album Guide |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=March 23, 2012}}</ref> The lyrics of the song are dedicated to "chicks with beepers" and the [[I.R.S.]], as well as "all the crackheads, the critics, the cynics / And all my heroes in the methadone clinic."<ref name=NewYorker>{{cite web|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/jia-tolentino/song-of-the-summer-bawitdaba-by-kid-rock|title=Song of the Summer: "Bawitdaba," by Kid Rock|first=Jia|last=Tolentino|author-link=Jia Tolentino|date=August 18, 2016|website=Newyorker.com}}</ref> In the [[demo tape|demo recording]] of the song, Kid Rock shouts, "Now get in the pit and try to kill someone!"<ref name=NewYorker/> On the album version, Kid Rock changed the lyrics, replacing the word "kill" with "love". Regarding the change, Kid Rock told the ''Baltimore Sun'' that he was glad he changed the lyrics, explaining that [[mosh pit]]s are about coexistence.<ref name=NewYorker/>

The [[country rap]]<ref name=cowboysindians/><ref name=billboard/><ref name=AXS>{{cite web|url=https://www.axs.com/the-10-best-kid-rock-songs-29870|title=The 10 best Kid Rock songs|publisher=[[AXS (company)]]|first1=Shawn S.|last1=Lealos|date=November 25, 2014|access-date=February 2, 2018}}</ref> song "[[Cowboy (Kid Rock song)|Cowboy]]" was newly written for the album.<ref name=freepearly/> It is a fusion of hip hop, country music, Southern rock and heavy metal.<ref name=AXS/> ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', as well as Kid Rock himself, described the song as a cross between Run DMC and Lynyrd Skynyrd.<ref name=azcentral/><ref name=Billboard>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/country/kid-rock-songs-best-hits-list-7889963/|title=Kid Rock's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks|magazine=Billboard|date=August 4, 2017|first1=Chuck|last1=Dauphin|access-date=February 2, 2018}}</ref> The instrumentation includes [[Jew's harp]], [[blues]] harmonica and a [[piano]] solo.<ref name=azcentral>{{cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/music/2015/08/21/best-kid-rock-singles-bawitdaba-first-kiss/32117495/|title=15 Best Kid Rock singles, from 'Bawitdaba' to 'First Kiss'|website=Amp.azcentral.com}}</ref> The lyrics feature Kid Rock [[rapping]] about moving to California to become a [[pimp]], and start an [[Escort agency|escort service]] "for all the right reasons", located at the top of the [[Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts|Four Seasons]] hotel, as well as getting thrown out of bars and buying a yacht.<ref name=azcentral/><ref name=VillageVoice/>

"I Am the Bullgod", according to [[AXS (company)|AXS]], was a tribute to the band [[Monster Magnet]].<ref name=AXS/> azcentral described the song's style as [[Southern rock]], with elements of [[funk]],<ref name=azcentral/> while ''Billboard'' categorized the song as [[stoner rock]].<ref name=billboard/> The lyrics refer to drinking [[Jim Beam]] [[bourbon whiskey]];<ref>{{cite news|url=https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSTRE79P67U20111026|title=Kid Rock eyes new album mixing musical styles|newspaper=Reuters|date=October 26, 2011}}</ref> Kid Rock declares that "I am free and I feed on all that is forsaken"<ref name=VillageVoice>{{cite web|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/1999/02/09/straight-out-the-trailer/|title=Straight out the Trailer|first1=Michael|last1=Freedburg|date=February 9, 1999|access-date=February 1, 2018|work=[[The Village Voice]]}}</ref> and that "I never was cool with [[James Dean]]", a reference to the actor who starred in the film that inspired this album's title, ''[[Rebel Without a Cause]]''.<ref name=VillageVoice/>

The song "Wasting Time" contains an interpolation of [[Fleetwood Mac]]'s "[[Second Hand News]]".<ref name=MTV/> "Welcome 2 the Party (Ode 2 the Old School)" refers to [[Orson Welles]]' [[Orson Welles Paul Masson adverts|Paul Masson adverts]] with the lyric "I will serve no rhymes before their time".<ref name=Billboard2>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/kid-rock-politics-musical-evolution-senate-run-7872906/|title=Guns, Unions and Globalism: The Evolution of Kid Rock's Musical Populism|magazine=Billboard|first1=Chuck|last1=Eddy|access-date=February 2, 2018|date=July 18, 2017}}</ref> "Where U At Rock?" references philosopher [[Ayn Rand]].<ref name=Billboard2/>

