Public Enemy’s Chuck D says Rage Against The Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha can “come in and just hang” with Prophets Of Rage any time.
And while they’ve already recorded a studio session, he doesn’t believe an album will follow.
The offshoot outfit features RATM members Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk along with Cypress Hill’s B-Real, Public Enemy’s DJ Lord and D.
Just after their debut performance in May, Commerford said they had de la Rocha’s blessing.
D tells Rolling Stone: “Being second mic to B-Real is the greatest luxury I’ve ever had on stage. That’s a good thing because it takes both of us to tackle Zack’s fury in our own particular way.
“I call Zack and he says, ‘Dude, this is the utmost honour,’ and I’m tickled brown by that.
“And if Zack wants to come in, they got Rage Against The Machine. If he doesn’t want to, it’s Prophets Of Rage.
“The thing with getting the approval from Zack was like, ‘Yeah, man, this is what it is. This is not Rage, but we’re keeping your seat warm,’ and he was like, ‘I’ll consider that.’”
D rejects the suggestion that either he or B-Real are replacements for de la Rocha. “No one’s going to step into that hot seat,” he says.
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And he remains heavily aware of the responsibility the band have taken on. “There’s a pressure automatically that makes our rehearsals mandatory on a higher level,” he reports.
“It’s because a large part of the lyrics are by Zack de la Rocha. We sit back and say, ‘Hey, look, this is not Rage Against the Machine. This is Prophets of Rage. This is three solid situations coming together.’
“And don’t sleep on Cypress Hill or Public Enemy songs. They’re Rage-ified and create a frenzy that really befuddles the average person on the behaviour politics of the United States of America. Not the politics of behaviour, but the behaviour of politics.”
Prophets Of Rage recently recorded their debut track The Party’s Over. But D doesn’t think they’ll launch a full-length release. He says: “I see us making no more than two or three songs at best that round us out, because it has to come together organically and naturally.
“Ten songs, in this day and time, is a little too much of a buffet anyway. It’s easier saying, ‘These are two or three songs that they got with their catalogue or performance material. Cool.’ Not to say less is more, but yes, less is enough.”
Prophets Of Rage commence their first North American tour in August, and plan to travel elsewhere in the world later.
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Prophets Of Rage Make America Rage Again tour 2016
Jul 19: Cleveland The Agora, OH
Aug 19: Fairfax EagleBank Arena, VA
Aug 20: Camden BB&T Pavilion, NJ
Aug 21: Mansfield Xfinity Center, MA
Aug 23: Montreal Centre Bell, QC
Aug 24: Toronto Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, ON
Aug 26: Holmdel PNC Bank Arts Center, NJ
Aug 27: Brooklyn Barclays Center, NY
Aug 28: Uncasville Mohegan Sun, CT
Sep 01: Clarkston DTE Energy Music Theatre, MI
Sep 03: Tinley Park Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, IL
Sep 04: St Louis Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, MO
Sep 05: Kansas City Providence Medical Center Amphitheater, MO
Sep 07: Morrison Red Rocks Amphitheatre, CO
Sep 10: Auburn White River Amphitheatre, WA
Sep 11: Ridgefield Sunlight Supply Amphitheatre, WA
Sep 13: Mountain View Shoreline Amphitheatre, CA
Sep 15: Los Angeles The Forum, CA
Sep 17: Phoenix Chin Pavilion, AZ
Sep 25: Dallas Gexa Energy Pavilion, TX
Sep 27: Nashville Bridgestone Arena, TN
Oct 01: Tampa MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater, FL
Oct 02: West Palm Beach Perfect Vodka Amp, FL
Oct 04: Atlanta Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, GA
Oct 05: Cincinnati Riverbend Music Center, OH
Oct 08: Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, TX
Oct 09: San Antonio AT&T Center, TX
Oct 11: El Paso County Coliseum, TX
Oct 12: Albuquerque Isleta Amphitheatre, NM
Oct 14: Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Event Center, NV
Oct 16: Chula Vista Sleep Train Amphitheatre, CA
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