Chuck D offered a defense for Steve Harvey’s controversial housing development meeting with Donald Trump. Harvey is among what appears to be a revolving door of black celebrities traveling to Trump Towers for meetings (and photo-ops) with the President-elect, followed by vague descriptions of the topics discussed.
The Public Enemy front man told TMZ that Harvey and “certain members of the black community” should be meeting with Trump, to get some kind of inside information.
But that doesn’t mean that he trusts Trump.
“Of course it’s a publicity stunt,” Chuck D explained to HipHopDX. “It’s like when [President Richard] Nixon had James Brown. Any person who is black or a person of color, he [Trump] is going to use it like the person is on his side and that’s not necessarily so. How we read the media has to be the answer.”
Chuck added that he thinks more people should take meetings with Trump to stop him from going “solo psycho on the planet.”
He also noted that Harvey’s intentions were probably sincere. “I’m sure Steve Harvey is looking at him eye to eye and cheek to cheek, not on his knees,” said Chuck. “He’s stepping to him as a man, and expects him to be accountable and see what he’s doing for black folks. I wouldn’t step to him, but who’s to say Steve Harvey can’t?”
The 56-year-old hip-hop pioneer went on to speak on T.I.s recent open letter to Trump.
“Steve Harvey is an adult,” he pointed out. “T.I. is an adult. They can take it. At the end of the day, they’re on the same team—just a different position. We need people that can bark, especially in the rap community. Not every bark has a bite, but we at least need people that bark. Everybody can’t have the same role. Protests on this inauguration is very admirable from the artist community, especially black folk, but to think we going to stay out of that conversation on what goes on in the White House is naive. We should be outside the White House gates protesting damn near every day (Laughs). People are human beings. We are all different.”
Lastly, Chuck showed support for those planning to hold anti-Trump protests, and warned T.I., Harvey, and other public figures, against reading social media comments.
“Comments on social media is like going back to the grade school. Any adult over 18 shouldn’t pay the commentary section any mind. It’s like 7th grade all over again. Expect a spitball and a milk cartoon, too.”