Mike de la Rocha / MDLR

Mike de la Rocha was featured in Issue 29 of F.O.K.U.S. INSIGHT magazine. The purpose of F.O.K.U.S. is to educate, empower and unite communities utilizing the arts. F.O.K.U.S. highlights the importance of and need for arts and creativity in life – for both the artist and the audience. - Fokus.org

Read a Forbes.com article that mentions Mike and The Living Rooms Across America Tour as part of “Another Detroit Is Happening,” a gathering of 125 of the most amazing thinkers, doers, entrepreneurs and activists from across North America. - Forbes.com

Young people and communities of color are fighting back against dirty energy companies to determine the outcome of the November California election. Over 100,000 Californian’s across the state will be joining the effort by pledging to vote and utilizing smart phones and text messaging to activate and educate their communities. The Clean Energy Tour is sponsored by the California Students Sustainability Coalition (CSSC) and Communities United Against Prop 23, a coalition of over 80 social justice and community based organizations uniting to stop the Dirty Energy Proposition.

The six city solar powered concert tour is the largest viral voter mobilization campaign for California’s critical election and unites communities of color and students across the higher education system. The tour launched on 10/10/10 at Laney College in Oakland in partnership with 350.org’s Global Work Party, the biggest-ever day of positive action on climate change.

Young people have the power to change this country and this November we will. The Clean Energy Tour will mobilize these constituencies to clean up politics and demand that our elected officials follow our leadership in creating a clean and just energy economy and millions of jobs.

Dates
10/10 - Laney College
10/16 - UCSB
10/21 - UCSD
10/26 - LACC
11/01 - Sacramento State
11/16 - UC Davis

Artists
Pete Rock & CL Smooth
DJ Muggs
Freedom
Garth Trinidad
J-SWIFT & St. Imey
Christen Lien
Mike de la Rocha
Beatrock Music - California Students Sustainability Coalition

"Do I gotta start paying for clean air now?”
- CL Smooth from the legendary Hip Hop group Pete Rock & CL Smooth

Imagine people dragging around an oxygen tank just to breathe fresh air because some corporation is making another profit off of the pollution in the air.

Imagine wars popping off all around the world because of lack of clean water.

Imagine millions of climate refugees having to carry a global green card in order to escape the environmental destruction in their homelands.

Now, imagine what we could do if just half, let alone all of us, vote on Nov. 2nd for candidates and initiatives that have the best interests of our children and our planet in mind.

Imagine people realizing the privilege that some of us have to simply breathe clean air and not have bombs falling in our backyards.

Imagine the impact that young people around the world could have by coming together to demand clean air, green jobs, and dignity in our schools and neighborhoods.

I tell you that the only thing real at this moment in time is whether we choose to stand up and make a difference or whether we choose to lie down.

I tell you that the lobbying interests in Washington and in your hometown are banking, literally banking, on you staying home and not exercising your right to vote at the ballot box.

And I tell you that we can continue positively changing America if we decide to do so.

This past month, I've had the privilege to be the opening act on the Clean Energy Tour with Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Garth Trinidad from KCRW, Freedom from Haiti, DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill, the amazing Christen Lien, and Aaron Ableman.

The Clean Energy Tour is backed by over 120 social and environmental organizations from across California representing one of the largest on-line and off-line youth organizing movements this election cycle.

From college campus to college campus, we’ve built community, educated each other on our own power as a voting block, and discussed the interconnectedness of issues from the environment to immigration reform to education equity.

Through the tour, thousands of students were engaged, inspired, and motivated to not only vote but to join organizations committed to making a positive difference in their communities.

And through the tour, we, as artists and organizers, constantly reminded ourselves that it's our voice and our vote that will continue to transform America.

So regardless of what the pundits say on TV or on the radio, I’m re-inspired because artists from Pete Rock & CL Smooth to Rosario Dawson to DJ Skee are actively involved in getting the youth vote out because we all know how critically important this election is.

So remember to vote fearlessly on Nov. 2nd and to keep organizing for the kind of world that we all know is possible.

For more information on the Clean Energy Tour visit: www.cleanenergytour.com. - Global Grind

“Our Voice, Our Vote and Our State”

Focused on sustainable climate legislation, voter mobilization, and creating a solid student voting bloc, The Clean Energy Tour, and it’s main Partners; The California Student Sustainability Coalition (CSSC), Communities United Coalition, Communitree, Rootz Media, The Greenlining Institute, Rainforest Action Network, Fusicology.com, and the Natural Resource Defense Council, has mobilized a movement to change the future of California and the planet.

By providing a powerful union of arts, activism, and education, the tour has organized and empowered over 60,000 youth and students, alongside diverse communities, to “be the change” needed for social, environmental, and economic justice.

