Fight the Power

Public Enemy were one of the best Rap acts of all time. Fight The Power is one of the best rap songs ever in my opinion. But like so many black people they were misinformed about Elvis. "The only thing black people can do for me is shine my shoes and buy my music" - Elvis Presley.

That quote was fabricated by a writer who didn't like Elvis. Keep in mind that rock 'n roll was still new in the 50s and a lot of the then older generation didn't like it. I can't believe some people still believe that old wives tale...including Chuck D. If Elvis was such a racist why did he give to black charities?? If he was such a racist why did he always acknowledge black R&B artists like Wynonie Harris and Fats Dominoe? If he was such a racist why did he copy so many old blues songs? "That's Alright Mama"..."Shake Rattle And Roll" and others were written by black artists. I was like a lot of other African Americans in this country at one time believing that myth, but not seeing any proof. I've heard other blacks say things like...oh Elvis said that on a talk show...or he said it in a magazine. Well show me the clip...surely it must exist if he actually said it. Show me the magazine article....it must exist if he said it...RIGHT??? But I've never seen it and I don't think I ever will because I don't think he ever said it. Some rumors don't die, they just become urban myths and keep on going. As for me personally, I think Elvis was cool. He had a distinct voice and knew how to rock and roll unlike anyone else. Was he the King of Rock and Roll? Not in my eyes...that title should go to Chuck Berry if anyone. But Elvis was certainly a part of the Rock and Roll Royal family.

James Brown said of Elvis - "...he taught white America to get down."

At the end of the day Chuck D is an expert in soundbites and metaphors. The soundbite is attention grabbing and makes the listener sit up and take notice (early Manic Street Preachers lyrics also featured this a lot). Once you're attention has been grabed it's then up to you to figure out what he means and what he's saying.

If the lyrics were doing nothing more than attacking two people (Elvis and John Wayne) they'd be pretty weak. When you think of Elvis, John Wayne, even Johnny Cash, I could go on, you're seeing symbols, what tv, magazines, advertisments, corporations, film, MTV have fed to you, what you've been fed by these systems of power. All this stuff is what Chuck D is all about, (eg: he warned once about 'weapons of mass distraction'. MTV, mindless video games all occupy your time and mind and stop you from thinking)

'Mother fuck him and John Wayne' is completely damning these systems of power, its also a statement of intent of wiping the cultural state clean, not only for black people, but everyone who realises that the continuation and nostalgia for these icons is utter nonsense. (It suits white authority to keep propogating such symbols: As long as those symbols stand strong then there is no space for others. Eg: Martin Luther King, with Arizona refusing to grant a national holiday for him. You can argue all you want, but White America is not going to give up its stronghold willingly). Starting afresh like this is what punk and post punk was trying to do in the late seventies and early eighties. (Terminator X's name holds a similar meaning, the eradication of all that has come before).

Its all imagery and metaphor at the end of the day. Kurt Cobain had a sticker on his guitar that said 'Vandalism: as beautiful as a rock in a cops face'. Now you can be all sensitive and tiptoe around the subject "oh what if the cop has a family", "but that would hurt" "Elvis was really talented and sensitvie and wrote lovely songs". But thats not what making a statement is all about, statements have different levels. If someone you knew was a cop and got hit in the face by a rock, sure you'd be concerned; but as an image, a statement of dissention in the face of authority, its perfect.

This is pretty much the best rap song in history...

Yeah, Rosie Perez poppin' and lockin' to the PE is a helluva way to start a movie.

This song made me respect John Wayne and Elvis Presley less. I think the U.S. postal service started honoring more people of various races because of this song, too.

MrLongrove - my mistake, you're right: http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/presley1.asp

Amazing myths like that stick around that long...

...but i never said Elvis wasn't cool. He was.

Chuck is surely referring to the fact that elvis got rich by playing music that traditionally had been pioneered by black people. White america loved elvis because they got great music without as they saw it, 'unsavoury black people'.

Looks like you and Mr. Foxman got it wrong JimDurb.

"Swindlers Lust" contains lines such as "Mo dollars, mo cents for the Big Six/ Another million led to bled claiming their innocence." Chuck D has said the "Big Six" refers to the six major music corporations — Sony, Time Warner, EMI, BMG, Universal and PolyGram (now known as the Big Five after last year's merger of Universal and PolyGram) — and Atomic Pop Vice President Liz Morentin explained that the "million" lyric was a nod to the Million Man March of 1995.

Probably need to check your facts before you start to pontificate about specters and apparitions of divisiveness and bigotry. P.E. probably should have done this as well.

JimDurb, you are one dumb bastard! Let me get this straight, your argument goes like this: "Mr. Foxman issued a statement (based on his opinion) that Public Enemy are racists, so therefore, they are racists."

What somebody "said" makes it true, so there you go...I said it, you're a dumb bastard.

I have to agree attacking Elvis and John Wayne here are strange choices. By 1989 both these guys had been dead for 10-12 years (and past super-star relevance even at the ends of their lives) and young people weren't idolizing them or anything. Even if you could criticize them for some reason, they weren't really significant in the struggle that you're talking about. They probably could have name checked some more relevant targets that actually were part of the problem.

fuck ya