Rage Against the Machine fans thought that the rap-rock band would be reuniting, but Tom Morello has orchestrated a different musical team up altogether. Prophets of Rage is a new “ elite task force of revolutionary musicians” that features Morello and fellow RATM bandmates Brad Wilk and Tim Commerford, Public Enemy’s Chuck D, B-Real from Cypress Hill, and DJ Lord.
“We’re not a supergroup,” Tom Morello recently told Rolling Stone in an interview. “We’re an elite task force of revolutionary musicians determined to confront this mountain of election year bulls**t, and confront it head-on with Marshall stacks blazing.”
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The band began promoting themselves by placing posters up all over the city of Los Angeles, as well as displaying a countdown clock on RATM’s Twitter account. This initially caused Rage fans to assume that the band would be getting back together or playing some sort of reunion show. The full band, including frontman Zack de la Rocha, have not all played together since 2011. But Prophets of Rage will play classic RATM songs, as well as tracks from Public Enemy and Cypress Hill.
While speaking with Bloomberg Politics , Morello, Chuck D, and B-Real discussed the purpose of the band and why it was so necessary for Prophets of Rage to form in today’s current political climate.
“There is an atmosphere that we want to confront,” Chuck D said. “Our nation and the world are on the brink of electoral insanity at home, environmental insanity around the globe,” Tom Morello added.
Chuck D mentions that when it comes to both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, he doesn’t really see much of a difference. He stated that the country’s two-party system is one that simply isn’t working anymore, and it’s time for a radical change. Morello says that he has been frustrated with how the media has been talking about the Sanders campaign, as well as the Trump campaign, “raging against the machine.”
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“We’re gonna set that record straight once and for all,” Morello commented.
He goes on to call Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump a racist demagogue, refers to Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders as “a dreamer,” and states that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is the lesser of three evils. And all three of those candidates, according to Morello, are not good enough for the American people.
When asked point-blank what the band would be doing come this July, Tom Morello confessed that since the Republican National Convention will be taking place in Cleveland during that month, it would be a perfect environment for Prophets of Rage to deliver their message.
“We will be there, on the streets, in the fields,” the guitarist said.
When pressed about whether or not they have a venue set in Cleveland, Morello admitted that they do, but he also played coy about other venues they may or may not have set in place.
“This is not the kind of thing you broadcast to the local authorities, prior to arrival,” he laughed, trying to keep his words short as to not give too much away.
But he did confirm that the rock-rap band will be doing their thing “in and around the RNC.” He also said it was possible that Prophets of Rage could make an appearance in Philadelphia this year.
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Rage Against the Machine played in protest during the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis’ Target Center, where over 100 people were arrested. Causing a ruckus is something they certainly have experience in.
Prophets of Rage will be playing Friday, June 3 at 8:30 p.m., at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California. Proceeds from the concert will be donated to PATH (People Assisting the Homeless).
[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]
