Zack de la Rocha
Encyclopedia
Zacarías Manuel "Zack" de la Rocha (born January 12, 1970) is an American rapper
, musician
, poet
, and activist
best known as the vocalist and lyricist
of Rage Against the Machine
.
, played an integral part in his son's cultural upbringing. Beto was a muralist and member of Los Four
— the first Chicano
art collective to be exhibited at a museum (LACMA, 1973). De la Rocha's grandfather was a Sinaloan revolutionary who fought in the Mexican Revolution
and an agricultural labourer in the US. Later, de la Rocha would see the hardships his grandfather endured reflected in the struggles of the Zapatistas (also known as EZLN
).. His grandfather was born in Cananea, Sonora, in Mexico
.
When de la Rocha was a year old, his parents separated. He and his German-Irish mother, Olivia de la Rocha, moved from East Los Angeles
to Irvine, California
, where Olivia attended the University of California at Irvine and earned a Ph.D.
in Anthropology. Zack described Irvine as "one of the most racist
cities imaginable. If you were a Mexican
in Irvine, you were there because you had a broom or a hammer in your hand." It was also at an Irvine grade school, where young Zack met his friend and future Rage Against the Machine bandmate, Tim Commerford
.
In 1981, Beto suffered a nervous breakdown
, took his religious ideals to extremes, and destroyed his own artwork. When Zack would visit on weekends, Beto forced him to fast, sit in a room with the curtains closed and door locked and help destroy his father's paintings. Not long after, Olivia stopped the visits.
As a teenager, de la Rocha became a vegetarian, saying in 1989: "I think vegetarianism is really great, and I stand really strongly behind it." When asked why, he explains: "Inside me, I think that an animal goes through a lot of pain in the whole cycle of death in the slaughterhouse; just living to be killed. That whole situation is really messed up for animals, growing up in those little cooped-up pens. I just don't think its worth eating that animal. I think animals should be free. There's so much other food out there that doesn't have to involve you in that cycle of pain and death."
scene and played guitar for a band called Juvenile Expression with Tim Commerford
. His interest in bands like The Clash
, The Sex Pistols, and Bad Religion
turned into an appreciation for other bands like Minor Threat
, Bad Brains
, and The Teen Idles
. Soon after entering high school, Zack joined the straight edge
band Hardstance.
De la Rocha and Hardstance bassist Mark Hayworth eventually formed the hardcore
band Inside Out, which gained a large national underground following. They released a single record, No Spiritual Surrender
, on Revelation Records
in 1990 before breaking up. In de la Rocha's words, Inside Out was "about completely detaching ourselves from society to see ourselves as...as spirits, and not bowing down to a system that sees you as just another pebble on a beach. I channeled all my anger out through that band."
After Inside Out broke up, he embraced hip hop
and began freestyling at local clubs, where he met Tom Morello
and Brad Wilk
. Eventually, de la Rocha's Juvenile Expression bandmate Commerford joined them and Rage Against the Machine
was formed.
Rage Against the Machine was on the main stage at Lollapalooza
in 1993 and was one of the most politically-charged bands ever to receive extensive airplay from radio and MTV
. De la Rocha became one of the most visible champions of left-wing political causes around the world while advocating in favour of Leonard Peltier
and Mumia Abu-Jamal
, and supporting the Zapatista
movement in Mexico
. He spoke on the floor of the UN
, testifying against the United States
and its treatment of Abu-Jamal. Rage's second and third albums peaked at number one in the United States, but did not result in the political action de la Rocha had hoped for. He became increasingly restless and undertook collaborations with artists such as KRS-One
, Chuck D
, and Public Enemy.
".
In October 2000, de la Rocha left Rage Against the Machine, due to "creative differences." It is rumoured that Commerford's stunt at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards
, where he climbed atop a fixture on stage because RATM had lost the award for Best Rock Video to Limp Bizkit
, may have contributed to de la Rocha's decision to leave the band. Commerford later stated he had pulled the stunt in protest that cameras at the awards show were already hovering over Limp Bizkit before anything was even announced, with which he disagreed. However, it became clear later on that the band disagreed significantly over the release of Renegades, an album of cover versions of songs by artists such as Bob Dylan
, Bruce Springsteen
, MC5
, Afrika Bambataa, and The Stooges
. The album was never intended for release and only a select few tracks from the sessions were supposed to accompany what would become Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
. However, Wilk, Morello and Commerford decided to release the entire covers collection as an album, against de la Rocha's wishes. Upon leaving the band, de la Rocha issued a statement saying: "it was necessary to leave Rage because our decision-making process has completely failed", in reference to the disagreement over the release of Renegades.
