Chuck D Reveals Origins of Public Enemy's Name, Crosshairs Logo, Says It 'Symbolized The Black Man In America'

Whether you've heard their music or not, you've probably seen Public Enemy's logo -- a silhouette of a man in a hat, standing, arms folded, with a crosshair positioned over the top.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, frontman Chuck D explained the logo's significance, which is particularly intriguing given the circumstances of the last week in Ferguson, Missouri.

"The crosshairs logo symbolized the black man in America," Chuck told them. "A lot of people thought it was a straight trooper because of the hat, but the hat is one of the ones that Run-DMC wore. The B-Boy stance and the silhouette was more like the black man on the target."

The rapper also explained the historical origins of the group's name. "The United States Constitution once considered black people to be three-fifths of a human being," Chuck D said. "If this is a public document, obviously we must be the enemy, so that's where the name Public Enemy came from."

Although the interview was not directly related to the Mike Brown shooting, rather it was to promote a new partnership with Arnette Eyewear, it just goes to show how this race problem has persisted since Public Enemy's genesis in 1982.

Earlier this year, Public Enemy celebrated the 25th anniversary of its song "Fight The Power."

"I feel like Pete Seeger singing 'We Shall Overcome,' [when we perform it]," Chuck told them. "'Fight the Power' points to the legacy of the strengths of standing up in music."

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Public Enemy, Chuck D