Chuck D has spoken out against MTV in the US after they banned the Public Enemy single ‘Gotta Give the Peeps What They Need’ because of the use of the phrase "free Mumia". The reference refers to Mumia Abu-Jamal, a Black Panther turned journalist who was convicted of the murder of a police officer. An active campaigning movement, counting Public Enemy, Rage Against the Machine and the Beastie Boys amongst its supporters, believe Mumia was railroaded at trial and should be taken off death row and given a new hearing.
MTV say they requested the lyric be altered because their programming guidelines prevent “overtly-political videos” from going into rotation. "We asked if they could take out the word 'free', not the name mentioned," a spokeswoman told reporters. "We felt it was a personal and political position on an individual, and we are an unbiased company. We asked them to resubmit the video without the word 'free.'" But he admitted that this may be the first time the guidelines have been used – most past censoring has related to removing swear words for tracks and violence or nudity from videos (or in the case of one recent Eminem video negative references to MTV!)
But Chuck D reckons the decision has more to do with the network's preference for safe rap acts like Nelly and Khia. "I'm pulling the race card here because MTV has reduced black faces to blackface," Chuck D has said in recent columns, including that in the latest edition of CMU. "If they think having a political viewpoint in music is irrelevant it’s because they’ve taken the nazi approach in censoring it themselves. Deep down, rap to these standard people is disposable romper room sh#t that will never resonate to the Led Zep, Beatles, Nirvana, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, Bon Jovi status that they still uphold in their hearts and minds. But based on the ridiculous yet influential decisions they make while in bed with their big business partners (major labels) it is unacceptable as far as my community is concerned. Judging that anonymous circle of people in the ‘standard’ department I feel, think and ultimately know that they would rather reduce us into a screen of swinging monkeys, and retreat to their tri-state bridge and tunnel confines.”
Elsewhere in the world of Public Enemy, Flavor Flav has missed out on the opening date of the group’s US tour after being incarcerating in New York for a parole violation. New York Department of Corrections confirmed Flav - real name William Drayton - is currently in George Motchan Detention Center on Riker's Island after a parole violation stemming from a previous conviction for driving without a license. The rapper is due to appear in Manhattan Supreme Court any time now.