Hip-hop icon Chuck D – best known as the leading man in Public Enemy – is set to make his first ever foray into the world of comics this year, announcing a graphic novel titled Apocalypse 91: The Revolution Never Sleeps.
- READ MORE: Public Enemy’s Chuck D: “Activism comes in the aftermath of being shown that you have no power”
A collaboration between comic publisher Z2 and record label Def Jam (to which D is signed), the book is set to land sometime this November, a month after the 30th anniversary of Public Enemy’s acclaimed fourth album, ‘Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black’.
It comes as the latest in an ongoing series of musician-comic crossovers from Z2, following team-ups with acts like Machine Gun Kelly, Gorillaz, Yungblud and Poppy.
In a press release, Chuck D explained how the project offered a chance to revisit his past as a visual artist, having graduated from New York’s Adelphi University with a B.F.A. in Graphic Design.
“This graphic novel is a new take on the artwork I’ve been making, growing naturally from the paint and pens that express what’s on my mind and reflect what’s happening around us,” he said.
“It was a real honour to have my illustrations alongside the who’s who of comic book artists.”
D co-wrote and illustrated the book, working alongside a cast of comic veterans including Evan Narcisse (Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Black Panther), Regine Sawyer (Dark Nights: Death Metal), Che Grayson (Batman: Urban Legends) and Troy-Jeffrey Allen (Villain: All Caps).
Apocalypse 91: The Revolution Never Sleeps will be offered in four editions, including a standard print in softcover and hardcover forms, as well as deluxe edition and super deluxe edition bundles. Included in the latter two bundles is a limited-edition vinyl repressing of ‘Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black’. Pre-orders are available now from Z2.
‘Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black’ was released on October 1, 1991, and was declared by NME as the 16th best album of that year.
It received critical acclaim upon release, debuted at Number Four on the Billboard 200 chart and was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and silver by the British Phonographic Industry. It also received a nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 1992 Grammy Awards.
Public Enemy released their 15th album, ‘What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?’, last September. In a four-star review for NME, writer Will Lavin called it the group’s best effort since 1998’s ‘He Got Game’, saying: “The group’s fearless expressions of truth sound right at home pinned to a jet-fuelled backdrop of rip-roaring beats that hammer your eardrums and capture everything hip-hop should stand for.”
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