Following controversial statements made by group member Professor Griff, legendary hip hop group Public Enemy disbanded on June 15, 1989. Coming off their groundbreaking 1988 platinum album It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back (Def Jam), the revolutionary act, led by rhyme great Chuck D, had just dropped what many music critics and historians considered to be hip hop’s greatest, and most thought-provoking work. But during an interview with The Washington Post, Griff stunned media outlets when he said Jews were responsible for "the majority of the wickedness that goes on across the globe."
The anti-Semitic quote was universally denounced and caused a firestorm for Public Enemy as critics called for the group to be dropped from their Def Jam label. With pressure from the powers-that-be, Chuck D fired Griff, adding during a press conference, “We are not anti-Jewish, we are not anti-anybody—we are pro-black, pro-black culture, pro-human race.” Days later Chuck shocked the hip hop world again when he broke up Public Enemy. However, the headline-grabbing action would not last for long. Two months later, the group, sans Griff, regrouped, and in March of 1990 released the classic album Fear of A Black Planet (Def Jam).
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