# Flobots
**Flobots** are an alternative hip hop band from Denver, Colorado, known for pairing two emcees with a full live band that includes viola, trumpet, and strings, and for lyrics centered on politics, social justice, and community activism.[1](https://www.flobots.com/about) • [2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/flobots-mn0000994986) Their 2008 single "Handlebars" took the group from a regional act to national attention, and the band has since released four studio albums while building a Denver nonprofit, Youth on Record.[3](https://colomusic.org/profile/flobots/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Denver, Colorado; founded by Jamie Laurie (Jonny 5), with Laurie making music in the city from 2000[1](https://www.flobots.com/about) • [4](https://cmhof.org/colorado-artist-spotlight-flobots/) |
| Style | Alternative hip hop and progressive rap fused with rock, using live viola, trumpet, and rhythm section[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/flobots-mn0000994986) |
| Breakthrough | "Handlebars" peaked at #3 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart in May 2008; Fight with Tools reached #15 on the Billboard albums chart[3](https://colomusic.org/profile/flobots/) |
| Albums | Platypus (2005), Fight with Tools (2007), Survival Story (2010), The Circle in the Square (2012), Noenemies (2017)[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/flobots-mn0000994986) • [4](https://cmhof.org/colorado-artist-spotlight-flobots/) |
| Nonprofit | Flobots.org Community Center opened in Denver in September 2009; renamed Youth on Record in 2015[3](https://colomusic.org/profile/flobots/) |
| Current core | Emcees Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit, guitarist/vocalist Andy Rok Guerrero, and drummer Kenny Ortiz[1](https://www.flobots.com/about) |
| Legal action | 2019 lawsuit against Logan Paul over his rewriting of "Handlebars" as "No Handlebars"[5](https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/flobots_v_logan_paul.pdf) |
## Formation and early years
The band's two emcees, Jonny 5 (born Jamie Laurie) and Brer Rabbit (born Stephen Brackett), met in elementary school, first bonding over comic books and then over hip hop.[1](https://www.flobots.com/about) Laurie had already been recording under the name Jonny 5 + Yak with producer Farhad "Yahktoe" Ebrahimi from 2000, experimenting with combining indie rock and hip hop.[6](https://www.citybeat.com/music/sound-advice-flobots-with-mclovins-jan-27-12182014/)
In 2005 Laurie brought together a full band with Brer Rabbit: Andy "Rok" Guerrero on guitar, Mackenzie Roberts on viola, Joe Ferrone on trumpet, Jesse Walker on bass, and Kenny Ortiz on drums.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/flobots-mn0000994986) • [3](https://colomusic.org/profile/flobots/) The group released its debut recording, the seven-track Platypus EP, in October 2005.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/flobots-mn0000994986) AllMusic lists the band's formation year as 2000 in Denver, reflecting Laurie's earlier project.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/flobots-mn0000994986)
## Breakthrough with Fight with Tools
The full-length debut Fight with Tools appeared in 2007. Its lyrics addressed war, poverty, racism, and government policy, delivered over a blend of alternative rock, punk, funk, and classical elements.[7](https://www.jambase.com/article/flobots-fight-with-tools) The single "Handlebars" became a radio hit largely by accident: after fans bombarded local station KTCL with requests during a contest, the song went into full rotation.[3](https://colomusic.org/profile/flobots/) It peaked at #3 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart in May 2008, and the album reached #15 on the [Billboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-magazine) albums chart.[3](https://colomusic.org/profile/flobots/)
Laurie described the song's origin as riding his bike home from a busboy job with his hands off the handlebars, a feeling of human capability that then turned into a darker reflection on how brainpower is spent on destruction; he recorded the chorus on his mother's answering machine before bringing it to the band.[3](https://colomusic.org/profile/flobots/) During the 2008 [Democratic National Convention](https://www.edgepedia.org/democratic-national-convention) in Denver, Flobots performed with [Rage Against the Machine](https://www.edgepedia.org/rage-against-the-machine) and led peace-promoting marchers into the streets.[3](https://colomusic.org/profile/flobots/)
After a sold-out show at Denver's Gothic Theatre, the band signed with Universal Republic, which re-released Fight with Tools unchanged in 2008.[3](https://colomusic.org/profile/flobots/) • [8](https://sfbgarchive.48hills.org/sfbgarchive/2008/11/19/fight-songs/)
