Rock and Hip-Hop Legends Converge at Tom Morello’s Power to the People Festival in Columbia
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Tom Morello's Power to the People festival in Columbia, Maryland brought together musicians from across rock and hip-hop genres for a series of once-in-a-lifetime performances. A standout moment featured an all-star rendition of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," uniting Jack Black, DMC, Chuck D, Scott Ian, Cypress Hill, and Morello himself in a rare collaboration that demonstrated the enduring connection between rock and rap music.
The festival also celebrated rock heritage through a Soundgarden tribute performance by the group Suns of Soundgarden, featuring Taylor Momsen, Mike McCready, Matt Cameron, Robbie Mangano, and Morello. The set, which included tracks like "Loud Love" and "Outshined," underscored Soundgarden's lasting legacy in heavy music and its influence on subsequent generations of artists.
- All-star performance of "Walk This Way" united rock and hip-hop icons including Jack Black, DMC, Chuck D, and Cypress Hill
- Soundgarden tribute by Suns of Soundgarden highlighted the band's influence on heavy music and reflective songwriting
- Tom Morello's Power to the People festival in Maryland showcased cross-genre collaborations and musical legacy celebrations
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Tom Morello, guitarist best known for his work with Rage Against the Machine, organised the Power to the People festival in Columbia, Maryland. The event brought together musicians from rock and hip-hop genres to perform together, highlighting the connection between these musical styles.
Rock and hip-hop have influenced each other since their emergence as major genres, with notable collaborations between rock and rap artists beginning in the 1980s. Events that bring together musicians from both genres reflect the lasting musical and cultural connections between these styles.
The event also included tributes to influential rock bands from previous decades, with musicians honouring the bands that shaped their own work. These performances demonstrate the lasting impact of classic rock acts on contemporary musicians across different genres.
Full account
Tom Morello’s Power to the People festival at Merriweather Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, brought rock and hip-hop performers together for a series of collaborations. One rendition of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” featured Morello alongside Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Chuck D, Cypress Hill, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian and Jack Black. DMC delivered the rap verses while Black led the chorus. Black’s microphone stand was draped with scarves, recalling the stage style of Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler.
Earlier in the day, Black performed as Jack Sabbath with Morello’s son Roman and Ian’s son Revel. Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler joined them for “War Pigs”. Together, the two appearances connected musicians from different generations and drew on songs associated with both heavy rock and its crossover with hip-hop.
The festival also included a tribute to Soundgarden. Performing as Suns of Soundgarden, Taylor Momsen, Mike McCready, Matt Cameron, Robbie Mangano and Morello played “Loud Love”, “Outshined” and “Spoonman”. Introducing the set, Morello described Soundgarden’s combination of powerful riffs and introspective lyrics as an influence on many of the artists appearing at the event.
The two reports focus on different parts of the programme: one follows the “Walk This Way” collaboration and Black’s earlier Black Sabbath set, while the other centres on the Soundgarden tribute and Morello’s introduction. The second report also notes a recent performance by surviving Soundgarden members with Momsen and McCready at an NFL kick-off halftime show. Taken together, the accounts describe a festival built around shared performances and tributes rather than separate appearances by each artist.
Where outlets differ
Source 1 emphasises the rock and hip-hop collaboration on “Walk This Way” and the earlier Jack Sabbath set. Source 2 emphasises the Soundgarden tribute, Morello’s remarks about the band’s influence and a recent NFL halftime performance.