Professor Griff
Professor Griff | |
---|---|
Professor Griff performing with Public Enemy in 2014 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Richard Griffin |
Born |
Roosevelt, Long Island, New York, U.S. | August 1, 1960
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupation(s) | Rapper, spoken word artist, lecturer |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 1982–present |
Labels | Luke/Atlantic Records, Blackheart/PolyGram Records, PIAS |
Associated acts | Public Enemy, Confrontation Camp, Chuck D, Flavor Flav, DJ Lord, The S1W, Terminator X, Sister Souljah |
Richard Griffin (born August 1, 1960), better known by his stage name Professor Griff, is an American rapper, spoken word artist, lecturer and martial artist, currently residing in Atlanta, He is a member of the hip hop group Public Enemy serving as the group's Minister of Information and head of the group Security of the First World. He was born in Roosevelt, Long Island, New York. Before becoming famous and after serving in the U.S. army he started a security company called Utility Force to do security at parties.[1] He is most known for his S1W security team dressed in military uniforms who toured with Public Enemy, providing security and doing choreographed military step drills on stage. Today he does lectures on politics, society and the music industry, has an internet radio show on World Star Hit Radio and teaches classes in the Kybalion and The 7 Hermetic Principles for Self-Mastery.
Controversy and departure from Public Enemy
Before the release of It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Professor Griff, in his role as Minister of Information, gave interviews to UK magazines on behalf of Public Enemy, during which he made homophobic and anti-Semitic remarks.In a 1988 issue of Melody Maker he stated "There's no place for gays. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it was for that sort of behaviour" and "If the Palestinians took up arms, went into Israel and killed all the Jews, it'd be alright" [2][3] However, there was little controversy until May 22, 1989, when Griffin was interviewed by the Washington Times. At the time, Public Enemy enjoyed unprecedented mainstream attention with the single "Fight the Power" from the soundtrack of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing.
During the interview with David Mills, Griffin made numerous statements such as "Jews are responsible for the majority of the wickedness in the world".[4][5] When the interview was published, a media firestorm emerged, and the band found itself under intense scrutiny.[3][6]
In a series of press conferences, Griffin was either fired, quit, or never left. Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin had already left the label by then; taking his place alongside Russell Simmons was Lyor Cohen, the son of Israeli immigrants who had run Rush Artist Management since 1985. Before the dust settled, Cohen claims to have arranged for a Holocaust Museum to give the band a private tour.[7]
In an attempt to defuse the situation, Ridenhour first expressed an apology on his behalf,[8] and fired Griffin soon thereafter. Griffin later rejoined the group, provoking more protests, causing Ridenhour to briefly disband the group. When Public Enemy reformed, due to increasing attention from the press and pressure from Def Jam hierarchy, Griffin was no longer with the band.
Griffin later publicly expressed remorse for his statements after a meeting with the National Holocaust Awareness Student Organization in 1990.[9]
In his 2009 book, titled Analytixz,[10] Griff once again admitted the faults in his alleged 1989 statement: "To say the Jews are responsible for the majority of wickedness that went on around the globe, I would have to know about the majority of wickedness that went on around the globe, which is impossible...I'm not the best knower—God is. Then, not only knowing that, I would have to know who is at the crux of all of the problems in the world and then blame Jewish people, which is not correct." Griff also said that not only were his words taken out of context, but that the recording was never released to the public for an unbiased listen. In a YouTube interview on August 2, 2018 Professor Griff recalled one of his many long conversations with record executive Lyor Cohen he said he used to have respectful debates about history "I told him about the history of him and his people about the Ashkenazi, the Ashke-Nazis and when I laid it on him he couldn't handle it and I'm like alright, which is common knowledge today everybody talking about it, you understand what I'm saying people are making books about it. (8:23)[11]
Afrocentrism
Griffin embraces a radical form of Afrocentrism. "Muslim, Christian, Jew, Here's a little somethin' I thought you knew/There is only one God and God is one, the rich praises none."
After his departure from Public Enemy, Griffin formed his own group, the Last Asiatic Disciples. Griffin's albums were of an Islamic and Afrocentric style, combined with increasingly spoken word lyrics.
He was a member of the Nation of Islam, which his lyrics and record titles as a solo artist referenced. Another general theme in his lyrics is New World Order conspiracy.
Discography
Year | Album | Chart Positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | US Hip-Hop | ||||
1990 | Pawns in the Game | 127 | 24 | ||
1991 | Kao's II Wiz*7*Dome | — | 70 | ||
1992 | Disturb N Tha Peace | — | — | ||
1998 | Blood of the Profit | — | — | ||
2001 | And The Word Became Flesh | — | — | ||
— - denotes the album failed to chart or was not released | |||||
References
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=m07nCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA119&dq=%22professor+griff%22army&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwim37GXoNfcAhWks1kKHX1_BGAQ6AEIRDAF#v=onepage&q=%22professor%20griff%22army&f=false
- ↑ Robert Christgau (1989). "The Shit Storm". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- 1 2 "Today in Music History". Retrieved 2009-05-26.
- ↑ Robert Christgau (1989). "The Shit Storm". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ↑ Toop, David. Rap Attack 2: African Rap To Global Hip Hop. Serpent's Tail 1992, pp. 177. ISBN 978-1-85242-243-1
- ↑ Robert Christgau (1990-01-16). "Jesus, Jews, and the Jackass Theory". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
- ↑ Rich Cohen (2001-06-21). "Little Lansky and the Big Check". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ↑ Pareles, John (1989-08-11). "Public Enemy Rap Group Reorganizes After Anti-Semitic Comments". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ↑ Baker, Greg (1990-07-11). "The Education of Professor Griff". Miami New Times. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ↑ Professor Griff. Analytixz: 20 Years of Conversations and Enter-views with Public Enemy's Minister of Information. Atlanta: RATHSI Publishing, 2009, p. 12.
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0f3JkoU-t8&lc=z23cexvrfmqczt2at04t1aokgpm0wpeytum0wrlwy0vjrk0h00410.1533495772349909