Chuck D

Rap was a new genre of music that began in the 1980s. Some artists established themselves as quick lyricists when this new sound hit the radio and acquired momentum with specific groups.

Among them, Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, also known as Chuck D, built a name for himself during that time. As a result, rap music fans frequently note his contribution to the formation of this genre.

Table of Contents

Quick facts

Full nameCarlton Douglas Ridenhour
AKAChuck D, Carl Ryder, Mistachuck, Chucky D, Chuck Dangerous, The Hard Rhymer, The Rhyme Animal
BirthdayAugust 1, 1960
Age63 years old
Sun signLeo
Place of birthQueens, New York, United States
EducationW. Tresper Clarke High SchoolAdelphi University

The Early Life of Chuck D

On August 1, 1960, Carlton Douglas Ridenhour was born in Roosevelt, Long Island. Moreover, his parents were both political activists, and he was a bright student who turned down an architecture scholarship and chose to pursue graphic design at Adelphi University on Long Island.

Personal Life

Chuck D attempts to maintain most of his details out of the public spotlight. However, we know that he married Gaye Theresa Johnson on March 4, 2014.

Furthermore, we also know that he and his wife have three daughters. Yet, he hasn’t made any announcements regarding his family.

Career and Achievements

At a young age, Chuck D showed an interest in the rap industry. In high school, he was a part of a band that competed in hip-hop events.

Chuck used his Hip Hop fame to create awareness within the Black community. However, Chuck D’s professional success did not come easily. Yet, he worked for it since he was young.

Luckily, Rick Rubin, a young American record producer, heard Chuck D on a friend’s demo tape and wanted Chuck D for his Def Jam label, looking to popularize hip-hop music.

On Def Jam Recordings in 1987, the rapper and his group ‘Public Enemy’ released the album ‘Yo! Bum Rush the Show,’ which reached No. 28 on the ‘Top Black Albums Chart.’

Additionally, Fear of a Black Planet, Public Enemy’s third album, was released in 1990. The album expressed its worries and ideas about African–Americans, their empowerment, and social problems.

Moreover, in 1992, Public Enemy published their first compilation album, titled “Greatest Misses.” It included new songs and remixes of previously released songs, including ‘Tie Goes to the Runner’ and ‘Hit Da Road Jack.’

Furthermore, ‘Autobiography of Mistachuck,’ his first solo album, was published in 1996. It reached No. 190 on the Billboard 200 Charts. Furthermore, critics praised it as a step forward from his previous band recordings.

From 1990 through 1994, ‘Public Enemy’ was nominated for four Grammy Awards in the categories of ‘Best Rap Performance by a Group’ and ‘Best Metal Performance for the Single,’ with ‘Bring the Noise.’

Between 1989 and 1992, ‘Public Enemy’ was nominated three times for the ‘American Music Awards in the ‘Favorite Rap/Hip Hop’ category. 

The ‘Hung Tao Leadership Institute’ awarded him the ‘Paul Robeson- Here I Stand Award’ in 2013 at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington.

Songs:

Fight the Power1989
Don’t Believe the Hype1988
Harder Than You Think2007
Welcome to The Terrordome1990
Can’t Truss It1991
Rebel Without a Pause1988
Black Steel in The Hour of Chaos1988
She Watch Channel Zero?!1988
State of the Union2020
By the Time I Get to Arizona1991
911 is a Joke1990
Unfuck the World2017
Shut Em Down2016
Public Enemy No. 11987
Bring the Noise Remix2009
Night of the Living Baseheads1988
He Got Game1998
Burn Hollywood Burn1990
Black is Back2007
Brothers Gonna Work it Out1990
Living the 1102017
Endangered Species1990
Louder Than a Bomb1988
Killing in the Name2016
Fight the Power: remix 20201989
Terminator X to the Edge of Panic1988
No1996
Like a stone2017
Sophisticated Bitch1987
Prophets of Rage2017
Can’t do Nuttin’ for ya man1990
You’re Gonna Get Yours1987

Movies and TV shows:

Title (date)StarsDirectorsHarlem Globetrotters: The Team That Changed the World (2005)Geese Ausbie, Timuel Black, Bill Bradley Michael Sear, Joseph SharmanHip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes (2006)Byron Hurt, Chuck D, Mos DefByron HurtRock the Bells (2006)Redman, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Sage FrancisCasey Suchan, Denis Henry HennellyThe King (2017)Eugene Jarecki, Chuck D, Emi SunshineEugene JareckiThe Untold Story of Detroit Hip Hop (2018)Chuck D, Awesome Dre, The BlackmanChamptownSomething from Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012)Ice-T, Dr. Dre, EminemIce-T, Andy Baybutt
NewsRadio (1995-1999)Dave Foley, Stephen Root, Andy DickPaul Simms
The Henry Rollins ShowIndependent Film Channel (IFC)
The Charlie Rose ShowBloomberg Television
Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1994-1999)Mike Lazzo
Johnny BravoCartoon NetworkVan Partible
Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2001-2015)Cartoon Network

Net worth

Chuck D’s net worth is estimated to be above USD 20 million as of July 2021. He is one of the wealthiest rappers in the world.

Album sales, music royalties, and concerts that he has performed have all led to his income.

Similarly, as he has continued to invest in many industries, his net worth is expected to rise.

Social media

Chuck D is active on social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. He has a total of 645k and 681k followers on Twitter, respectively.

The link to his Instagram is:

https://www.instagram.com/mrchuckd_pe/?hl=en

The link to his Twitter is:

https://twitter.com/MrChuckD

Chuck D awards and achievements:

Grammy Award
Lifetime Achievement Award (2020)Won
Grammy AwardBest Metal Performance (1995) For “Bring The Noise”
Nominee 
Grammy AwardBest Music Video – Long Form (1993) For “The Enemy Strikes Live”Nominee 
Grammy AwardBest Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (1993)For “Greatest Misses”Nominee
Grammy Award
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (1992) for “Apocalypse 91…The Enemy Strikes Black”Nominee
Grammy AwardBest Rap Performance by a Duo or Group (1991) for “Fear of a Black Planet”Nominee
Grammy AwardBest Rap Performance (1990) for “Fight The Power”Nominee
Online Film & Television AssociationBest New Theme Song in a Series (2001) for Dark AngelNominee 
Soul Train AwardsBest Music Video (1991) for Public Enemy: 911 is a JokeNominee 
Sports Emmy AwardsOutstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics for Ali Rap (2006)Nominee 

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