Zack de la Rocha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zack de la Rocha |
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De la Rocha performing with Rage Against the Machine in April 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Zacharias Manuel de la Rocha |
| Born | January 12, 1970 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1988–present |
Zacharias Manuel de la Rocha (born January 12, 1970) is an American musician, rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is also known as a political activist. He is most famous as the lead singer and lyric writer for the rock band Rage Against the Machine. Through his music and activism, de la Rocha speaks out for left-wing politics. He often opposes large companies, the military industry, and government actions he sees as unfair.
Early Life and Family
Zacharias Manuel de la Rocha was born in Long Beach, California, on January 12, 1970. His parents were Robert "Beto" de la Rocha and Olivia Lorryne Carter. His father was a Mexican-American artist who painted large pictures on walls, called murals. Beto was part of a group called Los Four. This was the first group of Chicano artists to have their work shown in a museum.
De la Rocha's great-grandfather, Jose Isaac de la Rocha Acosta, was a Mexican revolutionary. He fought in the Mexican Revolution. His grandfather, Isaac de la Rocha, worked in farming in the U.S. Zach later saw the hard times his grandfather faced. These struggles reminded him of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation movement.
When Zach was six, his parents divorced. He moved from East Los Angeles to Irvine with his mother. She studied at the University of California at Irvine. She earned a PhD in anthropology. De la Rocha later said that Irvine was a difficult place for Mexican people. He felt they were mostly there for manual labor jobs.
Musical Journey
Starting Out in Music
De la Rocha met Tim Commerford in elementary school. In junior high, they played guitar together in a band called Juvenile Expression. De la Rocha liked punk rock bands such as The Clash and Sex Pistols. He later grew to appreciate bands like Minor Threat and Bad Brains. In 1987, he joined a band called Hard Stance. This band followed the straight edge lifestyle.
Inside Out Band
By 1988, Zach de la Rocha became the lead singer for Hard Stance. The band then changed its name to Inside Out. They were inspired by bands like Minor Threat. They became part of the youth crew music scene. Their only official release was an EP called No Spiritual Surrender in 1990.
Later, de la Rocha wanted the band to explore more political and hip hop sounds. Other members wanted to focus on different styles. Because of these differences, the band broke up in 1991. De la Rocha said the band helped him express his anger. He wanted to show how people could be free from a system that saw them as unimportant.
Rage Against the Machine
After Inside Out ended, de la Rocha started performing freestyle hip hop. He was noticed by guitarist Tom Morello. Morello asked him to form a new band. They brought in drummer Brad Wilk and bassist Tim Commerford. They named the band Rage Against the Machine. This name came from an unreleased song by Inside Out.
Rage Against the Machine released their first album in 1992. It was very popular and received great reviews. By 1993, they were playing at major festivals like Lollapalooza. They became known for their strong political messages. Their second and third albums reached number one in the U.S.
De la Rocha left Rage Against the Machine in October 2000. He said there were "creative differences" within the band. He felt their way of making decisions had failed. The other members later formed the band Audioslave with Chris Cornell.
Solo Music and Collaborations
After leaving Rage Against the Machine, de la Rocha worked on a solo album. He worked with many artists like DJ Shadow and Trent Reznor. However, this album was never officially released. Reznor said the music was "excellent" but de la Rocha wasn't ready to release it.
In 2003, de la Rocha released a song called "March of Death" with DJ Shadow. It was free online and protested the war in Iraq. In 2004, one of his songs with Trent Reznor, "We Want It All", was on a movie soundtrack.
In 2005, de la Rocha performed new songs with a band called Son de Madera. He sang and played the jarana, a Mexican instrument. In 2016, it was reported that his first solo album was finished. A new song, "Digging for Windows", was released. However, the album has not been released yet.
Rage Against the Machine Reunions
In 2007, rumors spread that Rage Against the Machine would reunite. They headlined the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 29. The band played in front of a Zapatista Army of National Liberation flag. This performance drew a huge crowd.
The band continued to tour around the world. They played at many large festivals in Europe and the U.S. In 2011, they played one final show at LA Rising. This concert filled the LA Coliseum.
