Next month, the BBC will air a new four-part docuseries, executive-produced by rap legend Chuck D, Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World. Featuring a who’s who of rap’s A-list, including Eminem, Ice-T, LL Cool J, DMC and B-Real from Cypress Hill, it is a comprehensive look at the way politics shaped hip-hop and the way hip-hop, in turn, shaped the US.
The series is another significant chapter in Chuck D’s storied career. Now 62, the Public Enemy leader has spent the better part of the past 40 years setting a gold standard for rap lyricism and raising the bar for politically minded musicians of any genre.
Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Chuck D’s career began in 1985 when he and Flavor Flav founded Public Enemy. Their debut album, 1987’s Yo! Bum Rush the Show, quickly became one of the fastest-selling rap records of all time, and was a blueprint for much of the music that would come after. Fusing a raw Black nationalist spirit with equally confrontational beats, courtesy of producer Rick Rubin, it showcased the punk spirit and militaristic aesthetic that the group would become known for.
Throughout the later 80s and 90s, Public Enemy continued to release hit records without watering down their politics, with 1988’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back being recognised as one of the most influential hip-hop records of all time and 1990’s Fear of a Black Planet selling more than 2m copies. The same year, Chuck D collaborated with Sonic Youth. Throughout the 90s, he continued to bolster his legend status, jumping on tracks by luminaries Prince and Janet Jackson.
In ensuing years, Chuck D has had a remarkably varied career, appearing on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, collaborating with everyone from The Go! Team to Meat Loaf, and forming a supergroup, Prophets of Rage, with members of Rage Against the Machine and Cypress Hill. At the same time, he has maintained his anarchic political spirit, never afraid of airing his thoughts on politics and the state of rap music.
Now, it’s your chance to pick Chuck D’s brain. Do you want to know what he thinks of modern hits such as First Class and Big Energy? Maybe you’ve always been desperate to hear the story of some of Public Enemy’s greatest hits, or just want to know what Chuck D does in his down time. Perhaps you’d like to ask how he got so many famous names involved in Fight the Power. Whatever has been nagging at you, now’s the time to ask – post your questions in the comments by 6pm, Monday 12 December, and we’ll ask Chuck the best ones.
