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Zack (short for Zacarias) de la Rocha was born in Long Beach, California to Beto and Olivia de la Rocha. His mother, Olivia, had a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of California, Irvine. His father, Beto, was a Chicano muralist in the political art group Los Four . They separated when Zack was one year old; Olivia retained custody, living in Irvine, California with Zack.

In 1983, Zack's father suffered a nervous breakdown, and took his religious ideals to extremes. He destroyed his art and when Zack visited him at the weekends, he was forced to fast and sit in a room with the curtains closed and the door locked, and also to help his father destroy his paintings -- paintings which had helped him establish a sense of Chicano identity. After a while, he was unable to cope with this lifestyle, and stayed with his mother in Irvine, which at the time was "perhaps one of the whitest cities" in Southern California.

The lifestyle Beto forced upon Zack brought on culture shock, and an identity crisis. He was alienated from the Chicano community, and was an outsider in the California suburbs where Chicanos were typically only seen doing menial work. In high school, he became involved in the punk and hardcore scene, and played guitar and sang for a straight edgeFor the drawing or cutting tool, see Straightedge. Straight edge is a lifestyle and subculture primarily centered in the United States where, intentionally, and in the face of actual opportunities, one does not: Drink alcohol Smoke tobacco Use recreationa band called Hardstance. His interest in bands like the Sex PistolsDespite their short existence, the Sex Pistols were perhaps the quintessential British punk rock band. Whilst The Clash were both more articulate and politically motivated, and The Buzzcocks had more astute pop sensibilities, no other group better exempli and Bad ReligionBad Religion is a punk band, known for poignant, erudite lyrics and biting social commentary and formed in Los Angeles, California in 1979 by high school students Greg Graffin (vocals), Jay Bentley ( bass guitar) and Jay Ziskrout ( drums), and high school turned into an appreciation for other bands like Minor ThreatMinor Threat was a short-lived hardcore punk band from Washington DC. They have been hugely influential: Critics have called them and their work " iconic", and noted their "groundbreaking" music "has held up better than most of their contemporaries. In fa, Bad BrainsBad Brains was an early punk rock band from Washington, DC, formed in 1977. Initial personnel were singer H. singer), guitarist Dr. Know, bass guitarist Darryl Jennifer and drummer Earl Hudson. Originally a jazz-influenced progressive rock band called Min, and Teen Idles.

Zack eventually formed Inside OutThis article is about the hardcore punk band Inside Out . Inside Out was a hardcore punk band from Orange County, California, most notable for being the first band for which Rage Against the Machine's Zack de la Rocha was the frontman. Before fronting Ins, which gained a large following in Huntington BeachHuntington Beach sometimes called Surf City is a seaside city in Orange County, in southern California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 189,594. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the south, by Seal Beach on the north-west, b and Irvine. They released a single record, No Spiritual Surrender on Revelation Records in 1990, before breaking up. In Zack's words, Inside Out "about completely detaching ourselves from society to see ourselves as...as spirits, and not bowing down to a system that sees you as just another pebble on a beach. I channeled all my anger out through that band."

Zack's Chicano heritage separated him from the rich, white kids that surrounded him; although he was never economically deprived as his fellow Chicanos, he felt the same tension and rejection as they did. He found himself relating to hip-hop acts such as Public Enemy, KRS One, and Run-DMC. After Inside Out broke up, he embraced hip-hop and began freestyling at local clubs, where he met Tom Morello and Brad Wilk. Eventually, Zack's friend Tim Commerford joined them, and Rage Against the Machine was formed.

Before long, Rage Against the Machine was on the main stage at Lollapalooza II, and was one of the most politically-charged bands ever to receive extensive airplay from radio and MTV, and Zack became one of the most visible champions of left-wing causes around the world, fighting for the causes of Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu-Jamal, and supporting the Zapatista movement in Mexico. He even spoke on the floor of the UN, testifying against the US and their treatment of Abu-Jamal. The music and the message were so intertwined for him that he did not consider any of Rage's albums a success unless they provoked tangible political change.

Rage's second and third albums peaked at number one, but did not result in the political action Zack had hoped for. He became increasingly restless, and undertook collaborations with artists like KRS One and Chuck D.

In October 2000, Zack left Rage Against the Machine, due to "creative differences" (it's rumored that Tim Commerford's stunt at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards where, urged on by Michael Moore, he climbed on one of the fixtures on stage was the catalyst for Zack's decision to leave the band). In 2001, he was recording material on separate occasions with The Roots' drummer ?uestlove and Company Flow frontman El-P. He has yet to release an album, although a collaboration with DJ Shadow, "March of Death", was released in 2003 in protest of President Bush's war on Iraq. Another artist involved in the making of Zack's solo album is Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. There is no set date for its release.