RATM Tom Morello In ‘Free Speech + Other Dirty Words’ Video Interview Series

February 21, 2023

This is cool! You need to spend twelve minutes with the below video. SPIN teamed up with the Foundation For Individual Rights And Expression (FIRE) to create a new video series that has iconic artists sharing their stories about freedom of speech and self-expression and their fight against censorship!

“Free Speech + Other Dirty Words” already has two interviews; Rage Against The Machine guitarist and founder Tom Morello and Grammy-winner Melissa Etheridge.

As you know, the foundation of Morello and Rage is built on the back of politics, “I think there’s only two positions on freedom of speech. You’re for it or you’re against it.”

You may remember that when Etheridge publicly came out in the 90s, the issue was raised by Island Records before the release of her debut album, “There was a meeting and someone said, ‘So…what are we going to do about the gay thing?’ I didn’t want to be closeted, but it was self-censorship!”

SPIN has been bangin’ off great content since ’85, so this new series shouldn’t surprise you. FIRE, meanwhile, has been the U.S.’s leading defender of student and faculty rights on college campuses.

FIRE executive vice president Nico Perrino said, “From Elvis to Ozzy, history is riddled with artists who had to fight for their right to express themselves through their music. We are thrilled to partner with SPIN to highlight the essential role free expression plays in music through compelling stories from the world’s most talented artists.”

SPIN CEO Jimmy Hutcheson said, “After nearly 40 years, SPIN continues to drive important conversations through projects like this one, and it’s truly exciting to partner with a free speech thought leader like FIRE. It’s thrilling to be able to bring together entertainment and policy for discussions that inspire, compel, and lay out the groundwork for change.”

“Free Speech + Other Dirty Words” will air exclusively on SPIN.com and the FIRE YouTube channel.

Outstanding right? Which other bands/artists should SPIN interview for this series?

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