Hip Hop trailblazer and social critic Chuck D was born in New York in 1960 to activist parents. He is best known as the thinking part of the successful rap group known as Public Enemy which he formed (with Hank Shocklee) after hearing a speech by Dick Gregory. Fellow members Flavor Flav, Professor Griff, and Terminator X joined later. In the 1980s, after the release of Yo! Bum Rush the Show, PEs rep as a critical force in rap music was established. In the days before Puff Daddy and bling bling, rap "message" music received a lot of attention and many popular artists, like Zack de la Rocha were influenced by PE. Their Fear of a Black Planet album is still considered one of the best hip hop albums of all time and Chuck has come out strongly in favor of digital music and Napster , unlike that jerk fromMetallica.