According to consequence.net, Tom Morello has announced he is standing up for American immigrants with his new anti-ICE protest song “Pretend You Remember Me.” With stunning vocal melody, the track heavily traces political talking points to the actual impact on people and families. According to a press release, the accompanying Morello-directed video features the faces of those impacted by ICE raids in Los Angeles, before showing a series of White House press secretaries taking the podium juxtaposed against footage from the recent LA anti-ICE protests.
Also, the clip features Leonard Peltier, who is a Native American activist and political prisoner whose life sentence was commuted by President Biden the day before he left office. Now under home confinement, Peltier opens the video with a direct message: “No human being is illegal.” The whole music video is impactful because it bleeds real human emotions.
In a press statement, Morello said: “This song is written for all the families torn apart by the recent immigrant purges and kidnappings. Children torn from their wailing mothers’ arms by masked government thugs, people coming home to find their loved ones abducted by the state. Folks who worked, suffered, and struggled for decades just to make a decent life for themselves and their family were violently separated with an uncertain future. ‘Pretend You Remember Me’ is for them and for all those who are finding the courage to stand up against racism, tyranny, and injustice.”
Also and according to metalinjection.net, in recent interview with The Strombo Show, Morello was asked whether any young artists could hit the same chord with him that Rage Against The Machine once did for fans. Morello pointed to a more unexpected, eclectic mix of names by topping the list with Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap, whose name people almost certainly know by now.
“They’re at at the top of the list, at the top of the list. I mean, they’re clearly the Rage Against The Machine of now, like there’s them and there’s a gap to the next one.” The artist also mentioned other acts who have caught his attention: The Neighborhood Kids, a San Diego hip-hop duo who “rap lived experience” and UK genre-benders Nova Twins, a young band Morello has expressed admiration for.
Photo Credit: Conny Chavez
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