Hip-Hop Legend Chuck D to Receive The Impact Music & Culture Award at The 2023 NAMM Show

Chuck D, the legendary leader and founder of rap group Public Enemy, social activist, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award winner, will be honored with NAMM’s Impact Music & Culture Award at The 2023 NAMM Show, being held April 13-15, in Anaheim, California. The Impact Music & Culture Award was conceived by musician, producer and songwriter Brian Hardgroove as an opportunity to recognize individuals who move culture through the power of music. The award will be presented at NAMM for the very first time. Chuck D will be on hand to accept the award, presented at the TEC Experience on Thursday, April 13 from 6-7:30 p.m. The recognition comes as part of The NAMM Show’s Hip-Hop 50 celebration, a curated slate of sessions and events throughout the conference that pay tribute to a genre of music that has greatly influenced culture, music, and music-making products.

"As an outgrowth of hip-hop culture, rap music has revolutionized popular music with an impact not seen since the emergence of rock and roll. One of hip-hop’s most influential artists is Public Enemy’s Chuck D,” shared Hardgroove, Public Enemy’s bassist and bandleader and founder of Resonant Alien. “I had the opportunity to watch Chuck up close and witness first-hand the impact he’s had on music fans worldwide. It will be an honor for me to present Chuck with the first Impact Music & Culture Award as part of this year’s TEC Experience at NAMM."

Also planned as a part of the evening’s events is a music video montage of the history of hip-hop from music/video mashup creator, producer, and director, Mike Relm, and a performance by Resonant Alien, the new band featuring Brian Hardgroove and DJ Johnny Juice of Public Enemy. Additionally, awards will be given to TEC Experience finalists in 21 Technical Achievement and one Studio Design Project categories, which were recently announced in recognition of the individuals, companies, and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, live performances, films, television, video games, and multimedia.

Held the evening of April 13 on The NAMM Show Campus, The NAMM TEC Experience is a communal reception that gathers the crossroads of the industry to applaud the achievements of the researchers and developers, product designers, marketers, and innovators behind the innovations in pro audio. TEC Committee member Tony Baraz says, "TEC honors the pioneers, the innovators, those who have moved us forward, and the products and technologies which have advanced music-making. As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of hip-hop, we recognize the impact that pioneers like Chuck D and others have had on music, music products, the music industry, and culture as a whole." Each finalist was evaluated by a group of industry experts from all facets of the pro audio and sound production industries. View the complete list of finalists here.

Additional notable Hip-Hop 50 events planned during the 2023 NAMM Show include a Friday, April 14 session from 5-6 p.m.: “Chuck D on Hip-Hop at 50, Hosted by Brian Hardgroove,” presented by Black to the Future and showcasing an historical look at the American music and cultural phenomenon; and on Saturday, April 15 from 3-5 p.m.: the Yamaha Grand Plaza stage will come alive with the MIDI@40 celebration showcasing a performance by Resonant Alien, the new band featuring Brian Hardgroove and DJ Johnny Juice of Public Enemy. The performance will recognize the impact that hip-hop and MIDI — as an underlying, enabling technology — have had a global impact in breaking down barriers, as MIDI drum machines, sequencers, synths, and turntables are at the heart of many of the iconic records that made hip-hop the cultural phenomenon that it is today. Learn more here about MIDI@40 and Hip-Hop@50 events here.

The TEC Experience, MIDI@40 and Hip-Hop@50 join the return of much-loved industry events, including the Parnelli Awards and the She Rocks Awards, as well as other event gatherings and networking opportunities, including the Top 100 Dealer, Pro Audio Pool Party, Women of NAMM and NAMM Young Professionals receptions, and more. View the schedule here: https://www.nammshow.org/event/the-2023-namm-show

In addition to the events and receptions, attendees of The 2023 NAMM Show will feature a robust show floor with exhibiting brands, including Adam Hall; ADJ; Allen & Heath; American Music & Sound; Apogee; Avid; beyerdynamic; C.F. Martin & Co.; Casio; Conn-Selmer; d&b audiotechnik; Ernie Ball; ESP; Harman; IK Multimedia; Ibanez; Kala; Kawai; KMC Music; Konig and Meyer; Line 6; Pioneer; Shure; Tama; Ultimate Ears; and Yamaha, among many others. 

Registration for The 2023 NAMM Show is now open at https://www.namm.org/thenammshow/attend

About Chuck D

Chuck D is the leader and founder of the legendary rap group Public Enemy, a social activist, multimedia producer, visual artist, and digital music pioneer. He has been featured in more than 100 documentaries on music, technology, politics, and race, and co-curated the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip Hop. He has also been a national spokesperson for Rock the Vote, the National Urban League, Americans for the Arts Council, and the National Alliance for African-American Athletes, is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has earned a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award.