“We didn’t come against society like f**k white people. No, this is our story [that] you need to hear instead of that bullsh*t story.”

https://www.vibe.com/2020/02/chuck-d-dave-east-jadakiss-god-shammgod-public-enemy-legacy-puma-pop-up

In celebration of Def Jam and PUMA Hoop’s latest sneaker release, the legendary Chuck D of Public Enemy sat down with writer Russ Bengtson, rappers Jadakiss, Dave East, and basketball street legend God Shammgod for a live panel discussion during the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend (Feb. 15).

Held inside the League Fits Lounge powered by the PUMA Hoops pop-up, the four panelists chatted about the new PUMA Sky LX and PUMA Clyde kicks, Public Enemy’s legacy and the rise of hip-hop and sneaker culture. Jadakiss, East, Chuck D, and Shammgod all pledged their allegiance to the rapidly growing culture.

“I’m a sneaker addict. Until I die, I think I’m always going to be excited with new sneakers,” said East. “I like knowing I’m going home and there are sneakers that I ordered that are waiting for me. These [PUMA] sneakers are dope and I’m happy to be here with Chuck D sharing this moment.”

“It’s a form of accomplishment like I made it,” said Jadakiss when asked about his thoughts on the collaboration and speaking on the panel with the hip-hop legend. “How many years I spent listening to Public Enemy and for Chuck D to be a fan and acknowledge me as a constituent, a colleague, and contemporary in some form is a feeling that no money or accolade can compare to.”

Chuck D also shared some gems and stories from his time when Public Enemy’s popularity skyrocketed in the early ’90s. Public Enemy became one of the most popular groups in hip-hop history for their socio-political rhymes and in-your-face attitude. Many rappers strive to be the most popular artist in the game but for Chuck D and his band of brothers, their perspective was different.

“My goal wasn’t to be like the popular group that everybody loved. We wanted to see groups and artists around us do well,” Chuck D recalls. “We wanted to see young people do well. We were already older and we weren’t trying to impress anybody.”

When Public Enemy made their debut there was nothing like the militaristic rap crew from Long Island. Their music criticized the media and spoke heavily on the plights that blacks faced in the United States.

“We represented a fu**ed up situation. It was a wilder time in hip-hop before records in 1978 and 1979, and we saw sh*t for three to four years,” said Chuck D about the inspiration behind the group’s formation. “Hip-hop came out of those ashes to speak out against a lot of that bullsh*t and didn’t get an answer to years later.”

As most people thought Public Enemy were too aggressive and hated the white community, Chuck D reminded the audience that wasn’t the case. “We didn’t come against society like f**k white people. No, this is our story [that] you need to hear instead of that bullsh*t story,” Chuck D said.

At the end of the discussion, Chuck D gave props to his three guests for their contributions to the culture; He shared how he enjoys playing East’s music all the time, praised Jadakiss’ raspy voice for its sound on a record, and saluted Shammgod for his global impact on the game of basketball. “I’m proud to be on this panel man because I’ve studied each and every one of these creatives in their life.”

PUMA Hoops and Def Jam’s sophomore release celebrates Public Enemy’s game-changing third album Fear of a Black Planet with two different iterations of the PUMA Sky LX and PUMA Clyde, two sneakers that Public Enemy and several other Def Jam artists wore back in the day.

The PUMA x Public Enemy Sky LX features a white and red colorway with a leather upper and Def Jam’s logo plastered on the tongue and Chuck D’s iconic “Fight the Power” verse stamped on the side. The PUMA x Public Enemy Clyde, on the other hand, features an all-red upper with black accents. The lowcut sneaker also features a white outsole with “FEAR OF A BLACK PLANET” written across it.