Public convenience, Public Domain & Public Enemy, Front magazine, 2002

 

There’s a storm going on as Public Domain, Chuck D and Griff make hard hop harder

[Public Domain had three Top 40 tracks from 2000-02 but you probably haven’t heard of the group or know any of their hits. They were the “hard hop” pioneers, which, I have to admit, was not really my cup of tea – it was a bit ‘too hard’ for me. However, one of their tracks, “Rock Da Funky Beats”, featured Chuck D and Professor Griff from Public Enemy, who had travelled to London to film a video for the track in, of all places, the Natural History Museum. Would I like to interview them? I took along my copy of It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back to get it signed, obviously, and spent a rather pleasant afternoon talking shop.]

Hip-hop, trip-hop, hard house, hip-house, happy house, happy hardcore, little-house-on-the-prairie, flip-flop, plip-plop, clip-clop, chip shop – a discussion on dance music sub-genres is guaranteed to leave bruising on the lips. Last year, Public Domain’s top-ten New Order-sampling success “Operation Blade” added another spin-off to the list: hard hop. A mix of hard house and hip-hop. Apparently. For the sake of our mouths we should argue the case against another musical splinter group. But for their latest record, the Scots are joined by Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Professor Griff. You can’t argue with Def Jam’s finest.

“No, we’re not into music-genre titles either,” says Public Domain frontman Mallorca Lee. “We actually made up the term hard hop for a laugh,” explains motormouth Alistair MacIsaac. “And it stuck.”

After their performance at this year’s Homelands festival, perhaps the term should be shit hot – the Scots “west-coasters” (they’re from Glasgow, Prestwich and Ayr) were tasty.

Domain are Mallorca Lee, 28, who shakes his head around vigorously on stage; Alistair MacIsaac, 32, the open-minded DJ who likes ale; James Allen, 25, the teetotal brains behind the outfit; and DJ Mark Sherry, 26, with the spiky hair. This promises to be PD’s year – American and Australian tours beckon, there’s a string of Brit fests and Ibiza demands their presence.

When we meet, the Publics Domain and Enemy are filming a video to the new single “Rock Da Funky Beats”, a rave-house-hard-hippety-hoppety sort of affair, in London’s Natural History Museum, where the dinosaurs are. Public Enemy’s Chuck D, who provides sample-style vocals to the track, has flown from New York with rap cohort Professor Griff, dead special like, to be in the video. PUBLIC BERLOODY ENEMY!

Was it true that the Publics met in a Glasgow curry house, and Enemy went for vindaloo while Domain stuck with butter chicken?

“Errrr, no,” speaks Mallorca Lee. “We initially took a sample from Nation Of Millions, a fantastic album…” Alistair takes up the tale: “It was an experiment of how well we could do in the studio…” Mallorca Lee grabs the story back: “Our manager thought it might be a good idea to call Chuck D and get him to do proper vocals. We sorted the contract, he did the vocals, sent them back and we re-did the track. I think Chuck D has seen the dance thing happening in America. He’s said to us that no matter what the tempo, as long as it’s good, it’s all about moving on. Chuck D’s embracing dance music and moving forward with it.”

Alistair takes advantage of Lee’s breath space: “He just wants to take things one step further. When I met him I thought he’d be taller, though,” Mallorca Lee laughs. “He said to us he’s getting a bit sick of hip-hop so he’s done this track and he wants to get involved.” Working with Chuck D, the Domains are excited, and you can see it in their faces.

Chuck D and Professor Griff are in a star trailer – a big caravan round the back of the dinosaur museum. Bloody hell, the Enemies are small – Domain’s Alistair was right. Griff’s only about 5ft 5in. D must be 5ft 8in. Griff’s rolling an orange along a Formica table top from one hand to the other. Is it to intimidate?

The glaring question is, why Public Domain? What’s in it for you? Chuck D nods and explains: “I like the music. It’s a good thing you know – like when Run DMC did Jason Nevins. I always wanted something like that to happen with some aspects of what we’re doing.”

Griff’s orange keeps on rolling. It’s suggested that die-hard Enemy fans will be horrified by a collaboration with a dance outfit. “Public Enemy was one of the first acts to do rock and rap together, so why would this be any different?” Chuck D answers. “In the past I thought house music was a little mundane and monotonous. I think with hip-hop’s samples, and stuff like that, it makes it something else. It’s harder.”

Griff adds: “You don’t think over the years other house songs that have used Chuck’s voice, that hard core Public Enemy fans didn’t frown upon that? The difference now is that he’s participating co-signing that. How many things do you use flour for?” Flour? “Yih, flour.” Er, cakes, bread, teacakes, gravy thickening… “Yih,” nods Griff. “The base if it is still flour.” How do you mean – that all dance music has the same base? “Exactly!”

Talk swings to PE tracks. “’Welcome To The Terrordome’, that’s a favourite of mine,” says Chuck D. Griff stops the orange rolling and says, “You already know my favourite song. ‘Profits Of Rage’. But we like songs for different reasons. We enjoy perfoming ‘Fight The Power’. Chuck D butts in: “I think ‘Fight The Power’ is a song Spike Lee made happen. It was a movie that took a rap song and wrapped a theme around it.” “Yih,” says Griff. “Yih, definitely,” confirms Chuck D. They laugh.

Professor Griff is asked what subject he’s trained to teach at university level, but the orange starts rolling again, so a political question seems the correct way of rounding off our little talk. How do we feel about George Bush getting into power? Griff grips his fruit. “We can answer it in one line! Son of a Bush!”

Leaving the caravan, the door won’t shut properly. It’s difficult to know what to call these elder statesman of rap for fear of sounding like a p***-taker. “Er, Professor! Er, Griff! D-hee! The catch is buggered on this door.” Griff has a play with it: “Yih, leave it with me, bwoy!”

Back in the Natural History Museum, Public Domain are up for having a swift half. They are dissuaded by the PR people because of filming – and a good job too. Seconds later, Chuck D and Griff enter the room and greet Domain like long-lost pals. Hard hop just got harder. Lee Gale

The single “Rock Da Funky Beats” and the album Hard Hop Superstars are out on Xtravaganza