Limp Bizkit released Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water in the United States on October 17, 2000. Following the success of Significant Other, their third studio album arrived with a campaign that gave two songs equal billing: “My Generation” and “Rollin’.” Fred Durst had looked to The Beatles’ double A-side singles for inspiration, while the band’s recording sessions left room for songs to develop as they worked.
After a short, unsuccessful attempt to work with Rick Rubin, Limp Bizkit reunited with producer Terry Date at Larrabee Studios in Los Angeles. Guitarist Wes Borland remembered feeling confident despite the pressure to follow their breakthrough. The musicians worked together in the same room, allowing writing and recording to overlap. As he told Metal Hammer, “we wrote songs and recorded them as we went.” The stopping point came during a playback, when Durst listened to the accumulated material and decided they had finished the record.
Drummer John Otto heard the album’s development in its arrangements. Speaking to Gary Graff for ABC News in 2000, he emphasized how much melody and how many hooks were already present in the instrumental parts. Durst’s vocals and DJ Lethal’s contributions added another layer to music Otto felt could hold a listener’s attention on its own. Borland, meanwhile, was blunt about their audience: he expected existing fans to connect with the record, without assuming it would change the minds of people who disliked the band.
“Hold On” gave Durst room to explore that melodic approach with Scott Weiland. The Stone Temple Pilots singer joined him in vocal harmonies on the ballad, extending a working relationship that included Significant Other. His involvement also reached into the writing process. In an April 2000 interview with MTV News, quoted in SonicNet’s release-day coverage, Weiland described helping with arrangements and suggesting “ideas that were maybe a little more challenging for Fred.” He wanted to support Durst’s efforts to develop as a songwriter.
The album also preserved two approaches to “Rollin’.” “Air Raid Vehicle,” the version featured in the music video, appeared alongside “Urban Assault Vehicle,” which included DMX, Method Man and Redman. Both belonged to the album’s original sequence. Alongside the Weiland collaboration, those separate recordings gave the guests specific roles within the record, from shared singing to an extended rap collaboration.
For the rollout, Durst wanted listeners to hear more than one song at a time. He told MTV Radio that The Beatles’ double A-side releases had influenced the decision to promote “Rollin’” and “My Generation” simultaneously. SonicNet reported that explanation as the album reached stores, connecting the paired singles to a deliberate choice about how the band introduced its new material.
The “Rollin’” video made another deliberate choice about how Limp Bizkit presented themselves. In a Metal Hammer interview published in January 2014, Durst explained that the red caps and Borland’s grills were part of the band making fun of its own public image. He devised the dance with the dancers on the day, choosing movements he could perform himself.
The commercial response was immediate. SoundScan counted 1,054,511 U.S. sales during the album’s opening week, according to ABC News’ contemporary chart report. Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1.
