Rage Against The Machine's Tim Commerford Battling Prostate Cancer

Michael Angulia | December 13, 2022

Rage Against The Machine Tour poster — Tour poster

Rage Against The Machine's Tim Commerford revealed in a new interview that he was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer and had his prostate removed earlier this year, ahead of the band's reunion tour dates.

Tim told Spin, "I went to get life insurance but my PSA numbers were up. I couldn't get it. They wouldn't insure me. At first, the number was very low - like one-point-something. I watched it over the course of a year and a half, and it kept elevating further.

"Eventually, they did a biopsy and found out I had cancer, so they took my prostate out. I had been thinking, well, because they're watching it and let it get to this point, maybe it's not that big of a deal.

"I blame myself. I should have said, 'my numbers are elevated and what does that really mean?' I should have taken it more seriously. I should have looked into alternate therapy instead of getting sucked into the most disgusting, capitalistic machine on the face of the planet: the medical establishment.

"Now I'm in the situation that I'm in, which is, hold your breath for six months. It's not a good one and not one that I'm happy about. I'm just trying to grab ahold of the reins.

"It's gonna be a long journey, I hope. My dad died in his early 70s from cancer and my mom died from cancer in her 40s. Split the difference to 65 and I've got 10 years. I'm trying to get to the 100-song mark - I have some goals now. Songwriting has become a catharsis for me."

The band's 2023 North American reunion tour was canceled in October after frontman Zack de la Rocha injured himself during the band's concert in Chicago during the 2022 summer leg of the tour.

He said at the time, "It's been almost three months since Chicago, and I still look down at my leg in disbelief. Two years of waiting through the pandemic, hoping we would have an opening to be a band again and continue the work we started 30 some odd years ago. Rehearsing, training, reconciling, working our way back to form. Then one and a half shows into it and my tendon tears. Felt like a sick joke the universe played on me. As I write this I remind myself it's just bad circumstance. Just a f***ed up moment.

"Unfortunately it is a moment that requires a lot of work and healing. I have a severe tear in my left Achilles tendon and only 8% of my tendon was left intact. And even that portion was severely compromised. It's not simply a question of being able to perform again, but extends to basic functionality going forward. That's why I've made the painful and difficult decision to cancel the remaining shows on our 2023 North American leg.

"I hate cancelling shows. I hate disappointing our fans. You have all waited so patiently to see us and that is never lost on me. I never take that for granted. For you I have the ultimate gratitude and respect. To my brothers Tim, Brad and Tom; EL p, Killer Mike, Trackstar and the whole RTJ crew; to everyone on our production team: techs, cooks drivers, assistants, security squad, to anyone and everyone who made the shows thus far possible, all my love and respect. I hope to see you very soon.