{"id":566589,"date":"2026-03-28T12:57:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-28T12:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/566589\/"},"modified":"2026-03-28T12:57:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T12:57:10","slug":"what-really-happened-when-zack-de-la-rocha-quit-rage-against-the-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/566589\/","title":{"rendered":"What Really Happened When Zack de la Rocha Quit Rage Against The Machine?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In October 2000, Zack de la Rocha<\/a> walked out of Rage Against The Machine<\/a>, the band he fronted for nine years. Just days after the news broke, guitarist Tom Morello<\/a> told this writer about the circumstances behind the split, their Renegades album and what he and his bandmates planned to do next\u2026<\/p>\n

Tuesday September 12, 2000. The atmosphere inside LA\u2019s Grand Olympic Auditorium is electric. Inside, thousands of people have gathered to witness hometown heroes Rage Against The Machine play the first of two sold-out shows, both of which are being recorded for a forthcoming live album. But there\u2019s a strange feeling in the air too. Rumous abound that Rage are about to split, and that these gigs will be their last. And considering the widely reported internal tensions that frequently surrounded the band, the possibility that the word on the street was true simply can\u2019t be ignored.<\/p>\n

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Judging from their performance tonight, Rage don\u2019t look like a band on the verge of imploding. Guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk crank out their razor-sharp backdrop to Zack de la Rocha\u2019s seething polemic. At the end of the show, the band grin as they bid their farewells. Contrary to rumours, it looks as though everything is running smoothing in the Rage Against The Machine camp for the first time in years.<\/p>\n

Article continues below <\/p>\n

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Six weeks later, Zack de la Rocha drops a bombshell. On Wednesday October 18, the frontman issues a statement to the press announcing: \u201cI feel that it is now necessary to leave Rage, because our decision making process has completely failed. It is no longer meeting the aspirations of all four of us collectively, as a band, and from my perspective has undermined our artistic and political ideal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am extremely proud of our work,\u201d the statement continues. \u201cBoth as activists and musicians, as well as indebted and grateful to every person who has expressed solidarity and shared this incredible experience with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

After months of speculation, the most groundbreaking, incendiary and politically-driven band of the past 10 years has finally ground to an inglorious halt. \u201cRage Against The Machine has been a tremendously volatile rock rollercoaster for nine whole years,\u201d laughs guitarist Tom Morello. \u201cIt actually comes as something as a surprise that the original line-up has remained intact all this time. It\u2019s important to emphasise that Rage Against The Machine have not broken up. Zack has left the band. Tim, Brad and myself will continue to make groundbreaking music.<\/p>\n

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\"Rage\n<\/p>\n

Rage Against The Machine perform outside at the designated protest site near the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, on August 14, 2000 (Image credit: Bob Riha, Jr.\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Zack\u2019s migration from the Rage ranks is untimely, to say the least. The month after the vocalist departure sees the release of Renegades, an album comprised of covers of revolutionary classics, including the MC5\u2019s Kick Out The Jams, Minor Threat\u2019s In My Eyes and the Rolling Stones\u2019 Street Fighting Man. Recorded just weeks before de la Rocha\u2019s exit, it doesn\u2019t sound like the work of a band in turmoil.<\/p>\n

The latest news, features and interviews direct to your inbox, from the global home of alternative music.<\/p>\n

\u201cZack called me the morning that the press release was issued,\u201d explains Tom. \u201cOne thing that might not be clearly understood is that we were in a period where he was planning to take 18 months to two years off. He wasn\u2019t planning on writing another Rage song or playing another Rage show until 2003. So, as far as it did come as a surprise, in our daily schedule it didn\u2019t have a huge impact on the rest of us. I was disappointed that, come 2003, we wouldn\u2019t be booking a world tour, but Tim, Brad and I were planning to continue to work together and make new music. Those plans will continue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Was there any hostility expressed towards Zack in the aftermath of the shock revelation? \u201cNo, we parted company on good terms and we wish him well,\u201d he states democratically. \u201cThere\u2019s been some confusion over this record, since it coincides with Zack\u2019s departure. It\u2019s a studio album, with Zack as the vocalist. For Timmy, Brad and myself, we\u2019re really proud of this record and want everyone to know about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s just say Rage Against The Machine\u2019s forces made us burn brightly and burn quickly.<\/p>\n

