Public Enemy legend Chuck D has opened up about the “madness” of cancel culture in a new interview.
The evergreen MC chatted with Rolling Stone AU/NZ ahead of Public Enemy’s tour of Australia later this year. On the subject of cancel culture, Chuck had reservations.
“They’re all scared, man,” he told the publication. “Musicians, artists, entertainers have now been governed by fear, fear of being canceled. In my case, I’m like, I don’t know who’s orchestrated this all. All I know is it’s madness.”
According to Chuck, the “dirge and the noise” on social platforms “is so loud that your best human intellectual response is to step back away and see it all kind of play out. I can’t make any statement on the lunacy I’ve seen the past six months.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Chuck discussed the rise of AI in music.
“I’m telling you, if you don’t steer it [AI] by the horns you’ll get gored by it,” he said. “I tell people all the time in making art, making music, AI is not gonna go backwards, it’s gonna strive for perfection. The important human quality that we must do is to embrace our signature, which is our mistakes, but a robot is not gonna relish in mistakes.”
Chuck D and Flavor Flav will bring the timeless hip hop sounds of Public Enemy to Australia this October, with stops confirmed in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, and Brisbane (see full dates below).
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They’ll be joined on their Australian tour by local hip hop duo A.B. Original, who share a lot in common with their upcoming touring mates.
The duo of Briggs and Trials have used their music to address racial, societal, and systemic injustice in Australia, and the Indigenous artists have proudly spoken up for the First Nations people in their songs.
Public Enemy 2024 Australian Tour
Supported by A.B. Original
Tickets available here
Wednesday, October 2nd
Red Hill Auditorium, Perth, WA
Friday, October 4th
AEC Theatre, Adelaide, SA
Saturday, October 5th
John Cain Arena, Melbourne, VIC
Wednesday, October 9th
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, NSW
Friday, October 11th
Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle, NSW
Saturday, October 12th
Eatons Hill Outdoor, Brisbane, QLD
