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CHUCK D
Legendary Rapper and Co-founder of Public Enemy

On or off stage, Chuck D knows how to work his audience. In any venue, this recognized leader and co-founder of legendary rap group Public Enemy covers it all. In his speeches, he goes beyond rap music to discuss topics as diverse as current politics, Internet file-sharing, and VH1’s Strange Love, offering his audiences a jolting combination of intelligence and eloquence.

Born Carlton Ridenhouer in Roosevelt, Long Island, Chuck D formed Public Enemy in 1982. The group rose to fame with their explosive debut album in 1987, redefining rap music and Hip Hop culture. Delivering powerful messages about race, rage, reality, and inequality that reached all segments of the population. Nearly two decades later, after producing nine more albums, and three multi-platinum records, Public Enemy remains one of the most critically acclaimed and highly influential groups in the music industry. He has collaborated with many artists outside his genre, including Isaac Hayes, John Mellencamp, and U2, and has recorded soundtracks for a number of Spike Lee films.

The critical and commercial success of Public Enemy opened the doors for Chuck to deliver his message through a number of different mediums. He has hosted his own segment on the Fox News Channel and published a best-selling autobiography, Fight The Power. He has served as a national spokesperson for Rock The Vote, the National Urban League, and the National Alliance of African American Athletes, and appeared in public service announcements for HBO's campaign for national peace and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. A regular guest on numerous television shows, including Nightline and Politically Incorrect, he recently became a major proponent of, and spokesperson for, the sharing of music on the Internet.

An international innovator, Chuck D has created a music legacy that can be held in the same regard as those of such musical originators as Bono, Bob Dylan, and Bob Marley. In September 1999, he launched a multi-format Web site called Rapstation.com. Home to Hip Hop's most prominent DJs, celebrities, music downloads, social commentary, and current events, the site is dedicated to empowering rap artists with the knowledge and exposure they need to turn their craft into a viable living. It presents rap on a global level, and advocates keeping the music business healthy and growing.

In 2001, Chuck created an online, offline, and midline artist distribution channel through record label SLAMjamz. He went on to launch a radio station on the Internet, Bringthenoise.com. This landmark move made Public Enemy the first multi-platinum-selling act to release their album via the Web before it was available in retail stores. Setting new standards and challenging traditional methods of retail distribution, Chuck's involvement in the Internet has landed him on the covers of the tech industry's leading business magazines. He has also been a guest contributor to Time magazine, and guest editor of Red Herring. His outspoken advocacy of the Web was profiled in Forbes, Time, USA Today, and got him named in Upside magazine's "Elite 100" list of Internet leaders, alongside the likes of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.

Busy working on upcoming books and speeches that combine his key topics of rap, race, reality, and technology, Chuck is frequently requested for all types of events, and is featured in documentaries, interviews, and books. There are few who have transcended music to make an impact as loud as Chuck D.



-Home -History -The Project -Get Involved -Schedule -Press -Sponsors -Organizations -Contact -Links		CHUCK D Legendary Rapper and Co-founder of Public Enemy On or off stage, Chuck D knows how to work his audience. In any venue, this recognized leader and co-founder of legendary rap group Public Enemy covers it all. In his speeches, he goes beyond rap music to discuss topics as diverse as current politics, Internet file-sharing, and VH1’s Strange Love, offering his audiences a jolting combination of intelligence and eloquence. Born Carlton Ridenhouer in Roosevelt, Long Island, Chuck D formed Public Enemy in 1982. The group rose to fame with their explosive debut album in 1987, redefining rap music and Hip Hop culture. Delivering powerful messages about race, rage, reality, and inequality that reached all segments of the population. Nearly two decades later, after producing nine more albums, and three multi-platinum records, Public Enemy remains one of the most critically acclaimed and highly influential groups in the music industry. He has collaborated with many artists outside his genre, including Isaac Hayes, John Mellencamp, and U2, and has recorded soundtracks for a number of Spike Lee films. The critical and commercial success of Public Enemy opened the doors for Chuck to deliver his message through a number of different mediums. He has hosted his own segment on the Fox News Channel and published a best-selling autobiography, Fight The Power. He has served as a national spokesperson for Rock The Vote, the National Urban League, and the National Alliance of African American Athletes, and appeared in public service announcements for HBO's campaign for national peace and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. A regular guest on numerous television shows, including Nightline and Politically Incorrect, he recently became a major proponent of, and spokesperson for, the sharing of music on the Internet. An international innovator, Chuck D has created a music legacy that can be held in the same regard as those of such musical originators as Bono, Bob Dylan, and Bob Marley. In September 1999, he launched a multi-format Web site called Rapstation.com. Home to Hip Hop's most prominent DJs, celebrities, music downloads, social commentary, and current events, the site is dedicated to empowering rap artists with the knowledge and exposure they need to turn their craft into a viable living. It presents rap on a global level, and advocates keeping the music business healthy and growing. In 2001, Chuck created an online, offline, and midline artist distribution channel through record label SLAMjamz. He went on to launch a radio station on the Internet, Bringthenoise.com. This landmark move made Public Enemy the first multi-platinum-selling act to release their album via the Web before it was available in retail stores. Setting new standards and challenging traditional methods of retail distribution, Chuck's involvement in the Internet has landed him on the covers of the tech industry's leading business magazines. He has also been a guest contributor to Time magazine, and guest editor of Red Herring. His outspoken advocacy of the Web was profiled in Forbes, Time, USA Today, and got him named in Upside magazine's "Elite 100" list of Internet leaders, alongside the likes of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Busy working on upcoming books and speeches that combine his key topics of rap, race, reality, and technology, Chuck is frequently requested for all types of events, and is featured in documentaries, interviews, and books. There are few who have transcended music to make an impact as loud as Chuck D.