Tom Morello's guitar playing catapulted him to stardom, but his works in activism earned him "The Spirit of Courage Award."

While Tom Morello's guitar playing talent paved the way for him to be known, he put the fame he claimed to good use.

Sharing his mantra "Feed the poor. Fight the power. Rock the fuck out." the Rage Against the Machine guitarist has voiced his sentiments about different issues (including the shooting of Ferguson-resident Michael Brown) and has fought for several causes.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Morello spoke about activism prior to receiving the award.

Morello shared that receiving the award from the Courage Campaign is "meaningful" to him. "It's a great honor because the award itself is an embodiment of all the struggles and sacrifices of the people involved in the social justice issues for whom I've played music," he said.

He also opened up about how fatherhood affected him in terms of activism. "I guess slowing down when it comes to my activism might not seem so slow," he said. "Compared to the fever pitch that once was, where I was playing maybe 200-plus shows a year for charity and benefits, that's been ratcheted pretty far back."

Morello admitted that he has slow down a bit when it comes to doing shows for causes but maintained that his children are one of the reasons he stands up for his beliefs. "I have two small children now," he added. "One of my principle endeavors in creating a better world is being a great dad to them. That also sharpens my desire to fight for the causes that are most meaningful to me - to try to leave them a better planet than they were born into."

Whether he's fighting for a personal belief or for something bigger than he is, Tom Morello's guitar playing continues to be the motivation for his activism. "I didn't choose to play the guitar, it chose me ... So my responsibility as an activist is to weave my convictions into my vocation."