"[[Only God Knows Why]]" is a country [[ballad]], noted for its prominent use of [[Auto-Tune]].<ref name=NuMetalMeltdown/><ref name=billboard/><ref name=azcentral/><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xGsGRLGxAgoC&q=kid+rock+only+god+knows+why+autotune&pg=PA107|title=Secrets of Recording: Professional Tips, Tools & Techniques|first=Lorne|last=Bregitzer|date=February 2, 2018|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=9780240811277|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/11/really-now-whats-so-bad-about-auto-tune-pop/|title=Really Now, What's So Bad About Auto-Tune Pop?|first=Alex|last=Pappademas|date=August 11, 2011}}</ref> The lyrics of "Black Chick, White Guy" deal with Kid Rock's ten-year off-and-on relationship with a classmate named Kelley South Russell, with whom he fathered one child and raised another child from a previous relationship, but broke up with her after finding out that a third child he was raising wasn't his, after which he gained custody of his son, Robert James Ritchie Jr.; these events became the inspiration for this song, which discusses them directly, although Russell denies some of the allegations made against her in the lyrics.<ref name=freepearly/><ref name=heartbreak/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theboot.com/2011/04/25/kid-rock-son-junior/|title=Kid Rock Takes Role of Fatherhood Seriously|website=The Boot}}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name=Allmusic>{{cite web|author=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/devil-without-a-cause-mw0000599460 |title=Devil Without a Cause – Kid Rock |website=AllMusic |date=August 18, 1998 |access-date=May 29, 2014}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Drowned in Sound]]''
| rev2score = 8/10<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marsh |first=Mark |date=1998-08-13 |title=Album Review: Kid Rock - Devil Without A Cause |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/4754/reviews/2110- |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008075927/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/4754/reviews/2110- |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 8, 2012 |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=[[Drowned in Sound]] |language=en }}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
| rev3Score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last1=Larkin|first1=Colin|author-link1=Colin Larkin (writer)|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|date=2011|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|isbn=9780857125958|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC|language=en}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev4score = 1.3/10<ref name=Pitchfork>{{cite web|url=http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/k/kid-rock/devil-without-a-cause.shtml |title=Kid Rock: Devil Without A Cause: Pitchfork Review |date=December 23, 2001 |access-date=December 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011223054017/http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/k/kid-rock/devil-without-a-cause.shtml |archive-date=December 23, 2001}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Rock Hard (magazine)|Rock Hard]]''
| rev5score = 8/10<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 29, 1998 |title=Devil Without A Cause |url=https://www.rockhard.de/reviews/kid-rock-devil-without-a-cause |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=[[Rock Hard (magazine)|Rock Hard]] |language=de-DE |type=Vol. 137}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Cross">{{cite book|last=Cross|first=Charles R.|author-link=Charles R. Cross|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|title=[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|chapter=Kid Rock|pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/450 450]}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Tom Hull (critic)|Tom Hull – on the Web]]''
| rev7score = B+<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tomhull.com/ocston/nm/get_gl.php?n=kid+rock|title=Grade List: Kid Rock|website=[[Tom Hull (critic)|Tom Hull – on the Web]]|last=Hull|first=Tom|date=11 March 2025|access-date=21 March 2025}}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[The Village Voice]]''
| rev8score = A−<ref name="Christgau">{{Cite magazine |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |date=May 18, 1999 |title=Consumer Guide |url=http://robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv599-99.php |magazine=[[The Village Voice]]}}</ref>
| rev9 = ''[[Wall of Sound]]''
| rev9score = 84/100<ref>{{Cite web |last=Graff |first=Gary |date= |title=Wall of Sound Review: Devil Without a Cause |url=http://wallofsound.go.com/archive/reviews/stories/kidrock_devilwithoutacauseIndex.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010208120648/http://wallofsound.go.com/archive/reviews/stories/kidrock_devilwithoutacauseIndex.html |archive-date=2001-02-08 |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=[[Wall of Sound (website)|Wall of Sound]]}}</ref>
}}

