In the song Fight the Power by Public Enemy Chuck D called Elvis a racist...What justification did they have?

Question

Here is the lyrical excerpt:

Elvis was a hero to most

But he never meant sh** to me you see

Straight up racist that sucker was

Simple and plain

Mother f*** him and John Wayne

why did he call him a racist?

Answer 1

Militant hatred of Whites.The above answer is hogwash.http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/200...  http://www.rense.com/general79/died.htm http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/articl...  http://www.sullivan-county.com/wcva/jl.h...

Answer 2

Jonathon's answer was NOT "hogwash" and is accurate.  The 2nd answer truly isn't worth addressing.

Answer 3

There was an article in the New York Times about this recently*, basically defending Elvis from the claim that he was racist.  But the article missed the point.  Chuck wasn't saying Elvis was a racist, so much as what Elvis represented: rock n roll as a phenomenon that began as an appropriation of black music/culture.  If blacks made it, it would not sell; it took a white guy to sell it and popularize it.  That's what Chuck means by "racist", and that why he says Motherf' him.