Though Chuck D insists he’s not Nostradamus, the legendary rapper has shared some pretty plausible—and arguably grim—predictions for the United States.
In a recent interview for Rolling Stone, Chuck spoke about the country’s current political climate and how he believes the United States will no longer be “united” within the next few decades.
“About 10 years ago on Tavis Smiley, I predicted that America wouldn't be in one piece by 2050 and that it would be split up into three different countries,” he said when asked about the future of America. “I still think that the United States of America has never really been united in the last 50 years, and it might be three countries by 2050 if there's still a planet.”
Chuck, who is one of the most politically outspoken rappers in the game, also claimed he was not surprised by the toxicity that arose in the year leading up to and following Donald Trump’s presidency. Chuck explained he paid attention to those who voted against Barack Obama, which he estimated to be about 47-48 percent of the country, as well as the constant criticism he received despite doing a relatively good job.
“I thought he did twice the job as any other president because he had to. And he couldn't have no mistakes, no hiccups, never even look left or right, and he still got criticism,” he explained.
Chuck also called out the media, particularly reality shows, for contributing to the strained race relations in the country. He argues certain shows portray the black community in a negative light, which, in turn, perpetuates stereotypes and fuels hate.
“Look at VH1. They put out so much shit that make black people look fucked. They give people a one-sided view about who we are as a people. They build up this animosity and hate based on what they see without even knowing anybody with those characteristics,” he said. “So you got a country that judges us by our characteristics instead of our character. Because our character to them is on television or all these other forms of media that come across, even if it's online. It's like the cutting room floor is upside down for black people. Anything civil is on the cutting room floor and they push the other footage onto the world.”
You can read Chuck’s full interview, which touches on a range of topics, at Rolling Stone’s website.
The rapper is gearing up for an overseas tour with his supergroup, Prophets of Rage, which consists of B-Real of Cypress Hill as well as 3/4 of Rage Against the Machine. The group will hit the road March 20 in New Zealand. Learn more about their upcoming shows here.
