MTV Decides to Censor Public Enemy (Good for MTV)

hiphopdx.com ^ | September 16, 2002 | Deniece Mason

[adam stevens]

MTV Decides to Censor Public Enemy

Monday - September 16, 2002

Deniece Mason

When Public Enemy released their new video for “Gotta Give The People What they Need”, they didn’t expect it to cause a huge uproar. Chuck D says that MTV says they will not play the video until audio and visual references to Mumia Abu-Jamal are taken out of the video. In a statement to Daveyd.com Chuck D says, “The new power elite in America the selection board of MTV. The new power breed of selectors who govern images to feed to the world youth, invisibly anonymous to most, while being the choosers of who, what, when, why, and how. In the words of my friend Kyle Jason we've (black people on screen) been reduced to comedy.”

“As an artist I¹ve been fighting all my career in a genre that has been hijacked by 'culture bandits', simply cats who've used rap music and hip hop as a personal whatever without putting anything back where they've got it from in the first place,” Chuck D continued. “But here's the deal, MTV standards (whoever this roundtable of culture caretakers are all I got was a cat by the name of Tom Calderone who waffled so much on the issue I swore he was swimming in syrup.) has clarified to my people both at KOCH and SLAMjamz records that the 'Gotta Give The Peeps What They Need' video would have to delete all affixed logos (a policy to not promote gear, although I've long thought this to be ridiculous..but whatever I've conceded that this is their little thing to keep situations from making the money they make) and the thing that has myself going to war..and that's to vanish ALL AUDIO AND VISUAL references to Mumia Abu Jamal..the Free Mumia lyric. This is serious.”

[adam stevens]

Since MTV is a private organization and allowed to do this, I say good for them!

[AppyPappy]

OK what's the deal with Mumia? Was he not showing enough flesh?

[Moby Grape]

Yes, good for MTV....and if the crybaby dipstick rapper wants to start his OWN network and put his trash on the air, then so be it...but if he does, I'll bet he can't get any sponors to touch his trash.

[smith288]

I think not enough thong straps were showing in his video.

[adam stevens]

BUMP!

[FreePaul]

MTV standards...????

First time I've ever heard of such a thing.

[adam stevens]

LOL

[adam stevens]

LOL!

[truthandlife]

This is exactly what Chuck D wanted. This will give an issue to give him 15 more minutes of fame. Controversy sells records and this will sell records to young black and white addolescent and teen boys.

I wish Chuck D would just go away.

[billbears]

I'm truly shocked. After what MTV has degraded into over the past 15 years, I didn't realize they HAD standards.

[adam stevens]

LOL!

Seriously the responses have ben hillarious!

[Diddle E. Squat]

"Free My Mummy"?

[adam stevens]

BUMP!

[hchutch]

There is worse stuff out there than Public Enemy.

[adam stevens]

What is worse than marxist black nationalist rap?

Seriously what is worse?

[BikerNYC]

Britney Spears!

[DGallandro]

MTV standards...????

First time I've ever heard of such a thing

Me too. Isn't that kind of like "Military Intelligence", "State Worker", or "Scented Deodorant"? Whaddya call those things? Oxymorons? Or what people think of when they don't get enough oxygen in their brains?

DG

[adam stevens]

Bad but I would still say better. I mean she is nice to look at!

[hchutch]

2 Live Crew. That is unadulterated obscenity.

Terry McAuliffe. Sleaze personified.

Tom Daschle. See comments after McAuliffe.

Hillary Clinton. Is it just me, or does that witch have an authoritarian streak?

[posterkid]

Chuck D and Public Enemy are the artists most likely to be able to trump MTV and work on forming an alternative distribution mechanism. They've been working against the major labels for quite a while... making Chuck D upset will be a bad move for MTV.

(Note... I perfectly agree with MTV's right to do whatever they want. I just think to do so arbitrarily is a stupid move. But it is their right to be stupid.)