Chuck D Visits BIMM Brighton

Ahead of Public Enemy’s sold-out show at the Concorde 2 on Tuesday 3rd June, rapper, producer, author, political activist, Public Enemy founding member and bona fide hip-hop legend, Chuck D, made an exclusive visit to BIMM Brighton for a special Q&A Masterclass. He brought with him Brother James (James Norman) of S1W/Public Enemy and it was a privilege to have such important and influential figures in the history of hip-hop join us for the afternoon!

Forming in 1982 in Long Island, New York, Public Enemy brought politics and social awareness to hip-hop in the 1980s and 1990s with their albums including ‘It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back’ and ‘Fear of a Black Planet’. The band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in December 2012, making them only the fourth hip-hop act ever to do so.

Hosted by our Senior Academic Lecturer, Jon Stewart, the session delved into subjects including the origins of hip-hop, the early days of Public Enemy, the current state of the music industry, the importance of women in hip-hop and the role of technology in modern music, to name just a few.
After answering a range of great questions from the floor, Chuck and James stuck around to chat with the students, take a few selfies and sign our wall, before they headed off to their gig. What an afternoon!

A massive thanks to Chuck D and James for coming in, and to everyone else who helped make the session possible!