Deftones Singer Discusses Racism In Heavy Metal
Jim DeRogatis of Chicago Sun-Times recently asked Deftones frontman Chino Moreno if he ever experienced any prejudice as a Hispanic in a scene that is dominated by white rockers and metalheads. “In the beginning, almost every interview we did, that got brought up to us: ‘Isn’t it weird that you guys play metal?’,” Chino recalled. “And I was like, ‘What do you mean it’s weird?’ For one, I don’t know what it’s like to be white, so I don’t have anything to compare it to. I just like what I like. It’s not like we’re trying to be anything. I like all kinds of music — I listen to the Too Short tape and a whole a lot more. I take in any music. As far as like where I grew up, the [other Hispanic kids] called me ‘the white one,’ but they were cool about it. It’s not like they were messing with me — they were just teasing me. The sun would go down and I’d see them go off to go do something — to get into trouble — and I’d just go the other way. I was into something different. Luckily, I had [Deftones guitarist] Stephen [Carpenter] and a handful of other guys who were into music, playing it and listening to it, and we all just kind of came together — all the kids who were into skateboarding and listening to different types of music.” Suntimes.com has since removed the article.