===Critical reviews===

The album received critical acclaim upon release. [[Robert Christgau]] gave the album an A−, writing, "Belatedly fulfilling the rap-metal promise of ''[[Licensed to Ill]]'', [Kid Rock] makes the competition sound [[Insane Clown Posse|clownish]], [[Limp Bizkit|limp]], and [[Korn|corny]], respectively, and the Eminem cameo is a draw [...] [Kid Rock] is, and I quote, all of that and a bag of chips."<ref name="Christgau"/>

''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' gave the album four out of five stars, its byline hailing it as "a [[trailer trash]] triumph of metal guitars, hip-hop beats, and [[We're an American Band (song)|I'm-an-American-band]] egomania."<ref name=RSAlbumGuide/> [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] gave the album four and a half out of five stars, writing, "[Kid Rock] came up with the great hard rock album of the late '90s -- a fearlessly funny, bone-crunching record that manages to sustain its strength, not just until the end of its long running time, but through repeated plays."<ref name=Allmusic/>

In a negative review, ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' gave the album 1.3 out of 10, writing, "The hook is that ''Devil Without A Cause'' combines rap with metal, but this combination's already been done a million times, and in each case, the result was better than this. Do you really need predictable pimping rhymes over wack-ass metal beats with third-tier, [[grunge]]-derived choruses among your records? I ask you: is this what you're missing from your life?"<ref name=Pitchfork/>

===Commercial performance===
Starting in 1998, Kid Rock disembarked on his [[Devil Without a Cause Tour]]. In the spring of 1999, Kid Rock joined [[Limp Bizkit]] and [[Staind]] on the Limptropolis tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mtv.com/news/6dmipb/limp-bizkit-kid-rock-announce-joint-us-tour-dates|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525061804/https://www.mtv.com/news/6dmipb/limp-bizkit-kid-rock-announce-joint-us-tour-dates|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 25, 2023|title=Limp Bizkit & Kid Rock announce joint US Tour Dates|website=[[MTV]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mtv.com/news/zhqigx/limp-bizkit-taps-kid-rock-for-summer-tour|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525061935/https://www.mtv.com/news/zhqigx/limp-bizkit-taps-kid-rock-for-summer-tour|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 25, 2023|title=Limp Bizkit Taps Kid Rock For Summer Tour|website=[[MTV]] }}</ref> Through extensive promoting, including appearances on [[HBO]], [[MTV]] (including a performance alongside [[Aerosmith]] and [[Run-DMC]]) and performing at [[Woodstock 1999]], ''Devil Without a Cause'' sold over 14 million copies, the album's success spurred by Kid Rock's breakthrough hit single "Bawitdaba".<ref name=freepearly/><ref name=cowboysindians/><ref name=Biography/><ref>{{cite web|title=Top 40 Most Iconic MTV Spring Break Performances|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/top-most-iconic-spring-break-performances|website=BuzzFeed|date=April 23, 2014 |access-date=January 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Spin|date=October 1, 1999|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygXnnzAlaNQC&q=kid+rock+say+what+karaoke&pg=PA96|access-date=January 6, 2017 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=HBO Show To Feature Kid Rock, Sugar Ray, Alanis|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/515946/hbo-show-to-feature-kid-rock-sugar-ray-alanis/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106174007/http://www.mtv.com/news/515946/hbo-show-to-feature-kid-rock-sugar-ray-alanis/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 6, 2017|website=MTV News|access-date=January 6, 2017|date=July 15, 1999}}</ref>

