“Yo! Bum Rush the Show!” With that simple yet pro-active title to their first album, rap group Public Enemy revolutionized a culture with the powerfully passionate political rhymes of a man who knew what it took to inspire change. –

Sacramento State will be presenting Public Enemy front man Chuck D as many have never seen him before in his no-holds-barred “State of the Union and Vibe Session” digs.- Chuck D’s appearance is one of the many different events Sac State is holding in honor of February being Black History Month. –

The controversial Public Enemy, led by Chuck D (Carlton Ridenhour) came to life in 1982.-After their first album was overlooked by mainstream, their next album, “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back,” earned them an explosion of popularity not only among the inner-city fans that they were speaking to, but the music world as a whole. –

Chuck D’s deeply authoritative voice spat out politically and socially-charged rhymes that opened the eyes of many, asking for reform and activism in inner-city

Communities — asking for some sort of change.-Fans all over embraced the lyrics; but they also raised the eyebrows of others. –

In one statement, Chuck D went from revolutionary spearhead to literally public enemy number one. To Chuck D, rap was “the Black CNN.” This referred to the lack of mainstream American media understanding of what really went on in the inner city.-His notoriety from that statement seemed to have made Chuck D even more of a figurehead for those who wanted better representation, mainly in the black community.

Chuck D kept moving on, never wanting to rest on his success, but to keep making music and breaking down the walls of archaic black stereotypes that seemed commonplace at the time. –

After an infamous, but richly successful career, Chuck D is now taking on a more low-key persona, as he is touring college campuses all over the country, speaking out on race, politics and the importance of voting. He will soon be honored with the “Rock the Vote Founders Award” for his membership in spreading the word about how important voting is among America’s youth. The award will also honor him for his work with the National Urban League and National Alliance of African American Athletes.

Many participants in Sac State campus life have felt Chuck D’s message and understand what needs to happen in order to see a change for the better. – “He gets people interested in getting actively involved and his performance is what a lot of the people here will come out to listen to,” Leonard Valdez, director of the Multi-Cultural Center on campus, said.

Valdez is greatly affected by African American leaders — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to name one. He recalls Dr. King speaking at Sac State in 1967. With inspiration in his eyes, Valdez listens to King’s speech on an old cassette tape from the library.

“I’d like to see those students’ (from Sac State who witnessed the speech) recollections of Dr. King, (and) what he was like before the man we all know him as today,” Valdez said.

Many older students appreciate Chuck D’s vision for the population.”Chuck D sees the bigger picture — there was no real negativity in his rap. That’s how he set himself apart,” Lawrence Mouton, a 31-year-old senior marketing major, said.

Many students are too young to remember Chuck D’s visions and contributions to society.

First-year student Steven Frisch, who was not even born when Chuck D and Public Enemy became popular, still appreciates Chuck D’s importance.

“I never really got into his music, but I like the strides he’s made to get young people to start voting again,” Frisch said.