🎸 Significant Other (1999) — Limp Bizkit
Significant Other is the second studio album by American nu‑metal band Limp Bizkit, released on June 22, 1999 through Flip and Interscope Records. It marked a breakthrough for the band, combining rap, metal, and hip‑hop influences into a polished, chart‑topping package that helped define the late‑’90s nu‑metal era.
📀 Album Overview
-
Artist: Limp Bizkit
-
Album: Significant Other
-
Released: June 22, 1999
-
Recorded: Nov 1998 – Feb 1999
-
Studios: NRG Recording Services (North Hollywood), Westlake (Los Angeles), D&D (New York City)
-
Genre: Nu metal, rap metal
-
Length: ~62:57
-
Labels: Flip / Interscope
-
Producers: Terry Date, Limp Bizkit, DJ Premier
This album shows Limp Bizkit moving beyond their raw debut toward a more melodic, diverse, and commercially powerful sound that balanced aggression with hooks and hip‑hop sensibilities.
🎶 Track Listing
-
Intro
-
Just Like This
-
Nookie
-
Break Stuff
-
Re‑Arranged
-
I’m Broke
-
Nobody Like You
-
Don’t Go Off Wandering
-
9 Teen 90 Nine
-
N 2 Gether Now
-
Trust?
-
No Sex
-
Show Me What You Got
-
A Lesson Learned
-
Outro (with hidden tracks / interludes in some editions)
Together, these tracks balance heavy riffs, DJ scratching, hip‑hop grooves, and rapped vocals — capturing both youthful aggression and melody alike.
🎙️ Personnel & Credits
Limp Bizkit Members
-
Fred Durst – vocals
-
Wes Borland – guitars, backing vocals, producer
-
Sam Rivers – bass, backing vocals, producer
-
John Otto – drums, percussion, producer
-
DJ Lethal – turntables, keyboards, producer
Guest Musicians
-
Method Man – vocals on N 2 Gether Now
-
Jonathan Davis – vocals on Nobody Like You
-
Scott Weiland – vocals on Nobody Like You
-
Aaron Lewis – backing vocals on No Sex
-
Scott Borland – keyboards
-
Matt Pinfield & Les Claypool – spoken word/hidden parts (in some editions)
Production
-
Terry Date – main producer
-
DJ Premier – producer on N 2 Gether Now
-
Brendan O’Brien – mixing
-
Mear One – cover art
🎨 Cover Art & Design
The album cover features a hooded figure wearing Fred Durst’s signature red baseball cap and holding a microphone — created as a large graffiti mural by artist Mear One. The imagery became synonymous with the band’s visual identity and was reused in later releases and branding.
This visual style — bold, edgy, and street‑inspired — matches the album’s blend of aggressive music and rebellious attitude.
📊 Commercial Success & Awards
-
Billboard 200: #1 upon release
-
First‑week sales: ~643,874 copies in the US
-
Worldwide sales: At least ~9.6 million copies across 36 countries (strong estimates)
-
RIAA U.S. sales: Multi‑Platinum (approx. 7× Platinum)
-
Grammy nominations:
-
Best Rock Album (entire record)
-
Best Hard Rock Performance (for Nookie)
-
The album’s strong chart performance and award nominations marked Limp Bizkit’s ascent from underground rap‑metal act to mainstream rock force.
🔍 Album Analysis
Significant Other represents a maturation from their debut: the band sharpened hooks, expanded their sonic palette, and infused personal themes — particularly Fred Durst’s relationship struggles — into the songwriting.
Different musical styles coexist here:
-
Anthemic rock aggression: Break Stuff and Nookie became signature “fight‑your‑frustration” anthems.
-
Melodic evolution: Re‑Arranged shows more layered songwriting.
-
Hip‑hop collaboration: N 2 Gether Now features a guest‑verse from Method Man and genuine rap sensibilities.
-
Genre fusion: The mixes of metal riffs, turntables, and rap highlight Limp Bizkit’s defining nu‑metal hybrid style.
The album’s lyrical content — from frustration to alienation — also made it resonate with late‑’90s youth culture in a way few other rock records did at the time.
🤔 Fun Facts & Trivia
Did You Know?
-
The hit “Nookie” brought Limp Bizkit their first Grammy nomination and was their first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking inside the Mainstream Rock and Alternative charts.
-
Break Stuff became one of their most enduring live anthems and was accompanied by a cameo‑filled music video.
-
Guest appearances from artists like Jonathan Davis (Korn) and Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) helped bridge rock and rap audiences.
-
The graffiti mural for the cover was created as a time‑lapse piece and featured on enhanced CD versions.
-
The album helped nu‑metal break into mainstream rock at the turn of the millennium and is now frequently listed among the top nu‑metal records of all time.
