Born Carlton Douglas Ridenhour on August 1, 1960, the American rapper, author and producer is more widely known by his stage name, Chuck D. Attending Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School in New York, Chuck D displayed his passion for music and graphic designing by participating in the school’s hip hop events and even designing promotional flyers for them. Chuck D then went on to study graphic design at Adelphi University but continued to be actively involved in hip hop at the same time. During one of his radio shows, Chuck D was caught rapping on Shocklee’s ‘Public Enemy No. 1’ and was immediately signed as a rapper for Rick Rubin’s Def Jam Labels.
Chuck D and his group, Public Enemy, released their debut album Yo! Bum Rush the Show in 1987 but failed in making it a great hit. Their next album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, however, followed in 1988 and started the success streak for the band.
Public Enemy continued to produce one great hit after the other including Fear of a Black Planet and Apocalypse ’91…The Enemy Strikes Black, introducing the genre of rap music in all audiences. In 1988, the number one hip-hop band of its time also recorded the soundtrack for He Got Game. Continue reading from Famous African Americans
Chuck D is the leader and co-founder of the legendary rap group Public Enemy, the author of two critically acclaimed books, and a political activist, publisher, radio host, and producer. Chuck D has been featured on and/or interviewed in over fifty documentaries on music, technology, politics, and race; he has appeared in numerous public service announcements for national peace and the Partnership for a Drug Free America. He has also been a national spokesperson for Rock the Vote, the National Urban League, Americans for the Arts Council, and the National Alliance for African-American Athletes. Continue reading from Collective Speakers
5 Things We Learned At "An Evening With Chuck D" At The GRAMMY Museum (Grammy Awards)
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World (PBS)
Public Enemy (Encyclopedia Britannica)
Chuck D has his Eyes on the Past, Present and the Future of Hip-Hop (NBC News)
Forming Supergroup Prophets of Rage: How It Went Down (Billboard)
Chuck D Still Believes Rap Can Change the World (Rolling Stone)
Chuck D Listens With His Eyes (Shondaland)
Chuck D Brought Me Here: Rap, Race, and Radical Politics (AAIHS Black Perspectives)
A Conversation With Chuck D and Flavor Flav: ‘It Ain’t Over’ (SPIN)