The other members of the band sought out separate management and secured the immediate release of Renegades. After searching for a replacement for de la Rocha, the other members of Rage joined Chris Cornell
of Soundgarden
to form Audioslave
.
, El-P, Muggs, Dan The Automator
, Roni Size
, DJ Premier
, and The Roots
' Questlove with production partner James Poyser
. The album never saw fruition, and de la Rocha started a new collaboration with Trent Reznor
of Nine Inch Nails
, in which around 20 tracks were produced. Reznor thought the work was "excellent", but said the songs will likely never be released as de la Rocha was not "ready to make a record" at that time.
On working with DJ Shadow and Reznor, de la Rocha admitted in a 2008 interview that:
In 2000, de la Rocha appeared on the song "Centre of the Storm", from the Roni Size
/Reprazent
album In The Mode, while in 2002, he appeared in a minor role in the first part of the Blackalicious
song "Release" on the album Blazing Arrow
. A new collaboration between de la Rocha and DJ Shadow
, the song "March of Death" was released for free online in 2003 in protest against the imminent invasion of Iraq
. As part of the collaboration de la Rocha released a statement which included the following:
The 2004 soundtrack Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11
included one of the collaborations with Reznor, "We Want It All
". This album also contained "No One Left", the debut recording by former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello
as The Nightwatchman
.
On October 7, 2005, de la Rocha returned to the stage with new material, performing with Son Jarocho
band Son de Madera. He later spoke as MC
and again performed with Son de Madera at the November 22 Concert at the Farm, a benefit concert for the South Central Farm
ers. He sang and played the jarana
with the band, and performed his own new original material, including the song "Sea of Buttnuts".
On his post-Rage political music, de la Rocha admitted that it was near impossible for him to draw the line between politics and music:
Rumors that Rage Against the Machine could reunite at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
were circulating in mid-January 2007, and were confirmed on January 22. The band was confirmed to be headlining the final day of Coachella 2007.
On April 14, 2007, Morello and de la Rocha reunited on-stage early to perform a brief acoustic set at House of Blues
in Chicago
at the rally for fair food with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
(CIW). Morello described the event as "very exciting for everybody in the room, myself included."
Rage Against the Machine, as a full band, headlined the final day of the 2007 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
on April 29. The band played in front of an EZLN
backdrop to the largest crowds of the festival. The performance was initially thought to be a one-off, this turned out not to be the case. The band played 7 more shows in the United States
in 2007, and in January 2008, they played their first shows outside the US as part of the Big Day Out
Festival in Australia
and New Zealand
. The band has since continued to tour around the world, headlining many large festivals in Europe
and the United States
, including Lollapalooza
in Chicago
.
At Rage's first reunion show, de la Rocha made a speech during "Wake Up
" in which de la Rocha called numerous American presidents war criminals
, citing a statement by Noam Chomsky
regarding the Nuremberg Principles
.
In a 2008 interview, de la Rocha said this of the relationship between him, Commerford, Wilk and Morello:
, DJ Shadow
, Questlove from The Roots
, and El-P were said to have produced the album or portions of it, however at this point it seems to have been shelved indefinitely.
is a band consisting of Zack de la Rocha and former The Mars Volta
drummer Jon Theodore
. They added Joey Karam
of The Locust
on keyboards for their live shows, which were performed in July 2010. Whether Karam will remain a member of the band is uncertain. The group combines rock drumming, electro keyboards, and hip-hop vocals. De la Rocha will be playing keyboards as well as providing vocals with Theodore on the drums for their self-titled EP. The band's name derives from an infamous black and white graffiti photograph taken by Chicano photographer George Rodriguez in 1970 with a caption reading: "It's better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand years as a lamb". They released their debut EP, One Day as a Lion
, on July 22, 2008.
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, and activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
best known as the vocalist and lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
of Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
.
Early life and childhood
Zack de la Rocha's father, Roberto "Beto" de la RochaRoberto de la Rocha
Roberto "Beto" de la Rocha is an American painter, graphic artist, and muralist. He was born in Wilmar, California to Mexican American parents. However, according to Carlos Almaraz, he claimed to be a Hasidic Jew from a Spanish Jewish family...
