Bad Brains

Banned in D.C.

Founded

1977 in Washington, D.C.

Full Name

Date of Birth

1977 in Washington, D.C.

Still Alive

Date of Death

Influenced By

Jazz, Funk, the Ramones, Bob Marley

Later Influenced

Minor Threat, Bad Religion, the Beastie Boys, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine

HR of the Bad Brains, Valley Green Housing Complex, Washington, D.C., September 9, 1979.

About The artist

"By melding punk with reggae and performing with a speed and precision that amazed audiences, Bad Brains became one of the definitive American hardcore punk groups of the early 1980s. While they were widely regarded as among the finest acts to emerge from hardcore, they also stood out from their peers -- as four Black men who had embraced the Rastafarian faith, they didn't resemble the bands they played beside, and while angry screeds were the lyrical order of the day, the Bad Brains' spiritual grounding and embrace of "Positive Mental Attitude" gave their songs a different sort of message."
‍Mark Deming for Allmusic.com

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Did you know...

The band's explosive live performances in the late 1970s led to them being blacklisted by many Washington area venues. This was the inspiration to their song "Banned in D.C."