When someone mentions Tom Morello, your mind immediately relates him to Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, two bands that any even semi-fan of Rock music will know. Born in Harlem, New York, and raised in Illinois, Morello has routinely fused music and politics since a very young age. Throughout his years in Rage Against The Machine, Morello’s social activism and political lyricism became iconic, leading to numerous censorship and issues with promotion for the band. One famous venture of the bands’ was the protest against the ‘Parental Advisory’ stick on albums and consisted of the entire band taking to the stage at Lollapalooza in 1993, completely naked and duct tape over their mouths. Morello has even taken on the US government. In October 2009, Morello took part in a collective of musicians who sued the US Government in relation to the use of interrogation music at Guantanamo Bay. Let’s just say, he has never been one to shy away from speaking up on what he believes in.
Morello co-founded Axis Of Justice with System of a Down’s Serj Tankian. Axis Of Justice is a political group that brings together musicians, artists, and grassroots activists to fight against social justice issues.
Over the years, Morello has not faltered in his support for Palestinian rights. The artist has famously declared that he has refused to play in Israel due to the boycott and he has spoken out freely about the persecution that Palestinians face. One of his most famous quotes is: “Let me put it to you this way: I have never crossed a picket line and I am not about to start.” This is in reference to the boycott in Israel, which Tom Morello refuses to dispute, despite external pressure from the media to do so.
In March 2014, Morello even collaborated with Calle 13 and other artists to produce a political song and accompanying video to fight for this cause:
The video and the lyrics depict the harsh realities of the Israeli and Palestine conflict, delving into subject matters that are rarely spoken about in music, or the wider media. Tom Morello has certainly gained a lot of traction on his Twitter page for his outspoken responses to decisions made by the Israeli Government. Utilising social media to voice his opinions has been a successful way in which Morello can reach more and more audiences with his message.
The progressive activist’s most recent venture is his new record label, Firebrand Records. This record label focuses on musicians who are conveying political messages in their work.
Tom Morello’s influence in music and within the social activist scene is an inspiration to us all.
