This past weekend’s Made in America Festival went off without a hitch, touting performances from Run-DMC, Drake and event organizer Jay-Z. But Public Enemy, which was offered a slot on the lineup, was missing from the roster.
During an interview with CBC.ca, Chuck D, who said he was inspired by Run-DMC’s performance at the festival, explained why the group decided not to perform during the festival, stating that he respects Hov but declined the invite because of political reasons.
“I know I’m made in America but I’m really made on the planet,” he said. “I’m not made by America, or in it. So, we like to protest and be difficult. But I salute them for bringing Rap music to the forefront and being able to have Run-DMC to get that slot.”
Public Enemy is currently gearing up for the release of its new album The Evil Empire of Everything, dropping October 1st and featuring guest appearances from Ziggy Marley, Henry Rollins and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, among others.
RELATED: Chuck D Of Public Enemy Speaks On Two Albums In 2012
Public Enemy is one of the most important groups in Hip-Hop. Glad to see they still doin it….
Agreed!
It’s always something with Chuck, Jay gives you a(huge) platform to do what you do & you shit on him because you were “made on this planet” FOH
C’mon now! Not everyone has to lick Jay-z’s ass.
I think Chuck should have done the show and said what he had to say TO AMERICA!
EVIL EMPIRE OF EVERYTHING
chuck d is a fucking lame at this point hes always talking some bullshit ..oh im not doing it because im made on this planet??Its a fucking name of a show so if jay said were gonna name it made in the universe he was gonna do it?no he would have said some dumb shit about the stage builder was a racist so were not doing it.he always has some lame ass excuse and his hype man is a crackhead but he sues biggie for ten crack commandments..straight lame
You know this? For a fact? Because just last year I saw PE perform at the ATP festival curated by Portishead. Clearly Chuck D has no problem performing at shows and big events, but he may have an issue with either Jay-Z or the politics of this show. Let’s face it, Chuck is of the old school, and he believes that America, in its almost 250 years of being a nation has spent the majority of its history taking a dump on people of color, here and abroad. And maybe Chuck isn’t so quick to wrap himself up in the flag that pursues imperialist goals the world over. Not saying that he — as an American — hasn’t benefited from the policies of a country that consumes a huge portion of the world’s resources relative to its population. Chuck knows that he’s better off here than starving or oppressed elsewhere, but that’s no reason to settle for what we’ve got. No, the dude is a man of conscience who doesn’t want to lend his name to some rah-rah USA nonsense, and that’s his prerogative. The unfortunate side-effect is that it was a big, hyped event that could have won him some new fans, since PE doesn’t have many inroads to new listeners in this country.
If Flavor ever tried to use a recording of Chuck’s voice to big-up dealing crack, I’m sure that would have caused some furor with Chuck. The difference is, Flavor has never bragged or advocated hustling narcotics, and Biggie did.
Jay-Z is a corporate stooge. Keep on tap dancing for the man HOVA.
As a longtime PE fan, this was a dumb move in the highest degree.
to let yall know I had the albums I know the music the last shit I liked was the joint with 911 is a joke and after that album they been a joke.racist ass chuck d go join a fucken black panther movement and kill whitey you nut
Wow. Just… wow. Chuck D is not racist. And the Black Panther movement was also not racist. In fact, none of the tenets of the original BPP were even particularly prejudiced, let alone racist. For a cat that claims to have owned some PE albums, you are woefully uneducated about the history of liberation struggles of people of color in the US.
I am a Public Enemy and Chuck D fan but that was not smart to decline the performance….You can’t spread the proper message to a new generation IF YOU DON’T GO TO THE PEOPLE!!!
This.
At the end of the day, It’s about promoting the message.
Something that Chuck fails to realize.
Translation: Jay didn’t give me enough money.
Revolutionaries gotta eat too.
What Chuck D really meant was: “we haven’t made a decent song in 20 years, I don’t want to embarrass myself and I’ll just stand behind this same old racist “I hate America” crap that I have always made money off of”. Well played Charles, well played.
Don’t be silly. First of all, you obviously haven’t been paying attention to PE, since everybody knows that Chuck D’s name is Carlton, not Charles. Information readily available in the ample liner notes PE has always provided with their albums. Second of all, “I hate America” is not racist. It might be a simplistic and hateful view (though I don’t recall PE ever taking a specifically “I hate America” stance), but it’s not racist, as America is not a race, nor are Americans. Third of all, don’t be a sucka.
That last post was me. I thought the “login with facebook” would actually put my name there. So don’t go hatin’ on the internet anonymous poster. Go hatin’ on me, Rev1 ne Che.
fuck this clown
FUCK YOUR MOMMA BITCH….PE 4 EVER!
Awww stop it. It aint that deep. Just played to about a quarter a million ppl in 13 nations the past month.Glad RUN DMC was in Philly together.BTW my name is not Charles and i’m never anonymous
….fact.
Rick Ross > Chump D
Jay didn’t want you there Chucky. The crowd would have just confused him for Big Daddy Kane anyway.
I stand by chuck d on this, you have to listen to his radio show to really understand where he is comin from. By the way, we shouldn’t go by what radio play cause stations are gettin payed to play gang related rap and not any other form of rap. As for Jay, he’s one of the illest on the mic but if he was rappin about how he’s not in the streets anymore and he is livin more positive they wouldn’t play him for shit. And it bothers me to see these dudes poppin bottles with models in big houses when i know there are people livin in the streets who either have jobs but can’t find a cheap apartment and the local shelters are packed or can’t find a job at all. The rest of us including me have to survive down here in the real world goin through all kinds of shit. People passin hunger, c’mon. Music should be more than braggin about materialistic shit that don’t matter in life.
If you don’t like America,get the F–k out of here.Including Chuck D!!!
STFU and sit down with your ignorant self
I wonder did any of the idiotic people commenting below even bother to watch any of the actual interview instead of siezing on a few clipped quotes? nah, I know that’s too much for most..
Public Enemy should do a tour with Rage against the machine. If chuck D reads this, Dude set it up
Fuck USA, fuckin’ decadent Roman Empire of today…Chuck D & PE crew represent the all world menaced by the Evil Empire
FIGHT THE POWER !!
PD: like the old school rapper Movement Ex said: “UNITED SNAKES OF AMERIKKKA”
So what change Chuck D’s mind? The Headliners for “MADE IN AMERICA 2013” has the line up of performers and “Public Enemy” is one of the performers. I guess Chuck D changed his mind.