What Up Yo.
I’ve written three hundred fifty articles on here (posts really, it’s a blog) and have never shared a video by heroes of mine:
Rage Against The Machine
Sleep Now In The Fire
The power of music is , and I use this word in its most literal form, awesome.
Yes, it’s a form of entertainment, and I love that aspect of it, but it’s not just music, its pure expression.
Music, and now music videos, have the ability to speak to mass amounts of people at once.
The power of music is it’s ability to unite us all.
To spread a message for the voiceless.
The wonderful way it allows artists to reach, teach and inform people,
Millions, potentially billions, of people is what I find “Awesome”.
With Rage, it wasn’t one person stealing a spotlight or simply the voice of vocalist Zach De La Rocha that represented the band, but the combined talent of Tim Commerford,
Zack de la Rocha, Brad Wilk & Tom Morello (bad-fucking-ass) that made this music so brave, honest, raw, powerful, relevant, so important.
So listen up.
I hear it in every RATM song, like I do with the legends who are Public Enemy. A battle cry against oppressors.
A voice for the oppressed.
These bands are our generations version of the Black Panther movement Educated intelligent and for the people. It’s not anti-establishment, it’s anti-oppression.
They gave a voice to the voiceless.
Sought to stir shit up and speak some truth.
When I saw them live their sophomore album had just been released and me, The Franklin, Harassment, Lou, Vinny, Sal, Goines (were you there?) saw them at The Roseland Ballroom.
It wasn’t a concert, it was a rally.
The mosh pit was so fierce I stood back in fear and excitement…bracing myself against the side wall of the ballroom watching and listening in awe.
There’s no other music on the planet like it.
We all knew it when we first heard them.
We all know it when we hear them now.
The below video is an actual event. They played directly in front of the New York Stock Exchange until they were escorted away by police…
But…
The doors to the New York Stock Exchange closed early that day because of the sheer power and effect of Rage Against The Machine.
I threw a few more videos in this playlist because I can.
Know Your Enemy.
“YES I KNOW MY ENEMIES…THEY’RE THE TEACHERS WHO TAUGHT ME TO FIGHT ME.
COMPROMISE.
CONFORMITY.
ASSIMILATION.
SUBMISSION.
IGNORANCE.
HYPOCRISY.
BRUTALITY.
THE ELITE…
ALL OF WHICH ARE AMERICAN DREAMS!
ALL OF WHICH ARE AMERICAN DREAMS!
ALL OF WHICH ARE AMERICAN DREAMS!
ALL OF WHICH ARE AMERICAN DREAMS!
ALL OF WHICH ARE AMERICAN DREAMS!
ALL OF WHICH ARE AMERICAN DREAMS!
ALL OF WHICH ARE AMERICAN DREAMS!
ALL OF WHICH…ARE AMERICAN DREAMS.”
/H3>