Chuck D is one of the most outspoken artists of all time. His rhymes on the Public Enemy album remain the gold standard of empowering rap, and he’s maintained that quality as a solo artist as well. However, the only thing rappers hate more than injustice is other rappers spreading negativity throughout the music industry. Especially if the rapper is old enough to know better. Chuck D made his stance on the issue of immature veterans clear in a recent Twitter post.
The rapper doesn’t mince words when it comes to things that annoy him. “If you’re over 40 and still spewing meaningless dark energy into your raps,” he wrote. “[Then] Chuck D didn’t stop there. “What I’m saying is… The mind over 40 should have a better ability to understand itself and its surroundings better. The days of ‘green’ are coming to an end…”
Chuck D wants to see rappers embrace maturity
This isn’t the first time Chuck D has expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the genre. In April, the Public Enemy icon mocked the concept of rap beef as a destructive practice that should no longer be supported. “Rap and hip-hop didn’t grow out of fight culture,” he tweeted, “it grew out of party dance culture. Fight culture is a mutation that happens with the movement of the crowd. Fight diss [sic] It was a tumor that evolved laterally. What started out as benign turned malignant in the 1990s due to ignorance.
To his credit, Chuck D means what he says. While everyone is picking a side in Drake’s battle with Kendrick Lamar, the rapper floated the idea that they should squash it. He even suggested that the two superstars should team up with J. Cole and go on tour together. “The songs of these three great rappers (I’m biased against Kuala Lumpur) will never attract public attention,” he reasoned. “So this groveling kid blows the casuals out of the water… and gets them all on tour so we can pick our seats.”
About the author
Danilo is a writer from San Diego. He graduated from the Tucson Art Institute with a bachelor’s degree in digital media and began a career as a pop culture journalist. Prior to joining HotNewHipHop.com, he performed hip-hop covers for Heavy.com, Rhyme Junkies and PopMatters. Danilo’s top five is constantly changing, but Biggie and Slug from Atmosphere remain permanent fixtures. His favorite rap album of all time is Kanye West’s Late Registration, and that’s always been the case.