Tom Morello<\/p>\n

There has been much speculation over the reasons behind de la Rocha\u2019s sudden decision to leave the band he helped form in 1991. Some sources have pointed towards Tim Commerford\u2019s bizarre antics at the MTV Video Music Awards<\/a>in September; the bassist chose to scale a fake palm tree in protest of Limp Bizkit<\/a> winning an award for Best Rock Video for Break Stuff. The nu metallers topped a category which featured Rage Against The Machine’s own Michael Moore-directed promo for Sleep Now In The Fire.<\/p>\n

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Commerford\u2019s disruption of the show and reluctance to come down from the towering stage prop angered de la Rocha, who left the ceremony as a result, telling reporters he felt \u201chumiliated\u201d by his bandmate\u2019s behaviour (who was later arrested and spent the night behind bars for his actions). Others, meanwhile, attribute the frontman’s departure to ongoing tension within the band.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not unique among rock bands to find the occasional dissension,\u201d he said at the time. \u201cBut compared to music we make and the causes we pursue, it\u2019s not so interesting.\u201d Right now, Morello refuses to be drawn on the subject of why he thinks Zack quit. \u201cYou\u2019d have to ask him,\u201d he explains. \u201cLet\u2019s just say Rage Against The Machine\u2019s forces made us burn brightly and burn quickly. There\u2019s been a constant tension that\u2019s been an enormous challenge for us all over the years. Zack did what he had to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Limp Bizkit vs Rage Against The Machine – MTV Video Music Awards 2000 – YouTube
\n\"Limp<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

Morello says that after the initial promotion for both Renegades and the subsequent live album \u2013 which is set for release next year \u2013 the remaining members will \u201cfigure out what the future holds for the band\u201d. Will you carry on using the name Rage Against The Machine? It is, after all, taken from a song by Zack\u2019s former band Inside Out. \u201cAgain, that\u2019s something we\u2019ve got to figure out,\u201d he remarks. \u201cRight now, what we\u2019re concentrating on is Renegades. We\u2019ve got some great ideas for the band, but we\u2019ve got to figure all that out in the coming months.\u201d<\/p>\n

Naturally, Morello and co face the arduous task of finding a singer capable of filling de la Rocha\u2019s boots. Various names have been bandied around, including Downset\u2019s Rey Oropeza and Orange 9mm\u2019s Chaka Malik. However, reports suggest that the remaining members of Rage have already approached Cypress Hill<\/a> frontman B-Real \u2013 both parties have been seen out and about together in LA, and the rapper is rumoured to be joining the band in rehearsals shortly, with a view to hitting the road in support of the new records next year.<\/p>\n

However, Morello remains evasive on the subject of the replacement vocalist. \u201cWe don\u2019t know,\u201d he states. \u201cI couldn\u2019t tell you right now. I\u2019m very optimistic about what the future holds, especially because it hold two Rage records with Zack<\/a>. He\u2019s a fantastic vocalist and I cannot wait for people to hear what we\u2019ve done. It\u2019s a very fortunate circumstance.<\/p>\n

\u201cB-Real has done stuff in the past,\u201d he continues. \u201cHe\u2019s on this new record, so I can see where these rumours may have sprung from. Not only is he a great MC, but he\u2019s also a great friend too.\u201d So is he in the frame? \u201cSeriously, we have not made a decision,\u201d says Morello. \u201cWe\u2019ve got some great ideas on how to move forward, but we\u2019ll see where everyone\u2019s head is at and take it from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rage Against The Machine – Renegades Of Funk (Official HD Video) – YouTube
\n\"Rage<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

