Public Enemy frontman Chuck D celebrated his 64th birthday on Thursday (August 1) and was flooded with messages on social media, texts, shout-outs and phone calls. The outpouring of birthday wishes is a staunch reminder of Chuck D’s indelible impact on Hip-Hop culture.
The revolutionary MC, whose work with Public Enemy includes the groundbreaking albums Fear of a Black Planet and It Takes A Nation of Millions…To Hold Us Back, not only carries the torch for Hip-Hop but also soul, R&B and classic rock, among many others. Among his favorite artists are Led Zeppelin, Marvin Gaye and The Clash, evidence of his diverse taste in music.
Chuck D continually uplifts other musicians and they return the favor, often in the form of lyrics. Any causal rap fan has probably noticed his name gets mentioned in other artists’ songs—a lot.
In honor of Chuck D’s birthday, we collected a few examples of Chuck D’s name getting thrown in a lyric—from Sir Mix-A-Lot and Kendrick Lamar to Ice Cube and Redman.
A Tribe Called Quest: “Show Business” (1991)
“Aw, shucks! Look what the cat hauled in/It’s Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest, let me begin/Like Chuck D, I got so much trouble on my mind/’Bout these no-talent artists getting signed, they can’t rhyme.”
Ice Cube: “Only One Me” (1991)
“I showed Biggie Smalls how to release his anger/Who came before me? Melle Mel, Ice T/King T, KRS and the homie Chuck D/P.E, DMC, n#### know your history/If Cube ain’t top 3, then you’s a b#### to me.”
Kendrick Lamar: “B#### Don’t Kill My Vibe (Remix)” Featuring JAY-Z (2013)
“I’m more than another statistic, my n####/This courtesy of Compton (Courtesy of Compton)/Brooklyn go hard, m###########/Love me on the East like I’m Chuck D/Dominicans wish that I was born there/I’m lookin’ to be the god MC.”
Ice-T: “You Played Yourself” (1989)
“To perpetrate, you’re bait, so just wait/Till the press shove a mic in your face/Or you meet Boogie Down or Chuck D/Stetsasonic or the Big Daddy.”
Sir Mix-A-Lot: “Mack Daddy” (1992)
“N I’m callin’ out skirts like Chuck D/Sista we missed ya, get wit’ me/Comin’, runnin, your boyfriends gunnin’/The big boss is so cunnin’/Some of my home boys hate me/They get a microphone, then try to take me/But you ain’t slip, sayin’ what’s up Mix?/Boy I’m hip to your tricks.”
EPMD: “Never Seen Before” (1997)
“EPMD, what? Uh, yeah/Peace to Chuck/Chuck D/Yeah, uh/You’re not telling ’em huh? Yeah.”
RBL Posse: “Bluebird” (1994)
“And I give a f### ’cause you might catch a buck/You f###### with a n#### going crazy like Chuck D/I’m a G tryna stay sucka free.”
Kool Moe Dee: “Rise ‘N Shine” (1991)
“You have no fear/Cause three live brothers are here/We got KRS-One from Boogie Down Productions/Special shout to Melodie/We got my man Chuck D in the house from Public Enemy.”
Redman: “Redman Meets Reggie Noble” (1992)
“Get your gang ’cause I’m fightin’ with more power than Chuck D/Chuck D from Public Enemy?/Yeah, he’s a friend of me/The one that say, “Brother and sister?”
Aesop Rock: “Lazy Eye” (2016)
“Hey peace Aesop uh It’s Chuck D/Yo man, you keep doin’ what you’re doin’ man/Keep rhymin’ through those walls, alright?”
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