, played an integral part in his son's cultural upbringing. Beto was a muralist and member of Los Four
Los Four
Los Four was a Chicano artist collective during the 1970s and early 1980s in Los Angeles, California. The group was instrumental in bringing Chicano Art to the attention of the mainstream art world.-Brief history and significance:...
— the first Chicano
Chicano
The terms "Chicano" and "Chicana" are used in reference to U.S. citizens of Mexican descent. However, those terms have a wide range of meanings in various parts of the world. The term began to be widely used during the Chicano Movement, mainly among Mexican Americans, especially in the movement's...
art collective to be exhibited at a museum (LACMA, 1973). De la Rocha's grandfather was a Sinaloan revolutionary who fought in the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
and an agricultural labourer in the US. Later, de la Rocha would see the hardships his grandfather endured reflected in the struggles of the Zapatistas (also known as EZLN
Zapatista Army of National Liberation
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is a revolutionary leftist group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico....
).. His grandfather was born in Cananea, Sonora, in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
When de la Rocha was a year old, his parents separated. He and his German-Irish mother, Olivia de la Rocha, moved from East Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, where Olivia attended the University of California at Irvine and earned a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Anthropology. Zack described Irvine as "one of the most racist
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
cities imaginable. If you were a Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
in Irvine, you were there because you had a broom or a hammer in your hand." It was also at an Irvine grade school, where young Zack met his friend and future Rage Against the Machine bandmate, Tim Commerford
Tim Commerford
Timothy Robert Commerford , also known by his various monikers/stage names is the bassist/backing vocalist for American alternative metal band Rage Against The Machine and the now-defunct supergroup Audioslave.-Biography:Tim Commerford was born on February...
.
In 1981, Beto suffered a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
, took his religious ideals to extremes, and destroyed his own artwork. When Zack would visit on weekends, Beto forced him to fast, sit in a room with the curtains closed and door locked and help destroy his father's paintings. Not long after, Olivia stopped the visits.
As a teenager, de la Rocha became a vegetarian, saying in 1989: "I think vegetarianism is really great, and I stand really strongly behind it." When asked why, he explains: "Inside me, I think that an animal goes through a lot of pain in the whole cycle of death in the slaughterhouse; just living to be killed. That whole situation is really messed up for animals, growing up in those little cooped-up pens. I just don't think its worth eating that animal. I think animals should be free. There's so much other food out there that doesn't have to involve you in that cycle of pain and death."
Early career
While attending junior high school, de la Rocha became involved in the punkPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
scene and played guitar for a band called Juvenile Expression with Tim Commerford
Tim Commerford
Timothy Robert Commerford , also known by his various monikers/stage names is the bassist/backing vocalist for American alternative metal band Rage Against The Machine and the now-defunct supergroup Audioslave.-Biography:Tim Commerford was born on February...
. His interest in bands like The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, The Sex Pistols, and Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
turned into an appreciation for other bands like Minor Threat
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and disbanded in 1983. The band was relatively short-lived, but had a strong influence on the hardcore punk music scene, both stylistically and in establishing a "do it yourself" ethic for music distribution and...
, Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
, and The Teen Idles
The Teen Idles
The Teen Idles were an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C. in August 1979. Teenagers Nathan Strejcek, Geordie Grindle, Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson were the band's continual members. Their recorded output consists of two demo sessions and one EP—1980's Minor Disturbance—released...
. Soon after entering high school, Zack joined the straight edge
Straight edge
Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...
band Hardstance.
De la Rocha and Hardstance bassist Mark Hayworth eventually formed the hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band Inside Out, which gained a large national underground following. They released a single record, No Spiritual Surrender
No Spiritual Surrender
No Spiritual Surrender is a 7" EP by American hardcore punk band Inside Out. It was their first and last release before their breakup in 1991....
, on Revelation Records
Revelation Records
Revelation Records is an independent record label focusing originally and primarily on hardcore punk. The label is known for its role in the evolution of hardcore and metallic post-hardcore with important releases by bands such as Youth of Today, Warzone, Sick of It All, Quicksand, Side By Side,...
in 1990 before breaking up. In de la Rocha's words, Inside Out was "about completely detaching ourselves from society to see ourselves as...as spirits, and not bowing down to a system that sees you as just another pebble on a beach. I channeled all my anger out through that band."
After Inside Out broke up, he embraced hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and began freestyling at local clubs, where he met Tom Morello
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
and Brad Wilk
Brad Wilk
Brad Wilk is an American musician, best known as the drummer of the American rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.-Family and early life:...
