Back in 1992, Rage Against the Machine released their debut self-titled album, which contained the song “Killing In The Name,” which was a direct message to the institutional racism and police brutality that was happening in Los Angeles and other parts of the United States at the time. Thanks to a couple of campaign, that song managed to find its way back on the charts more than a decade later — and, sadly, the song’s subject matter still held true. Now, Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker have decided to cover the inflammatory cut in 2020, a year that sees an increasing amount of the same problems that African-Americans have been experiencing over the past 400 years. Accompanying with a black-and-white visual, Machine Gun Kelly can be seeing delivering the same lyrics that Zack da le Rocha has been bringing to the forefront in the fight against oppression:
“Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites/
You justify those that diedBy wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites/
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses…/”
The clip is also interspersed with footage of the protests that we have been witnessing all over the country. MGK and Travis’ most recent collaboration joins a massive collection of releases from artists everywhere in the name of protest against law enforcement and the current presidential administration.
Machine Gun Kelly hasn’t just been voicing his opinion on wax, either — in addition to the social media message added here, he and Travis Barker have also been active on the front lines of protest in Los Angeles, making it clear that they stand as allies with the rest of us:
“this ain’t the time to be neutral. we can help our peers, the world is finally listening to an issue that’s been around for centuries.”
Press play on Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker’s “Killing In The Name” cover below.