Genesis Publications is proud to announce the release of the first fine art book by Public Enemy founder, hip-hop pioneer and revolutionary activist Chuck D entitled, LIVIN’ LOUD – ARTitation by Chuck D, which will be published November 29 worldwide.
LIVIN’ LOUD presents a body of artworks which continue to address the social and politically conscious issues of his lyrics, revealing Chuck D’s visual dexterity as he explores a diverse range of subjects paying homage to his musical influences and peers from James Brown and Woody Guthrie to Def Jam labelmates Run-DMC and Beastie Boys, a host of the most influential hip-hop artists from Ice Cube to Run the Jewels, his twin passions of baseball and basketball, creating a collection of landscapes on tour with Prophets of Rage, and a range of sociopolitical pieces that explore the issues continuing to shape our culture.
Chuck D says: “I was already expressing my political viewpoint through my art and graphics, so the bridge into music was a natural next step. First, I expressed myself with my head and my hands, and then later with my voice.”
LIVIN’ LOUD features Chuck D’s engaging commentary, guiding the reader through his thought process and inspirations and tracing his musical and artistic trajectory through illuminating anecdotes and cultural observations that give unprecedented insight into his life and work.
Chuck’s text reveals his early experiences growing up in the turbulent era of the Sixties, in which he was shaped by the prevalent civil rights and anti-war sentiments of the time. He goes on to share his journey into the world of hip-hop from his early roots and the central figures that critically shaped him and his voice, the formation of Public Enemy through to their Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame induction, his time with Prophets of Rage through to current day world affairs.
With a foreword by Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, LIVIN’ LOUD is a visual experience of over 250 artworks, each piece reflective of the man behind the music. Working with a selection of media, sketchpads and canvases, Chuck D has produced hundreds of artworks over the last six years. Everything from oil paintings of 1950s baseball fields to pencil sketches of music icons of Nina Simone, Bob Dylan and the Beastie Boys have been curated exclusively for Genesis Publications to create a striking kaleidoscope of his work.