. Eventually, de la Rocha's Juvenile Expression bandmate Commerford joined them and Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
was formed.
Rage Against the Machine
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
in 1993 and was one of the most politically-charged bands ever to receive extensive airplay from radio and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. De la Rocha became one of the most visible champions of left-wing political causes around the world while advocating in favour of Leonard Peltier
Leonard Peltier
Leonard Peltier is a Native American activist and member of the American Indian Movement . In 1977 he was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment for first degree murder in the shooting of two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents during a 1975 conflict on the Pine...
and Mumia Abu-Jamal
Mumia Abu-Jamal
Mumia Abu-Jamal was convicted of the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner and sentenced to death. He has been described as "perhaps the world's best known death-row inmate", and his sentence is one of the most debated today...
, and supporting the Zapatista
Zapatista Army of National Liberation
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is a revolutionary leftist group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico....
movement in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. He spoke on the floor of the UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, testifying against the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and its treatment of Abu-Jamal. Rage's second and third albums peaked at number one in the United States, but did not result in the political action de la Rocha had hoped for. He became increasingly restless and undertook collaborations with artists such as KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
, Chuck D
Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
, and Public Enemy.
Creative differences
On September 13, 2000, Rage Against the Machine performed their last show before breaking up, during which de la Rocha gave a notable speech before playing "Killing in the NameKilling in the Name
"Killing in the Name" is a song by American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, featured on their self-titled debut album, and was released as the lead single from the album in November 1992...
".
In October 2000, de la Rocha left Rage Against the Machine, due to "creative differences." It is rumoured that Commerford's stunt at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
, where he climbed atop a fixture on stage because RATM had lost the award for Best Rock Video to Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
, may have contributed to de la Rocha's decision to leave the band. Commerford later stated he had pulled the stunt in protest that cameras at the awards show were already hovering over Limp Bizkit before anything was even announced, with which he disagreed. However, it became clear later on that the band disagreed significantly over the release of Renegades, an album of cover versions of songs by artists such as Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, MC5
MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
, Afrika Bambataa, and The Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
. The album was never intended for release and only a select few tracks from the sessions were supposed to accompany what would become Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium is the most recent album released by Rage Against the Machine on November 25, 2003. It is a recording of two shows Rage played at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in their hometown of Los Angeles on September 12 and 13, 2000...
. However, Wilk, Morello and Commerford decided to release the entire covers collection as an album, against de la Rocha's wishes. Upon leaving the band, de la Rocha issued a statement saying: "it was necessary to leave Rage because our decision-making process has completely failed", in reference to the disagreement over the release of Renegades.
The other members of the band sought out separate management and secured the immediate release of Renegades. After searching for a replacement for de la Rocha, the other members of Rage joined Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
of Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
to form Audioslave
Audioslave
Audioslave was an American rock supergroup that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. It consisted of former Soundgarden lead singer/rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell and the former instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine: Tom Morello , Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk...
.
Post-Rage work
After RATM's breakup, de la Rocha worked on a solo album he had been recording since before the band's dissolution, working with DJ ShadowDJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
, El-P, Muggs, Dan The Automator
Dan the Automator
Daniel M. Nakamura , better known by the stage name Dan the Automator, is a Japanese-American hip hop producer. He founded the record label 75 Ark, which was distributed by Tommy Boy Records during its short existence....
, Roni Size
Roni Size
Roni Size is a British record producer and DJ, who came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and leader of Reprazent, a drum and bass collective...
, DJ Premier
DJ Premier
Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...
, and The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
' Questlove with production partner James Poyser
James Poyser
James Poyser in Sheffield, England is a multi-Grammy winning songwriter, musician and multi-platinum producer.Poyser has written and produced songs for various legendary and award-winning artists including Erykah Badu, Mariah Carey, John Legend, Lauryn Hill, Common, Anthony Hamilton, D'Angelo,...
. The album never saw fruition, and de la Rocha started a new collaboration with Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
of Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, in which around 20 tracks were produced. Reznor thought the work was "excellent", but said the songs will likely never be released as de la Rocha was not "ready to make a record" at that time.
In 2000, de la Rocha appeared on the song "Centre of the Storm", from the Roni Size
Roni Size
Roni Size is a British record producer and DJ, who came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and leader of Reprazent, a drum and bass collective...
