ABSTRACT
One of the most influential rap groups of all time. Public Enemy was formed by rapper Chuck D. (b. Carlton Ridenhour, 1 Aug 1960) when he was a student at Adelphi University. He’d been working as a disc jockey on the college radio station, where he befriended two other hip-hop fans, Bill Stephney and Hank Shocklee. The trio made a demo tape with Ridenhour rapping over a backing track assembled by Stepney and Shocklee called “Public Enemy No. 1”; it was heard by rap mogul Rick Rubin, who signed the rapper now known as “Chuckie D.” for his fledgling Def Jam label. Chuck D. invited a second rapper-friend to join the group, Flavor Flav (b. William Drayton, 16 Mar 1959), who became a comic, higher-voiced foil to D.’s booming bass raps. The group was rounded out with DJ Terminator X (b. Norman Lee Rogers, 15 Aug 1966) and crewdance leader Professor Griff (b. Richard Griff). The group issued their debut album in 1987, Yo! Bum Rush the Show (Def Jam #40658).
