Music Features

Aaron: So, first of all. How are you guys?

Chuck: Yeah, we're good, we're all pretty good.

Aaron: Saw you guys at the Rock the Bells festival in New York last year and after you had finished your set it didn't seem like you wanted to leave? So how have you stayed passionate about playing live after so many years?

The band on stage at the Junction

Chuck: Well Flava didn't want to leave. We left as we knew we had to share the stage with others but Flava has his own clock. But who wouldn't want to play live, it's a great operation to be part of. The only problem with Public Enemy is that it can get addictive, we have our life as well, we're older cats so we have big lives.

Aaron: How's the tour going?

Chuck: Tour's great, this is the fourth date, the 61st tour, but once you get London out the way every thing's a piece of cake.

Aaron: Its the 20th anniversary of It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back', its often been called revolutionary. What do you think it was about the album that made it such the success that it is?

Chuck: I think some of the things that made it were - it was the first album of its time to come out without any single street credibility before.

At the time hip hop was a singles market, and we were kinda like the ones that come up with the album concept, the way the album was put together, there was live aspects, the combination of instrumentals that broke up the record and it was very topical and relevant about those things that were happening at that time which made it a little bit more grown up than a lot of the rap at the time.

Aaron: Bring The Noize with Anthrax was another revolutionary track combining rap and thrash.

The second time around it became innovative as a record as its biggest significance is you had a rock group covering a rap record. Before it was the other way around, Run DMC did Walk This Way. Run DMC covered a rock record but this was a rock group covering a rap record and bringing a thrash attitude with it.

And it's significant as Anthrax were making a statement that rock and rap at its most aggressive are similar. The third time that Bring The Noize has made a statement was earlier this year when it won its first Grammy as a dance record. So dance, rock and rap. Bring The Noize is truly that record.

Aaron: How do you feel about the current state of hip hop as its changed an awful lot since Public Enemy started out?

Chuck: Well wouldn't it be fair to say that rap changes every year just like most music changes every year, nothing remains the same. Public Enemy came along and made this statement like Bob Marley did in reggae, or Bob Dylan did in rock and roll, making innovative experimental statements both musically and verbally so that's what signifies us.

It doesn't mean that everyone else should try to do what we do. But if an artist comes out and raps about cars, money, women, drugs, drink, good times, parties... those have been the topics of stories from the first time we had recordings so we have to understand the history.

Aaron: Most artists can usually attribute their music to being inspired by a group, band, rapper, artists of some kind, are there any in particular that inspired you to create music of your own?

Chuck: Of course, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in hip hop, Run DMC, Houdini. I mean we were record collectors so I grew up in a household of James Brown, Curtis Mayfeild, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Ike and Tina Turner, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, music from the 60's, 70's, 80's, from Elton John to Aerosmith, we were through with the records that influenced us.

Aaron: What does Flava Flav do with his clock when travelling through time zones?

Chuck D: (Laughs) He keeps it on the same time and usually in that time zone its wrong.

Aaron: Public Enemy has always been outspoken with politics, how do you feel about Barack Obama and what kind of impact it would have on the US getting a black president should he be elected?

Chuck D: I'm voting for Barack Obama for all the right reasons and all the wrong reasons. Meaning all the right reasons are I think he's prepared, he's honest, he's equipped although he's going to have to deal with three times as much press as any other president.

And the wrong reasons - I'm voting for him just cause he's black. But the wrong reasons for America having just a white male for 200 years as the president, but not only that but the person who has lost to him has been a white male. It's very non reflective of the melting pot.

Aaron: What's it like these days, going on tour and leaving your whole family behind now that you're a tad older?

Chuck: Easier than before. We had to take a dip in the 90s as everyone had kids who were in single digits. It starts this way, a band starts as teenagers and they have nothing but time, then when they're in the late 20s and 30s then they have kids and a family.

Then there's the 40's and 50's and their kids are grown so they have available time again. That's why you see a regrouping of the Eagles, they have so much available time. But speaking for myself you have to find a balance between your life and the group, so we concentrate on less is more, quality over quantity.

Aaron: Do you think the reason Public Enemy has stayed consistently popular and sold so many records is that the audience can personally relate to the lyrics which deal with politics, oppression and a social and cultural consciousness?

Chuck: I think every group has to try the best it can in public relations. You always have to be able to relate, and be humble.

Aaron: You were in the UK a couple of months ago giving a speech at Westminster College, they're used to politicians, ex-leaders giving speeches. How did it come to par you giving a speech and what issues did you deal with?

Chuck: I normally talk about rap, race, reality and technology. I've been on the lecture circuit for 18 years, long time.

Aaron: Are you a fan of UK Hip Hop like Dizzee Rascal for example?

Chuck: Yeah Dizzee Rascal's in the US right now doing his thing. We've got the same working people at the moment which is a great thing.

Aaron: What do you think of Cambridge, have you had a poke around?

Chuck: Well, we got to Cambridge today about 3 O'clock. Its enjoyable coming to a place that reminds me where I was brought up in Long Island, I dig the suburban area's.

Aaron: 20 Years, 10 albums, 61 tours, millions of records sold, one word to sum it up?

Chuck: Bring The Noize!