10 famous people you didn’t know were in heavy music
For all the times hardcore and metal are considered underground genres, they actually have some reverent followers in the mainstream media. Believe it or not, there are a handful of Hollywood stars who can headbang with the best of them. The status of these names might surprise you.
Chef Chris Santos
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Chef Chris Santos owns several top-tier restaurants across the United States and is a recurring judge on the hit Food Network show Chopped, but did you know he’s also a metalhead? He has his own label, Blacklight Media, under Metal Blade Records, which has put out artists such as the progressive metal band Good Tiger. He also digs Bring Me The Horizon, having seen them four times in a month.
Jessica Pimentel
The popular Netflix series Orange Is The New Black is one of the edgiest shows streaming right now, but it’s not the only place actress Jessica Pimentel gets rowdy. She used to be a bartender at Lucky 13, one of Brooklyn, New York’s most popular metal bars and is currently the frontwoman of a death-metal band called Alekhine’s Gun.
Norman Reedus
The Walking Dead heartthrob is welcomed with open arms in the metal community. Not only can he be spotted at shows, but he’s made the guest list at exclusive events such as the Revolver Music Awards. Reedus has taken the stage with Anthrax and even sports matching tattoos with Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds in honor of Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister.
Weston Cage
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Nicolas Cage is a metalhead himself, but his love for more fringe genres such as black metal probably stems from the fact that his son, Weston, was in a band called Eyes Of Noctum. The two bond over bands such as Darkthrone and Satyricon.
Post Malone
One of hip-hop star Post Malone’s biggest radio hits is a song called “rockstar” featuring 21 Savage. The song details the perks of living the high life as an artist, but it also points to a significant part of Malone’s life as a musician. He reportedly played in a metalcore band in high school and listened to bands such as Asking Alexandria on the reg. He also likes to chill with the boys in Knocked Loose.
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Mike Piazza
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Mike Piazza is surprisingly well-connected to big-time rockers. Guitarist Zakk Wylde actually asked the New York Mets hall-of-famer to be the godfather to his son. Piazza also appeared as a guest on Eddie Trunk’s popular That Metal Show program.
Ice-T
The rapper and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit actor has many talents, including one as a hardcore/metal musician. The frontman of Los Angeles outfit Body Count played with his band at the 2018 Grammy Awards as one of the groups nominated for Best Metal Performance. Body Count also performed at the APMAs in 2014. While the band have been around for over a decade, many are still surprised to discover that Ice-T is a heavy music influencer.
Jada Pinkett Smith
Known for acting on projects from The Matrix sequels to Madagascar (and, of course, her marriage to Will Smith), Jada Pinkett Smith is a major presence in Hollywood. However, what not many people know about the famous actress is that she adores metal and was actually the vocalist for her own metal band Wicked Wisdom in the early 2000s.
Lady Gaga
It’s become fashionable to wear classic metal band tees even if one has never cared for the genre. However, Lady Gaga is one pop icon who is a true metal fan. She collaborated with Metallica for the 2017 Grammy Awards, brought Japanese sensation BABYMETAL on tour with her and has been propositioned by Anthrax to work together on future music.
10. Lil Wayne
Weezy may be one of the most famous rappers alive, but skater punks across the world also appreciate him for repping their culture. It’s not just his love for skateboarding that connects Lil Wayne to this music scene: In 2012, f he partnered with Limp Bizkit on Cash Money Records and collaborated with the band on their song “Ready To Go.”