By April 1999, the album was certified [[gold disc|gold]], and the following month it was certified [[platinum album|platinum]], a certification the album received 11 times.<ref name="RIAA Certifications">{{cite web | title=RIAA Certifications for albums by Kid Rock: Gold and Platinum | publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]] | work=RIAA.com | url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Kid%20Rock%20&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=50 | access-date=July 22, 2008 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915063800/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Kid%20Rock%20&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=50 | archive-date=September 15, 2013 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> The album has since been certified diamond.<ref name=diamond>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/diamond-certified-album-riaa-ranked-7526410/|title=All 92 Diamond-Certified Albums Ranked From Worst to Best: Critic's Take|magazine=Billboard|date=September 29, 2016|first1=Andrew|last1=Unterberger|access-date=February 2, 2018}}</ref> The album had sold 8.9 million copies per [[Nielsen SoundScan]] as of 2007.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=No Kiddin' -- Kid Rock Gets First No. 1 Album|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/1317988/no-kiddin-kid-rock-gets-first-no-1-album|date=October 17, 2007|magazine=Billboard|access-date=May 7, 2020|last1=Jessen|first1=Wade}}</ref>

In 2000, Kid Rock was nominated for a [[Grammy Award]] for Best New Artist, despite having been active in the music industry for over 10 years.<ref name=Biography>{{cite web|url=https://www.biography.com/people/kid-rock-251986|title=Kid Rock|website=Biography.com|date=December 5, 2019 }}</ref>

==Legacy==
The album continued to be popular long after its release, and in 2012, Kid Rock said that he wanted to re-record the album in its entirety, partly to celebrate the album's 15th anniversary, and partly because he would own the master recordings.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kid-rock-plans-to-re-record-devil-without-a-cause-20121123|title=Kid Rock Plans to Re-Record 'Devil Without a Cause'|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=November 23, 2012|access-date=February 2, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/474042/kid-rock-re-recording-devil-without-a-cause-eyeing-rebel-soul-follow-up|title=Kid Rock Re-Recording 'Devil Without a Cause,' Eyeing 'Rebel Soul' Follow-Up|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=November 22, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://loudwire.com/kid-rock-re-record-devil-without-a-cause-album-premieres-lets-ride-video/|title=Kid Rock to Re-Record 'Devil Without a Cause' Album, Premieres 'Let's Ride' Video|website=Loudwire}}</ref>

The album's critical appraisal has continued long after the album's release, with Allmusic labeling ''Devil Without a Cause'' a "rap-rock masterpiece".<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/rap-rock-ma0000011992|title=Rap-Rock Music Genre Overview - AllMusic|website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> The song "Cowboy" is considered by [[AXS (company)|AXS]] to be the first in the country rap genre; ''[[Cowboys & Indians (magazine)|Cowboys & Indians]]'' claims that Kid Rock's song had a major impact on the country music scene and that artists [[Jason Aldean]] and [[Big & Rich]], among others, were influenced by the song.<ref name=cowboysindians/><ref name=AXS/>

Fifteen years after the album's release, ''[[The Village Voice]]'' writer Chaz Kangas praised Kid Rock's artistry, writing, "in the [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]] era when your most viable [[pop music|pop]] stars were pristine [[teen-pop]] sensations, raucous nu-metal antagonists or alternative-to-alternative-to-[[alternative rock]] weirdos, Rock stood alone."<ref name=VillageVoice2/> Praising the song "Cowboy", Kangas called it "one track from this era that's timeless without even trying to be."<ref name=VillageVoice2>{{cite news|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2013/06/27/in-defense-of-kid-rock-try-hating-these-classics/|newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]|first1=Chaz|last1=Kangas|date=June 27, 2013|access-date=February 1, 2018|title=In Defense of Kid Rock: Try Hating These Classics}}</ref>

[[Loudwire]] named ''Devil Without a Cause'' one of the 10 best hard rock albums of 1998.<ref name=Loudwire>{{cite web|url=http://loudwire.com/10-best-hard-rock-albums-of-1998/|title=10 Best Hard Rock Albums of 1998|website=Loudwire|date=January 25, 2018 }}</ref> ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' magazine named ''Devil Without a Cause'' one of 10 essential rap metal albums.<ref name=TeamRock>{{cite web|url=http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-10-26/the-10-essential-rap-metal-albums|title=The 10 Essential Rap Metal Albums|date=October 26, 2016}}</ref> ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'' named ''Devil Without a Cause'' one of the 100 greatest American albums.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blender.com/articles/issue5/100_greatest.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020602181215/http://blender.com/articles/issue5/100_greatest.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 2, 2002|title=[BLENDER: Articles]|date=June 2, 2002}}</ref> The album was also listed as one of the ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]''.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Robert Dimery|author2=Michael Lydon|title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition|date=March 23, 2010|publisher=Universe|isbn=978-0-7893-2074-2}}</ref>

