Newalbum is a Flava of what’s to come
THIS year’s return of revolutionary hip-hop and rap legends Public Enemy is timely.
Their trailblazing albums Fear of a Black Planet and It Takes a Nation of Millions, along with signature hits Fight the Power and Bring the Noise, foreshadowed America’s current racial conflagrations.
They kicked off 2020 with single State of the Union (STFU) – a blistering attack on Donald Trump.
Now founders Chuck D and sidekick Flavor Flav summon Parliament-Funkadelic legend George Clinton to help map the way ahead on the title track of new album What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down?
“Uncle George is a visionary,” said Chuck D, on the line from somewhere on the US east coast. “He’s able to see our next 10 years.
“Just like he was able to see us going into this century, how to culturally move society, mentally, consciously and also be very funky at the same time.”
Earlier this year, Chuck and Flavor appeared to have parted ways following a heated public exchange of words after Chuck played a benefit gig for US Democratic senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders under the name Public Enemy Radio.
Chuck later dismissed their bust-up as an April Fool’s prank.
“Now it is a bit of an April Fool’s thing but remember, I got more words than he got,” Chuck said.
Flavor has spent spells in rehab but, according to Run DMC (one of many guest turns on the new album), Chuck has never been high in his life.
Other than admitting to having spent his 60th birthday “quietly”, Mr D refuses to discuss personal information.
“I don’t give anything to the public,” he said. “They don’t need to know how I’m laying in bed or eat my food.”
What about the Chuck D voice, though? Has any spokenword voice ever captured more might on the mic?
Even booming down the phone line, Chuck’s voice makes a mighty impression sounding like, if not quite the Voice of God, America at least.
Where did it come from?
“My father,” he said. “I always thought he was the loudest human being on the planet.
“He could yell from one town to the next, holler at a mountain and probably cut it in half.
“A lot of the serenity I’ve built with that voice were philosophies from my mother and father.”
What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down? is out next Friday.