The Daily Show: Ears Edition - From the Archives: Tom Morello and Chuck D - August 28, 2018

Episode Date: August 28, 2018

Prophets of Rage members Tom Morello and Chuck D discuss their supergroup's self-titled debut album and the passionate political views that drive their music. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. Hey everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast. The Weekly Show is going to be coming out every Thursday. So exciting. You'll be saying to yourself, TGID. Thank God it's Thursday we're going to be talking about. All the things that hopefully obsess you in the same way that they obsess me. The election. Economics. Earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about

ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. And I know that I listed that fourth, but in importance, it's probably second. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday? I mean, talk about innovative. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. Please welcome Chuck D. and Tom Morello. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome to the show.

So good to have you. Welcome, welcome to the show. So good to have you. Welcome to it. I like this. A super group. Uh, two supergroup. Thank you very.

Thank you. I like this. A super group. Welcome, welcome, welcome to the show. So good to have you. Welcome to it. Great to be here. I like this. A super group, two superpowers connecting. Three, including Cyprus too. That's true. Yes, be real for such power.

Why the name? And a super host? Oh, who's that me? Yes, who? Oh, who's? I'm I just said, since I heard you came from Joburg, so go up, you know, big up Joeberg. Oh, my man, I like that. One person from Joeberg. Let's talk about the name, Prophets of Rage. Why that name? Because, I mean, there were so many variations. Sure. Well, it's the shortest band meeting we ever had. Uh, Prophets of Rage is members of Rage, members of Rage. Proofits their, pro-R-S, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th. Prophs, th. Prophs, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. to-a. to-a. to-a. to-a. to-a. to-a. to-a. to-a. to-a. thi. thi. thi. th. There is a public enemy song called Prophets of Rage.

So when we were saying, what should the name of our band be? Chuck D. suggested Profits of Rage. He's the prophet, I'm the Rage. Oh, nice. Nice. Let's talk a little bit about that. you have been someone who has been, you've been political for a senator in California when you were really young. That's correct. And after that you said you never wanted to involve be involved in politics and that way

ever occurred me forever. I cured you. Yeah yeah I was the scheduling secretary for United States Senator Alan Cranson for two years. Right. Cured me for two reasons. One was because it was entirely about money. Most of the day was spent putting the senator on the senator on senator on senator on the senator on. the senator on. the senator on. the senator on. the senator on. the senator on. the senator on. the senator on. the senator on. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the to, I, I, to, I, I, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I'm, I'm, the, the the the, the the the t. t t t t too. t t t too.e. the t t too.e. the th. th. thi. th senator on the phone with wealthy Democrats, wealthy Republicans, wealthy people who he would ask for money and none of that money came for free. But that's not the main reason. The main reason is one day I received a telephone call from ladies. She was complaining because there were Mexicans moving into her neighborhood. And she was outraged.

to do something about their threaten. To stop, to do some sort of ethnic cleansing of a, their, their, thia, thia, wait, thia, thia, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thoom, thoom, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, theeean, theanan, theananananan, theanananan, theanananananan, thi., thi. money, thi. sort of ethnic cleansing of her neighborhood, I believe it was what she was looking for. Some sort of pogrom against the... And I said, ma'am, you can go to hell, thinking I had done the senator's business and I you know, I hung up and was great. So she ended up calling. I got yelled at for two weeks. I thought to myself, if electoral politics are a world where I can I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I, I, I, I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I can't, if I can't, if I can't, if I can't, if I can't, if I can't, if I can't, if I'm, if I'm, if, if, if, if, th. th. th. th. I th. I to to to to to to to to to to to to to to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, th, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, to, to the, the, to to the. to to the. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to toto go to hell, then that's not the right job for me. So rock and roll on the other hand. On the other hand, right. On the other hand, so I've looked at it as my solemn sworn

