Chuck D Quotes

Music should be some kind of nourishment.

I don't have any exteriors that would actually put me into some kind of different air that would actually intimidate somebody to stay away from me.

The powers that be are trying to meld, shape, and corral the culture of hip-hop into another speaking voice for the government.

I think traveling the world has helped to keep Public Enemy alive. We've never solely depended on the United States.

Burn, Hollywood, burn, I smell a riot goin' on, First they're guilty, now they're gone!

Cause I'm Black and I'm proud I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps

My work throughout my life is always representative of the time we live in. It's all about keeping it in order and keeping it in gear.

I'm most passionate about, you know, making everybody understand that we should all have equal access on this earth.

I don't believe that everybody is out of some kind of cookie cutter, so the thing that protects me is always being level with myself, even to myself.

I adhere to the philosophy, "I don't care who writes the laws, let me write the songs."

A lot of the post-1977 dancefloor disco sounds had their place at one time, but you can't bring them back unless you bring back a floor.

Government and culture are two diametrically opposed forces - the one blinds and oppresses, the other uplifts and unites.

Men have periods; they're called wars.

If you want to be an artist, truly try to write what you believe, and if you write when you don't believe then you should try to become an actor.

I like Rick Ross as a person. I like Jay-Z and Kanye West as people. But I hate the companies that they record for.

I think too much of the music industry is for the lawyer and accountant mentality.

So, rather than trying to humbly mix with the rest of the world, we are forcing ourselves upon it. We seem to create conflicts with everyone.

People are so confused about race and hip-hop that people didn't even consider the Beastie Boys one of the greatest rap groups of all time because they were white.

Rap is supposed to be about keeping it real and not relinquishing your roots in the community. Without that, it's just posturing. Somebody who claims to speak for the 'hood don't need no private jet.

You can't take anything with you. So I don't understand this whole psychotic area of greed, I don't get it.

If you empty, you can be filled up with anything. It could be water or it could be gasoline.

Share and enjoy the fruits of this planet.

Truth is truth no matter what I think.

Try to master technology instead of it mastering you.

The best medicine for pain sometimes is some kind of logic and common sense from older folks. They tell you, "Okay, you're not the only one who actually went through this."

I wanna go to the clubs and actually have a good time too, but at the same time, when the party's over, I have to go back to the real world and try to figure out who I am.

I think hip hop should be a living word. And what I mean by the living word is like yo, you gotta have the words that provide life.

Your closest and your most dedicated fans will be your ultimate test. They will test you.

Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps

I have to be conscious of what I'm sayin' because people are gonna come at me about this sh*t.

The real thing is the heart, you know the heart shouldn't be covered with concrete.

Real people do real things. A collective of a whole bunch of people who do things in their own locale, in their own neighborhoods - the sum is bigger than the parts, and the parts will grow.

Excuse us for the news, You might not be amused; But did you know White comes from Black? No need to be confused.

The Internet is one area that I have used pretty effectively to break free of corporate control.

The Internet was a saving grace for promoting and exposing, and even creating. It's a parallel world to the music industry that already exists, and I'm glad to be a part of it.

I let go usually by talking to many people in different areas, in different realms of life that make me look at what I'm dealing with as being small fries stuff, you know?

I like to drive and I like to travel. When I drive on the open road, it's like sometimes the car turns into a pen and the road is a piece of paper.

My advice to young people is ask older people questions and don't be afraid.

You know, I've written many of my songs while driving - which is against the law in many cases.

Getting on the road and driving along a road at night, or even in the daytime and seeing the oceans or whatever, is always liberating.

I always tell people that I was fortunate I was able to come in with a group of men. We didn't come into the game with a group of boys. We were young then. So your cats keep you in check.

Every time something tries to create respect with a machine it crumbles!

The truth has no form, you know. It's not like walking around trying to actually ask for favors and to be acknowledged, it is what it is.

I'm not a firm believer of "mo' money mo' problems" - I think that's stupid. I think it's that problems are already there that can be exacerbated by more things you don't understand.

Money is created by a machine... but you can't really create respect with a machine.

Nothing has more words and performance than rap music.

I think the Internet was the saving grace for Public Enemy. Before that, travelling the world saved Public Enemy.

I always remain optimistic.

Once you think bigger than yourself then the cause becomes the issue if you think on a higher plain you can come together to work on our problems.

It's not about what you get out but what you put into hip hop as a genre.