Chuck D. criticizes corporate America

“I feel a little lopsided,” said a slightly annoyed-looking Chuck D. as he took to the oddly… “I feel a little lopsided,” said a slightly annoyed-looking Chuck D. as he took to the oddly positioned podium. He rattled it, shifting and rearranging the stand until it was centered, then addressed his audience directly.

But a pulpit was not the only thing the legendary rap mogul shook up during his visit to Pitt. The current state of corporate America and the devaluation of humanity by consumerism were two of the things D. blasted in his two-hour speech and ensuing 30-plus minute question-and-answer session as he deeply stimulated the minds of those in attendance with his animated, street-smart eloquence.

As a founding member of the seminal rap group Public Enemy, Chuck D. revolutionized the world of hip-hop with his confrontational address of issues such as race and inequality. Seven albums later, he continues to spread his message through his music, as well as his written work and lectures.

Most recently, he has become advocate of musical promotion through technology, launching a hip-hop database “supersite” on the Web and an Internet radio station, endeavors which earned him the accolade as one Upside magazine’s “Elite 100” list of Internet leaders.

D., whose visit was sponsored by Black Action Society as part of its celebration of Black History Month, quickly did away with all formalities at the start of his lecture with a disclaimer to the audience.

“Call this a conversation, a vibe session,” he said. “Y’all can relax.”

From there, he launched into a multi-faceted denunciation of the current state of America, waving his hands, raising his voice with profanity, imitating popular figures and making tangential leaps where he fused such divergent topics as LeBron James’ Hummer and the war in Iraq with video game junkies and the National Basketball Association All-Star Game.

D.’s unique lyrical prowess was evident throughout his discussion of such “Chuckisms” as “dumb-assification,” “nigativity,” “the Booty En’ Thug Network [BET]” and “them-asses [the masses].”

In spite of all his digressions, D.’s common theme was clear: Corporations are dictating the way that the masses think and feel through the creation of predetermined images. As a result, the importance of intelligence and individualism is undermined, he said.

The black community in particular is suffering because of it, he added. The glorification of the “thug” image in popular rap stars and their emphasis on materialism has legitimized the “dumb-assification” of young, impressionable black people by encouraging them to act thuggish, he said.

“When you don’t have your realities straight, not only will art imitate life, but life will imitate art,” he said.

D. cited the legitimization of the word “nigga” in popular music as an example of this phenomenon, explaining the fact that the racial slur is now acceptable in music and common speech among blacks is simply the result of a 10-year marketing campaign by the rap industry.

“Hip-hop is being created in the back rooms of companies,” he said.

He also discussed the irony of the “ghetto” mindset permeating its way into the minds of college students, who will readily don the thug attitude and fashion but avoid the bad parts of town.

“You don’t go up there, do you?” he said, pointing his finger in the direction of the Hill District.

D. repeatedly stressed the importance of education and awareness as a deterrence to the corporate machine, adding that college students should consider themselves a cut above the rest, as formidable forces to combat mass stupidity.

In spite of all his criticism, D.’s message was ultimately an enlightening call to the audience to remain aware, question everything and avoid overestimating the importance of money.

“If you can’t be rich with money, be rich with thought,” he said.