What if, in the future, both parties decide that the best plan of action is to reform. Will the door still be open for Zack? \u201cWell, we\u2019ll have to see where we\u2019re at as a band,\u201d he replies. \u201cHe just quit the band a couple of weeks ago. We\u2019re going to hold off a while before even announcing the reunion tour. We\u2019ll see. It\u2019s something I haven\u2019t even considered yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Have you had any contact with your fans since the announcement? \u201cYeah,\u201d he replies. \u201cThe support has been incredible. There\u2019s been a tremendous amount of love and solidarity shown through the years. We\u2019re not going to let our fans down. Our fans everywhere have been amazing. We\u2019ve got a special relationship with our fans in Los Angeles. There\u2019s nothing like it when we play a show there. The fact that those were the last shows with Zack, I\u2019m glad they were in our home town. And we recorded them for our live record. It was a fitting parting shot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Considering the current situation, it\u2019s ironic that the band have two records ready for release: the aforementioned live album and, more immediately, Renegades. Did anyone in the band have an inkling that this would be the last time you would enter a studio together? \u201cNo, not at all,\u201d says Morello. \u201cNot while we were in the studio. It was done with spontaneity and light-heartedness. Actually, it was done with the same spontaneity as we had experienced on the first record. We were having a great time, and I think Rick Rubin<\/a> had a great time producing the record. He pushed us when we were in the studio. It works because we were able to let go of some of our conventions, and we pushed ourselves musically.\u201d<\/p>\n

Renegades was done with spontaneity and light-heartedness. Actually, it was done with the same spontaneity as we had experienced on the first record. <\/p>\n

Tom Morello<\/p>\n

So how did the idea for an album of covers come about? \u201cThis record grew out of the idea of doing a couple of bonus tracks for the live record we were working on,\u201d he enthuses. \u201cIt was one of the most fertile creative periods since the band started. We lucked out, and those two songs became 12 songs. Still, we always just wanted to put out the live record but we sat down and listened to what we had recorded. It hit us that this is a record in itself. I love the idea of the concept. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s been another record like it where someone has recorded an album\u2019s worth of revolutionary songs but classic hip-hop and rock bands.\u201d<\/p>\n

What came out best in your opinion? \u201cFor a while, I had the idea if a band \u2013 a rock \u2018n\u2019 roll band \u2013 were to attempt to play like The Prodigy<\/a> and do Street Fighting Man in honour of the Democratic National Convention here in Los Angeles or the WTO protest, it would work. We did it at the Reading Festival, but it was a very unformed version of it. I think Maggie\u2019s Farm is a Sabbath-esque rendering of the Dylan classic. I love the reworking of Devo\u2019s Beautiful World. We remixed Bruce Springsteen\u2019s The Ghost Of Tom Joad too. I always thought Jimi Hendrix\u2019s version of All Along The Watchtower<\/a> can\u2019t even be really a cover song, because his reinterpretation of it makes it a completely new song. I think that kind of applies to Rage\u2019s cover versions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the recent changes, Morello predicts the foreseeable future will be busy. He\u2019s planning to finish a book on the lives of leading black activists he\u2019s been sporadically working on over the past few years. But for now, his priority is Rage Against The Machine. \u201cObviously, we want everyone to know about these new albums,\u201d he laughs. \u201cBut I\u2019ve also been working with Crystal Method, co-producing and writing some tracks on their album.\u201d<\/p>\n

His train of thought is momentarily distracted. \u201cYou know what?\u201d he gasps. \u201cI\u2019m still getting over the new album. It was only recently that I actually sat down and listened to the whole thing, back to back.\u201d Did it bring home a sense of closure to this chapter of the band\u2019s life? \u201cIt had a poignancy,\u201d he sighs. \u201cI was at my mom\u2019s house in Illinois and Rick sent me this CD. I just sat down and listened to it all the way through. It struck me as being a really positive album amid the whole drama.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In October 2000, Zack de la Rocha walked out of Rage Against The Machine, the band he fronted…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":566590,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[49,48,361,75],"class_list":["post-566589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566589","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=566589"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/566589\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/566590"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=566589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=566589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=566589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}