Editing Public Enemy (section)

==Accusations of antisemitism==
In a 1989 interview with ''[[The Washington Times]]'', the interviewing journalist, [[David Mills (writer)|David Mills]], lifted some quotations from a UK magazine in which the band were asked their opinion on the [[Arab–Israeli conflict]]. Professor Griff commented that "Jews are responsible for the majority of the wickedness in the world" (p.&nbsp;177), a quote from ''[[The International Jew]]''. Shortly after, Chuck D expressed an apology on his behalf.<ref name="Pareles1989">{{cite news|author=Pareles, Jon|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/11/arts/public-enemy-rap-group-reorganizes-after-anti-semitic-comments.html|title=Public Enemy Rap Group Reorganizes After Anti-Semitic Comments|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 11, 1989|access-date=April 19, 2014}}</ref> At a June 21, 1989, press conference, Chuck D announced Griff's dismissal from the group,<ref name="Pareles1989"/> and a June 28 statement by [[Russell Simmons]], president of [[Def Jam Recordings]] and Rush Artists Management, stated that Chuck D. had disbanded Public Enemy "for an indefinite period of time".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pareles|first1=John|title=Rap Group Disbands Under Fire|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/29/arts/rap-group-disbands-under-fire.html|work=The New York Times|date=June 29, 1989|page=C19}}</ref> By August 10, however, Chuck D denied that he had disbanded the group, and stated that Griff had been re-hired as "Supreme Allied Chief of Community Relations" (in contrast to his previous position with the group as Minister of Information).<ref name="Pareles1989"/> Griff later denied holding anti-Semitic views and apologized for the remarks.<ref name="Hilburn3">{{cite news|last=Hilburn|first=Robert|date=April 10, 1990|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-04-10-ca-938-story.html|title=POP MUSIC REVIEW: Public Enemy Keeps Up Attack|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|location=Los Angeles|access-date=October 17, 2011}}</ref> Several people who had worked with Public Enemy expressed concern about Chuck D's leadership abilities and role as a social spokesman.<ref name="Hilburn2">{{cite news|last=Hilburn|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Hilburn|date=February 4, 1990|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-02-04-ca-470-story.html|title=Rap—The Power and the Controversy: Success has validated pop's most volatile form, but its future impact could be shaped by the continuing Public Enemy uproar|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|location=Los Angeles Times|access-date=October 17, 2011}}</ref>

In his 2009 book, entitled ''Analytixz'', Griff criticized his 1989 statement: "to say the Jews are responsible for the majority of wickedness that went on around the globe I would have to know about the majority of wickedness that went on around the globe, which is impossible ... I'm not the best knower. Then, not only knowing that, I would have to know who is at the crux of all of the problems in the world and then blame Jewish people, which is not correct." Griff also said that not only were his words taken out of context, but that the recording has never been released to the public for an unbiased listen.<ref>Professor Griff. Analytixz: 20 Years of Conversations and Enter-views with Public Enemy's Minister of Information. Atlanta: RATHSI Publishing, 2009, p. 12.</ref>

The controversy and apologies on behalf of Griff spurred Chuck D to reference the negative press they were receiving. In 1990, Public Enemy issued the single "Welcome to the Terrordome", which contains the lyrics: "Crucifixion ain't no fiction / So-called chosen frozen / Apologies made to whoever pleases / Still they got me like Jesus". These lyrics have been described by rock critic Robert Christgau as anti-Semitic, making supposed references to [[Chosen people|the concept of the "chosen people"]] with the lyric "so-called chosen" and [[Jewish deicide]] with the last line.<ref>Christgau, Robert. [http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/rock/pe-90.php Jesus, Jews, and the Jackass Theory: Public Enemy]</ref>

The rapper [[Ice-T]] addressed the controversy in his track "This One's For Me" on the album ''[[The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say!]]''. He lamented that none of the rappers who had previously allied themselves with Public Enemy during their success was defending Professor Griff during the controversy, claiming that he had been the only one to speak out in Griff's defense.

In 1999 the group released an album entitled ''[[There's a Poison Goin' On]]''. The title of the last song on the album is called "Swindler's Lust". The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) claimed that the title of the song was a word play on the title of the Steven Spielberg movie ''[[Schindler's List]]'' about the genocide of Jews in World War II.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/1999/07/13/profits-of-rage/|title=Profits of Rage|website=Villagevoice.com|date=July 13, 1999|access-date=December 12, 2018}}</ref> Similarly in 2000 a Public Enemy spin off group under the name [[Confrontation Camp]], a name that the ADL saw as a pun on the term [[concentration camp]], released an album.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/515476/jewish-group-decries-public-enemys-swindlers-lust/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331173332/http://www.mtv.com/news/515476/jewish-group-decries-public-enemys-swindlers-lust/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 31, 2016|title=Jewish Group Decries Public Enemy's 'Swindler's Lust'|last=Archive-Chris-Nelson|website=MTV News|access-date=December 12, 2018}}</ref> The group consisted of Kyle Jason, Chuck D (under the name Mistachuck) and Professor Griff.