Chuck D Speaks

The time on the notice stated he would be speaking from 7:30 - 10:00. I thought it was a typo. Chuck D, one of the founding members of the Public Enemy, would be speaking on the topic of "Race, History, Hip-Hop, and Technology" as part of the University of the Pacific's celebration of Black History Month. A pretty lengthy topic, but still, two and a half hours.

When I arrived back home at 10:20 I realized that they were not kidding. The man our attention for over two hours. Impressive considering he had left the notebook containing his speech outline and talking points in San Francisco.

"I will be freestyling it tonight," he cautioned us before leading us on a journey that covered topics ranging from the current Presidential election to the rise of Urban Radio to the history of music from the 1700's to today. Highlights included:

- The new real estate is within your mind.
- Corporations and governments will be more than happy to use you to fit there needs. The only thing slowing them down is education.
- Being intelligent is now perceived as a liability.
- If the music channels acted like the sports networks more people would know were the term R&B came from.
- Obama and Clinton should just say they our running together, thereby ensuring a sixteen year term of Presidents starting with the first person in and the Vice-President taking over.
- That first person should be Clinton. Plus we get Bill for free.
- If you are spending $40,000 (or more) for a college education do not be afraid to get the most out of it.
- Become a complete and absolute geek about what you love.
- Saying you are Black has become a negative in the last ten years.
- Black History and American Music History are one in the same.
- Public Enemy came about during the MTV and VH1 generation. The new music made for the cameraphone generation.
- Flava has always been that way.

Any missed sleep I am going to have tonight making up for the time was there instead of studying and doing homework was well worth it. I can only imagine how much more powerful and consistent the message would have been if Chuck D had remembered his notebook.