Journalist Lachlan Markay recently stirred up some controversy after insulting Meg White (The White Stripes) by calling her a “terrible” drummer. As such, a number of people have been coming her defense, including Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, who referred to her as “one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock n roll.”

Morello said the following:

“I hear there’s some controversy on this matter lately so let me set fools straight: #MegWhite is one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock n roll. It’s not even a debate. There are a HANDFUL of drummers EVER who are INSTANTLY recognizable rocking their MANY HIT SONGS with Flavor, Fire & Flair. She’s on that list, bruh. Does she do a lot a complicated tom tom fills? No, THANK GOD. She has style and swag and personality and oomph and taste and awesomeness that’s off the charts and a vibe that’s untouchable by all you boring-ass skin beaters who think we care about your ‘tight’ syncopated para-diddles. She is a FORCE and her records are forever step-stones on how to do it your own way while rocking the damn planet. @officialjackwhite knows too, so show some respect.”

Notably, Jack White also defended her with a new poem:

“To be born in another time,
any era but our own would’ve been fine.
100 years from now,
1000 years from now,
some other distant, different, time.
one without demons, cowards and vampires out for blood,
one with the positive inspiration to foster what is good.
an empty field where no tall red poppies are cut down,
where we could lay all day, every day, on the warm and subtle ground,
and know just what to say and what to play to conjure our own sounds.
and be one with the others all around us,
and even still the ones who came before,
and help ourselves to all their love,
and pass it on again once more.
to have bliss upon bliss upon bliss,
to be without fear, negativity or pain,
and to get up every morning, and be happy to do it all again.”

Following the much deserved backlash, Markay has decided to walk back on his comments:

“By now you’ve probably seen an ill-advised (and since-deleted) tweet I sent out yesterday about the White Stripes and Meg White. It was an over-the-top take on TWS and White as a drummer, and was, let’s face it, just truly awful in every way. Petty, obnoxious, just plain wrong.”