Chuck D. Talks Elvis And Eminem

Chuck D. recently clarified his feelings on Elvis Presley during an interview with Newsday for an article commerating the 25th anniversary of the famed singers death. On the hip-hop classic "Fight The Power," from Spike Lee’s "Do The Right Thing," Chuck D. rapped "Elvis, was a hero to most/but he never meant sh*t to me." […]

Chuck D. recently

clarified his feelings on Elvis Presley during an interview with Newsday for

an article commerating the 25th anniversary of the famed singers death. On the

hip-hop classic "Fight The Power," from Spike Lee’s "Do The Right

Thing," Chuck D. rapped "Elvis, was a hero to most/but he never meant

sh*t to me."

"As a musicologist

– and I consider myself one – there was always a great deal of respect for Elvis,

especially during his Sun sessions. As a black people, we all knew that,"

Chuck told Newsday. "My whole thing was the one-sidedness – like, Elvis’

icon status in America made it like nobody else counted. My heroes came from

someone else. My heroes came before him. My heroes were probably his heroes.

As far as Elvis being ‘The King,’ I couldn’t buy that.”

When asked if there

was a modern day Elvis, Chuck had an answer. "Eminem is the new Elvis because,

number one, he had the respect for black music that Elvis had,” Chuck D said.

"I think he’s courteous and sympathetic to black music, and, unfortunately,

he’s more sympathetic to black music than many black artists themselves.”

Public Enemy’s

latest album Revolverlution is in stores now.