duty for the next, you know, a couple of decades to tell racist whether on the telephone, whether in the streets or in the White House to go to hell. Yeah. You are no stranger to telling people in power to go to hell, Chuck Dee. It's interesting because a lot of people in music go, you know, stay out of politics and don't get into it because you have fans that buy your music from either side. This is not something you have gone for from the beginning. Honest straight to the point, this is your point of view. This feels like an evolution. Was it inspired in inspired in inspired in inspired in inspired in inspired in inspired in inspired in inspired in inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it inspired it. beginning. Honest, straight to the point, this is your point of view. This feels like an evolution. Was it inspired in some ways by Donald Trump? No, well, you know, Donald Trump was part of it as this came together with Tom basically saying

that this infuriated them so much that it was, you know, more about than just tweeting about it or going to social media. We can do something about it. We can do something about it and what we do musically to bring the noise and make people aware. And it's one thing about turning fans off, but one thing we've been fearless with our music. And I was raised, being born in this city is to be fearless and say what you need to say and say what needs to be said and that's been pretty much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much much the the the th thi thi thuuuu. thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. to to thi. to to to to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to to to to thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the. the. the. thean. thean. toe. toe. toe. toe. to toe. to to to to to to to the. We thi. th city is to be fearless and say what you need to say and say what needs to be said. And that's been pretty much my track line right throughout.

And if you're making music that everyone can agree on, you're probably making pretty shi music. My idea. Tusha. I like that. Let me ask you this though. Let me ask you, this is interesting. When you heard or did you hear that, Paul Ryan, said he was a huge fan of rage against the machine, did you think to yourself like does he know who you are?

Has he actually heard the lyrics? Maybe he just hears the music? Yeah, well, I mean, first of all, there's no political litmus test to being a fan of the bands? And one one the the the the the thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho, tho, tho, th.. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, theeeeeeean.. We's, tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.... a band. And one of the most inspiring stories that I hear every day is people come up, they got into our bands because of the aggression of the music and they were exposed to a different point of view. Oh, interesting. Paul Ryan's point of view, however, remain.

He does do a lot of raging against basically the epitome of the machine we've been raging against our entire career. So while he does, he may use rage against machine for his PX 90 workouts, let's see if, let's let's get in the pit, you're welcome to any ship props rate show in the pit and let nature take its course. Oh wow. And you wonder like you know, you know, you know, he made that statement. You know, yeah, first of all, you're not, you're not a lot, I mean he was trying to, I don't know what he was trying to do when he said that, but sort of piggyback on some of the coolness or whatever, and that we just weren't about to let them get away with it. Well, what do you want people to speak out. Some people have used it as catharsis. What are you hoping to achieve from this? Profits of rage, what are you trying to do

beyond just make amazing music? Well, this man, our mantra is the world won't fix itself. We got to do something about it, make things happen. We didn't wish for the world to be in this effed up America, yes, think globally, act locally. If I talk about Johannesburg and people say, I don't know because I think that's on another planet, we don't want that to be people's limitation. We want to be a ban.

We'll find 12 topics. But since 2016, with the monstrosity of trumpotus, it's the lowest hanging through to attack under the belt. I love the trumpotus. If you come together, you're in the studio, I would love to know who gets angrier and why. Like what is the one moment where you have to hold Chuck back and what is the moment where you vote? We're also in a band with Be Real and so there's so much secondhand smoke in the studio. Oh, so this's like a chill rage. Really no one's, no one can be too angry. I'm trying to get my rage to a fever, I have to like wear a mask in order to get my rage to the pitch that requires. It's like it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, it's like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, a a like, a, a chill. It's like, a chill. It's a chill. It's a chill. It's a chill. It's a chill. Really, it's like, it's like, it's like, like, like,'t try, we do, we weave our convictions in our vocation.

