Chuck D said that Public Enemy was “pursued by the police more than any of the musicians.”
The politically motivated hip-hop group became famous in the late 1980s thanks to such hits as “Fight The Power” and “It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back” together with the NWA, who also periodically clashed with law enforcement agencies because of their own interests. uncompromising lyrics about police brutality and racism.
Now, in an interview with The Guardian, the rapper has said that, in his opinion, his band has faced the worst negative reaction.
“I’m not aware of bullying, but yes, probably more than anyone in music,” he said when asked how much “police harassment and FBI intimidation” Public Enemy has received.
“It’s not something that can be annoying. That’s what it is. The most I could do was write songs about it,” he added. “About Public Enemy’s first album “Yo! Bum Rush The Show”, we said that the responsibility lies with the government. Governments in the plural, because governments like to divide people, and music likes to unite people.”
When asked why hip-hop interacts so fleetingly with politics today, Chuck D replied: “Because the revolution cannot be sold. It cannot be sold the way other music is sold; it must be given to people. We had the blessing of the right age, the right place, the right time. I was the person who had the right thing: black music in New York.”
Meanwhile, the rapper recently sold a huge chunk of his back catalogue to his longtime publisher.
Reach Music acquired 100% of the rapper’s royalties, as well as half of his copyright as a publisher.
The sale did not cover all Chuck D products, but included more than 300 songs, including the most significant work of Public Enemy, released between 1987 and 2012.
