Chuck D Sells Large Portion of His Public Enemy Catalog Publishing Rights

Public Enemy's de facto frontman Chuck D has sold a huge chunk of his songwriting catalog to his longtime publisher Reach Music.

Chuck D is cashing in on his Public Enemy material. According to a new article from Rolling Stone, Chuck's publisher Reach Music has acquired over 300 of the rapper's songs, with Reach Music now owning 100 percent of Chuck’s songwriter’s share and 50 percent of his publishing copyrights.

Although neither party has shared the fee that Chuck was paid for the catalog, the Flushing-born rapper has been working with Reach Music for two decades. Active since 1985, Public Enemy has released 15 studio albums, including It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Fear of a Black Planet, and Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Back.

“[D]oing this deal was the right timing for a forward and logical evolution of our business together in an ever-changing industry," Chuck said in a statement. "Reach has always been ahead of the curve on establishing respect for the HipHop genre songwriting and publishing-wise, and they will continue taking care of my works.”

Reach Music's president, founder, and owner, Michael Closter, added, “I’m so grateful to Chuck for our business together as his music publisher throughout these many decades. There’s no one more consequential in the world of Hip-Hop than Chuck D, and he has written iconic and impactful songs that will forever be a part of music history. The team at Reach will continue working hard to protect these works while also introducing them to new generations to come.”