The internet has people thinking they are righteous, holier than thou, scholarly disrupters. Thankfully, Chuck D is here to set some of them straight. As wildfires rage through Los Angeles, the Public Enemy founder is taking a stand against how his iconic track “Burn Hollywood Burn” is being used on social media to soundtrack clips of the ongoing disaster. The Public Enemy frontman, alongside Flavor Flav, took to Instagram on January 10 to express his frustration with the tone-deaf application of the politically charged song, which has become an unintended backdrop for scenes of devastation from the fires.
“‘Burn Hollywood Burn’ is a protest song,” Chuck D explained in the joint post. “It was created as part of a protest against inequality and exploitation in the entertainment industry—not a soundtrack for people’s homes burning down.” He emphasized the historical context of the track, initially released in 1990 as part of Fear of a Black Planet, saying the song’s message was born out of the 1965 Watts Rebellion, fueled by frustration over systemic racism.
“Extracted from the Watts rebellion monikered by the Magnificent Montague in 1965 against inequality when he said ‘Burn baby burn’ across the air,” Chuck D continued. “We made mind revolution songs aimed at one-sided exploitation by a[n] industry. Has nothing to do with families, losing everything they have in a natural disaster.”
Get this: Chuck D’s comments come as the fires continue to devastate Los Angeles, with at least 10 confirmed fatalities and widespread damage. As of Friday morning, approximately 153,000 people are still under evacuation orders, and emergency crews have battled more than 90 fires in the first 10 days of 2025 alone. The Palisades Fire remains the largest blaze, having scorched over 20,000 acres, though only 8% contained. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has declared a public health emergency due to the growing crisis.
In his well-timed Instagram post, Chuck D urged followers not to misuse his song in this context: “PRAY 4 LA,” he wrote, adding, “Please don’t use our song on your reels and pictures of this horrifying natural disaster.”
“Burn Hollywood Burn,” which features Ice Cube and Big Daddy Kane, was a powerful critique of the film industry’s racial stereotypes and police brutality. With lyrics like, “Many intelligent Black men seemed to look uncivilized when on the screen / Like, I guess I figure you to play some jigaboo, on the plantation, what else can a nia do?” the song is a fierce protest against Hollywood’s exploitation of Black actors. It ends with the defiant “Fk Hollywood, man,” cementing its place as a cultural statement.
Chuck D’s call for respect of the song’s original message underscores the need to keep its protest focused on social issues, not natural disasters. As the Los Angeles fires continue to unfold, the community is grappling with not only the loss and destruction but also with the ethical use of cultural symbols in such a sensitive moment.
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