Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker cover Rage Against the Machine's 'Killing In the Name' in support of BLM
Colson Baker aka Machine Gun Kelly has doubled down on his support of the Black Lives Matter protests by unveiling a fiery cover of Rage Against The Machine's protest anthem, 'Killing In The Name'. The famously political LA band first wrote the explosive song in 1992 as a defiant takedown of racism and police brutality, and the song's themes have been pertinent to the fight against tyrannical governments and their oppressive agendas ever since. The popular rapper enlisted the help of his frequent collaborator Travis Barker (the drummer of Blink 182) for this new cover, and fans have been hailing the duo for their timely and aggressive sociopolitical stance ever since the song released on Thursday, June 4.
Both Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker were part of the recent Black Lives Matter protests in Los Angeles, part of a series of nationwide demonstrations that erupted all over the country in the wake of the grisly killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. The 30-year-old rapper was seen holding a placard that said, "Stop arresting protestors! Arrest killer cops!!" while the 44-year-old drummer held a sign that said "No justice, no peace." They seem to be doubling down on their sentiments by releasing their cover of this notoriously political song on YouTube, which was accompanied with the caption -- "They [RATM] wrote this song in 1992. Its been 28 years since and every word still applies."
The Rage Against The Machine song is famous for its incandescent criticism of the political machine that enables the killing of innocent lives, with cutting and apoplectic lyrics -- "Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses / You justify those that died / By wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites." It then descends into an impassioned vocal section in the latter half of the song, with the belligerent and immortal line - "F**k you, I won't do what you tell me!" being chanted repeatedly. The duo's vehement and intense performance of the angry, hard-rocking song certainly struck a chord with viewers, with plenty of fans heaping praise on them for their spectacular cover, rounded off with a bloodcurdling scream at the end by MGK.
One fan said, "You've officially won me over by doing this. I understand we're fighting the same fight and thanks for standing shoulder to shoulder with us. You're a real one, man✊✊" Another viewer exclaimed, "I love how MGK and Travis care about what happens around them and get involved. They're very vocal and their collabs are so powerful!" One follower observed, "The second verse was originally, and is sometimes sung live by Zack [de la Rocha] as 'Some of those that burn crosses, are the same that hold office.' The system runs full circle. VOTE them and their friends out of office."
Another thrilled fan declared, "That was awesome! To the talents of Travis Barker and MGK to put out a strong, supportive message during these times with a song from years ago that will hit you hard... very pleased." Plenty of supporters echoed the same sentiments, with one saying, "Hell Yeah!!! Now this is definitely my favorite song of all time! Colson & Travis - thank you for this, because little by little our voice is changing our lives... So boys, just to let you know that we love you very much. ❤️"