Amid LA Wildfires, Chuck D Slams Misuse of Public Enemy’s ‘Burn Hollywood Burn’

Public Enemy frontman Chuck D has sharply criticized the recent misuse of the group’s 1990 track “Burn Hollywood Burn” amid the devastating wildfires that have been ravaging Los Angeles. Chuck D took to Instagram to express his frustration over how some are using “Burn Hollywood Burn” in relation to the disaster. As the fires continue to wreak havoc, some social media users have co-opted the politically charged anthem as a way to celebrate the destruction, prompting Chuck D to urge the public to understand the song’s true meaning and historical context. The hip-hop icon shared a photo on Instagram of a Los Angeles neighborhood engulfed in flames, writing, “PRAYERS UP. BE SAFE. EVACUATE,” along with a list of the ongoing fires in the area. He clarified that “Burn Hollywood Burn” — featured on Public Enemy’s seminal Fear of a Black Planet — was never intended to reference or glorify natural disasters, but was instead a critique of racial inequality and media representation.

Source: Billboard