Chuck D Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 5 ft 9 in |
Weight | 75 kg |
Date of Birth | August 1, 1960 |
Zodiac Sign | Leo |
Spouse | Gaye Theresa Johnson |
Chuck D is an American rapper, songwriter, music producer, and activist who was ranked number 12 by the American hip hop and entertainment website The Source in its list of “Top 50 Hip-Hop Lyricists of All Time”. He is the founder and leader of the prominent rap group Public Enemy which pioneered politically conscious hip hop and rap music in the 1980s.
Born Name
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour
Nick Name
Carl Ryder, Mistachuck, Chucky D, Chuck Dangerous, The Hard Rhymer, The Rhyme Animal, Chuck D, The Voice of Power, Public Enemy Number One
![Chuck D as seen in 2000](https://healthyceleb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Chuck-D-as-seen-in-2000.jpg)
Sun Sign
Leo
Born Place
Flushing, Queens, New York, United States
Residence
California, Los Angeles, United States
Nationality
Education
Chuck D graduated from Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School in Long Island, New York. He then attended Adelphi University in Long Island to study graphic design, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1984. The University gave him an honorary doctorate in 2013.
Occupation
Rapper, Author, Music Producer
Family
- Father – Lorenzo Ridenhour
- Mother – Judy Ridenhour
- Siblings – Eric (Brother)
Manager
He is represented by –
- Lorrie Boula, Manager, Soul Kitchen Music, Los Angeles, California, United States
-
Jolyn Matsamuro, Publicist, The Brookes Company, Los Angeles, California, United States
Genre
Hip Hop, Political Hip Hop, Rap Metal
Instruments
Vocals
Labels
- Def Jam Recordings
- Atomic Pop
- Entertainment One Music
- Slam Jamz
- Guerrilla Funk
- Enemy
- RCS Music
- 916% Entertainment
- SPV Recordings
- Titan/Pyramid
- Universal Music Group
- Weinerworld
- Artemis Records
- Mercury Records/PolyGram Records
- SpitSlam Records
Build
Average
![Chuck D at Way Out West 2013 in Gothenburg](https://healthyceleb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Chuck-D-at-Way-Out-West-2013-in-Gothenburg.jpg)
Height
5 ft 9 in or 175 cm
Weight
75 kg or 165.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Chuck has dated –
- Gaye Theresa Johnson – The couple has 3 daughters.
Race / Ethnicity
Black
He is of African-American descent.
Hair Color
Bald
Eye Color
Dark Brown
![Chuck D as seen in September 2017](https://healthyceleb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Chuck-D-as-seen-in-September-2017.jpg)
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Wears a metal bracelet on the right wrist
- Always appears in a baseball hat or a beanie
- Sports a trimmed salt-and-pepper goatee
- Freckled face
Brand Endorsements
Chuck has appeared in or lent his voice for TV and Radio commercials for brands such as –
- Lee’s Dungarees
- Ford (voice)
- Powerade (voice)
- Nike (voice)
Religion
Agnostic Atheism
Chuck D Favorite Things
- Hip Hop Artist – Melvin Glover
- Sports Announcer/Broadcaster – Marv Albert
- Rap Albums – Raising Hell (1986), Criminal Minded (1987), Straight Outta Compton (1988), Tougher Than Leather (1988), Follow the Leader (1988), In Full Gear (1988), 3 Feet High and Rising (1989), AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990), The Chronic (1992), Looks Like a Job For (1993)
Source – Wikipedia
![Chuck D during a performance as seen in October 2011](https://healthyceleb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Chuck-D-during-a-performance-as-seen-in-October-2011.jpg)
Chuck D Facts
- He started rhyming and writing song lyrics, influenced by the 2-day blackout of New York City in 1977.
- While studying at Adelphi University, he used to co-host a hip hop radio show called Super Spectrum Mix Hour. This is where he first used the name Chuck D. He also designed flyers for local hip-hop events and illustrated a cartoon snippet named Tales of the Skind for his university’s newspaper The Delphian.
- Chuck D had created a demo song titled Public Enemy Number One. Rick Rubin, then a young music producer, signed Chuck to the Def Jam recording label upon hearing the track.
- In 1998, he sued The Notorious B.I.G. for copyright infringement. The allegation was that Chuck’s voice had been sampled without permission for the song Ten Crack Commandments. The specific sampling has Chuck counting numbers from 1 to 9 for the song Shut ‘Em Down. The case was eventually settled out of court and Chuck later described his decision of filing the case as “stupid.”
- In September 1999, Chuck launched a multi-format portal on Rapstation.com, which was intended to be a one-stop-shop for the global hip hop community with a TV and radio station, original programming, celebrity interviews, social/political commentary, and free MP3 downloads of music and ringtones.
- He has also often voiced his concerns against the growing monopoly of the music industry’s record labels and has been an advocate for peer-to-peer file sharing in the music industry. He also testified before the United States Congress in support of the issue.
- It was his childhood dream to be a sports announcer. It was accomplished in 2008 when he was requested to record the play-by-play commentary for the basketball video game NBA Ballers: Chosen One.
- In 2016, he joined the rap-rock supergroup Prophets of Rage, along with former members of the rock band Rage Against the Machine.
- In July 2019, he sued music label/record groups Terrordome Music Publishing and Reach Music Publishing for not releasing his royalties that had accrued up to 1 million USD.
- Chuck is politically active and outspoken and participated in a 2004 rap political convention. He has also co-hosted a morning political radio show called Unfiltered on Air America Radio.
- Chuck also sits on the board of the Washington-based advocacy organization TransAfrica Forum which raises social and political issues related to Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
- He follows pescetarianism, a practice that involves seafood as the only source of meat, in an otherwise vegetarian diet.
Featured Image by Jason Persse / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0