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| headline      = 
| total_length  = 71:12
| title1        = [[Bawitdaba]]
| writer1       = {{hlist|[[Kid Rock]]|[[Uncle Kracker|Matthew Shafer]]|Jason Krause|[[Busy Bee Starski|David Parker]]|[[Sylvia Robinson]]}}
| length1       = 4:27
| title2        = [[Cowboy (Kid Rock song)|Cowboy]]
| writer2       = {{hlist|Rock|Shafer|[[John Travis (producer)|John Travis]]|James Trombly}}
| length2       = 4:17
| title3        = Devil Without a Cause
| note3         = featuring [[Joe C.]]
| writer3       = {{hlist|Kenny Olson|Rock|Shafer|[[Too Short|Too $hort]]|Larry Smith|[[Whodini|Jalil "Whodini" Hutchins]]}}
| length3       = 5:32
| title4        = [[I Am the Bullgod#1998 Single|I Am the Bullgod]]
| writer4       = Rock
| length4       = 4:50
| title5        = Roving Gangster (Rollin')
| writer5       = {{hlist|Rock|Shafer|[[Prince Markie Dee|Mark Morales]]|[[Darren Robinson (rapper)|Darren Robinson]]|Andy Nehra|Damon Wimbley}}
| length5       = 4:24
| title6        = Wasting Time
| writer6       = {{hlist|Rock|Shafer|[[Lindsey Buckingham]]}}
| length6       = 4:02
| title7        = Welcome 2 the Party (Ode 2 the Old School)
| writer7       = {{hlist|Rock|Shafer|[[Lamont Dozier]]|[[Eddie Holland]]|[[Brian Holland]]}}
| length7       = 5:14
| title8        = I Got One for Ya{{'-}}
| note8         = featuring [[Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise|Robert Bradley]]
| writer8       = {{hlist|Olson|Rock|Shafer|[[John Travis (producer)|John Travis]]|[[Swamp Dogg|Jerry Williams]]}}
| length8       = 3:43
| title9        = Somebody's Gotta Feel This
| writer9       = {{hlist|Rock|Shafer|Olson|Travis}}
| length9       = 3:09
| title10       = Fist of Rage
| writer10      = {{hlist|Rock|Shafer|Travis}}
| length10      = 3:23
| title11       = [[Only God Knows Why]]
| writer11      = {{hlist|Rock|Shafer|Travis}}
| length11      = 5:27
| title12       = Fuck Off
| note12        = featuring [[Eminem]], does not appear on clean version
| writer12      = {{hlist|Rock|Shafer|[[Marshall Mathers]]|Krause}}
| length12      = 6:13
| title13       = Where U at Rock
| writer13      = Rock
| length13      = 4:24
| title14       = Black Chick, White Guy
*"I Am the Bullgod (Remix)
| writer14      = Rock
| note14        = 
| length14      = 12:01
}}
{{Track listing
| headline      = Japanese edition bonus tracks
| total_length  = 80:00
| title15       = Welcome 2 the Party/I Am the Bullgod
| note15        = Live
| length15      = 5:22
| title16       = Bawitdaba
| note16        = Live
| length16      = 3:26
}}

*The song "Black Chick, White Guy" ends at 7:07 and the remix begins at 7:10; the remix is presented as a [[hidden track]] on the compact disc, but is credited on digital services. The remix is omitted from the Japanese version of the album. "Black Chick, White Guy" does not appear on the clean version.

==Personnel==
*[[Kid Rock]] – lead vocals, acoustic & electric guitar, bass, [[banjo]], [[synthesizer]]

===[[Twisted Brown Trucker]]===
*[[Joe C.]] – co-vocals
*Misty Love – background vocals
*Jason Krause – guitar
*Kenny Olson – guitar
*[[Uncle Kracker]] – [[Turntablism|turntables]], background vocals
*[[Jimmie Bones]] – keyboard, [[organ (music)|organ]], piano, synth bass
*Stefanie Eulinberg – drums, percussion

