'It's Very Hypocritical' - Tom Morello Responds to Argument That Musicians Shouldn't Be Political

Tom Morello has responded to the argument that musicians shouldn't be political.

Whether or not musicians should be open about their politics has been an ongoing debate for decades, but it's been especially highlighted over the last few years as the political unrest in the U.S. has intensified.

Morello's best known as the guitarist for Rage Against the Machine, but nearly all of his musical endeavors have been political to an extent. The rocker was asked to weigh in on the music and politics conversation during a recent interview with Metal Hammer Greece, where he asserted that it's "very hypocritical" for people to say musicians shouldn't be open about their views.

"When people say that musicians should not be involved in politics, it means they are people that disagree with your politics. The second that you write a song that agrees with their politics, all of a sudden they're all for it. So one, it's very hypocritical, but two, I also think that, why should you give away your free speech rights in the job that you do? Because it offends someone?" Morello questioned.

He further reasoned that a person's job title shouldn't take away their ability to express what they believe in, whether they're an artist or public figure or someone who works any ordinary job.

"There's an extra hot layer of Hell for people in times of great injustice who censor themselves and remain quiet when they should have spoken out because they're afraid of some Internet troll," the guitarist insisted.

READ MORE: Jack Osbourne Clarifies Previous Remarks on Politically Outspoken Celebrities

Morello noted that two particular artists, Public Enemy and The Clash, helped change him as a person despite having very different backgrounds from each other because their music spoke out against oppression. Their music made him feel understood in his beliefs and thus he feels that "every song is like a beacon of hope for somebody."

See the full conversation below.

Tom Morello Responds to Argument That Musicians Shouldn't Be Political

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