Shinoda has stated that the goal for the project was to create music while having fun with his friends.

Fort Minor's first major album is entitled The Rising Tied and features 16 tracks (with three bonus tracks on a limited special edition version), many of which are specific to the lives of Shinoda and his collaborators. "Remember the Name", for example, describes the group's views on being rappers, while "Kenji" describes the experiences of Shinoda's family during the Japanese American internment of World War II. Other tracks, such as "Slip Out the Back", have more general lyrical themes.

Fort Minor won Ringtone of the Year for "Where'd You Go" at the 2006 MTV VMA

In Fall 2006, the single "Remember the Name" was used in two promotional TV spots for NBC television's football drama Friday Night Lights. It has also been used in a NUMB3RS episode; 'The OG' in series 2.

In November of 2006, Fort Minor released a new video for "Remember The Name", which features a montage of various amazing feats. Shinoda has stated he felt the video was a nice wrap-up for Fort Minor. Also in November, Shinoda stated that Fort Minor is on hiatus, because of his dedication to Linkin Park.

As of August 1, 2006, Fort Minor's debut album has sold 335,000 copies