And that's something that anyone can do and probably should do. And I think it's one of our human responsibilities is not to leave behind who we are in what we do. And that's how the world changes. Like history, history isn't something that you make. And if you sit on the sidelines, somebody else is going to make that history and I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus thus, I don't thus, I don't thus, I don't thus, I don't thus, I'm thus, I'm thus, I'm th. th. th. th. th. the thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th th. th. th. th. th. th. thi, the the to to try to try to to try to to try try to the the the an the the the the thi thi, thi to make that history and I'm not, I don't trust those sons of bitches. Chuck. I'm with the best players in the world, you know, this man's redefined the guitar. You know, you got Timmy C on bass who pretty much is like, you know, a James Jameson in the rock world. You got the god of hard drums, Bradwell. You got one of the best turntables in the world with DJ Lord. You got them unbelievable, incredible, be real from Cyprus Hill, a 26-year vet who has the charisma to be the front emcee while I back them up. And if there's any anger, it's like if you feel that you can't step up, and there's times

where I'm the weakest link. So if I'm the weakest link link is thakest thakest thak. You guys are trouble, man. You're exciting, we're excited for the music? Well, our basis is like we want to change the world, but on stage we will change the environment. Let me ask you about changing the environment. Like, so you, like you said, you came from the city, your music was about fighting the power. I'm born in Queens, the same samethat Trump potas is born 12 years apart. What's sickness? What you're saying is that could have been you. The uh, let me, let me, if, if only Chuck D. were president, seriously, like, yeah.

Musician, that's what we do, that's what I do. Before we came on stage, I said, you know, Tom beat me up so I could pay attention and be awake. Let me ask you this with your music. You created music in a time when you were responding to something that was happening, you know, fighting the power. When you look at what's happening now, if you look at that Chuck D and if you look at this Chuck D in thi in thi in th, th, th, in th, in th, in th, in th, in th, in th, in th, in th, in th, in thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th what th what th what th what th what th what th what tho, th what thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the thi, their, thi, thi, thi, if you look at that Chuck D and if you look at this Chuck D in this day in age in 2017, have you noticed a shift in the environment or do you feel like in some ways you are still fighting against the same power or is it a power that has in some way shifted or morphed?

I started out in 1986 as a professional during R&B, that's Reagan and Bush. And um... during R&B, that's Reagan and Bush. And, uh, Thatcher was chopping up the planet, you know, Nelson Mandela was in prison, you know, there was a wall up, you know. In 2017, you're talking about the President of the United States building a wall, you know, so, Mr. Mexico, let's build this wall, it might be the statement. But the biggest difference is that older people move on

and transition and younger people come in, but the stench of racism hovers over and is institutionalized. And we feel as musicians that we have the universal language and passport to tell the whole world to be accountable and responsible as you know, you're grooving to, you're, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, the, the, the, the, the, uh, the, the, uh, uh, uh, the, uh, uh, uh, uh, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the statement, the statement, the statement, the statement, the statement, the statement, the statement, the statement, the statement, the statement, the statement, the, the, the, uh, uh, uh, the, uh, the, the, uh, the, the the, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the, the, the, the, the, they.e, theybu, the the the the the the the universal language and passport to tell the whole world to be accountable and responsible As you know, you're grooving to the you know to the grooves and the beats right so that's probably the biggest Difference is that we can we could kind of like synergize with the world's language of how ridiculous it is in some places The world could connect a lot better than it used to what are we going to do with this avenue and? And????? And? And? And? And? And? And? the? the? the? the? the? the? the? the? the? the world? the world? the world? the world? the world? the world? the world? the world? to? to? to to to to to to to the world? to to to to to to to to to be? to be? to be? to be? to be? to be? to be? to be? to be? to be? to be? to be? to be? to be? to be? to be? to be? to be? to? to? to? to? to be. to? to be. the world. the world. the world. the world. the world? the world? the world? the world? the world? the world, the world, the world the world, the world the world the world, the world the world the world the world toe. the world to the world the world, to to the world? to connect a lot better than it used to. What are we going to do with this avenue? And right now with Prophets of Rage. You guys are doing it, man.

Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Proofers of Rage will be available September 15th. Chuck D. Tomorello, everybody. The Daily Show with Kverna, Ears Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central app. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for

exclusive content and more. This has been a Comedy Central podcast. Hey everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, the weekly show, it's going to be coming out every Thursday. So exciting, you'll be saying to yourself, TGID, thank God it's Thursday. Thank God it's Thursday we're going to be talking about. All the things that hopefully obsess you in the same way that they obsess me. The election. Economics. Earnings calls.

What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. And I know that I listed that fourth, but in importance, it's probably second? I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday? I mean, talk about innovative. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast.