Chuck D of Public Enemy was one of the 104 emcees interviewed exclusively for the book How to Rap: The Art and Science of the Hip-Hop MC. The following is the full interview, where Chuck gives his opinions on everything from writing lyrics in your head to doing punch-ins.
With a previous glimpse at Kool G Rap's writing process, author Paul Edwards again provided HipHopDX with these exclusive insights into the emceeing techniques of a true legend.
How to Rap: How did you learn how to rap?
Chuck D: I don’t know if I really learned how to rap, all I know is that at one particular time there was no Rap music. When I was growing up there was The Last Poets, there was James Brown.
[Later] I was turned on by the fact that these guys out of the Bronx were making these tapes and I was intrigued by the rhythm, how they delivered their raps. And then from that point on, I kind of mimicked what I heard and I liked the guys with the great voices, guys like [Grandmaster] Melle Mel, I thought they were just unbelievable, and so I kinda followed guys like that and came up with my own style.
more:
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.1557/title.chuck-d-how-to-rap