/Reprazent
Reprazent
Reprazent is a British drum and bass act formed by Roni Size. Their debut album New Forms won the Mercury Music Prize in 1997. Their follow-up album In The Mode featured artists including Rahzel, Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine and Method Man.Roni Size resurrected Reprazent in 2008...
album In The Mode, while in 2002, he appeared in a minor role in the first part of the Blackalicious
Blackalicious
Blackalicious is an American hip hop duo from Sacramento, California made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel . They are noted for Gift of Gab's often "tongue-twisting", multisyllabic, complex rhymes and Chief Xcel's "classic" beats...
song "Release" on the album Blazing Arrow
Blazing Arrow
Blazing Arrow is the second full-length album by Blackalicious, the follow-up to 2000's Nia. It was released on April 30, 2002 on MCA Records.- Track listing :All tracks by Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab# "Introduction: Bow and Fire" – 1:06...
. A new collaboration between de la Rocha and DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
, the song "March of Death" was released for free online in 2003 in protest against the imminent invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. As part of the collaboration de la Rocha released a statement which included the following:
The 2004 soundtrack Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11
Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11
Songs and Artists That Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11 is a compilation album that followed up the 2004 documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11 by filmmaker Michael Moore. It is not the original soundtrack....
included one of the collaborations with Reznor, "We Want It All
We Want It All
We Want It All is one of only two songs the Rage Against the Machine vocalist Zack de la Rocha released while the band was disbanded. Out of the twenty or so tracks which De La Rocha and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails collaborated on, this is the only track of those sessions which has been released...
". This album also contained "No One Left", the debut recording by former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptiste "Tom" Morello is a Grammy Award-winning American guitarist best known for his tenure with the bands Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, his acoustic solo act The Nightwatchman, and his newest group, Street Sweeper Social Club...
as The Nightwatchman
The Nightwatchman
The Nightwatchman is the alter-ego and solo act of Rage Against the Machine, Street Sweeper Social Club and former Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello...
.
On October 7, 2005, de la Rocha returned to the stage with new material, performing with Son Jarocho
Son Jarocho
Son Jarocho is a traditional musical style of Veracruz, a Mexican state along the Gulf of Mexico. It evolved over the last two and a half centuries along the coastal portions of southern Tamaulipas state and Veracruz state, hence the term jarocho, a colloquial term for people or things from the...
band Son de Madera. He later spoke as MC
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
and again performed with Son de Madera at the November 22 Concert at the Farm, a benefit concert for the South Central Farm
South Central Farm
The South Central Farm, also known as the South Central Community Garden, was an urban farm and community garden located at East 41st and South Alameda Streets. in an industrial area of South Los Angeles, California which was in operation between 1994 and 2006...
ers. He sang and played the jarana
Jarana
The jarana jarocha is a guitar-shaped fretted stringed instrument, from the southern region of the state of Veracruz, Mexico. Typically strung with 8 strings in 5 courses, usually arranged in two single outer strings with three courses between. The strings are usually nylon, although they were gut...
with the band, and performed his own new original material, including the song "Sea of Buttnuts".
On his post-Rage political music, de la Rocha admitted that it was near impossible for him to draw the line between politics and music:
Rage Against the Machine reunion
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
were circulating in mid-January 2007, and were confirmed on January 22. The band was confirmed to be headlining the final day of Coachella 2007.
On April 14, 2007, Morello and de la Rocha reunited on-stage early to perform a brief acoustic set at House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
at the rally for fair food with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Coalition of Immokalee Workers
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is a non-profit organization in Immokalee, Florida whose members are "largely Latino, Haitian, and Mayan Indian immigrants working in low-wage jobs throughout the state."Founded in 1993, the group has seen major success on several fronts...
(CIW). Morello described the event as "very exciting for everybody in the room, myself included."
Rage Against the Machine, as a full band, headlined the final day of the 2007 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
on April 29. The band played in front of an EZLN
Zapatista Army of National Liberation
The Zapatista Army of National Liberation is a revolutionary leftist group based in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico....
backdrop to the largest crowds of the festival. The performance was initially thought to be a one-off, this turned out not to be the case. The band played 7 more shows in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2007, and in January 2008, they played their first shows outside the US as part of the Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
Festival in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The band has since continued to tour around the world, headlining many large festivals in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
At Rage's first reunion show, de la Rocha made a speech during "Wake Up
Wake Up (Rage Against the Machine song)
"Wake Up" is a song by American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine. It is the seventh track from their self-titled debut album. While never released as a single, it remains a staple of their live shows and is usually played as the last song before the encore...
