>* PE's Chuck D clarifies feelings on Presley
>Aug. 13, 2002
>
>NEW YORK -- 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." Chuck D spoke to Newsday about
>Presley's legacy for a 25th anniversary story on the singer's death. On
>"Fight the Power," he said of Presley, "Elvis was a hero to most/But he
>never meant (expletive) to me, you see/Straight up racist that sucker
>was, simple and plain." As for whether there is a modern-day Elvis,
>Chuck D points to Eminem. "Eminem is the new Elvis because, No. 1, he
>had the respect for black music that Elvis had," Chuck D said. "I think
>he's courteous and sympathetic to black music, and, unfortunately, he's
>more sympathetic to black music than many black artists themselves."
>Public Enemy's new album is "Revolverlution." *(AP