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Artist
Uncle Kracker
12+ albums
rockcountrypopalternativesinger-songwriter
about
Matthew Shafer (born June 6, 1974), known professionally as Uncle Kracker, is an American singer and musician. He became known in the 1990s as a turntablist for Kid Rock’s backing group Twisted Brown Trucker and began a solo career in 1999. He is best known for the singles "Follow Me", "Drift Away", and "Smile", all of which reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Shafer was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan. During his youth, he and his brother Mike Shafer attended a nightclub in Clawson, Michigan where a turntable competition was taking place. Mike Shafer competed against Kid Rock, and the two later became friends with Shafer. At the time, Shafer was primarily working as a rapper. He attended L'Anse Creuse High School. In 1994, Kid Rock invited him to join Twisted Brown Trucker as a turntablist. Although he had limited experience with turntables, he accepted the role, partly due to his brother’s background as a DJ. He initially performed mainly at live shows and later contributed to recordings for Kid Rock’s album "Early Mornin' Stoned Pimp", including guest vocals on selected tracks. He continued working with Kid Rock while developing solo material. Following the release of Kid Rock’s album "The History of Rock", Shafer released his debut solo album "Double Wide" in 2000. "Double Wide" was released on June 30, 2000 and peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. It was produced by Kid Rock, with additional mixing and production by Michael Bradford. The lead single "Follow M
