Zack de la Rocha’s Rage Against the Machine bandmates have been busy touring the world with Chuck D and B-Real. As it turns out, the Rage frontman has been working on music of his own. This morning, de la Rocha has made his inaugural bid as a solo artist with a new single called “Digging For Windows.” The track is produced by El-P, who collaborated with de la Rocha on the Run the Jewels 2 highlight “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck).” It’s the first offering from de la Rocha’s forthcoming solo album, which El-P confirmed will arrive next year. El also said that the song was “made this year” and that “there is more where that came from.”

Rumors and reports about a Zack de la Rocha solo record have swirled for almost two decades. Questlove, DJ Shadow, and Trent Reznor have all talked about sessions with the Rage frontman. In 2003, de la Rocha’s DJ Shadow collaboration “March of Death” was released and an album was promised to come out that year. Obviously, that didn’t happen, and multiple interviews with de la Rocha and his collaborators pointed to the album’s sessions being shelved entirely. Reznor said in 2011:

We did some stuff that I thought was pretty cool, and it was frustrating because I also knew it would never see the light of day. It would get to the point where—Zack, I’m saying this with love—but it was the riddle of “I can’t do this, it sounds too much like Rage.” “OK, let’s do that.” “I can’t do that, it doesn’t sound enough like what you’d expect me to do.” There’s a few good tracks laying around, but it’s up to him. I doubt that’s going to see the light of day.

Then, earlier this year, El-P posted a photo of de la Rocha in the studio with Run the Jewels and Nas. In an interview about Prophets, de la Rocha’s Rage bandmate Brad Wilk revealed that Zack was “making a record right now.”

BABYGHOST 4 from Van Alpert on Vimeo.

ece ayhan
enis batur'a mektuplar
14 mart 1978

Picture this
I'm a bag of dicks
Put me to your lips
I am sick
I will punch a baby bear in his shit
Give me lip
I'ma send you to the yard, get a stick
Make a switch
I can end a conversation real quick

[Killer Mike]
I am crack
I ain't lyin', kick a lion in his crack
I'm the shit, I will fall off in your crib, take a shit
Pinch your momma on the booty
Kick your dog, fuck your bitch
Fat boy dressed up like he's Santa
And took pictures with your kids
[El-P]
We the best
We will cut a frowny face in your chest, little wench
I'm unmentionably fresh, I'm a mensch, get correct
I will walk into a court while erect, screaming "Yes!
I am guilty motherfuckers, I am death"

Hey, you wanna hear a good joke?

[Refrain]
Nobody speak, nobody get choked

[El-P]
Get running
Start pumping your bunions, I'm coming
I'm the dumbest, who flamethrow your function to Funyuns
Flame your crew quicker than Trump fucks his youngest
Now face the flame, fuckers, your fame and fate's done with

[Killer Mike]
I rob Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty, Linus and Lucy
Put coke in the doobie, roll woolies to smoke with Snoopy
I still remain that dick grabbin' slacker that spit a loogie
Cause the toter of the toolie'll murder you friggin' Moolies
Fuck outta here, yeah

[Refrain]
Nobody speak, nobody get choked, hey
Nobody speak, nobody get choked, hey
Nobody speak
Nobody speak

[El-P]
Only facts I will shoot a
Baby duck if it quacks, with a Ruger
Top billin', come cops some villainous shots is blocked, shipped out, and bought, and y'all feeling it
El-P killin' it, Killer Mike killin' shit

[Killer Mike]
What more can I say? We top billin' it
Valiant without villainy
Viciously foul victory
Burn towns and villages
Burning looting and pillaging

[El-P]
Murderers try to hurt us we curse them and all their children
I just want the bread and bologna bundles to tuck away
I don't work for free, I am barely giving a fuck away

[Killer Mike]
So tell beggin' Johnny and Mommy to get the fuck away
Heyyo here's a gun, son, now run, get it the gutterway
Live to shoot another day

[Refrain]
Nobody speak, nobody get choked, hey
Nobody speak, nobody get choked, hey
Nobody speak
Nobody speak
Nobody speak, nobody get choked