DAMN!

I told each and every member coming back into the dressing room after
literally tearing the roof off a capacity crowd in the former Soviet
aligned eastern block nation of Bulgaria.

I had rarely seen such power, diversity, and energy coming from what
in essence is a rap group. I seen a lot in 25 trust me. I told my guys
that I'd pay to get down with them if I wasn't a part of it. It's
combination is rare... DJ Lord -bassist Brian Hardgroove -guitarist
Khari Wynn -Drummer Michael NYC Mike Faulkner , combine an
unbelievable rhythm section specifically styled for past present and
future track backing.

It's a monster when combined with Flavor Flav and I think when I add
myself and Griff it's something else. Passport issues have kept S1w
James Bomb and Professor Griff back in the states to handle base
duties in a headquarters type of way.


Thus there has been 2 lineups Goin on . the US version; Griff plays a
very important vocal middle. The international lineup brings the band
more upfront. After 7 years playing together the PE catalog and
nuances are figured in as an incredible platform to blast off. And
this is not about a typical band with DJ sound , it's about the sum of
the sonic parts and the innovation surrounding the show itself. Almost
as if its performing CLASSIC songs with a multi track board to raise
or mute sounds.

This concept was initially inspired by none other than the Roots back
in 1998 upon playing a festival outside Tokyo . I felt shackled by a
DJ and its limitations with records after 11 years of perfecting that
style with Public Enemy. It then was considered one of if not the best
yet hardest hitting performance acts of the genre. After incorporating
various musicians to the addition of DJ Lord in the wake of Terminator
X's retirement.

HERE COMES THE BANNED

After 1999 and 2000, the real jelling came with the addition of Brian
Hardgroove who not only came in as a superb bassist with contact,
knowledge and connections, but he took over as band leader and devised
a proper way to play on and off the recorded DJ sounds. Hardgroove
reasoned that the records were created with inner dynamics and sonics
that needed to be understood not just played. Thus the baNNed is a
rhythm section not just a band that plays under Public Enemy.

It has it's own lean style. Muscular and powerful in the necessary
punch. Although Professor Griff is not part of the current
international lineup as well as S1W James Bomb with visa and passport
issues, Griffs signature is across the design of this road machine.

Over the years since the backing band w DJ phenomena starting in the
early mid nineties I've seen acts deliver a certain style. Usually
sonics that reflect the choppy slower beat driven style of the past 15
years of hip hop reflecting more radio friendly keyboard driven
sounds. The noise and power aspects practically abandoned and left to
the Rock Rap combos of the mid 90s. Thus the total experience lacks
the audience post performance awe and enthusiasm necessary to rank it
with performance genres like rock, soul, gospel, reggae and so on.

Rap music bum rushed the show in the early 80s as the epitome of
performance art. The essential hip hop elements were strongly in
effect. The performances of rock and roll hall of famers Grandmaster
Flash and the Furious Five , Cold Crush Brothers, Hall of Famers RUN
DMC, Whodini ..initially set out to even better their hot records and
videos with unforgettable shows. Sure Doug E Fresh has records but the
fact that he can bring a house down without them is no less than mind
boggling.

TODAYS STAGE IS EVERYWHERE BUT THE STAGE

Theres a lot of things going on currently in the music and record
biz. Satisfaction from the performance aspect of rap music hovers
barely over anything exciting. Never thought fkn business heads would
pimp laziness into the artist in lieu of just getting down. Down to
the fact of artists are performing more off stage than on it. The
actual line between Drake, Rick Ross, Waka Flocka ,Nicki Minaj ,and
their audiences may be more rich, famous and privileged vs Poor and
average fan consumer. Today it's like look at my watch ,money and
opportunity and that's the modern epitome of todays 'star at work '.

