Public Enemy’s Chuck D Dragged On Twitter After Seemingly Defending R. Kelly

Chuck D’s latest attempt to fight the power wasn’t well-received by the Twitter community after he seemingly attempted to defend R. Kelly.

The Public Enemy frontman let his Twitter fingers fly in response to R. Kelly’s guilty verdict on Tuesday. Chuck D appeared to speak out against the 10-year prison sentence the disgraced singer could be facing.

While comparing Kelly’s case to past cases involving Ike Turner and Rick James, Chuck D seemingly suggested that the two late musicians came out of jail changed men after receiving short sentences.

“Abused in his youth… an addict as a adult… Ike Turner served 18 months in prison… Rick James did similar time. Ike came out a changed positive human being,” Chuck tweeted. “How long should R Kelly spend in prison—and does a USA system give a man a chance for a man to change his world around?”

“Its not a sympathetic question at all. Not the least,” he said in a follow-up tweet.

Abused in his youth… an addict as a adult… Ike Turner served 18 months in prison.. Rick James did similar time. Ike came out a changed positive human being. How long should R Kelly spend in prison -and does a USA system give a man a chance for a man to change his world around?

— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) September 28, 2021

In another tweet, Chuck appeared to blame mainstream radio for being the “gatekeepers” who promoted adult activities to the youth.

“Mixing grown folk lifestyle with Black youth was so endorsed financed perpetuated as so urban cool by radio,” he said. “Black audiences were abused while 25yrs poppin’ champagne in the sandbox. The boundaries were sloppy w head nods. That dude & others gave clues that the gatekeepers ignored.”

But Twitter wasn’t here for Chuck’s attempt at redeeming R. Kelly’s name. Many even questioned how Chuck could assume that Kelly even wants to change.

What indication do you have that R Kelly wants to change? There has been no remorse. What there has been is decades of abusing Black girls, women & boys. Let's remember that Aaliyah was 15 and he was 27 when she was impregnated & they were married. Where is the accountability?

— April (@ReignOfApril) September 28, 2021

“You’re the PERFECT example of why we say ALL men. Because let’s be real if it was up to you, you’d probably give him community service unless it happened to your kid,” one Twitter user said in response. “Then again, w/ this view point you’d probably be one of the parents who sold his kid to him.”

“All due respect, Chuck, Kelly had a decades long, consistent and ongoing pattern of behavior that involved multiple girls and women,” another person said. “He had a chance to redeem himself when he walked after the 2004 rape trial. Instead, he escalated and started moving his victims out of state.”

Chuck decided to respond to this tweet, saying Kelly got away with his pedophilic behavior for decades while being heavily promoted in mainstream media.

“Yes ma’am I totally agree,” Chuck said. “I’m stunned how this took this long and how the business machines around him are unidentifiable and they also perpetuated the fanaticism of what he was. And masses hung on as the radio & BET played on. With support non stop. Allowing it to grow bigger.”

Yes ma’am I totally agree. I’m stunned how this took this long and how the business machines around him are unidentifiable and they also perpetuated the fanaticism of what he was. And masses hung on as the radio & BET played on . With support non stop. Allowing it to grow bigger

— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) September 28, 2021

Not exactly sure where Chuck D lands in this debate, but Twitterwasn’tt letting him off the hook so easily.