Chuck D as soon as picked the MC who turned rap “corporate”

Public Enemy was one of the crucial anti-establishment collectives of the Nineteen Eighties. Hailing from New York Metropolis, the crew comprised of Chuck D, Taste Flav, Professor Griff, and Terminator X was a phenomenon after they exploded into the mainstream.

Led by the legendary Chuck D (actual title Carl Ridenhour), the collective addressed all types of points of their songs. They highlighted many problems concerning America’s government and social justice system. Furthermore, with their acutely aware lyrics, they have been one of many solely hip-hop acts utilizing their music as a automobile for social commentary within the Nineteen Eighties.

Since his emergence, Chuck D has made waves, and regardless of not being within the limelight, the emcee, creator, and activist has continued to verify his voice is heard. Moreover, he has been comfortable to spotlight what he believes is fallacious with up to date hip-hop and the way followers can salvage it.

Following the discharge of Jay-Z and Kanye West’s 2011 collaborative album, Watch The Throne, Ridenhour sat down for an in-depth interview throughout which he claimed that artists in positions of standing, resembling Hov and West, had wholly deserted their obligation to provide again to the African-American individuals. 

Taking to Twitter/X, after the album’s launch, Ridenhour wrote, “Ye is a hip-hop God as Jay is, but their bases are corrupt to Rap.” Accusing Jay-Z and Kanye of entering into mattress with companies who don’t help younger, native black expertise, Chuck defined what he meant by “corrupt.”

Talking on the methods of the old-school, Ridenhour mirrored, “Alright, you have somebody who comes up in a local [scene], at least they should be heard on local radio. But corporate radio and corporations have dominated over that existence, wiping out that foundation [for fairness]. And therefore, the little business can’t even start up right, unless it’s corrupt and just totally, violently opposed to what the community is evolved from.”

Chuck D then proceeded to clarify how Kanye and Jay-Z are complicit within the degradation of hip-hop by pandering to commercial radio and never serving to native acts, divulging, “In the past, you would have somebody from the local area who would actually give advice, give inspiration, be able to be some sort of benchmark for people to follow if they wanted to do the same thing.”

He concluded, “So that has been totally eradicated as far as the community is concerned, destroyed by urban corporate radio, which means…take the Black ownership out. And also destroyed by the corporation of recording situations which kind of like dominate over those radio stations.”

You may hear Chuck D talking about Jay-Z within the video beneath.