Last of a dying breed talents are forced into gimmick territory to
move units rather than a crowd. While Jay Z , Ludacris Eminem and Lil
Wayne may be the exception ,the record game has chased rappers into
solo individuals who can do only so much against a Metallica ,Rage
Against the Machine , Rolling Stones ..powerful groups that leave the
audience awestruck without big budget. Or maybe hip hop is now about
soloist presentation and the eradication of groups .....but the
question about post performance still remains ; are the performance
beyond the hype , explosions, videos, and recordings ,or was it
exciting because they just showed up to an audience of low expectation
and standard?

I like power and energy thus the letters PE. I like to support artists
who leave it all on the stage. Onyx ,MOP, Red and Meth have never been
lazy. Busta Rhymes, Doug E Fresh, and DMX are trained to bring the
house down with a chain and a bucket of water , no special effects.
Awe inspiring . Bottom line if hip hop artists don't give 100% in
their performances and continue to stretch the skill ability area
between artist and fan then why would anyone continue to support a
genre that has been mostly take rather than give the past 15 years?

EUROPE TO THE EAST, MY BROTHER TO THE EAST.

So after leaving the stage following the encore given to a very
raucous crowd in Sofia, Bulgaria it was yet another groundbreaking
moment for Public Enemy in it's 70th tour in our 23 years. A tour for
us means a period of time , a continental region or both.

In this case the 5th leg of a planned 8 leg tour across a year and a
half , means parts of middle and eastern Europe. The night before
Sofia we kicked off the tour with our second visit to Moscow Russia.
the first being on the coldest June day I had ever experienced back in
2003. 7 years later , so many changes to the country, city and even
the airport.

In 2003 I refused to take a very short direct Aeroflot flight to
Belgrade Serbia-Montenegro, opting to leave Moscow in a very early
bizarre departure ( a Moscow policeman stopped the van speeding to the
airport and the driver satisfied a potential problem with cash on the
spot). I read so much about the condition of old former Soviet Union
Aeroflot commercial planes that made early 1990s US Air seem like a
Richard Branson sed spaceship. Now Aeroflot seems like Delta ,
reliable with newer Airbus planes. There is more outside investment
into Russian and east block infrastructure , which can be good and bad
depending on the case. But traveling for us is not a joke, so those
invested upgrades are welcomed.

The shows in Moscow and first time to Sofia Bulgaria , were
hammering. The sets diverse and fun to be within. The following
performance in Warsaw Poland was a groundbreaking one. The audience
hadn't gotten much hi powered HipHop performances over the years.
There is a different energy in Eastern Europe. Its come from years
when people couldn't come across the border so that had something to
do with the anticipation of us i feel.

Since that beginning of the tour. PE also hit Germany each in the east
middle and west of that country. Czech Republic ,Amsterdam,
Brussells, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Luxembourg . Added the
first time 3 more countries Luxembourg, Bulgaria, and Poland to the
list of Nations Public Enemy has performed in, where people have
really waited for 23 years to see us. Smoking bans have helped me on
stage . Nothing worse than doing 3 hours of cardio
in a smoky arena. The bus made travel beautiful from as far as Italy
and Czech Rep to catching the ferry from France to the Dover cliffs of
Britain.

PARIS and LONDON

Amsterdam was a banger. Playing in PARADISO the great mid town centre
venue we took the show all out , especially after a full day off to
rest. The same night BIG BOI from OUTKAST was in the place to be
performing in the same venue 3 hours afterwards. He did his thing as I
waited but had to leave to the hotel. A similar atmosphere was in
Paris where a PE performance has been a solid staple since we've
reacquainted ourselves in the past 12 years with that country.

London was calling and we came, soared and scored. Earlier in the day
besides rolling off a 10 hour bus ride from France , FLAV, DJ LORD,
HARDGROOVE and I did an impromptu Q and A Press conference performance
courtesy of SARAH and SALLY EDWARDS of BLAG Magazine at the CONCRETE
venue


MY WRITING HAS BEEN SPORADIC THIS YEAR FOR THE SAKE OF BUILDING SUPER
PORTALS.

