Prophets of Rage, the new supergroup featuring members of Rage Against the Machine and Cypress Hill, plan to “cause a ruckus” at July’s Republican National Convention, where Donald Trump is expected to accept the party’s nomination. The group, which also features Public Enemy’s Chuck D, say that they plan to “Make America Rage Again” with a string of performances near the conference in Cleveland, Ohio.
“We’ll be rocking furiously in and around the RNC”, guitarist Tom Morello told Bloomberg Politics. “There’s a thing called the Republican National Convention in July, and that will be a perfect place for a band like Prophets of Rage to cause a ruckus, and we will be there on the streets, in the field.” When asked about their intentions, the group bluntly stated that they could no longer “stand on the sidelines” and wanted to play some dangerous songs in these tense times. This news is not exactly surprising, as Rage Against The Machine has never been shy about their political views. The group reunited back in 2008 to stage a concert several days before the RNC took place in Minnesota. After the performance, over 100 people were arrested during the protests caused by the show.
Morello further elaborated on the plan and how the presidential campaign compares to music. Read his full statement below.
“One of the things that has irked me greatly is that the media has talked about the Trump campaign and the Sanders campaign as, both of them are raging against the machine. We’re going to set that record straight once and for all: what it really means to rage against the machine. … What they’re being offered up, through the tiny funnel of the electoral process, is a racist demagogue on the one hand, and a great dreamer on the other hand, and in the middle is the lesser of three evils. None of those choices are good enough for us. There needs to be an alternate voice, one that’s unfiltered, uncompromising, and stands unapologetically with the people.”
Although fairly new to the scene, it is no doubt that Prophets of Rage is unafraid to stand up for their beliefs. The group made their live debut on Tuesday at the Whiskey A Go-Go in Los Angeles, delivering a set list that paid tribute to their respective bands. The list included Rage Against The Machine tracks such as ‘Testify’, ‘Guerilla Radio’ and ‘Bulls On Parade’, along with Public Enemy tracks ‘Miuzi Weighs A Ton’ and ‘Prophets Of Rage,” of which the group in question got their name.