Concert Review: Public Enemy

Review of Public Enemy at Majestic Ventura Theater, 1/14/12.

Interview: Chuck D

Chuck D is one of the most important figures in the history of hip-hop music. He is the founder and lead rapper for the hugely influential (and controversial) band Public Enemy, which created a powerful mix of politically-charged lyrics and layered, aggressive sounds. Their second album, 1988′s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, is widely regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, and is considered to be hugely important for making rap music popular with white audiences. Other notable Public Enemy albums include Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987), Fear of a Black Planet (1990), Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black (1991), and How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul??? (2007).

Chuck D answered the following questions by email on 1/6/12 for a preview article for Public Enemy’s 1/14/12 concert at the Majestic Ventura Theater. (L. Paul Mann photo)

Photos: Public Enemy

Public Enemy at the Sunset Strip Music Festival, 8/20/11 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Advice From Musicians

Songwriters and musicians answer the question: What advice would you give to an aspiring songwriter/musician? Responses from:

Pete Seeger
Sir George Martin
Steve Reich
Jeff Barry
David Crosby
Graham Nash
Fats Domino
Willie Nelson
George Clinton
Wanda Jackson
Ian Anderson
Jon Anderson
Arlo Guthrie
John Mayall
Jeff Mangum
Greg Lake
Geoff Emerick
Bonnie Bramlett
Chuck D
Eddie Izzard
Rickie Lee Jones
Todd Rundgren
Alan Parsons
Laurie Anderson
Dan Hicks
Glen Matlock
Danny Seraphine
Clem Burke
Stephen Perkins
Holly Near
Will Jennings
Kinky Friedman
Raffi
Yanni
Mark Volman
Howard Kaylan
Richie Furay
Ted Nugent
Billy Corgan
Peter Buck
Bryan Adams
Maceo Parker
“Weird Al” Yankovic
Billy Duffy
Chris Shiflett
Nick Oliveri
Kronos Quartet: David Harrington, John Sherba, Hank Dutt
Morris Day
Abdul “Duke” Fakir
Annie Haslam
David “Honeyboy” Edwards
Jimmy Carter
Ray Manzarek
John Densmore
Paul Kantner
Jorma Kaukonen
Jack Casady
Martin Gore
John McEuen
Kim Wilson
Fred Tackett
Steve Hillage
Robben Ford
Hale Milgrim
Bones Howe
Don Randi
Bob Cowsill
John Cowsill
David Pack
David Lindley
Ricky Phillips
Rosemary Butler
Tata Vega
T-Bone Burnett
Johnny Rivers
Gary Brooker
Robin Trower
Garland Jeffreys
Airto Moreira
Seun Kuti
June Millington
Jean Millington
Jake Shimabukuro
Country Joe McDonald
Jonathan Richman
Van Dyke Parks
Steve Wynn
Steve Diggle
Pete Shelley
Andy Shernoff
Blag Dahlia
James Stevenson
Gary Twinn
Tony Kaye
Glen Phillips
Larry Ramos
Jim Yester
Gary Lucas
Charlie Musselwhite
Carl Giammarese
Carl Graves
Martha High
Steve Vai
Thurston Moore
Bob Mould
Lou Barlow
Cris Kirkwood
Mike Watt
Will Oldham
Bill Callahan
Buzz Osborne
Dale Crover
Jim Heath
Neil Hagerty
Bob Bert
Don Fleming
Jason Lytle
Parry Gripp
Stephen Pope
Jonathan Wilson
Dana Janssen
Zac Holtzman
Ritzy Bryan
Kim Manning
Linnea Vedder
Jim Coleman
James Jackson Toth
John Doe
Dave Alvin
Henry Rollins
Victor Krummenacher
David Lowery
Jonathan Segel
Greg Lisher
Jack Grisham
Ron Emory
Rick Wilder
Scott Franklin
Michael Livingston
Paul Mars
Michael Andrews
Joey Burns
Dallas Good
Michael Chapman
Russell Ferrante
Jimmy Haslip
Eddie Tuduri
Brute Force
Mark Tulin
Ian Underwood
Billy Cox
Jim Kweskin
Geoff Muldaur
Will Cullen Hart
Scott Spillane
Julian Koster
Bert Lams
Paul Richards
John Kadlecik
Seymour Duncan
Daniel Levitin
David Freiberg
Steve Young
Justin Roberts
Taylor Goldsmith
Nolan Wheeler
Charles Bradley
Thomas Brenneck
Mike Deller
Larkin Grimm
Jason Reeves
Buddy Miller
Black Francis
Alex Ebert
Al Kooper
Jeff Hanneman
Ira Kaplan