The plan; get more momentum for WWW.HIPHOPGODS.COM where CLASSIC rap
goes on and on past the breaka dawn and www.SHEmovement.com for
sisters in hip hop everywhere. The latter looking to finish a merger
partnership with the great MC LYTE.

I've also been writing and reading it for broadcast on my radio show
AndYouDontStop! Which has moved from Mondays to FRIDAY NIGHTS FROM
8P-10P ON WWW.WBAI.ORG AND 99.5FM IN NYC.
I usually have been Writing. An intro and outro as well as 2 segment
pieces. I will find a way to upload and adapt those pieces in to the
vacancy of Tdomes these past 6 months.

It seems now in there's a world saying and passing opinion, I'm
choosing to say less. There surly isn't a time for my silence though
my motivation to pass along what I think just needs to ride higher
multimedia plains. thus I've kept some notes in a written book.

DRIVING AVIS and SLAMjamz SUPPORT ACTS.

Had a great time driving most of the USA Fear tour. nothing like the
roads in the states to witness some of the earths most diverse
territory. The east coast trip from Boston to Buffalo reminded me when
I drove the first PE tour with the Beastie Boys. Makes you think of
the Erie Canal and it's significance. Then doing the seaboard downward
in my van was a true experience .

That took me back when I moved furniture etc. The acts that also
appeared on the tour THE IMPOSSEBULLS and LOWDOWN in Cleveland,
Buffalo, Lancaster and Philadelphia PA, KENDO THE ALMOST FAMOUS in
Boston, Albany, Philadelphia , Washington DC, Norfolk and Richmond
Virginia as well as New York City. The Johnny Juice driven and
produced SON OF BAZERK opening in Boston, doing Albany Washington
Philly and NYC. The SUPERNATURAL INC collective hitting Atlanta,
Orlando and Ft Lauderdale. And CREW GRRL ORDER playing Charlotte and
Raleigh NC as well as a great show in Atlanta.

Thus making full sense closing out the year in SLAMjamz support
touring are TIJANA BASS doing Amsterdam, Brussells, Luxembourg,
Germany and Paris, as with the Netherlands MIKE METAL AND TRANZLATE
doing The same dates but representing in a closer geographical German
city to his Dutch base. They did incredibly well.

ROLLIN WITH RICK AND LINKIN

Before I left RICK RUBIN called me up and requested that I would drop
a verse on the new Linkin Park record they dedicated to me somewhat.
Wretches and Thieves is the cut off their new album. Mike Shinoda said
publicly that the Anthrax /PE 1991 tour date in Irvine California
inspired him to LP. I'm humbled and honored. Also it reminded me of
the story that Grahm Nash of the Hollies and CSG fame had been
inspired by and Everly Brothers concert and behind the venue personal
signature talk encouraging the young artists while in the night rain.
While I always abided to the humble approach with fams, that story
always keeps me grounded in thinking that a little encouragement can
rocket someone to higher ground. Also I recall atl rapper T.I saying
to me that I ran into him at a IHOP there. I asked him was I nice to
him. He said yeah. I was cool.

I talked to my man Beat Boxxing WISE from STETSASONIC and the
HipHopGod is doing well in Virginia working on his bachelor degree in
college. He and the rest of the Stet cats are special brothers to me.
We talked for about a half hour, I told him to check out
hiphopgods.com where good stories about CLASSIC artists is what is
focused upon. not this new dirt sht.

Favorite video KRS-ONE AND JUST ICE
Blah,Blah,Blah
Had me dying on Just Ices verse

VIDEO KILLED THE MP3 STAR...

