Kanye “Ye” West’s weeks-long antisemitic tirades cost the former billionaire several lucrative deals and even led to the Republican National Committee rebuking him. However, Hip Hop legend Carlton “Chuck D” Ridenhour, is not willing to publicly bash Ye.
USA Today spoke with Chuck D to promote his Fight the Power: How Hip-Hop Changed the World docuseries. The Public Enemy frontman shared his thoughts about Kanye West during the interview.
“I don’t look at Kanye as being any different than Salvador Dalí,” he said. “I’m gonna keep it to your art and go no further. I’m not in the business of making Black people or Black art look bad.”
He added, “Celebrity is a drug of the USA. They try to tell you it’s a drug of the world, but you go other places and they’ll tell you that you’re an entertainer, you have no political voice. They say, play a song, and don’t say anything to the audience.”
Chuck D Also Alludes To Brittney Griner-Viktor Bout Prisoner Swap
In addition, Chuck D referenced the highly-publicized prisoner exchange involving American basketball player Brittney Griner and Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. The United States government negotiated the release of Griner from Russia after Russian officials detained her for cannabis possession.
“And the No. 1 job of an entertainer is to abide by that law,” he continued. “I learned that with Public Enemy or we would have been Brittney Griner a long time ago. And no one was coming to get a Black male.
Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed The World premiered on January 31 on PBS. The four-part program features Grandmaster Caz, Ice-T, Roxanne Shanté, Run DMC, MC Lyte, B-Real, Melle Mel, Fat Joe, Lupe Fiasco and more.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Chuck D developed Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed The World with Soul Kitchen Music founder Lorrie Boula. The series was produced in partnership with PBS and BBC Music.