A second reunion tour was planned for 2020. However, it was postponed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour was eventually canceled. This happened after de la Rocha injured his Achilles tendon during a show.
One Day as a Lion
In 2008, de la Rocha formed a new band called One Day as a Lion. He teamed up with former The Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore. They later added Joey Karam on keyboards for live shows. The band mixes rock drums, electronic keyboards, and hip-hop vocals. They released their first EP, One Day as a Lion, in July 2008.
Other Music Projects
For a short time in 1988, de la Rocha played drums for the hardcore punk band No For An Answer. He also played guitar for the band Farside from 1989 to 1991. In 1991, he started a band with John Porcelly. De la Rocha was the singer, and Porcelly played guitar. This band combined hardcore punk and hip hop.
Activism and Beliefs
Zach de la Rocha is a strong supporter of human rights. He has spoken out for people like Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu-Jamal. He also supports the Zapatista (EZLN) movement in Mexico. He even spoke at the United Nations about how the U.S. treated Abu-Jamal.
De la Rocha's Mexican-American heritage influenced his band's focus. They supported immigrants and people of color. He helped create the "Centro de Regeneracion" in Highland Park. This center gave young people a place for art and culture. It offered music workshops and film festivals.
The EZLN movement inspired several of Rage Against the Machine's songs. These include "People of the Sun" and "War Within a Breath". De la Rocha asked his record label to donate money to the EZLN. The EZLN flag has been used as a stage backdrop at all of the band's reunion shows.
In 2007, de la Rocha and Tom Morello performed together. They played an acoustic set at a rally for fair food. This event supported the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. De la Rocha also gave a speech at a Rage reunion show. He spoke about American presidents and war crimes.
Like his bandmate Tom Morello, Zach de la Rocha is vegetarian. He believes that animals suffer a lot in the process of being raised for food. He feels there are many other foods that do not involve this cycle of pain.
In November 2023, de la Rocha attended a protest in Washington, D.C. He signed a letter asking for peace in the Israel–Hamas war.
Discography
Studio albums
with Hard Stance
De la Rocha played guitar on these albums:
- Face Reality (EP) 7" (1988)
- Hard Stance (EP) 7" (1989)
with Inside Out
De la Rocha was the vocalist:
- No Spiritual Surrender (1990)
- Benefit 7" (live bootleg recording with Youth of Today) (1992)
with Rage Against the Machine
De la Rocha was the vocalist:
- Rage Against the Machine (1992)
- Evil Empire (1996)
- Live & Rare (1998)
- The Battle of Los Angeles (1999)
- Renegades (2000)
- Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium (2003)
with One Day as a Lion
De la Rocha was the vocalist and played keyboards:
- One Day as a Lion (2008)
Solo and collaborations
- "Mumia 911" from Mumia 911, a benefit EP (1999)
- "C.I.A. (Criminals in Action)" with KRS-One and The Last Emperor (1999)
- "Burned Hollywood Burned" from Bamboozled soundtrack with Chuck D and The Roots (2000)
- "Centre of the Storm" from In the Møde, Roni Size/Reprazent (2000)
- "Release" from Blazing Arrow, Blackalicious (2002)
- "Disavowed" from You Can't Go Home Again (The Private Press era), DJ Shadow (2002)
- "March of Death" with DJ Shadow (2003)
- "We Want It All" produced by Trent Reznor (2004)
- "Act III Scene 2 (Shakespeare)" from Saul Williams, Saul Williams (2004)
- "Artifact" with DJ Shadow (unreleased, 2002–2003)
- "Somos Más Americanos" from "MTV Unplugged presents: Los Tigres del Norte And Friends" Los Tigres del Norte (2011)
- "Melding of the Minds" from Event II, Deltron 3030 (2013)
- "Digging for Windows" produced by El-P (2016)
- "A Report To The Shareholders / Kill Your Masters" from Run the Jewels 3 (2016)
- "Ju$t" from Run the Jewels 4 (2020).
- "Irreversible Damage" from Shook by Algiers (2023)
