Nu-metal is a pretty controversial genre of music. We have a good idea of which bands fall into the category, but we don’t know who influenced them.
It used to be that a lot of the artists who fall into this category used to reject it. Many of the musicians who set the stage for nu-metal’s beginnings refuse to accept such responsibility, as if being slapped with a label is a curse.
Rap is combined with rock and metal. Some of the artists that helped inspire it were from different walks of life. Hip hop groups played a part. The fusion of these genres led to something that wasn’t metal but wasn’t hip hop either.
We can either thank them, or blame them.