Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), better known by his
stage name Chuck D, is an American emcee, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious
hip hop music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group
Public Enemy.
About.com ranked him at No. 9 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time, while
The Source ranked him at No. 12 on their list of the Top 50 Hip-Hop Lyricists of All Time.