July 2002
H.E.A.R. Honors RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
Rage Against the Machine (official
site) earned acclaim from disenfranchised fans (and not
insignificant derision from critics) for their bombastic,
fiercely polemical music, which brewed sloganeering leftist
rants against corporate America, cultural imperialism and
government oppression into a Molotov cocktail of punk, hip-hop
and thrash. Rage formed in Los Angeles in the early '90s out
of the wreckage of a number of local groups: vocalist Zack
de la Rocha (the son of Chicano political artist Beto) emerged
from the bands Headstance, Farside and Inside Out; guitarist
Tom Morello (the nephew of Jomo Kenyatta, the first Kenyan
president) originated in Lock Up; and drummer Brad Wilk played
with future Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. Rounded out by
bassist Tim Bob (aka Tim C., b. Tim Commerford), a childhood
friend of de la Rocha's, Rage debuted in 1992 with a self-released,
self-titled 12-song cassette featuring the song "Bullet
in the Head," which became a hit when reissued as a single
later in the year.
The tape won the band a deal with Epic, and their leap to
the majors did not go unnoticed by detractors, who questioned
the revolutionary integrity of Rage Against the Machine's
decision to align itself with the label's parent company,
media behemoth Sony. Undeterred, the quartet emerged in late
1992 with their eponymous official debut, which scored the
hits "Killing in the Name" and "Bombtrack."
After touring with Lollapalooza and declaring their support
of groups like FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting),
Rock for Choice and Refuse & Resist,Rage spent a reportedly
tumultous four years working on their follow-up; despite rumors
of a breakup, they returned in 1996 with Evil Empire, which
entered the U.S. album charts at number one and scored a hit
single with "Bulls on Parade." During 1997, the
group joined forces with hip-hop supergroup the Wu-Tang Clan
for a summer tour, and remained active in support of various
leftist political causes, including a controversial 1999 benefit
concert for death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal. The Battle of
Los Angeles followed later in 1999, also debuting at number
one and going double platinum by the following summer. In
early 2000, De La Rocha announced plans for a solo project,
and the band performed an incendiary show outside the Democratic
National Convention in August. The following month, bassist
Commerford was arrested for disorderly conduct at MTV's Video
Music Awards following his bizarre disruption of a Limp Bizkit
acceptance speech, in which he climbed to the top of a 15-foot
set piece and rocked back and forth. Plans for a live album
were announced shortly thereafter, but in October, De La Rocha
abruptly announced his departure from the band, citing breakdowns
in communication and group decision-making. Surprised but
not angry, the remainder of Rage announced plans to continue
with a new vocalist, while De La Rocha re-focused on his solo
album, which was slated to include collaborations with acclaimed
hip-hop artists including El-P of Company Flow. December 2000
saw the release of De La Rocha's final studio effort with
the band, the Rick Rubin-produced Renegades; it featured nearly
a dozen covers of hip-hop, rock and punk artists like Afrika
Bambaataa, Bruce Springsteen, Devo, the Rolling Stones, and
more.
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