Question:
Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara (Gujarati: phaarokh blsaaraa, Pharokh Balsara) in Stone Town in the British protectorate of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, East Africa (now part of Tanzania) on 5 September 1946. His parents, Bomi (1908-2003) and Jer Bulsara (1922-2016), were Parsis from the Gujarat region of the then-province of Bombay Presidency in British India. As Parsis, Mercury and his family practised the Zoroastrian religion. The Bulsara family had moved to Zanzibar so that his father could continue his job as a cashier at the British Colonial Office.
Although Mercury's speaking voice naturally fell in the baritone range, he delivered most songs in the tenor range. His known vocal range extended from bass low F (F2) to soprano high F (F6). He could belt up to tenor high F (F5). Biographer David Bret described his voice as "escalating within a few bars from a deep, throaty rock-growl to tender, vibrant tenor, then on to a high-pitched, perfect coloratura, pure and crystalline in the upper reaches." Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballe, with whom Mercury recorded an album, expressed her opinion that "the difference between Freddie and almost all the other rock stars was that he was selling the voice". She adds, His technique was astonishing. No problem of tempo, he sang with an incisive sense of rhythm, his vocal placement was very good and he was able to glide effortlessly from a register to another. He also had a great musicality. His phrasing was subtle, delicate and sweet or energetic and slamming. He was able to find the right colouring or expressive nuance for each word. The Who lead singer Roger Daltrey called Mercury "the best virtuoso rock 'n' roll singer of all time. He could sing anything in any style. He could change his style from line to line and, God, that's an art. And he was brilliant at it." A research team undertook a study in 2016 to understand the appeal behind Mercury's voice. Led by Professor Christian Herbst, the team identified his notably faster vibrato and use of subharmonics as unique characteristics of Mercury's voice, particularly in comparison to opera singers, and confirmed a vocal range from F#2 to G5 (just over 3 octaves) but were unable to confirm claims of a 4-octave range. The research team studied vocal samples from 23 commercially available Queen recordings, his solo work, and a series of interviews of the late artist. They also used an endoscopic video camera to study a rock singer brought in to imitate Mercury's singing voice.
Answer this question using a quote from the text above:

what was he like as a singer?

Answer:
His technique was astonishing. No problem of tempo, he sang with an incisive sense of rhythm,

Answer the question at the end by quoting:

Hed PE (also known as (hed) Planet Earth and stylized as (h@d) p.e.) is an American rock/hip hop band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1994, the band is known for its eclectic genre-crossing style, predominately in the fusion of gangsta rap and punk it has termed "G-punk", but also for its reggae-fused music. The band's cross-genre mix of styles has been cited by journalists as having a considerable impact on rap rock and nu metal, though no firsthand accounts of the band influencing bands in either genre exists and the band itself has denied being a part of these styles, identifying more as a punk rock band utilizing rap vocals in conjunction with other vocal styles (melodic reggae singing, screaming and death growls) rather than being a rap rock band in of itself. One reviewer described the "nu metal" categorization as being a mistaken association.
Hed PE performs a style of music which they have referred to as "G-punk", a phrase inspired by the term "G-funk". Hed PE has also described its music as "schizophrenic". Hed PE's music is a fusion of styles ranging from hip hop, reggae, and ska to hard rock, punk, and heavy metal. Other elements that have been incorporated into this style include blues, funk, jazz and industrial. Jared Gomes' vocal style ranges from melodic singing to rapping, screaming, and death growls. The band's lyrics draw from a number of subjects, including social justice, the existence of extraterrestrial life, criticism of organized religion, the 9/11 Truth movement, cannabis use and sexual intercourse. The band has disassociated itself from nu metal and rap rock, with former guitarist Jaxon stating that "I wouldn't call our band nu metal" and Gomes noting that his vocal style is wider ranging than simply rapping. Regarding the band's association with nu metal, Kik Axe described the band as being "mistakenly lumped" into the genre, while Beatdust described the band's sound as helping shape nu metal, listing Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit as bands it believes were influenced by Hed PE. Hed PE itself claims that Linkin Park was influenced by Hed PE's music and that Fred Durst listened to Hed PE frequently while recording Limp Bizkit's debut album; these claims, however, have not been backed up by either Durst or Linkin Park. Gomes, in addition to the 9/11 Truth movement, has expressed support for social liberal politicians such as Nancy Pelosi and president Barack Obama. Previously however, Gomes' 2004 lyrics for Only in Amerika expressed support for nationalism, and called for retaliation against Al Qaeda for the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Were they at one time called nu metal?
Kik Axe described the band as being "mistakenly lumped" into the genre,