Speaking of video a couple of videos to talk about. THE ECLECTIC
METHOD and I hooked up to do a series of expressions. I recorded a
track with them called OUTTASIGHT , whereas they would show their
audio visual mix mash prowess on something freshly created. I also
shot verses for them in Georgia and NYC. in turn they remixed the CREW
GRRL ORDER FIRST Lady single complete with audio and video mix. The
original video was coupled with GO GREEN BY IAN ROSENBURG AND ETHAN
BLUM OF BROODBABY PRODUCTIONS. Also in exchange Eclectic Method pieced
together the brilliant Tear Down That Wall which combined and
incredible mix of stock footage and shot takes from CDoc Snyder. As
for the rest of shooting partner and SLAMfilms head David CDOC Snyder
shot Public Enemys Say It Like It Really Is at Niagara Falls during
the Fear tour. Also shooting WELCOME TO THE TERRORDOME (yes I said it)
and Black Steel and What Side You On? By the baNNed. So be prepared go
to the HOME PAGE its time.

FUTURE OF MUSIC COALITION ..DC

Had a great time in DC at the Future of Music Coalition where I did a
panel in trying to predict the music industry in 5 years. As I sat
between JIM GRIFFIN and TOMMY SILVERMAN , I was impressed by the
astute panel and especially in the direction that IAN ROGERS' TOPSPIN
is headed for independent artists and labels. My major soundbite of
the panel was a question I hope to answer in 2011. It's 'HOW CAN AN
ARTISTS BECOME A FAN OF IT'S NUMBER ONE FAN?'

510 DOCUMENTARY

A documentary on the original Public Enemy headquarters 510 South
Franklin Street has been done by musicologist Earl Holder. It talks to
quite a few instrumental figures in the humble beginnings of worldwide
Strong Island HipHop. scroll and peep the trailer on PETV

THIS WEEK IN HIP HOP AND RAP on AndYouDontStop! Radio

Big Ups and thank you to RON MASKELL AND DUKE EATMON , true
professionals of the highest order. They have done radio shows
dedicated to hip hop since the 90s . Very comprehensive
And detailed in their This Is Not A Test rap radio shows, I am pleased
to be working with them as a contributor to the Andyoudontstop radio
show. They will submit a weekly THIS WEEK IN HIP HOP AND RAP segment.
Was also pleased to have dinner with them in Mount Real Canada, and
enjoyed Ron Maskell and wifes company during the Central Park summer
stage concert in the city of New York.


SAT IT REMIX CONTEST CLOSING

The Say it like it really is RMX contest promotion is final , which
has produced a slew full of brilliant producers to the table. December
1st winners will be announced. Once again David CDOC Snyder pulled
all the stops out in its creation.
The video had many photo images of people and artists throughout time
we've respected. It could not include everyone and its comments on YOU
TUBE were based on who was left off as opposed to who was in it.
Personally I was hitting myself for not including Speech and the great
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT. I promised him we should ecord a song together
and tour next year for sure.


MICHAEL VICK and BARRY BONDS
Before I go I definitely add that I smell so much amerikkkan racism is
sports , it aint funny. MICHAEL VICKS jail time
was shameful considering all the crap in the past of this country. Now
they're sooo surprised at the ability of VICK. Please . Please Please...
and The fact that BARRY BONDS was not given a contract to play in 2008
smacks me the same way. Of course baseball keeps PETE ROSE and ROGER
CLEMENS as post racial excuses. But the BARRY BONDS thing still pisses
me off. In 2008 there was still few pitchers to figure how to pitch to
BB. Barry Bonds and Michael Vick ..Chuck D salutes You.

KANYE WEST apologizing to Bush was confusing. JAY Z book DECODED is a
good read I hear and a lotta rappers now are putting books out. I
would like to hear what some of these cats stand for though. I would
ask for artist to not be holograms and brag about a past where they
fed off of being sperm from a cartel. With great POWER comes
Responsibility , so consider who you as the public give your power to,
and figure really what that entity is all about .







peace
Chuck D
Chuckd@publicenemy.com
www.publicenemy.com 
www.HIPHOPGODS.COM / 'Where CLASSIC Rap Lives On!' 

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