Description
Born Queens, New YorkIn the early 1980s, while at Adelphi University on Long Island, Chuck D (Carlton D. Ridenhour) created a tape for the student radio station where he worked (WBAU) to fend off a fellow local MC. The tape was titled Public Enemy #1. Chuck D’s interest in politics and activism formed the basis for the hip-hop group Public Enemy. Joined by fellow student William Drayton (Flavor Flav), they ushered in a new sound to hip-hop. With layered, noisy street sounds and Chuck D’s booming voice and anti-establishment message juxtaposed against Flavor Fav’s comic relief, Public Enemy changed the face of hip-hop. Chuck D remains a constant voice today, writing a song about Hurricane Katrina and appearing before Congress regarding music file sharing.Since 2000 David Scheinbaum has photographed more than a hundred hip-hop performers, both in concert and backstage.
Image
Gelatin Silver Print
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Record Contributed By
National Portrait GalleryRecord Harvested From
Smithsonian InstitutionKeywords
- Chuck D
- Entertainers
- Male
- Men
- Musician
- Musicians
- Performer
- Performing Arts
- Portrait
- Portraits
- Scheinbaum, David