Chuck D defends Will Smith!

[Jin]

Chuck D, leader and co-founder of the legendary hip-hop group Public Enemy, urged hundreds of students Monday night to fight the "dumbassification" of America, a society run by corporations that muffles intelligent thought and encourages material excess.

"Once upon a time the smart kids was rewarded," Chuck D said before a two-thirds filled Wisconsin Union Theater in Memorial Union. "Now the class clown wears a crown and gets rewarded for being out of code."

African Americans are stereotyped on television, and especially in music videos, as unintelligible thugs, Chuck D said, because that image is best suited to help media corporations make money.

Chuck D came to UW-Madison as part of the school's Distinguished Lecture Series. He was recently added to the slate of speakers after Cornel West cancelled his appearance because of conflicts with his academic schedule. Betty Friedan also cancelled because she is not in condition to travel, said Ann Hanson of the DLS committee.

Several times in his more than two-hour speech, Chuck D attacked contemporary rappers like 50 Cent and Lil' Wayne for glamorizing violence and material goods.

"Just because you're a rapper, it don't mean you speak for people," Chuck D said.

He also lamented the hip-hop community's use of the word "nigger" as an endearing term.

He began his speech talking about the late 1970s and the birth of hip-hop, saying the only recent cultural parallel was the mid-1950s and the emergence of rock and roll.

"Nobody knew where it was going, what it was, but there was an electricity in the air," Chuck D said, recalling the early party scene of hip-hop. "I can't explain it. It made people lose their goddamn mind."

Chuck D also decried America's foreign policy as arrogant and attacked President Bush for playing "grand-theft oil." He said Americans think themselves better than citizens of other nations, as emphasized by ambivalence over the Gulf War.

"There were casualties, no matter how smart those bombs may have been," Chuck D said.

A central point of his speech was the unintelligence of American culture, propagated by empty television programs like Jerry Springer and dating shows.

"Don't let the TV tell you anything. The TV ain't real," Chuck D said.

"They call TV programming," he said later. "Why do you think they call it programming for? Because you're the ****ing robot."

He encouraged audience members to think for themselves and speak their minds clearly, attacking the status quo.

Chuck D also said many hip-hop fans only follow the hype surrounding the hottest artists, and over the course of the evening he defended the rapping abilities of Will Smith, MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice.

http://www.dailycardinal.com/news/2003/03/...ts-390547.shtml

[Jin]

I've waited for such a comment of Chuck D about...i'm glad that he defends Will'S rap abilities and attacks 50 and the other fake rappers!

[fan 4ever]

Man he puts Will Smith in the same category as Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer!! :confused3:

[FreshPrincess]

:thumb: thanks for this

[JumpinJack AJ]

Thanx 4 that. Chuck D is always droppin' knowlege. I don't know why he defended Vanilla Ice tho.' I didn't like Vanilla Ice as person until i watched Surreal Life (2). Back in 1990, Vanilla Ice waz on The Arsenio Hall Show and brought Flavour Flav out of the audience. Aresenio attacked him and said something like "did you do something like that to give you Hip-Hop credibility?" It waz funny seeing Arsenio go at him like that. Ice stayed cool and the audience didn't really take sides. But a few days later, Chuck D made a comment saying Public Enemy would never be connected to Vanilla Ice. :hilarious:

[FreshPrincess]

Man he puts Will Smith in the same category as Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer!! :confused3:

:hilarious: :hilarious:

[Lerkot]

Yeah thx.

[MooseKnuckles]

thanks for this..good stuff..but vanilla ice? :poke:

[bigted]

This ain't shocking, he always defends Will, their ain't nothin' wrong with MC Hammer I don't know why people link him to Vanilla Ice that's as stupid as linking 2Pac to Biggie, but Chuck D had no beef with Vanilla Ice, he's actually friends with him too, he's the most open minded mc in hip-hop, he's even working on a song with Nelly for the "Longest Yard" soundtrack, I don't know why! :confused3: But I got a lot of respect for Mistachuck for not dissin' everyone 'cause Nelly actually calmed down now and said that he didn't want to diss KRS and thinks that he's a legend and I don't see Nelly goin' around beefin' with every rapper, but I don't like his music, Chuck D's beef is with rappers that think they're bigger than the game and I think that is the most legit beef, going around and dissin' every rapper ain't gonna solve anythin' but 50's more of an embarassment to hip-hop than Vanilla Ice was and if you don't think so, you're crazy! :poke:

Look at what Chuck D said about Vanilla Ice a few years ago, it doesn't change my opinion of me thinkin' Vanilla Ice is a wack mc but that doesn't mean you can't be open-minded:

"This news already out before I even said yea or nay. I hear that eMpTyV leaked out a report that VANILLA ICE’S next album is gathering PE for a collab. Well not exactly, CONFRONTATION CAMP is possibly gonna do some work on it. It was just talk but now the CAMP’s band element, CHAINGANG, will come to the table with some involvement. I don’t think cats know that the leader, KYLE JASON, will take on many, damn near most, collabs and cares less about making ‘the cool move’. KYLE hates most industry cliques and standards and relishes ‘underdog ****,’ which is why he nods his head to this move as long as it’s aggressive. Reading the ENEMY BOARD’S comments I feel what cats are saying to an extent but don’t confuse the two. CONFRONTATION CAMP, and KYLE especially, doesn’t want carry over PE fans for the namesake of it. I’ve told him that’s gonna be hard, with both myself and GRIFF, and even DJ LORD, in the group. As far as my take on it, as long as the music’s aggressive I’m ok with it. I look at VANILLA ICE beyond his early 90s trip and I’m honest about that. I think perception is important, but it rules robots just a bit much these days. If people wanna hold his art and consider him forever wack it’s an unfair assessment to evaluate in 2000. In 1990 there were probably a LOT OF SUBURBAN MCs across Amerikkka who didn’t develop until the mid-late 90s, and probably just obtained their total skills in the past few years. I happened to meet this guy when he was a kid in 1988 opening up for PE on tour in OKLAHOMA CITY. I’ve made that no secret. Tried to sign him then, it didn’t work out and I wished him well, which he did. Always said if the right thing came along there’d be some room to work together. The right thing I considered is the rap/metal collab, which I’ve always liked, and I dug his last project. CONFRONTATION CAMP is getting off the ground and a lot of cats will be uncomfortable. The members are cool with that…"

