Chuck D.

Now, I don’t expect much from Chico on the day after Halloween. However, I thought there would be just a bit more people at Laxson Auditorium this past Wednesday in order to hear words of wisdom from perhaps one of the most influential figures in the history of hip-hop or all music for that matter. Chuck D., co-founder of the legendary hip-hop group Public Enemy, past media scapegoat, hip-hop renaissance man, and longtime childhood hero of mine, is also a spokesperson and pioneer of the Internet digital music industry. Chuck D. was kind enough to stop into Chico for a few hours and share some of his thoughts on the music industry, the Internet file sharing, hip-hop, young America, as well as parenthood.

I was expecting to witness a strong assertive militant Mista Chuck as I remembered him from the early Public Enemy days. But was pleasantly surprised to see an easy going happy-go-lucky gentleman who seemed happy to be there despite the fact that Laxson Auditorium was only filled to about one-third of its capacity. The event began with Chuck D. explaining how he has traveled all over the world to all continents, been to 53 different countries but when it came down to Chico, California he had absolutely no clue where in the hell he was going. He then went on to talk about his college years and how he was kicked out after his first year and had two struggle and study hard for two years before he was able to be readmitted into Del Phi University. Next was a small bit on the history of Public Enemy, then Chuck D. made his way into breaking down the music industry.

Now, there is now way in hell you can explain the music industry in a two hour speech (or two weeks even) but Chuck D. gave a brief general breakdown of the history of the big six record labels and how they are slowly merging down into three (or less). He explained how corporate labels control the majority of the music the public is force fed and, up until the surfacing of file sharing, big money music also controlled how the masses received and listened to its music. He used funny anecdotes to describe the development of newer technology as vinyl went to 8-track went to cassette went to CD, mini disc to MP3. Also explained was the transformation of the business side of the industry after disco when record companies were taken over by lawyers and accountants in replacement of the creative people who originally ran them. Chuck D. went on to describe the progression from vinyl to CD as the great "CD scam." Scam because the cost to produce any pre CD media format is more expensive than production of a music CD. However CDs sell for around $5 more at retail cost. The connection to the controversy of file sharing was made when Chuck D. explained that now, with softwares such as Napster as well as the availability of CD burners, the actual music fans are in control of the music industry.

Chuck D. went on to make a prediction that in two years there is going to be such a change in the music industry not only is there going to be the major labels and indie labels but there is going to be a impact made by the "Int-ies." The Int-ies is what Chuck D envisions as over one million artists and labels making and distributing music over the Internet.

My only complaint would have to be that Mista Chuck did not speak enough about hip-hop music and how it is changing (getting worse). He did blame MTV for extending stupid people’s teenage years into their early thirties, and reconstructed the tired old rapper cliché "Keep it real" into "Make it real." And left a little wisdom for the materialistic heads to think about with regards to Glam rap’s influence on image and consumerism. Chuck said, philosophically speaking "Try not to have anything worth more than yourself." Peace.

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