Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Prophets Of Rage”?
Artist Statement
I'm a huge fan of Public Enemy, Rage Against the Machine and Cypress Hill. I've been honored to do projects with Chuck D of Public Enemy and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, who I admire as both artists and activists. When Tom Morello reached out to me about Prophets of Rage, a collaboration with members of Rage Against the Machine, Chuck D from Public Enemy and B-Real of Cypress Hill, I was incredibly excited. Not just because of what this would yield musically, but just as excited by Tom Morello's statement that a band like this could be a much-needed voice in the political conversation leading up to the election and beyond. I couldn't agree more so I immediately got to work on some visuals that channeled the history of the band with my flavor added and an eye to the future. Chuck D had already created an icon, and I developed more elements from there with this poster as one of the results. - Shepard Prophets of Rage 18x24 inches screen print on Speckletone Paper Edition of 600 $55
Summary
Prophets of Rage is a 2016 screen print created when Tom Morello invited Fairey to design visuals for the supergroup Prophets of Rage, combining members of Rage Against the Machine, Chuck D of Public Enemy, and B-Real of Cypress Hill. Building on an icon Chuck D had already created, Fairey developed additional elements channeling the band's history with an eye to the future. Published by Obey Giant on Speckletone paper, it measures 18 x 24 inches in an edition of 600. The poster reflects Fairey's view of the band as a needed political voice ahead of the 2016 election.
Why It Matters
Prophets of Rage captures Fairey's deep ties to politically charged music, uniting three acts, Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy, and Cypress Hill, he names as longtime admirations and prior collaborators. Initiated by Tom Morello, the project let Fairey build on an existing Chuck D icon and extend it with his own visual language, framing the supergroup as a much-needed voice in the political conversation around the 2016 election. For collectors, the print sits at the intersection of Fairey's music and activism interests, a recurring and beloved thread in his catalog. Compared to the 100-run American Civics works, this Obey Giant release of 600 at the accessible 18 x 24 inch size and lower price point makes it a more attainable entry. Printed on Speckletone paper, it carries the band's countercultural energy into a collectible poster that documents a specific moment of musician-activist alignment, reinforcing Fairey's role as a visual chronicler of protest music.
Collector Perspective
Prophets of Rage is a natural fit for music-focused collectors and fans of Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy, and Cypress Hill, as well as those who follow Fairey's collaborations with Tom Morello and Chuck D. At 18 x 24 inches with an edition of 600 and an accessible original price, it is among the more attainable Fairey prints, appealing to newer collectors and music-poster enthusiasts. The countercultural, politically charged subject suits display in spaces celebrating protest music. It pairs well with Fairey's other Prophets of Rage and music-collaboration works, making it a strong building block for a music-themed collection.
Historical Context
Prophets of Rage dates to 2016, when Tom Morello assembled the supergroup from members of Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy, and Cypress Hill. Fairey, a longtime collaborator with both Morello and Chuck D, was invited to create visuals and built on an icon Chuck D had already developed. The work reflects Fairey's enduring engagement with protest music as a political force, positioned around the 2016 election as Morello envisioned the band as a needed voice in the political conversation. Published by Obey Giant on Speckletone paper, it belongs to Fairey's extensive body of music-collaboration prints that bridge his fine-art and street-art practices with the activist music scene he has long championed.
FAQ
What is Prophets of Rage?
It is a 2016 Fairey screen print made for the supergroup Prophets of Rage, formed by members of Rage Against the Machine with Chuck D of Public Enemy and B-Real of Cypress Hill. Tom Morello invited Fairey to create visuals, and Fairey built on an icon Chuck D had already created.
What are the print's specifications?
It is an 18 by 24 inch screen print on Speckletone paper, published by Obey Giant in an edition of 600 at an original price of $55. The source notes it is signed by Shepard Fairey.
Why did Fairey make this poster?
Fairey is a fan of Public Enemy, Rage Against the Machine, and Cypress Hill and had worked with Chuck D and Tom Morello before. He agreed with Morello that the band could be a much-needed political voice leading up to the 2016 election and beyond.
Is this print more accessible than the American Civics works?
Yes. With an edition of 600 at 18 by 24 inches and a lower price point, it is more attainable than the American Civics screen prints, which were 40 by 30 inches in editions of 100.
Related Works
About the Artist
Shepard Fairey (b. 1970, Charleston, South Carolina) is an American street artist, graphic designer, and activist, and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. His 1989 “André the Giant Has a Posse” sticker grew into the global OBEY GIANT campaign — an ongoing experiment in propaganda, obedience, and visual culture. He reached worldwide recognition with the 2008 “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama, now held by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Across screen prints, stencils, murals, and collage, Fairey channels propaganda aesthetics toward themes of peace, justice, environmentalism, and civil rights. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and LACMA.