Chuck D Biography

Born Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, he adopted the stage name, Chuck D, and became the leader of the band, ‘Public Enemy’. His lyrics are socially and politically charged and motivate fellow American, especially the African-American community to rise against any prevailing discriminations and social evils. He is naturally blessed with a powerful rapping voice that resonates and gives a distinct character to his rap numbers. His views on some sensitive issues have snowballed into controversies, but he held fast to them. He expressed his concern about the use of drugs and guns by the black community which has contributed to their criminalization, and felt that a black person was more likely to be charged and prosecuted for a drug related offence than a white man, a point of view which was criticized as being racist. The rapper and his band, ‘Public Enemy’, refused to recognize civil rights leader, ‘Martin Luther King’ and even called for armed insurrections and assassinations. He wanted the black community to be more assertive, take control of whatever they produce artistically and not let record companies exploit them. He sought to cultivate a fan base among the white community too, to make them aware of the problems and frustrations within the black community.