During the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, only Tom Morello, the guitarist of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, was present to accept the band’s induction.
Ice-T, the groundbreaking rapper and leader of BODY COUNT, welcomed Morello, De La Rocha, Commerford and Wilk into the Rock Hall, reminiscing about how he shared the stage with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE when they were just starting out.
Ice-T said: “Right out of the gate, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE was not a game. In their their career, they did things that impress cats like me. You can’t impress me with normal stuff. You got to impress me with stuff like suing the U.S. State Department for using their music in Guantanamo Bay for torture. Who does that? RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE does that. Or how about 1993, pulling up at Lollapalooza butt naked with duct tape, protesting against the PRMC [Parents Music Resource Center]? Who does that? RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE does that. I respect the hell out of this band.
“If you want to go down in history, you have to make something or break something. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE broke every rule in the book just so they could let you know that they were in the building.”
Morello said: “I am deeply grateful for the musical chemistry I’ve had the good fortune to share with Brad Wilk, Tim Commerford and Zach De La Rocha. Like most bands, we have differing perspectives on a lot of things, including about being inducted into the Rock Hall.
“The reason we are here and the best way to celebrate this music is for you to carry on that mission and that message. The lesson I’ve learned from RAGE fans is that music can change the world daily.”
“The job we set out to do is not over,” he continued. “Now you’re the ones that must testify. If you’ve got a boss, join a union. If you’re a student, start underground paper. If you’re an anarchist, throw a brick. If you’re a soldier or a cop, follow your conscience not your orders. If you’re bummed out that you didn’t get to see RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, then form your own band, and let’s hear what you have to say.
“When protest music is done right, you can hear a new world emerging in the songs.”
