Deftones - 7 Words Site

The story begins in the early 90s, long before the world knew the term "nu-metal." Chino was working at a Tower Records warehouse, dealing with the daily friction of being a young person of color in a space where he felt constantly looked down upon by authority figures—specifically the police and "the man."

Musically, the song was born from a basement jam. Stephen Carpenter laid down that signature, bouncy "bad brains" inspired riff, and Abe Cunningham locked in a hip-hop-influenced groove. When Chino stepped to the mic, he didn't lean into the poetic, dreamy metaphors he’s known for today. Instead, he let out a raw, squealing, punk-rock venting session about racial profiling and social suppression. deftones - 7 Words

Decades later, even as Deftones evolved into a sophisticated, atmospheric art-rock band, "7 Words" remains the one song they almost have to play. It’s a time capsule of their adolescent rage—a reminder of a time when they were just kids from Sacramento who were tired of being told what to do. The story begins in the early 90s, long