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Question Answer
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Chuck D challenges America's youth to get involved in the presidential election.
with Chuck D, rapper and activist
Chuck D is best known for his 20 years as frontman for the rap group Public Enemy, but he's also known to be highly outspoken about politics and activism. He took a few minutes to talk with Jayplay about college radio, the state of hip-hop and rap today, the presidential candidates and students' responsibility to be involved in the upcoming election.
Q: You came to the University in 2005 to celebrate KJHK's 30th birthday. What memories of KU have stuck with you?
A: One of the things I found out about that night was that the KU radio station was the one that Wilt Chamberlain used to have a show on. I think that was before the AM/FM switch.I remember the record room where the radio station does its broadcasting from was impressive also.
Q: You had a radio show when you were in college. What kind of show was it?
A:Yeah, back on WBAU at Adelphi U. in Long Island. We had a show that showcased hip-hop,back when hip-hop was only about singles and there-were very few albums. There were no guarantees on recordings, so we'd actually record some of the local artists on our own, and people would think they were records.
Q: What do you think of college radio today!
A: I think college radio has to really reestablish and find itself on helping out local talent. I think too many college stations are trying to copy what the regular radio
does.I think it's a decision that affects the innovation of finding new music and new artists.
Q: What's your take on the state of hip-hop and rap music today?
A: I'm a little bit envious of the way that other genres take care of themselves, and really envelop themselves into the projection and knowledge of their history. I feel that rap music and hip-hop was led down a neglectful path. Often you see the artists, producers, labels, lawyers and accountants—and at the end of the day the fans know very little about what they're lovin'. The stories are not told well enough to be preserved.
I became a fan of rap music and hip-hop because I knew it was a genre that was based on knowledge and the playing of records. And if you knew the record, you knew the musician. You knew the whole history of why started to make their music, the break beats and everything. It was a quest for musical knowledge of the pioneers that I wanted to aspire to myself.
Q: You're known for being politically active and working with Rock the Vote. What role are you playing in this election?
A: I think the most important part I play is guiding the artists of the last 10 or 15 years to step up in their responsibility to lead. Whether it's the Green Party or Democrats or Republicans—whatever it is, so long as it's forward and correct, then I'm down. But to get out there at age 48 and be one of the few that's depended on to get 22-year-olds to vote is stupid. I don't believe an artist who's 24 or 25 years old—especially young black artists—should defer to somebody older because they feel that they're not adult enough yet to tell people.
Q: What can students at the University of Kansas do to become more politically involved?
A: I tell them that it's a big world out
there. So you want to involve yourself with movements. If you ask a lot of questions, there's always organizations that will find some answers for you. Involve yourself in an organization. Then you'll be able to form your own personal position off of that. But be sure to spend a little time in your own little head, so you know it's your own path that you walk on.
What are your thoughts on Republican presidential candidate John McCain?
A: You know I'm the guy who wrote "don't believe the hype," so perception is something I choose to stay away from. But perception is the only thing I can go on, and he appears to be a nice, gentle, 73-year-old guy, even teddy bear-ish. Who knows that's an act or a trained persona, but I feel that, if elected, McCain will say around June, "Hey, this job is crazier than I thought," and in July he'll turn it over to Sarah Palin.
Q: What about Democratic candidate Barack Obama?
A: Barack Obama, regardless of what you think, seems like he'll roll up his sleeves on day two and go to work.
Q: What would you say to someone who thinks voting is a waste of time?
A: I'd tell them that voting is as important as washing up in the morning. Now, you don't have to wash, but you can't go around saying that something stinks when it could be you.And another thing about voting, just because you voted doesn't mean that you get immediate props. Just because you washed doesn't mean you're going to get a standing ovation because you scrubbed your tail. That was an obligation you had to fulfill to yourself because you're mature enough to understand the responsibility of cleanliness.
Matt Bechtold
October 23, 2008
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