History shows that music, arts and culture have made a quantifiable difference in shifting public opinion for specific political outcomes and ultimately, building social movements with a lasting impact. Together with hip hop music celebrities like The Legendary DJ Pete Rock, CL Smooth, and DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill as well as artists rooted in their local communities like Mike de la Rocha, FREEDOM from Haiti, Erik Rico, and Christen Lien, The Clean Energy Tour has proven this age-old tactic to build unity through the common language of the arts to speak truth to power.

The Clean Energy Tour campaign utilized all of the traditional organizing methods, coupled with earned media campaigns, student lead viral videos, pledge to vote widgets/apps, leadership trainings, high profile press conferences, 6 musical concerts at UC, CSU, and CCC campus’, and empowerment tool-kits for mobilizing voters. As citizens in a divided political atmosphere, unlikely heroes have come to together to reclaim the future of our voice, our vote and our state!

For more information, contact Shelly O’Neil at Rootz Media at shelly@rootzmedia.net
- Fusciology

FEATURED ROCK THE VOTE ARTIST
October 2010

One of America’s most promising new singer/songwriters, Mike de la Rocha delivers intense, melodic vocals coupled with his signature acoustic guitar sound on Moving Forward, his debut solo album. With music reminiscent of Ben Harper, Bono, and Eddie Vedder, Mike de la Rocha’s emotional lyrics and socially engaging songs seek to heal and inspire while shedding light on global issues affecting us all. For more information, visit: www.mikedelarocha.com

Tell us about your first concert experience:
My first concert experience happened when I was 7 years old and I was riding my bike with my father through a Grateful Dead concert at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

If you couldn’t be a musician, what would you be doing instead?
I feel like my life’s purpose is to bring people together, so if I wasn’t a musician, I would more than likely still be focusing on positively changing the world through some form of art whether it be writing, poetry, and/or painting.

If you could collaborate with one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
I believe that the role of an artist is to not only expose people to certain political and spiritual truths, but to provide an alternative worldview. For me, the music that’s changed my life has always had a message of peace and love and challenged people to think about their critical role in positively transforming themselves and the world. As such, if I could collaborate with one artist, living or dead, I would definitely choose John Lennon because he’s someone who was able to positively change the world through his music and love for humanity.

If you became President, what is the first action you would take?
If I became President, the first action that I would do is pass the Youth PROMISE Act (historic federal youth violence prevention legislation) to make sure that every young person has an opportunity to succeed in life, while at the same time working with the community and members of all political parties to end the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, pass comprehensive immigration reform and marriage equality, and a climate bill that saves our earth.

What social cause is closest to your heart?
The social cause closest to my heart is juvenile justice and the unfortunate fact that the United States incarcerates more young people than any other place on the planet. I believe that societies are judged by how they treat their young people; therefore, I’m committed to raising awareness of our broken juvenile justice system and proven alternatives to rehabilitating and instilling hope in every young person.

What does the right to vote mean to you?
The right to vote means having the right to express your opinion and play a fundamental role in the progression of our democracy.

What bands or artists did you listen to when you were in high school? And which bands or artists influenced your style the most?
The bands that I listened to religiously in high school were: Fugazi, U2, Depeche Mode, Prince, INXS, Nirvana, and Nine Inch Nails.

The bands or artists that influenced my style the most are those who were or are courageous enough to take personal and musical risks and speak from the heart. Acts such as Bob Marley, Radiohead, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Jeff Buckley, John Forte, The Mars Volta, Rage Against the Machine, and of course John Lennon have all played a critical role in my personal, political, and musical development.

What activity or group were you involved with in high school that might surprise people today?
The activity that I was involved with in high school that might surprise many people was that I was a football jock who made the varsity football team during my sophomore year.

What's the biggest obstacle that you had to overcome in high school? (could be personal or academic)
The biggest obstacle that I had to overcome in high school was being comfortable in my own skin. Being one of the few people of color in a predominately Caucasian school made it difficult at times for me to completely embrace my ethnic identity as a Chicano and a person of multiple identities.

Do you do any volunteer or community work when you're not on tour?
History shows that music, arts and culture have made a quantifiable difference in shifting public opinion for specific political issues and ultimately building social movements with a lasting and positive impact.

As such, when I’m not on tour (and even when I’m on tour) I’m always volunteering and helping various social causes, from juvenile justice to the environment, from marriage equality to education reform efforts. I feel that as an artist and a person committed to peace and justice that it’s my duty to be involved in community work that reminds people of our interconnectedness and responsibility to make our world better.

What change would you like to see in our society in the next year?
Next year, I would like to see the Millennial Generation, the largest, most diverse, educated, and connected generation in the history of America, start to have a stronger presence and voice in the political process. For many of us, we are starting to come into our own and recognizing the huge influence that we have as a voting block and as young people committed to equality, justice, and love.

Thus, I look forward to being a part of a movement of young people working to pass progressive legislation that recognizes global warming, gives people the right to marry whom they choose, provides jobs, increases educational opportunities, and creates a dignified pathway to citizenship for millions of people living in America. - Rock the Vote