Tom Morello has defended his 15-year-old son Roman against claims that he is benefiting from nepotism, saying that talent, not family connections, is what matters. The Rage Against the Machine guitarist made the comments in an interview with Guitar World.
Morello picked Roman as one of the most exciting up-and-coming guitarists and pushed back on the idea that his son’s rise is simply a result of having a famous father.
“Here’s the thing: it’s not nepotism when your kid’s that f*cking good. [Laughs] There’s a lot of great players out there, but I’ll put my kid up against anybody,” Morello said.
He explained what sets his son apart from other young musicians. “He has something that I didn’t have, which is an ear. I had to fight forever because I had zero natural ability, so it took me maybe 10 years to find my voice. But Roman Morello has got an ear and has a natural [internal] jukebox.”
Morello made these remarks while discussing his views on talent and musical ability in young guitarists.
Roman has become more than just Morello’s son in recent years—he has turned into a musical collaborator. In September, Tom Morello released his first true solo rock album, “Everyone Gets Everything They Want,” on which Roman co-wrote five songs. Tom described his son as a “collaborative partner” on his recent projects, noting that Roman has developed into a technical guitarist.
Roman’s musical journey began during lockdown when his father taught him the song “Stairway to Heaven” note by note, progressing to improvisational soloing before tackling the solo. The two have since performed together publicly, including a tour of Europe where they opened Tom’s sets with their co-penned track “Soldier in the Army of Love,” which dropped on June 28. That track was described by Tom as “a generational rock anthem from the Morellos.”
Tom has previously acknowledged Roman’s growing role in the household music scene, saying he now plays “some chord progressions, and he shreds over it.” In 2023, Morello shared footage on Instagram of his son playing during a Rage Against the Machine soundcheck on the band’s breakthrough hit “Killing in the Name,” using the same 1982 Fender “Sendero Luminoso” Telecaster that his father used on the original recording.
Roman’s early musical credits include a 2021 single called “The Children Will Rise Up,” an environmental anthem he created with 11-year-old drummer Nandi Bushell, which featured Tom Morello in the video. The collaborations between father and son have grown more frequent and central to Tom’s creative output in the years since.
