Flip music

Private Mendoza: "Why do we always have to listen to this old stuff, Sarge?"

Staff Sergeant Johnson: "Watch your mouth, son. This "stuff" is your history. It should remind you grunts what we're fightin' to protect!"

Private Mendoza: "Hey, if the Covenant want to wipe out this particular part of my history, that's fine by me."

Private Bisenti: "Yeah, better it than us."

— Conversation between SSgt. Johnson, Private Mendoza and Private Bisenti.

Flip music is a genre of music created and performed by humans.

Background

The "slam-bam" beat^[1] of flip music is descended from 21st century heavy metal.^[2] By the 2520s, flip music was popular at dance clubs, which are common destinations for Marines and Orbital Drop Shock Troopers on leave.^[3] Avery Johnson had an odd fascination with the genre.^[1]^[4] Many people dislike flip music, including Captain Jacob Keyes, SPARTAN John-117,^[2] Corporal Locklear,^[2] Private First Class Wallace Jenkins, and Privates Riley, Mendoza, and Bisenti.

The flip music heard in the "Jenkins' helmet cam" cinematic is a song called "Shreddin'".^[5] This song was created for Halo: Combat Evolved, although it is not present on the retail soundtrack. It was later released as a free download on Bungie.net.
According to Joseph Staten in the Halo: Combat Evolved cinematic documentary found in the Legendary Edition Bonus Disc of Halo 3, the development team originally planned to license Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones for the Pelican scene in 343 Guilty Spark. It was instead decided to use an original song before the game's release.