## Survival Story and the label years
The second album Survival Story, produced by Mario Caldato Jr. of Beastie Boys fame, was recorded at the Blasting Room Studios in [Fort Collins, Colorado](https://www.edgepedia.org/fort-collins-colorado), and released in March 2010.[3](https://colomusic.org/profile/flobots/) • [2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/flobots-mn0000994986) It showed a heavier rock edge and reached #9 on Billboard's Modern Rock/Alternative Albums chart. The single "White Flag Warrior" featured Tim McIlrath of Rise Against on the chorus, a collaboration Laurie framed as clarifying the difference between supporting troops and supporting the recruitment of young people into wars.[3](https://colomusic.org/profile/flobots/)
**Leaving the label.** The band left Universal Republic Records in December 2010, and Guerrero, the lead guitarist, left the group in 2011.[4](https://cmhof.org/colorado-artist-spotlight-flobots/)
## Independent albums and activism
The Circle in the Square, released in August 2012, was the band's first album with the indie label Shanachie and reached #47 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart.[3](https://colomusic.org/profile/flobots/) • [6](https://www.citybeat.com/music/sound-advice-flobots-with-mclovins-jan-27-12182014/) Noenemies, the fourth album, arrived in 2017 as the band's first self-released record since the original issue of Fight with Tools; its songs tackled issues including immigration reform and climate change.[4](https://cmhof.org/colorado-artist-spotlight-flobots/) • [6](https://www.citybeat.com/music/sound-advice-flobots-with-mclovins-jan-27-12182014/)
**Community work.** [Activism](https://www.edgepedia.org/activism) has been central to the band's identity beyond recordings. In September 2009 the group opened the Flobots.org Community Center in Denver, a headquarters for school arts programs and voter registration; the organization was renamed Youth on Record in 2015 and provides programs including for-credit classes, job training, open music labs, and a ten-month fellowship.[3](https://colomusic.org/profile/flobots/) • [4](https://cmhof.org/colorado-artist-spotlight-flobots/) [Individual](https://www.edgepedia.org/individual) members have volunteered or fundraised for organizations including PeaceJam, Art From Ashes, the Colorado Progressive Coalition, and Denver Children's Home.[9](https://www.westword.com/music/the-flobots-rise-and-shine-5100349/) Ahead of the 2008 election, the band and its street team registered 1,000 people to vote and built a studio with music lessons at the Denver Children's Home.[10](https://students.hamilton.edu/spectator/archives-1/08-09/11-14-08)
## The Handlebars dispute
Flobots sued YouTuber Logan Paul in 2019 over "No Handlebars", a rewritten version of the band's song that the filing states was released on November 23, 2017 on YouTube and other platforms; the complaint identifies Jamie Laurie as the founder of Flobots.[5](https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/flobots_v_logan_paul.pdf)
## Recent activity
The band continues to release music with its core of Laurie, Brackett, Guerrero, and Ortiz, supplemented by bassist Casey Sidwell, violinist [Sarah Hubbard](https://www.edgepedia.org/sarah-hubbard), and trumpeter Joe Ferrone. In January 2026 Flobots released the single "I.C.E. OUT!", written the previous spring in response to escalating immigration crackdowns, and "The Revival", a song developed over more than ten years from a chorus composed by Emma Becklar, then of the 303 Choir, and performed with the Colorado Symphony for a Martin Luther King Day commemoration in 2015.[11](https://www.flobots.com/blog) The band played Levitt Pavilion Denver on July 4, 2026.[12](https://www.songkick.com/artists/102378-flobots)
## References
1. [About — Flobots, official band site](https://www.flobots.com/about)
2. [Flobots Biography by Jason Birchmeier, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/flobots-mn0000994986)
3. [Flobots profile, Colorado Music Experience](https://colomusic.org/profile/flobots/)
4. [Colorado Artist Spotlight: Flobots, Colorado Music Hall of Fame](https://cmhof.org/colorado-artist-spotlight-flobots/)
5. [Flobots v. Logan Paul complaint, Case 2:19-cv-04267, Digital Music News](https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/flobots_v_logan_paul.pdf)
6. [Sound Advice: Flobots with McLovins, CityBeat](https://www.citybeat.com/music/sound-advice-flobots-with-mclovins-jan-27-12182014/)
7. [Flobots: Fight With Tools, JamBase](https://www.jambase.com/article/flobots-fight-with-tools)
8. ['Fight' songs, San Francisco Bay Guardian Archive](https://sfbgarchive.48hills.org/sfbgarchive/2008/11/19/fight-songs/)
9. [The Flobots rise and shine, Denver Westword](https://www.westword.com/music/the-flobots-rise-and-shine-5100349/)
10. [Arts & Entertainment, Hamilton College Spectator](https://students.hamilton.edu/spectator/archives-1/08-09/11-14-08)
11. [News Flobot Blog — Flobots, official band site](https://www.flobots.com/blog)
12. [Flobots tour history, Songkick](https://www.songkick.com/artists/102378-flobots)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Ensembles and groups › Rock, pop, and metal bands › Rock, indie, and pop groups › Rock bands › Funk rock and rap rock bands*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license