Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, known professionally as Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. As the leader of the rap group Public Enemy, he helped create politically and socially conscious hip hop music in the mid-1980s. About.com ranks him at No. 15 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of All Time, while The Source ranked him at No. 12 on their list of the Top 50 Hip-Hop Lyricists of All Time.
