Editing Public Enemy (section)

===2020–present: Controversy, Public Enemy Radio, and return to Def Jam===
In late February 2020, it was announced that Public Enemy (billed as Public Enemy Radio) would perform at a campaign rally in Los Angeles on March 1, 2020, for [[Bernie Sanders]], who was campaigning to be the nominee of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]].<ref name="SandersRally">{{cite web |last1=Moore |first1=Sam |title=Public Enemy to perform at Bernie Sanders rally |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/public-enemy-performing-at-bernie-sanders-la-rally-2615269 |website=[[NME]] |publisher=NME |access-date=November 6, 2020 |date=February 27, 2020}}</ref> Days following the announcement, Flavor Flav's lawyer Matthew Friedman issued a cease-and desist letter asking the campaign to not use the group's name or logo, stating: "While Chuck is certainly free to express his political views as he sees fit — his voice alone does not speak for Public Enemy".<ref name="YahooCeaseDesist">{{cite news|title=Flavor Flav Sends Bernie Sanders Cease and Desist Over Public Enemy Rally Gig|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/flavor-flav-sends-bernie-sanders-175407360.html|website=Yahoo|date=March 1, 2020|access-date=March 1, 2020|archive-date=March 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301200610/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/flavor-flav-sends-bernie-sanders-175407360.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Chuck D responded to the statement by saying: "Flavor chooses to dance for his money and not do benevolent work like this. He has a year to get his act together and get himself straight or he's out".<ref name="YahooCeaseDesist"/> A lawyer for Chuck D added: "Chuck could perform as Public Enemy if he ever wanted to; he is the sole owner of the Public Enemy trademark. He originally drew the logo himself in the mid-80s, is also the creative visionary and the group's primary songwriter, having written Flavor's most memorable lines".<ref name="YahooCeaseDesist"/><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Chuck D Responds to Bernie Sanders Endorsement Controversy: 'I Don't Attack Flav On What He Don't Know'|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/9326043/chuck-d-responds-flavor-flav-bernie-sanders|magazine=Billboard|date=March 1, 2020}}</ref>

On March 1, 2020, before the group's performance at the Sanders rally, Chuck D, DJ Lord, Jahi, James Bomb and Pop Diesel issued a joint statement announcing that Flavor Flav had been fired from the group, stating: "Public Enemy and Public Enemy Radio will be moving forward without Flavor Flav. We thank him for his years of service and wish him well".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Public Enemy Fire Flavor Flav After Bernie Sanders Rally Spat|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/public-enemy-flavor-flav-bernie-sanders-960272/|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=March 1, 2020}}</ref> The statement also claimed: "Flavor Flav has been on suspension since 2016 when he was MIA from the Harry Belafonte benefit in Atlanta, Georgia. That was the last straw for the group. He had previously missed numerous live gigs from Glastonbury to Canada, album recording sessions and photo shoots. He always chose to party over work".<ref name="StatementBillboard">{{cite magazine |last1=Aniftos |first1=Rania |title=Public Enemy Releases Statement on Flavor Flav Exit, Says He's Been on 'Suspension Since 2016' |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/9326963/public-enemy-full-statement-flavor-flav-exit |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=Billboard |access-date=November 6, 2020 |date=March 2, 2020}}</ref> On March 2, 2020, it was announced that Public Enemy Radio would be releasing the album ''[[Loud Is Not Enough]]'', which was due for release in April 2020. The album was to feature the lineup of Chuck D, DJ Lord, Jahi and the S1Ws and according to a statement from the group it will be "taking it back to hip hop's original DJ-and-turntablist foundation".<ref>{{cite news|title=Public Enemy and Public Enemy Radio to Move Forward Without Flavor Flav|url=https://www.spin.com/2020/03/public-enemy-and-public-enemy-radio-to-move-forward-without-flavor-flav/|website=Spin|date=March 2, 2020}}</ref>

