Under all that rage and anger is a very intelligent person who is trying to change the state of the world. Frequently described as the lead shouter, he drives the fans wild with his angry tone. He was born in Long Beach, California in 1970, and raised in Irvine by his mother. His first major band was called Inside Out. He said that (he) "channeled all my pain through that band...and not bowing down to a system that sees you as just another pebble on the beach." Zack is responsible for writing all the lyrics for Rage Against the Machine songs. Zack's parents separated when he was only one year old, his mother living in Irvine and his father in Lincoln Heights. His father, Beto De La Rocha, was a member of the Chicano art collective, called Los Four Not long after Beto De La Rocha suffered a serious mental breakdown, and he and Zack destroyed all of his paintings and work that Zack loved so much. This was especially painful for young Zack. After this ordeal, Beto became obsessively religious, locking himself out from the outside world for weeks at a time and fasting, which he forced Zack to do as well while he visited. Eventually, his behaviour was too much for Zack to take so he gradually distanced himself from his father, while still maintaining a good relationship. Zack has also revealed that his father has started to paint his pollitical paintings and write again now that he knows what his son is doing. Rage's music has actually helped Beto to regain his former identity. Zack stayed full time with his mother (of mixed heritage, who had a PhD in Anthropology) who lived in perhaps the whitest community in Southern L.A.. Being a Chicano there was not easy for Zack, where the common belief was that he had "a mop or broom in your hand or a hammer, or filled baskets of strawberries." This, along with the mental illness of his father, which caused the loss of some close ties in the Chicano community, as well as the turbulations of adolenscence gave Zack a serious culture shock. His school (University High) friend Timmy Commerford witnessed his identity crisis...The Zapatista plight has facinated Zack and he is now a memeber of the National Commission for Democracy in Mexico among others. He has organized a group of college students to visit Chiapas, Mexico, he has also given presentations to high school students and has visited Chiapas himself to lend a helping hand.

With King used in spirit, to speak to all of us, regardless of colour, regardless of upbringing, regardless of class, and showed us all that this (America) is a country that for 500 years has murdered, enslaved and stolen our land and kept us from seeing ourselves as who we truly are. And then when I began reading X, I realized I don't have to be ashamed of my brown skin. And when he became a threat to this system, they fucking shot him..."