Public Enemy‘s Chuck D has sold off a large portion of his decorated catalog for an undisclosed fee.
First reported by Rolling Stone on Tuesday (September 13), the deal was agreed to with Reach Music and includes Chuck D’s full songwriting share of royalties and half of his “copyright interest” as the publisher. With the deal, he’ll still keep half of the interest in his publishing royalties.
“Doing this deal was the right timing for a forward and logical evolution of [their] business together in an ever-changing industry,” he told RS. “Reach has always been ahead of the curve on establishing respect for the Hip Hop genre songwriting and publishing-wise, and they will continue taking care of my works.”
The deal spans more than 300 tracks bearing Chuck D and Public Enemy’s namesake from 1987 through 2012, including acclaimed PE albums It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Fear of a Black Planet. The 62-year-old rapper has been in business with Reach Music for over two decades.
“I’m so grateful to Chuck for our business together as his music publisher throughout these many decades,” Reach Music president Michael Closter said. “There’s no one more consequential in the world of Hip Hop than Chuck D, and he has written iconic and impactful songs that will forever be a part of music history.
“The team at Reach will continue working hard to protect these works while also introducing them to new generations to come.”
The “Fight The Power” rapper is slated to release his PBS documentary Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World in 2023. Look for commentary from the likes of Grandmaster Caz, Ice-T, Abiodun Oyewole (The Last Poets), Roxanne Shanté, Run-DMC, John Forté, will.i.am, MC Lyte, B-Real (Cypress Hill), Melle Mel, Fat Joe, Lupe Fiasco and more.
Fans can also expect Chuck D’s first fine art book Livin Loud to arrive in November.
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Last month, Chuck D made a surprise appearance during the Anthrax and Hatebreed show at the Coney Island Amphitheater.
The two music titans performed “Bring The Noise,” their collaboration from the 1991 Anthrax album Attack of the Killer B’s.
Anthrax singer Scott Ian asked the crowd if they could “bring the noise,” and shortly after Chuck D popped up out of nowhere and delivered his verses.
If Chuck is selling his catalog, there has got to definitely something in the water. Question why this is a better move then keeping your publishing for your family?
It does say that he still keeps half of the royalties, but yeah, this a curious decision for sure.
He’s probably looking to make money off what he’s getting for this. Not to mention setting buyback terms after a certain period of time.
You always wanna keep something that pays you and holds value BUT the sale is not always a bad thing. Usually dudes get in big debt or whatever it may be but what if he gets to keep half, gets a fat check, and now a group owns half and is doing everything they can to make money off it.
Now you have a group trying to push all your shit to recover what they paid. So you are doing the same thing you had been doing but you may be making more than when you owned the whole percentage.
I would’ve much rather seen a similar deal with J Prince or Hova, I know Chuck is wise but not a good lock
Sold out to the white man. FIGHT THE POWER!!! lol
Tattaglia is a pimp. He could never have outsmarted Santino.
quiet money…shhhhh
streamin dont pay ish n no one with a brain buying music, he keeps half for licensing for movies commercials etc n cashes out its not classical music generations from now no one will relate to the 60s-2010s its already ancient history technology wise even the metaphors will be lost almost no tech from that era exists today they not love songs
2 times for the living legend himself Chuck D, and a huge shout out to my dude Flava Flav yeah booyyyeeee!!