" in which de la Rocha called numerous American presidents war criminals
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
, citing a statement by Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
regarding the Nuremberg Principles
Nuremberg Principles
The Nuremberg principles were a set of guidelines for determining what constitutes a war crime. The document was created by the International Law Commission of the United Nations to codify the legal principles underlying the Nuremberg Trials of Nazi party members following World War II.- Principle...
.
In a 2008 interview, de la Rocha said this of the relationship between him, Commerford, Wilk and Morello:
Solo album
In an article published in Billboard, it was announced that work had been completed on de la Rocha's first solo album, which he had been working on at least since his departure from RATM in 2000 and, by some accounts, as early as 1995. Trent ReznorTrent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
, DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
, Questlove from The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, and El-P were said to have produced the album or portions of it, however at this point it seems to have been shelved indefinitely.
One Day as a Lion
One Day as a LionOne Day as a Lion
One Day As A Lion is a music project that was started in 2008 by Zack de la Rocha, the vocalist of Rage Against the Machine and Jon Theodore, former drummer of The Mars Volta. The duo blends elements of rock, rap, and punk...
is a band consisting of Zack de la Rocha and former The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
drummer Jon Theodore
Jon Theodore
Jon Philip Theodore is a drummer, formerly a member of The Mars Volta. He has become best known for his explosive, multi-textural and dynamic playing style.-History:...
. They added Joey Karam
Joey Karam
Joseph Karam is an American musician known for singing and playing keyboard/synth in The Locust and also formerly was the drummer of the band Le Shok, as well as voaclist for hard core straight edge band Resist....
of The Locust
The Locust
The Locust is a musical group from San Diego, California, United States known for their unique mix of grindcore speed and aggression, mathcore complexity, and new wave weirdness.- Style :...
on keyboards for their live shows, which were performed in July 2010. Whether Karam will remain a member of the band is uncertain. The group combines rock drumming, electro keyboards, and hip-hop vocals. De la Rocha will be playing keyboards as well as providing vocals with Theodore on the drums for their self-titled EP. The band's name derives from an infamous black and white graffiti photograph taken by Chicano photographer George Rodriguez in 1970 with a caption reading: "It's better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand years as a lamb". They released their debut EP, One Day as a Lion
One Day as a Lion (EP)
One Day as a Lion is the eponymous debut EP by One Day as a Lion, the musical duo consisting of Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha on vocals/keyboard and Jon Theodore, formerly of The Mars Volta, on drums. The mixing for the album was done by Mario C.On July 16 the track "Wild...
, on July 22, 2008.
Hard Stance (guitar)
- Face Reality (EP) 7" (1988)
- Hard Stance (EP) 7" (1989)
Inside Out
- No Spiritual SurrenderNo Spiritual SurrenderNo Spiritual Surrender is a 7" EP by American hardcore punk band Inside Out. It was their first and last release before their breakup in 1991....
(1990) - Benefit 7" (live bootleg recording with Youth Of TodayYouth of TodayYouth of Today is an American hardcore punk straight edge band, formed in 1985 and still in activity. The band played a major role in establishing the Youth Crew subculture of hardcore, both espousing and evolving the philosophies of the straight edge and vegetarian lifestyles.-History:Youth Of...
) (1991)
Rage Against the Machine
- Rage Against the MachineRage Against the Machine (album)Rage Against the Machine is the debut studio album by rap metal band Rage Against the Machine. The album was released on November 10, 1992...
(1992) - Evil EmpireEvil Empire (album)-Track listing:All songs written and arranged by Rage Against the Machine and all lyrics by Zack de la Rocha.#"People of the Sun" – 2:30#"Bulls on Parade" – 3:49#"Vietnow" – 4:39#"Revolver" – 5:30#"Snakecharmer" – 3:56#"Tire Me" – 3:00#"Down Rodeo" – 5:20...
(1996) - Live & Rare (1998)
- The Battle of Los AngelesThe Battle of Los Angeles (album)-Track listing:All songs written and arranged by Rage Against the Machine and all lyrics by Zack de la Rocha.#"Testify" – 3:30#"Guerrilla Radio" – 3:26#"Calm Like a Bomb" – 4:58#"Mic Check" – 3:33#"Sleep Now in the Fire" – 3:25#"Born of a Broken Man" – 4:41...
