"We had numbers [on our side] this time," Chuck says of 2008's black voter turnout, which included his daughter, who was able to vote for the first time. But, he admits in spite of his satisfaction, he didn't think the U.S. could get here this fast. "It's one of those things when you look at your family, when you know where you come from, you know this is that thing your family never thought would come in their lifetime. Especially my dad, my mom. Personally, I thought [it could be] maybe 10 years away."
Many would attribute Obama's election to the slow cultural shift generated by Public Enemy and countless musical artists that preceded them — including Harry Belafonte, Marvin Gaye, and the Isley Brothers (who sang their own "Fight the Power" in '75). If music did, indeed, have a part, Chuck scoffs at thanking MTV. The achievement should be laid on the shoulders of those that came before him, men and women whose songs make up Let Freedom Sing: The Music of the Civil Rights Movement, to be released during Black History Month. In his intro to the new box set, Chuck explains, "You don't get a black president overnight. Songs like [these] . . . make you understand the collective voices that makes it happen."
But Chuck, who's become a sage-like senior in the rap community, won't deny that his own role in the revolution fills him with pride, as well. "More than anything, I think it's obligation and social responsibility," he says, expanding on what drove him to become a lyrical activist. "I always thought it was the responsibility of the artist if you're grown. If you're 13, 14, you're absolved from that. But if you're 30 years old, and you can't speak to grown people about grown-people shit, then the art is in vain."
When pressed about the impact Obama's election might have on black America, Chuck remains cautiously optimistic, however. Obama's election should inspire black communities to further unite into powerful constituencies. It should "inspire the promotion of more diverse artists" in hip-hop, too. But will it?
Chuck, you begin to realize the longer you speak with him, hasn't given up on hope, but his pragmatic, some might even say pessimistic, approach to events makes him sound like a Doubting Thomas who's seen the glory of a savior and still wants more. Yes, Obama's victory is an accomplishment, but it's certainly not the end of the struggle.
"I do a lot of my living outside the United States, and, over the last 10 or 12 years, I've seen the U.S. fall back and actually be behind the rest of the planet," he says. "In this election, the U.S. finally caught up." Now the country has the "great opportunity to rise up to the standards and political ideals Barack Obama has set."
There's still one nagging question, considering that "Fight the Power" was and remains an anthem against The Man — the traditional white repressors. With Obama sitting in the White House, does his new role inherently make him The Man, too? "In a way, yes," Chuck says. His campaign "never really had a face on it. It was a theme without a face."
Doubting Chuck. He believes, but he's not ready to lay down his mic just yet.