Prophets Of Rage, the supergroup formed in 2016, have just released a new song, “Radical Eyes.” Get it? The new song—political as it may be—is really good. The beat has this sort of steam train steadiness to it that gets garnished with the kind of rap that allows you to hear every word. The song tells a story if not through images then through wordplay.
The N.B.A. isn’t the only league with a super-team. Prophets of Rage compiles drummers and bassists and rappers from Rage Against The Machine, Public Enemy, and Cypress Hill. Tim Commerford does the backing vocals and plays bass, while Tom Morello picks up the guitar and Brad Wilk hits the drums. DJ Lord and Chuck D from Public Enemy are involved. Finally, rapper B-Real of Cypress Hill.
Morello once told Rolling Stone, “”We’re an elite task force of revolutionary musicians determined to confront this mountain of election year bullshit, and confront it head-on with Marshall stacks blazing.”
The band’s name comes from the Public Enemy song released in 1998 off of the album, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. The band played a show protesting the Republican National Convention in 2016, and released their debut, self-titled single, “Prophets Of Rage,” the same day. From May to October of last year, the group played throughout America on their “Make America Rage Again” tour. The set list of the tour combined songs from each of the bands with members involved, as well as some original work. This year, in 2017, be ready for their previous tour to be taken to the world stage, “Make the World Rage Again.” The group, who’s first single was called “Unfuck the World,” have a clearly political agenda. They aren’t even trying to be coy about it.
Chuck D., who does the vocals for the new song, had this to say about it.
“The Western world has created biased structures and stereotypes. Opposing viewpoints and movements are seen as radical rather than diversity. ‘Radical Eyes‘ is the lens everything is viewed through, any life movement in opposition is considered radicalized.”
The song details the problems with the Western world in its current state. What he’s getting at isn’t radical, but anything that differs from the status quo gets twisted into something different and more violent seeming than it actually is. It is a song that promotes the need for change and feels frustrated about nobody’s willingness to enact it. The band’s debut album is set for release in September of this year.
Leave a Comment