Public Enemy’s “Fight The Power” was played during the 88th Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles yesterday (February 28). Chuck D, the group’s frontman, has commented on the usage of the song, putting it into context in a number of ways.
“I dont wanna hear about Oscars being white,” Chuck D wrote on Twitter yesterday. “Oscar been white. We have need black communities to support our ARTS as much as we do sports IMO.
“WHEN you CANNOT TEACH the ARTS in your community schools as HISTORY.You leave it up to the Govt & Corps to DEFINE you.Thus we wait for AWARD,” he added.
Prior to the Awards, Will Smith and Jada Pinket Smith were among the Black actors and actresses who took aim at the Oscars this year because of the lack of non-Whites nominated. Will Smith, who was hailed for his performance in NFL medical drama Concussion, and the cast of N.W.A, who starred in the acclaimed Straight Outta Compton biopic on the group, were among the high-profile releases many thought deserved Oscar nominations.
Chuck D said that the Academy Awards do not target the general public.
“Oscars are like a TRADE show. If you aint in that business why should you care? Its like winter baseball meetings, how many care about that?” he wrote.
The rapper said that “Fight The Power” stands for something more than just a song.
“The song FightThe Power is beyond me & the crew.The point of the song is a call to making change eventually not just applauding the thought,” he wrote.
In another tweet, Chuck D wrote that he hasn’t been on top of current events, a likely reference to the loss of his father, who passed away earlier this month.
“I am still numb to all else that has happened around me this month. Ive barely noticed anything other than my personal loss,” he wrote.
For additional coverage of Chuck D, who wrote that the Oscars have “Been White,” watch the following DX Daily:
Black people have won the Oscars before, what is the big deal?
im a huge PE fan since the beginning but nonetheless im not agreeing on the allwhiteoscar claims. the CEO and the host of this show are both afro-americans. the both most important positions of this show are held by black people so they are in charge for what has happend. stop blaming white ppl for everything. btw the president of US is also not white and thats most prob the most important position in the world. your claims were valid in the 80s and before but nowadays times has changed so pls be fair and stop pulling the race card whenever u have a problem. PS: sorry to hear about chucks dad
Stopped reading when you mentioned race card
good then uve read almost everything. i didnt meant to say that there isnt racism anymore, i was trying to say that in this particular case it is not a valid argument.
“WHEN you CANNOT TEACH the ARTS in your community schools as HISTORY.You leave it up to the Govt & Corps to DEFINE you.Thus we wait for AWARD” man these are some wise words. White and Black Artists/Actors need to read this and evaluate wtf is really going on. As do the Fans. Fans nowadays wait for the awards to see who’s really “talented”, they think just because its a Number 1 song that its automatically “hot”… no its not. Fancy was number 1 and it was hot garbage, a lot of hot garbage out here today and the Government and Corps are giving people AWARDS for Hot Garbage. Wake UP!
lol @ someone remembering FANCY .
This was a surprisingly sensible take on the situation.
There is a difference between demanding and commanding respect.
I love smokin crack!
Who? Fuck this goofball, and black people could stop playing the victim. It’s not the white man’s fault your life sucks.
To the idiot/inbred non-english speaking homo below, what part did you not understand?
“WHEN you CANNOT TEACH the ARTS in your community schools as HISTORY.You leave it up to the Govt & Corps to DEFINE you.” then take your thumb out your asses and do something worthy of your history instead of making excuses.