"Killing In the Name" - Rage Against the Machine

"Killing In the Name" -- Rage Against the Machine


Rage Against the Machine was started due to unrest and aggression going on in Los Angeles in the early 1990's. Lead singer Zack de la Rocha is an activist and Rage Against the Machine was a politically charged band that constantly spoke out against injustices around the world.

Many of the songs that were coming out during the 1990's that were related to the LA Riots and police brutality were mostly hip-hop and/or rap songs. The seminal rock song, "Killing In the Name," released in 1992, was one of the few in its genre that spoke out against police brutality and did so by rocking as hard as humanly possible. The opening line "Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses" is equating the officers that beat Rodney King to the Ku Klux Klan. His repetition of "And now you do what they told ya" and "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me" are powerful and represent the compliance of so many that have been beaten by police and the resistance against it in the end. The lines "Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites" are quite impactful. They are stating the police's justification of brutality and killings against civilians simply because they have a badge and are white. Rage Against the Machine's song is not as articulate as other songs that relate to the riots but it is impactful and catches your attention with de la Rocha's vocals and the music. There is no denying the power that is felt when listening to this song.

-- Aurosal Ayuso