Chuck D Criticized By Fans Over U.S. State Department Partnership

Chuck D is arguably the most famous political rapper of all time. He rattled the music industry as the voice of Public Enemy, and solidified himself as a genre legend in the process. Chuck D is a name that’s synonymous with rebellion and individuality, which is why his recent decision has drawn so much criticism. The rapper partnered with the U.S. State Department and President Joe Biden to serve as a Global Music Ambassador. It’s a title that sounds good on paper, but is setting off alarm bells for hip-hop fans.

Variety announced the partnership on June 25. Chuck D was unveiled, alongside Lainey Wilson, Herbie Hancock, and several others, as the face of the program. The Public Enemy icon even issued a statement that outlined his intentions. “Bridging cultural divides and inspiring positive change has been part of my life’s work,” he claimed. “And it is a responsibility I don’t take lightly. Being a global music ambassador is an opportunity to use my voice and music to inspire everyone.” Chuck D also expressed a desire to set a good example for future artists. “[I want to see] new generations of human beings from many places,” he asserted. “Leading, activating and uniting making a better world through Music which is the universal language.”

The comments were not as optimistic as Chuck D. Twitter users took the rapper to task for aligning himself with the government. Especially given the topics he’s spent his entire career rapping about. “Promote peace on whose terms, though?,” one user asked. Another user spun the meaning of the rapper’s iconic anthem “Fight the Power” against him. “‘Fight the power’ by joining an empire of lies,” they tweeted. There were even some who pointed out that Chuck’s decision contradicts the things he was saying earlier this year.

Chuck D urged fans to be wary of the State of Union address President Biden gave in March. He told people to pay attention, even if they didn’t like what they were hearing. He also made it clear that he wasn’t endorsing one political side over the other. “When I say pay attention,” he wrote on Twitter. “It doesn’t mean I’m making a [sic] assumption of who to vote on. I just tell folk stop voting for candidates and expecting them to be Jesus. They ain’t and you best to make them accountable.”