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.
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.
