Bad Brains

I Against I

(1986)

The greatest Rasta-punk band in history: uncopiable and untouchable “I AGAINST I is the greatest album to me, because it actually challenged metal. I mean, for a start, they are incredible

musicians. Just incredible! And they were so radical in what they were saying, especially in a very whitedominated genre.

“The first time I heard it was at my friend Paul’s. I was, like, ‘Wow, this is crazy!’ Then he told me that they were all black dudes, and I just thought that was incredible. I remember feeling like I wasn’t alone and that maybe I wasn’t as much of a freak as the people of Inglewood made me out to be, as I was this skateboarder from the hood who was into punk rock and metal. I remember feeling actual representation, an actual space to belong.

“Their influence on metal is massive, even though many people don’t speak about them in a more mainstream way. It’s perennial, timeless, classic music, and I don’t care how you dress it, it’s classic music. And you know why? Because they meant it, because it’s authentic, because there is a message in there and they represented something to people. That’s how they felt and that is how they made other people feel the same way.”