America 250 Rocktober Song #10: "Renegades of Funk" by Rage Against the Machine

With the thousands of bands and artists from California, it was tough figuring out which one would be my choice for the Golden State's inclusion in this Rocktober celebration of American music.  But then I looked back though my detailed Rocktober records and realized I have never featured a song by Rage Against the Machine during Rocktober, and that made the choice easy.

Rage Against the Machine was formed in LA in the early '90s, and the band soon established itself as a unique force in the rock world.  Melding politically tinged lyrics with music grounded in metal, funk, and rap, all from a multi-racial band, Rage's music is as American as apple pie, you dirty capitalist.

Of all the Rage songs out there, I decided to go with one I could have included in last year's Coverocktober:  their 2000 cover of hip hop/rap pioneers Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force's 1983 song "Renegades of Funk."  And my choice is somewhat timely, as Bambaataa died earlier this year at the age of 68.

The song is about "renegades" and revolutionary figures throughout history, in thought, politics, civil rights, and the like.  So it was a perfect song for Rage to cover, and they did a hell of a job making it their own.  Rage transformed the song from a electronic hip hop song into a raging (pun intended) funk/rap metal song.  The video is also a nice homage to dozens of funk and hip-hop musicians, as well as the Civil Rights movement.  This is a song that requires you to roll the windows down and crank it when it comes on the radio.  And then jam, sucka.