When you ask rock bands about their influences, there are a few artists that always seem to make the cut -- Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince. Wait a second. Jazzy Jeff?

For genre-hopping rock veterans Incubus, even Will Smith's sidekick laid a bit of groundwork for the band. Between releasing their first greatest hits album ("Monuments & Melodies") and hitting the road to promote it, Incubus multi-instrumentalist and DJ Chris Kilmore spent a few minutes taking IN back to the old school.

"I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania and graduated with 85 people in my class. It was northern York County, home of [hair metal band] Poison -- real hick," Kilmore reminisces. "I was a rebellious kid. And being a rebellious kid in the country means listening hip-hop, because everybody listens to heavy metal."

A fan of bands like Public Enemy, Run DMC, and the Beastie Boys, Kilmore was stoked when he got to check out his first hip hop concert -- DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. "I saw Jazzy Jeff up there doing what I was trying to learn how do. He was incredible. I remember thinking 'That's what I want to do.' I even got to meet him."

Kilmore has been DJing ever since, and couldn't be happier about it. "I can't believe it," he says of turning his passion into his career. "It's incredible. I feel blessed to be where I'm at."

While Kilmore's turntable and keyboard skills certainly open the band's sound, they may also be one of the reasons why Incubus got lumped with Limp Bizkit rock/rap crowd of the turn of the century.

"Back in 1998, we were doing little club tours. One day we were playing a show with Sugar Ray and then the next thing you know, we're playing Ozzfest and the Family Values tour." The band quickly realized that they weren't quite like the others. "It was a totally heavy metal rocker scene," Kilmore recalls. "I came from the hip-hop world, so that was all new to me. I felt a little out of place and I think the whole band felt like that."

The band did what it could to distance itself from nu metal. "During some heavy metal festivals we intentionally played some of our softer songs, just to try to be a little different," Kilmore says. "If you were to ask any of us, we would just say that we're a rock band. We can do heavy stuff, we can do ballad stuff. We don't like to get lumped into any one category -- I don't think anyone does. I think we're pretty diversified in our music, and have become more so over the years."

"Monuments & Melodies" documents just how much the band has evolved over its 18-year career. The double album contains both the hits as well as a disc of b-sides and rarities. Those who buy the record also get a code to access the Incubus "Vault," a collection of hundreds of previously unreleased songs, photos, and videos.

The upcoming tour promises to be career-spanning as well, as the band practicing up on more than 80 of its songs. And after a year-long touring hiatus, Kilmore says the five piece is ready to get back on the stage. "We've been off so long that everyone's come back with energy and all inspired. I think we're playing the best we've ever played right now."