It may have seemed as though the members of Public Enemy had hit a wall in their relationship earlier this year, but it was all love between Chuck and Flavor Flav as they teamed up with an all-star roster of performers to remix their signature hit “Fight The Power” to open the 2020 BET Awards. The two hip-hop pioneers were joined by Black Thought and Questlove of The Roots, Nas, and Rapsody to rock the house and take over the streets with a raucous remix.
Although the four acts weren’t able to team up in person to perform, each contributed powerful imagery of protest and their hyped-up performances in front of a Pan-African-themed American flag. The song was a pointed commentary on recent current events, which saw Black Americans take to the streets throughout the summer in protest of police violence after a rash of police killings of Black citizens, including Louisville EMT Breonna Taylor and former rapper George Floyd, who police choked out with a knee to his neck as he cried, “I can’t breathe.”
Public Enemy’s Chuck D joins forces with rappers Nas, Black Thought and Rapsody to perform the iconic anthem “Fight the Power.” #BETAwards https://t.co/dC7UZ5STvQ
— #BETAwards (@BETAwards) June 29, 2020
Public Enemy met with controversy earlier this year when a public spat between its principal members turned out to be a promotional tactic for their new project.