When the flames rage, so does Chuck D’s righteous fury.
The legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D has called out social media users for twisting the meaning of the iconic 1990 track “Burn Hollywood Burn” during the devastating wildfires ripping through Los Angeles. Spoiler alert: the song was never about rooting for destruction.
With tens of thousands of Angelenos displaced and nearly 10,000 structures reduced to ash, the fires have already earned a grim spot in history. The Palisades Fire has devoured over 17,000 acres, making it the most destructive blaze in LA County’s history, while the Eaton Fire has consumed another 10,000 acres. It’s a hellscape, and the last thing anyone needs is a misguided soundtrack.
Chuck D, the oracle of hip-hop wisdom, took to Instagram to set the record straight. Sharing a haunting image of an LA neighborhood engulfed in flames, he wrote: “PRAYERS UP. BE SAFE. EVACUATE.” But his frustration bubbled over at the way some social media users are co-opting Public Enemy’s protest anthem to celebrate the chaos.
Let’s get this straight: “Burn Hollywood Burn” is not the cheerleader for natural disasters. Chuck reminded the masses that the track, from the revolutionary Fear of a Black Planet, is a protest against Hollywood’s exploitation of Black culture and the entertainment industry’s toxic stereotyping. “Learn the history,” he urged, adding, “Godspeed to those in loss.”
Chuck D didn’t mince words about the song’s roots: “‘Burn Hollywood Burn’ is a protest song extracted from the Watts rebellion, coined by the magnificent Montague in 1965 when he said ‘burn baby burn.’ We made mind-revolution songs aimed at a one-sided exploitation by an industry.” Translation: this song isn’t your disaster playlist, folks.
For context, Fear of a Black Planet dropped in 1990, smack in the middle of hip-hop’s golden age. The album hit hard with cultural commentary, and “Burn Hollywood Burn”—featuring Ice Cube and Big Daddy Kane—became an anthem for Black empowerment, pushing for authentic representation in media. Fast forward to today, and its message feels more urgent than ever.
The LA fires have left their own scorching mark on the entertainment industry. Celebrities like Paris Hilton and Travis Barker’s kids have shared their personal losses, while singer Jhené Aiko revealed that her home was “burned to the ground with all of our things inside.” Her emotional posts echoed the heartbreak of thousands. “Thankful we still have each other,” she wrote, adding, “praying for everyone this morning… my heart is so heavy.”
As the ashes settle, one thing’s clear: Chuck D’s words remind us that music is a powerful tool for revolution, not a weapon to trivialize suffering. So next time you hit “play,” maybe consider the weight of the lyrics—and leave the fire-starting to the anthems of empowerment.
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