This article was originally published on Clash
Songs of dissent have long dynamized the masses in times of social unrest. The never-ending pursuit of justice and freedom for all, despite its abutting hardships, precipitates art around which troops naturally convene.
After all, political upheaval needs a formidable soundtrack.
Destined to score the transfer of power, Zack de la Rocha hit the ground running with a propensity for provoking the guardians and stakeholders of empire. Known best as the punk-poet frontman of Rage Against The Machine, his no-nonsense command of the English language, mountainous presence and ear-piercing delivery, have produced some of the most disruptive anthems of the modern era, a lot of which continue to echo across spaces of civil disobedience even today.
Pain and struggle have always been central to creative expression, but it was only a few decades back that a culture finally emerged from the fatigue of bluesy lament. Frustrated by the tradition of people feeling sorry for themselves, punk and hip-hop offered an unruly alternative that involved raising a fist right up to the faces of those profiting off deprivation. Whereas both crafts sought to push back against those responsible for perpetuating unsustainable living conditions, rap MCs (master of ceremonies) distinguished themselves within a class of their own because the plight central to their output was distinctly American. Of course, racism and poverty are issues that cripple every corner of the world, but the likes of Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions and Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five were sharing perspectives specific to the United States that called into question the widely professed success of Western systems.
Stoked by this very ethos even through his beginnings in Southern California’s hardcore circuit, de la Rocha has always been a purveyor of bars. Commonly labelled a “vocalist” or “singer,” he is seldom recognized as a rapper. This makes sense considering the four-piece was structured like a rock band and is hence filed accordingly; their execution and values, however, transcended this classification as well as the red-blooded machismo of nu-metal that they regrettably paved the way for.
RATM’s part in helping fans of rock ease into rap (unknowingly, in a lot of cases) can’t be stressed enough. While the group made waves of useful noise using guitars and percussion, the voice that sealed the product airtight was of a different world. Sure, the Beastie Boys and Run-DMC had already incorporated elements of rock into the mix, but the Los Angeles outfit amalgamated it with rap.
Dead set against being cut-and-dried entertainers, they hit the ground running by challenging law enforcement, the military industrial complex, imperial exploits and corporate greed during their brief time together. Backed by Tom Morello’s turntablesque guitar scratching and an unassailable rhythm section, Zack excelled in moving crowds given his ability to spit one bar four times in a row and have its intensity proliferate with each cycle. Funnily enough, the presentation alone was such a thrill that the message behind it all was lost on a large portion of their audience at the time, a lot of whom are just now starting to realize that the lyrics “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!” have a specific target.
In November of 1999, Rage Against The Machine released their final LP with original material. 'The Battle Of Los Angeles' marked an end to their most fervent run, leaving joints like 'Guerrilla Radio', 'Calm Like A Bomb' and 'Sleep Now In The Fire' in continual circulation even 25 years later. Decades after de la Rocha spat the words “Like Gaza, on to the dawn of Intifada” on ‘War Within A Breath’, he skipped the band’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction last year to attend a march in solidarity with Palestine decrying Israel’s indiscriminate onslaughts in the Gaza Strip.
The same spirit of insurgence that birthed hip-hop pulsates through his veins, and he has been rapping to its beat his entire career – before, during and since (his) Rage turned the music industry upside down.
In 1998, Zack teamed up with KRS-One (Boogie Down Productions) and the Last Emperor on a traditional rap joint titled ‘C.I.A (Criminals In Action)’. The following year, he joined forces with Chuck D (Public Enemy), Pharoahe Monch (Organized Konfusion), Black Thought (The Roots), Dead Prez and many more of hip-hop’s finest to form Unbound Allstars. The supergroup only ever recorded one song titled 'Mumia 911' to protest the incarceration and death sentence of political activist Mumia Abu-Jamal, who is now serving life in prison. Since then, the rock MC has worked with Blackalicious, DJ Shadow, Saul Williams, Deltron 3030 and Run The Jewels, among countless other heavyweights of the culture.
Aside from bringing rock closer to rap, his work has also brought rap closer to rock. In 2019, Denzel Curry made an appearance on Like A Version to cover ‘Bulls On Parade’; the next year, amid the uproar sparked by George Floyd’s death, Machine Gun Kelly released his own version of ‘Killing In The Name’. As for the two genres gradually blending into one another by the turn of the century, Mike Shinoda has cited Rage Against The Machine’s influence on Linkin Park numerous times, going so far as to credit the group with opening him up to rock music during a phase when he was skeptical of it.
Looking back, Zack de la Rocha was a harbinger of the cross-disciplinary, hyper-collaborative shape hip-hop went on to assume over the 21st century. Without ever fully stepping inside, he posted up on the culture’s border to help artists as well as fans cross over both ways until it was worn out completely and ceased to exist.
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