Prophets of Rage Announce Debut Album, Share Video for ‘Unf— the World’
A month after premiering “Unf— the World,” Prophets of Rage, the supergroup formed by three-fourths of Rage Against the Machine, Chuck D and DJ Lord of Public Enemy and B-Real of Cypress Hill, have announced that their self-titled debut album will come out on Sept. 15. They’ve also released a video for the single, directed by Michael Moore, which can be seen above.
“I am thrilled to once again be working with my old friends and comrades in the struggle for a just world,” said Moore in a press release. “Prophets of Rage is the right band, saying the right s—, at this very critical moment. This music video is our collective battle cry against those who seek to harm the innocent and the powerless. I am proud to have directed this video and I ask all who see it do their part to unf— this world. ALL HANDS ON DECK!”
Produced by Brendan O’Brien, Prophets of Rage follows last year’s EP, The Party’s Over, whose title track was the lone original song. According to drummer Brad Wilk, writing together is a natural extension of the chemistry they developed on 2016’s Make America Rage Again tour. “When we first got together, we were playing songs from our catalogue, but we were also playing new grooves, with everyone improvising. And that felt really good. Soon there was a language that all of us speak.”
As you can see by the track listing, the songs maintain the political activism for which its members have become known throughout their careers. “There were rhythms before there were words,” guitarist Tom Morello said. “Music has both the ability to reflect and transform the times. There’s a long history of that, from slave spirituals, to ‘We Shall Overcome,’ to the Sex Pistols.”
Chuck D added that the band’s diverse influences and musical curiosity is a rarity for bands these days. “The music is the passport to the world,” he said. “It’s not always a given to have members who want to go where few have gone.”
The group will begin a month-long European tour this weekend, and right now they only have two U.S. shows — Chicago’s Riot Fest in September and Louisville’s Louder Than Life Festival in October — but they will announce more dates soon. You can listen to the song on Spotify and Apple Music, and pre-order the album on Amazon and iTunes.
Prophets of Rage, ‘Prophets of Rage’ Track Listing
1. “Radical Eyes”
2. “Unf— The World”
3. “Legalize Me”
4. “Living on the 110”
5. “The Counteroffensive”
6. “Hail to the Chief”
7. “Take Me Higher”
8. “Strength in Numbers”
9. “Fired a Shot”
10. “Who Owns Who”
11. "Hands Up"
12. "Smashit"
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