It's time for Chuck D to get back to Arizona.
"It's over and done with," rapper Carleton "Chuck D" Ridenhour said when asked last week if he was giving Arizona a second chance.
His pioneering group, Public Enemy, boycotted Arizona and labeled the whole state racist on its controversial 1991 song "By the Time I Get to Arizona." The song was a response to the state's refusal to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. with a paid holiday. Arizona voted to formally recognize MLK Day in 1992.
Ridenhour, the booming, alpha voice of the legendary group, spoke while driving back to New York from a speaking engagement in Boston.
Public Enemy will play Wednesday at the Rialto Theatre with a full backing band that Ridenhour described as something between hip-hop act the Roots and rockers Rage Against the Machine.
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Here's a sampling of what else was on his mind:
Why did you decide to bring Public Enemy back on the road now?
"P.E.'s been on the road. We don't promote albums. We do our thing. In the United States we tour once every maybe four years, but the whole key with Public Enemy is we travel around the Earth. And there's seven continents. So 'getting Public Enemy back on the road' — all it is is scheduling United States dates. Usually people in America are so shallow and limited, so they think if you ain't touring in their country, or ain't seen on their MTVs or having released a record in their particular land, then you don't exist."
There have been some critics saying Flavor Flav's reality TV show, "Flavor of Love," has sort of helped to portray negative stereotypes about the black community, which is something you've always fought against. Do you see any conflict between his show and the messages of Public Enemy?
"(Flavor Flav's) always been the same dude. If Flavor Flav's been the same dude, I think maybe the black community is struggling a little bit in its acceptance of it."
What are your thoughts on the current state of racism in the United States, particularly in light of what happened recently with Michael Richards from "Seinfeld"?
"White guilt. I think a lot of white folks are guilty and I think what Michael Richards was even saying, and I'm not condoning what he was saying, but even deep down he said, 'Look deep into yourself,' and cats have a lot of this racism that's really deep in themselves whether it's black, white or whatever in this country, because racism is part of the root of the country. . . . What's troubling is that I think black folks' using the word 'nigga' as a word of love just sends an opportunity for white folks to wonder if they can use it or not. . . . Racism is very confusing in 2006-2007 because nobody knows where to pull the scorecard out."
Where: Rialto Theatre.
When: 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Cost: General admission tickets are $26 in advance and $30 at the door.
Information: rialtotheatre.com.
