SUSPICIOUS MINDS :

Rapper Chuck D Praises Elvis Legacy (AP, Aug 12, 2002)

Public Enemy frontman Chuck D derided Elvis Presley on the group's 1989 anthem "Fight The Power," but it turns out his feelings for Presley are a little more complicated than the song suggests.

"As a musicologist — and I consider myself one — there was always a great deal of respect for Elvis, especially during his Sun sessions. As a black people, we all knew that," the rapper said.

"My whole thing was the one-sidedness — like, Elvis' icon status in America made it like nobody else counted. ... My heroes came from someone else. My heroes came before him. My heroes were probably his heroes. As far as Elvis being 'The King,' I couldn't buy that."

Of course, if Elvis were a teenage boy today, he'd be singing Fight the Power. Posted by Orrin Judd at August 12, 2002 10:03 PM