January 20, 2004

Chuck D to present his “State of the Union”

• University presents “An Evening with Angela Davis”
• University events celebrate Black History Month
• Black History Month events

Chuck D

Chuck D, rap revolutionary, political activist and co-founder of the what has been called the most influential rap group to date, is set to speak at California State University, Sacramento at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 5 in the University Union Ballroom. His “State of the Union Address and Vibe Session” is part of a wide variety of Black History Month activities scheduled at the University in February.

The release of Yo! Bum Rush The Show in 1987 introduced Chuck D and his group, Public Enemy, to the rap world. The acclaimed It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back followed the next year. Chuck D’s deep-voiced call for social revolution, the comic antics of fellow frontman Flavor Flav, and a chaotic mix of funk-noise setting the beat made the album impossible to ignore. Public Enemy rocketed rap to the top of popular culture.

Calling rap “the black CNN,” Chuck D gave notice to the world that the genre was more than entertainment, it was a voice for the under-represented and a force for social change. He has maintained those ideas through Public Enemy’s million-selling albums, his speaking tours and by founding Rapstation.com, an eclectic hip-hop website heavy on social commentary.

The many awards amassed by Public Enemy include having its work named among the “25 Most Significant Albums of the Last Century” by the New York Times. Chuck D was honored in 2003 with the Rock the Nation Award at the 10th annual “Rock the Vote” Patrick Lippert Awards for recording artists who create political and social change.
Tickets for the program are $10 general, $5 for CSUS students and available from the CSUS Ticket Office at (916) 278-4323 or Tickets.com. Media assistance is available from CSUS public affairs at (916) 278-6156.

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