Chuck D Brings the Noise to BIMM

It’s always a thrill to bring in bona-fide heroes to a BIMM college, and we were all incredibly excited when genuine, all-round hip-hop legend, Chuck D, made an exclusive visit to BIMM Brighton for a special Q&A Masterclass.

Chuck is not merely one of the greatest rappers ever: he’s also a producer, author, political activist, and – of course – founding member of Public Enemy, one of the most influential, groundbreaking and rabble-rousing groups of all time. He wasn’t alone: Brother James – of Public Enemy’s famed security team, the S1Ws – accompanied him and it was an amazing privilege to have two important and influential figures join us for the afternoon.

Hosted by our Senior Academic Lecturer, Jon Stewart, the session was broad-ranging, fiercely political and hugely inspiring to all the students who packed into the room.

Chuck spoke eloquently and passionately about the origins of hip-hop, the early days of Public Enemy, the current state of the music industry, the importance of women in hip-hop and the role of technology in modern music. As well as answering a range of thoughtful questions from the floor, Chuck and James kindly hung around to chat with the students, snatch a few selfies and sign our BIMM visitors wall – before heading off to their gig that evening. What an afternoon – a massive thanks to Chuck and James for coming in, and to everyone else who helped make the session possible!