(1999) - Renegades (2000)
- Live at Smart Araneta Coliseum (2011)
Solo and collaborations
- "Mumia 911" from Mumia 911, a benefit EP also featuring a dozen hiphop artists collectively known as The Unbound AllstarsUnbound AllstarsUnbound Allstars were a one-off collaboration of various hip-hop artists who recorded the track "Mumia 911" supporting the release of death row inmate, Mumia Abu-Jamal...
(1999) - "C.I.A. (Criminals In Action)" with KRS-OneKRS-OneLawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
and the Last Emperor, from Lyricist Lounge, Volume OneLyricist Lounge, Volume OneLyricist Lounge, Volume One is the first installment of Rawkus Records Lyricist Lounge album series, based on the Lyricist Lounge showcases in New York...
compilation and remixed on 12" vinyl single (reissued in 2002), (1999) - "Burned Hollywood Burned" from BamboozledBamboozledBamboozled is a 2000 satirical film written and directed by Spike Lee about a modern televised minstrel show featuring black actors donning blackface makeup and the violent fall-out from the show's success...
soundtrack (2000) with Chuck DChuck DCarlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
and The RootsThe RootsThe Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals... - "Centre of the Storm" from In the Mode, Roni SizeRoni SizeRoni Size is a British record producer and DJ, who came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and leader of Reprazent, a drum and bass collective...
/ReprazentReprazentReprazent is a British drum and bass act formed by Roni Size. Their debut album New Forms won the Mercury Music Prize in 1997. Their follow-up album In The Mode featured artists including Rahzel, Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine and Method Man.Roni Size resurrected Reprazent in 2008...
(2000) - "Release" from Blazing ArrowBlazing ArrowBlazing Arrow is the second full-length album by Blackalicious, the follow-up to 2000's Nia. It was released on April 30, 2002 on MCA Records.- Track listing :All tracks by Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab# "Introduction: Bow and Fire" – 1:06...
, BlackaliciousBlackaliciousBlackalicious is an American hip hop duo from Sacramento, California made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel . They are noted for Gift of Gab's often "tongue-twisting", multisyllabic, complex rhymes and Chief Xcel's "classic" beats...
(2002) - "Disavowed" from You Can't Go Home AgainYou Can't Go Home AgainYou Can't Go Home Again is a novel by Thomas Wolfe. It was published posthumously in 1940 from the October Fair manuscript. The novel tells the story of George Webber, a beginning author, who writes a book that makes frequent references to his home town of Libya Hill...
(Private Press era), DJ ShadowDJ ShadowJoshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
(additional drums and co-production) (2002) - "March of Death" with DJ Shadow, free on marchofdeath.com (2003)
- "We Want It AllWe Want It AllWe Want It All is one of only two songs the Rage Against the Machine vocalist Zack de la Rocha released while the band was disbanded. Out of the twenty or so tracks which De La Rocha and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails collaborated on, this is the only track of those sessions which has been released...
" from Songs and Artists That Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11Songs and Artists That Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11 is a compilation album that followed up the 2004 documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11 by filmmaker Michael Moore. It is not the original soundtrack....
and digital single (2004) - "Act III Scene 2 (Shakespeare)" from Saul WilliamsSaul Williams (album)"List of Demands " was featured on a 2008 Nike Sparq Training commercial, and the video game NBA 2K10...
, Saul Williams (2004) - "Artifacts" with DJ Shadow, unreleased, recorded circa 2002-2003; the instrumental appeared on DJ Shadow's 2006 album "The Outsider" (2006)
- "Somos Más Americanos" from "MTV Unplugged presents: Los Trigres del Norte And FriendsMTV Unplugged: Los Tigres del Norte and FriendsMTV Unplugged: Los Tigres del Norte and Friends is a live album by Mexican recording artists Los Tigres del Norte. Released by Fonovisa Records on May 24, 2011, it was recorded before a live audience at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California, on February 8, 2011...
" Los Tigres del NorteLos Tigres del NorteLos Tigres del Norte is a norteño-band ensemble based out of San Jose, California, hailing from Rosa Morada, Sinaloa, Mexico.- History :...
(2011)
External links
- IMdB
- Zack de la Rocha Network
- marchofdeath.com (archived, incl. mp3 download)
- Zack de la Rocha Interviews Noam Chomsky (part 1) (video)
- Official Rage Against the Machine Website
- Zack de la Rocha talks to Ann Powers, 2008 LA Times interview