Public Enemy's Chuck D celebrates Black History Month with 'Songs That Shook the Planet'

Frank Hoensch/Redferns

Public Enemy leader Chuck D is paying tribute to Black History Month with his new Audible series, Songs That Shook the Planet, spotlighting iconic songs by legendary Black artists.

His list includes Marvin Gaye’s landmark 1971 song, “What’s Going On”; “People Get Ready,” composed by Curtis Mayfield and recorded by The Impressions in 1965; and Billie Holiday’s 1939 classic, “Strange Fruit.”

“If you’ve lived a long life, you have a long list,” Chuck D tells Variety. “I always try to avoid the obvious and do a little bit more digging to come up with something different, that people might have heard less than the usual suspects.”

The “Fight The Power” rapper says