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Public Enemy's Chuck D shares his musical milestones, in conversation with Matt Everitt.

Chuck D shares his musical milestones, in conversation with Matt Everitt.

As the leader of rap group Public Enemy, which he co-founded in 1985 with Flavor Flav, Chuck D helped create politically and socially conscious hip hop music in the mid-1980s. After hearing demo track "Public Enemy Number One", fledgling producer Rick Rubin insisted on signing him to his Def Jam label, and Public Enemy went on to release genre-defining, landscape-changing albums such as 'Yo! Bum Rush the Show' in 1987, 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back' in 1988, 'Fear of a Black Planet' in 1990, and 'Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black' in 1991.

Chuck D has collaborated with artists such as Janet Jackson, Kool Moe Dee, The Dope Poet Society, Run鈥揇.M.C., Ice Cube, Sheryl Crow, Rage Against the Machine, Anthrax, George Clinton, Meat Loaf, Henry Rollins, John Mellencamp, The Go! Team and many others. He also appeared on Sonic Youth's 1990 single 'Kool Thing'.

Alongside his music projects, he continues to be an activist, author, publisher, lecturer, producer and radio presenter, and is the voice of DJ Forth Right MC in the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas video game. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of their landmark third album, 'Fear of a Black Planet', Chuck D has recently curated an art exhibition of original visual works inspired by the music, legacy and history of Public Enemy.

In this episode, Matt talks to Chuck D about the first key musical moments in his life and career to date as well as Public Enemy's return to Def Jam and the release of their new album 'What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?'

1 hour

Last on

Wed 31 Jan 2024 02:00

Music Played

  • Public Enemy

    Fight The Power

    • The No.1 Rap Album.
    • Polygram Tv.
    • 7.
  • Public Enemy

    Contract On The World Love Jam (Instrumental)

  • Ray Charles

    What'd I Say

    • Atlantic.
  • James Brown

    Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)

  • Stevie Wonder

    Fingertips (Parts 1 & 2)

  • The Drifters

    Under The Boardwalk

  • Kool & the Gang

    Jungle Boogie

    • MCA.
  • Heatwave

    The Groove Line

  • Sly & the Family Stone

    Underdog

  • Parliament-Funkadelic

    Funkentelechy

  • Fatback

    Master Booty

  • Spectrum City

    Check Out The Radio

  • 搁耻苍鈥怐.惭.颁.

    Raising Hell

  • Public Enemy

    Bring The Noise

    • Def Jam.
  • Public Enemy

    Timebomb

  • Public Enemy

    You're Gonna Get Yours

  • Public Enemy

    Yo! Bum Rush The Show

  • Public Enemy

    Countdown To Armageddon

  • Public Enemy

    Rebel Without A Pause

    • Global Television.
  • Public Enemy

    Welcome To The Terrordome

  • The Impressions

    People Get Ready

    • Soul Deep: The Story Of Black Popular Music (Various Artists).
    • Universal.
  • Public Enemy

    Public Enemy Number Won

  • Public Enemy

    Get Up Stand Up

  • Klark Kent

    Don't Care

    • Universal.
  • The Impressions

    People Get Ready

  • The Streets

    Dry Your Eyes

    • 679 Recordings.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 4 Oct 2020 13:00
  • Thu 29 Jul 2021 01:00
  • Wed 31 Jan 2024 02:00

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