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-Public Enemy

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History

What was the name of Chuck D's first group he was a member of before Public Enemy?
Spectrum (Spectrum City)

Who were the members of Spectrum City?
Chuck D, Hank Boxley, and Keith Boxley (the Boxley brothers changed their last name to Shocklee)

How did Public Enemy get it's name?

Flavor told Chuck that a local rapper wanted to battle him.  They made a song called Public Enemy #1.  They prepared 4 songs by the time Rick Rubin (of DefJam) came to them for an album deal.  Two of these songs already contained the words "Public Enemy".  So Hank Shocklee suggested to call the group Public Enemy instead of Spectrum City.

How did Public Enemy get it's logo?
Chuck D drew it himself.  The silhouette is of E Love, who was L.L. Cool J's sidekick at the time.

How did Chuck D meet Flavor Flav?
One of the members of the Townhouse Three (later known as Sons of Bazerk) brought Flavor as a guest to the studio where Chuck D worked. 

What was Flavor Flav known as before he was Flavor Flav?
MC DJ Flavor.  Hank Shocklee suggested to "throw a name on your name like Melle Mel, Flavor Flav"

What was Flavor Flav known as to his friends before he was Flavor Flav or MC DJ Flavor?
Rico

What were Chuck D's first words to Flavor Flav?
"You can't smoke up here. You have to go outside."

What was Terminator X known as before he was Terminator X?
DJ Mellow D

Who gave Terminator X his 'new' name and what does it mean?
Chuck D...it means he's terminating all the thing we think we believe, that we really don't know about

What were the S1W's known as before they were the S1Ws?
Unity Force

What is Chuck D's real name?
Carlton Ridenhour

What year was Chuck D born?
1960 (August 1)

What is Flavor Flav's real name?
William Drayton

What year was Flavor Flav born?
1959 (March 16th) 

What is Terminator X's real name?
Norman Rogers

What year was Terminator X born?
1966 (August 25th)

What is Professor Griff's real name?
Richard Griffin

What year was Professor Griff born?
1960 (August 1) - Same day and year as Chuck D

What does Terminator X do when he's not with Public Enemy?
Ostrich farmer

How did Flavor Flav get the idea to wear a clock around his neck?
Chuck D wore a little stopwatch around his neck (which was the style) on the first few shows of the Licensed to Ill tour.  Chuck bought three clocks from a furniture store and gave Flavor one suggesting to "wear the same thing I'm wearing".  Flavor wore the clock to signify what time it was.

Where did Chuck D go to high school?
Roosevelt High School

Where did Chuck D go to college?
Adelphi University

What high school kid (now well-known rapper) was there when Public Enemy came up with "Rebel without a Pause" in 1987?
Buster Rhymes (now Busta Rhymes)

What was Public Enemy's first tour?
The Licensed to Ill tour (Beastie Boys)

What are some of the rock groups has Pubilc Enemy toured with?
U2
Anthrax and Primus
Sisters of Mercy

Where was Public Enemy's first gig on the U2 tour?
Madison, Wisconsin (my hometown)

What were Chuck D's non-music related jobs before Public Enemy?
Moved furniture for his father's shop with Flavor Flav
Worked at a photo lab processing film, and another photo lab as a messenger

What was the names of the cartoon strips that Chuck D made in college?
Tales of the Sky and College Madness

What radio station did Chuck D work for in college?
WBAU

What clothing company did Chuck D start in 1990?
RappStyle

Hank Shocklee and Chuck D eventually convinced the Disco Three to change their name to the Fat Boys.

Chuck D was one of the very first interviewers of Run DMC ever. 

I'll bet you didn't know that Flava Flav is a classic pianist!?!  Half the songs on the last Roots album were played by him. He also plays drums, bass, guitar (17 instruments total)...his mom was trained on the piano and taught him how to play as well.


Back to Dean's Tribute to Public Enemy (Main)

Public Enemy albums
Public Enemy albums
Public Enemy albums
Public Enemy albums