===Sessions musicians===
*Bobby East – [[Slide guitar|slide]] and rhythm guitar
*[[The Detroit Cobras|Matt O'Brien]] – bass guitar
*[[Parliament (band)|Shirley "P-Funk" Hayden]] – background vocals

===Engineers===
*Al Sutton – engineering
*Derek Matuja – assistant engineer

===Additional musicians on "I Am the Bullgod" and "Roving Gangster"===
* Andrew Nerha – guitar
* Mike Nerha – bass 
* Bob Ebeling – drums
* [[DJ Swamp]] – turntables

===Additional co-vocalists===
*[[Eminem]] – on "Fuck Off"
*Robert Bradley – on "I Got One for Ya"
*[[Thornetta Davis]] – on "[[Wasting Time (Kid Rock song)|Wasting Time]]"

===Additional guest===
*Chris Peters – guitar on "I Am The Bullgod"

== Charts ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

=== Weekly charts ===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for ''Devil Without a Cause''
! scope="col"| Chart (1998–2000)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref>{{cite Ryan|page=154}}</ref>
| 55
|-
{{album chart|Austria|28|artist=Kid Rock|album=Devil Without a Cause|rowheader=true|access-date=September 9, 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|BillboardCanada|11|artist=Kid Rock|rowheader=true|access-date=September 9, 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|Germany4|82|id=8578|artist=Kid Rock|album=Devil Without a Cause|rowheader=true|access-date=September 9, 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|New Zealand|14|artist=Kid Rock|album=Devil Without a Cause|rowheader=true|access-date=September 9, 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|4|artist=Kid Rock|rowheader=true|access-date=September 9, 2021}}
|}
{{col-2}}

=== Year-end charts ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Year-end chart performance for ''Devil Without a Cause''
! scope="col"| Chart (1999)
! scope="col"| Position
|- 
! scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1999/top-billboard-200-albums|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1999|magazine=Billboard|date=January 2, 2013|access-date=September 9, 2021}}</ref>
| 14
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2000)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"|Canadian Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040812032100/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2000_1.html|archive-date=August 12, 2004|url=http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2000_1.html|title=Canada's Top 200 Albums of 2000|website=[[Jam!]]|access-date=March 24, 2022}}</ref>
| 33
|- 
! scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2000/top-billboard-200-albums|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2000|magazine=Billboard|date=January 2, 2013|access-date=September 9, 2021}}</ref>
| 15
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2002)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
!scope="row"|Canadian Alternative Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040902000408/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2002_alt2.html|archive-date=September 2, 2004|url=http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2002_alt2.html|title=Canada's Top 200 Alternative albums of 2002|website=[[Jam!]]|access-date=March 28, 2022}}</ref>
|align=center|177
|-
!scope="row"|Canadian Metal Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)<ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040812035533/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2002_metal.html|archive-date=August 12, 2004|url=http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2002_metal.html|title=Top 100 Metal Albums of 2002|website=[[Jam!]]|access-date=March 23, 2022}}</ref>
|align=center|88
|}

=== Decade-end charts ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Decade-end charts for ''Devil Without a Cause''
!Chart (2000–2009)
!Position
|-
!scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2009/BB-2009-12-19.pdf|title=The Decade in Music - Charts - Top Billboard 200 Albums|date=December 19, 2009|via=World Radio History|magazine=Billboard|page=163|access-date=November 14, 2021}} ''Digit page 167 on the PDF archive.''</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|79
|}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for ''Devil Without a Cause''}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=album|artist=Kid Rock|title=Devil Without a Cause|award=Platinum|number=4|relyear=1998}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=album|artist=Kid Rock|title=Devil Without a Cause|award=Gold|id=1999-12-17|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|relyear=1998}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=album|artist=Kid Rock|title=Devil Without a Cause|award=Silver|relyear=1998|id=1781-2055-2|access-date=January 19, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Kid Rock|title=Devil Without a Cause|award=Platinum|number=11|certyear=2003|relyear=1998|access-date=January 19, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}}

==See also==
*[[List of best-selling albums in the United States]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Kid Rock}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Kid Rock albums]]
[[Category:1998 albums]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records albums]]
[[Category:Rap metal albums]]
[[Category:Rap rock albums by American artists]]
[[Category:Lava Records albums]]