On April 1, 2020, it was revealed Flavor Flav's firing was a publicity stunt to gain attention and provide a commentary on disinformation, and Reuters claimed that Chuck D and Flavor Flav "concocted a fake split to grab attention and highlight media bias towards reporting bad news about hip hop".<ref name=":2">{{cite news|title=Public Enemy split with Flavor Flav was a hoax, group now says|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-music-public-enemy-split-with-flavor-flav-was-a-hoax-group-now-says-idUSKBN21J6FB|website=Reuters|date=April 1, 2020}}</ref> In an interview with rapper [[Talib Kweli]], Chuck D stated that the stunt was inspired by [[Orson Welles]]' 1938 radio drama "[[The War of the Worlds (1938 radio drama)|The War of the Worlds]]".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reilly |first1=Nick |title=Public Enemy's Chuck D says feud with Flavor Flav was a hoax: "We takin' April Fools" |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/public-enemys-chuck-d-says-feud-with-flavor-flav-was-a-hoax-we-takin-april-fools2638642-2638642 |website=[[NME]] |publisher=NME |access-date=November 6, 2020 |date=April 1, 2020}}</ref> In response, Flavor Flav tweeted: "I am not a part of your hoax" and: "There are more serious things in the world right now than April Fool's jokes and dropping records. The world needs better than this...you say we are leaders so act like one".<ref name="FiringStunt">{{cite news|title=Chuck D says Flavor Flav firing was a stunt, but Flav disagrees|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/entertainment/chuck-d-flavor-flav-hoax/index.html|website=CNN|date=April 2, 2020}}</ref>

On June 19, 2020, Public Enemy (with Flavor Flav), released the single and music video for their anti-[[Donald Trump]] song "State of the Union (STFU)".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Peters |first=Mitchell |date=20 June 2020 |title=Public Enemy Returns With Anti-Trump 'State of the Union (STFU)' Song: Watch |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/public-enemy-returns-with-anti-trump-state-of-the-union-stfu-song-watch-9406256/ |access-date=October 26, 2022 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref> Chuck D stated, "Our collective voices keep getting louder. The rest of the planet is on our side.  But it's not enough to talk about change. You have to show up and demand change. Folks gotta vote like their lives depend on it, cause it does".<ref>{{cite news|title=Public Enemy Takes on Trump In Scorching New Single "State Of The Union (STFU)": Stream|url=https://consequence.net/2020/06/public-enemy-state-of-the-union-stream/|website=Consequence of Sound|date=June 19, 2020}}</ref> In 2020, the group returned to [[Def Jam]] and released their studio album ''[[What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down?]]'' on September 25, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Eustice|first=Kyle|date=August 28, 2020|title=Public Enemy Returns To Def Jam Armed With New Album 'What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?'|url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.57566/title.public-enemy-returns-to-def-jam-armed-with-new-album-what-you-gonna-do-when-the-grid-goes-down|access-date=September 10, 2020|work=[[HipHopDX]]}}</ref>

On November 25, 2023, the authors of <nowiki>''Jesahel''</nowiki> ([[Ivano Fossati]] and [[Oscar Prudente]]) together with [[Universal Music Group]] sued Public Enemy for plagiarism, since Fossati and Prudente are not recognized as co-authors of "Harder Than You Think"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Michele |first=Bovi |date=2023-11-25 |title="Jesahel di Sanremo 1972 plagiata dai Public Enemy" (di M. Bovi) |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.it/cultura/2023/11/25/news/jesahel_sanremo_plagio_public_enemy-14287977/ |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=HuffPost Italia |language=it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Dario |first=Freccero |date=2023-12-01 |title=Musica, la Universal fa causa ai Public Enemy per il plagio di "Jesahel" dei Delirium (che la portarono a Sanremo su un bus del Genoa) |url=https://www.ilsecoloxix.it/genova/2023/12/01/news/musica_la_universal_fa_causa_ai_public_enemy_per_il_plagio_di_jesahel_dei_delirium_che_la_portarono_a_sanremo_su_un_bus_-13904143/ |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=Il Secolo XIX |language=it}}</ref>