Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix Looks Back at His ‘Coby Dick’ Days: “It Cracks Me Up Now”

Papa Roach’s breakout album Infest has officially gone 4x multi-platinum since its April 2000 release, cementing its place as a defining record of nü-metal’s commercial peak. Propelled by the massive success of lead single “Last Resort,” the band quickly became a fixture on rock radio and a staple of the early 2000s heavy music scene.

As was the trend in the nü-metal era, eccentric nicknames and alter egos were a common part of the culture. Acts like Korn had “Head” and “Munky,” while Mudvayne rolled with “Kud” and “Ryknow.” Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix fully leaned into the trend, adopting the moniker “Coby Dick”—a name he famously dropped in the opening line of Infest‘s title track:

“My name’s Coby Dick. Mr. Dick if you’re nasty.”

Now out celebrating the 25th anniversary of Infest, Shaddix was asked by the Los Angeles Times how he feels looking back on those lyrics and that era. He laughed:

“I crack up inside. My wife co-signed for our first touring van — a big old white 15-passenger we called Moby Dick. My name’s Jacoby, and everyone called me Coby growing up. So I’m driving Moby Dick, and people start calling me Coby Dick. It was a joke that became a moniker.”

“So we put out this record, and I’m like, ‘Mr. Dick if you’re nasty’ — I ripped that from Janet Jackson. Then it turned into ‘Dr. Dick if you’re sick,’ ‘Old Saint Dick on Christmas,’ ‘Count Dick-ula on Halloween’—just dumb -isms. I loved Wu-Tang Clan, where everyone had multiple aliases, so I gave myself AKAs. But then articles started saying things like, ‘Dick says…’ I didn’t think that through. That’s why by the next record, I was Jacoby Shaddix. Way cooler name, and it’s actually my real one.”

Papa Roach is currently on the road with Rise Against and Underoath, playing arenas—something that, until recently, remained elusive for the band despite their early success. When asked about this new chapter, Shaddix reflected:

“It was always the goal, but the reality is surprising. Actually living it, I’m like, ‘Holy f—, we’re here.’ Because even at our hottest, we never did a headlining arena tour.”

He elaborated further:

“At the peak of our career, we kept jumping on support tours—for Eminem, Korn, Limp Bizkit—instead of taking the leap and headlining ourselves. They were paying us great, but it was a mistake. We should’ve said, ‘No, we’re gonna go headline the arena.’”

When it was pointed out that they’ve now reached that milestone, Shaddix responded:

“Everything happens for a reason. Maybe I wasn’t ready for it back then. I’m just so grateful we never packed it in and said, ‘We’re done.’”

Papa Roach‘s Infest 25th-annviersary tour dates:

04/05 Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
04/07 Denver, CO – Ball Arena
04/09 Kansas City, MO – 2 T-Mobile Center
04/10 Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
04/12 Green Bay, WI – Resch Center
04/13 Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
09/10 Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
09/11 Syracuse, NY – Empower FCU Amphitheater
09/13 Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
09/14 Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
09/16 Washington DC – The Anthem
09/17 Virginia Beach, VA – The Dome
09/19 Allentown, PA – PPL Center
09/20 Bangor, ME @ Maine Savings Amphitheater
09/23 Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion
09/24 Maryland Heights, MO – Saint Louis Music Park
09/26 Indianapolis, IN- Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park
09/27 Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheater*
09/28 Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
09/30 Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
10/01 Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater
10/03 Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
10/04 Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
10/05 West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

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