If Em came out in 1990 he'd sound just as wack as Vanilla Ice, he was probably rollin' to that. :hilarious:

Edited April 12, 2005 by bigted

[Angel Amor]

I was waiting for Chuck D to say something. :thumb: He always had Will's back. But yeah comparing Will to Vanilla Ice :confused3: I understand MC Hammer alittle. I mean when you look back didn't MC Hammer change his name to just Hammer and came out wit a song called "Pumps and a Bump" or something like that. To me that video look alittle thugish :confused3: . But Vanilla Ice well to me was fake rapper. Cause in his song "Ice Ice Baby" didn't he says "I grab my nine and all I heard was shells falling"(violance)or is that just me . He never grew up in the hood. :confused3: Anyway I glad he has Will's back. And is still has the love for ol' school hiphop, not this fake gangsta rap music. D is still so inspiring. I wish Will and Chuck D could cut a record together. :angel:

[MissAshley]

I was waiting for Chuck D to say something. :thumb: He always had Will's back. But yeah comparing Will to Vanilla Ice :confused3: I understand MC Hammer alittle. I mean when you look back didn't MC Hammer change his name to just Hammer and came out wit a song called "Pumps and a Bump" or something like that. To me that video look alittle thugish :confused3: . But Vanilla Ice well to me was fake rapper. Cause in his song "Ice Ice Baby" didn't he says "I grab my nine and all I heard was shells falling"(violance)or is that just me . He never grew up in the hood. :confused3: Anyway I glad he has Will's back. And is still has the love for ol' school hiphop, not this fake gangsta rap music. D is still so inspiring. I wish Will and Chuck D could cut a record together. :angel:

:werd:

he lost me with Vanilla Ice, lol, but it's always cool to hear Will getting props, esp. from the likes of Chuck D.

:thumb:

[Jin]

what do you have against vanilla ice??? it tastes good! :hilarious: :hilarious:

[bigted]

I don't think Chuck D was comparing FP to Vanilla Ice, the college kids in the crowd were probably only heard "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It", but you know what though, some kids actually diss Chuck D too for not having much lyricism compared to Jay-Z but Chuck's rhymes are more powerful than what Jay-Z has ever said("99 Problems" is hypocritical 'cause one minute Jay-Z tries to sound righteous but then the next minute he starts braggin') it doesn't matter how much you say it's what you say that counts, Vanilla Ice didn't have much structure either as FP, Chuck D, or MC Hammer but his rhyme content was pointless, if you say somethin' important it's beyond structure, like this verse from "Fight The Power", it don't get deeper than this:

"1989 the number another summer (get down)

Sound of the funky drummer

Music hittin' your heart cause I know you got sould

(Brothers and sisters hey)

Listen if you're missin' y'all

Swingin' while I'm singin'

Givin' whatcha gettin'

Knowin' what I know

While the Black bands sweatin'

And the rhythm rhymes rollin'

Got to give us what we want

Gotta give us what we need

Our freedom of speech is freedom or death

We got to fight the powers that be

Lemme hear you say

Fight the power"

I actually wouldn't mind if FP decided to go back to a simplier rhyme structure again as long as he keeps up with the positive messages, "Lost and Found" proves though that FP's lyricism has evolved, but the content has always been there, it takes more than being a great lyricist to be a hip-hop legend.

btw, this ain't the 1st time Chuck D has defended FP, he's done it many times before, check out this from his terrordome in April 2001:

"Hey Chuck,

I've been a fan since "Nation of Millions", and I actually met you when you spoke at Harvard a few years ago. (Cornell West was my prof.) I really appreciated your view of hip hop history. Thanks.

One question: During that speech, someone in the audience ripped Will Smith, and you went out of your way to strongly defend Smith. I often recount the story to friends who think he's a lightweight, but I don't remember exactly what you said about him. Do you have an opinion today? Thanks.

Mike

WILL AND I GO BACK…WITH JAZZY, JEFF WE TOURED TOGETHER A BIT FROM 1987-1991…A GOOD GUY 4 REAL AND A FAST RHYMER. WHEN IT MEANT SOMETHING. PLUS HE RARELY RAPPED OUT OF CHARACTER, EXCEPT WHEN HE THOUGHT HE COULD'VE BEAT MIKE TYSON…"

Edited April 12, 2005 by bigted

[Jazzy Julie]

If only all these 50 fans would listen to ppl like that, i get scared sometimes that if these artists carry on it will be the death of hip hop, at least decent hip hop.

i liked vanilla ice....when i was about 9 lol, i cant really say i enjoy that music anymore. :kekeke:

[Jin]

The only song from Vanilla Ice i like is ICE ICE BABY!

Who else is giving FP props?