Professor Griff

Richard Griffin (born August 1, 1960), better known by his stage name Professor Griff, is an American rapper, spoken word artist, lecturer and martial artist, currently residing in Atlanta, He is a member of the hip hop group Public Enemy serving as the group\'s Minister of Information and head of the group Security of the First World. He was born in Roosevelt, Long Island, New York. Before becoming famous and after serving in the U.S. army he started a security company called Utility Force to do security at parties. He is most known for his S1W security team dressed in military uniforms who toured with Public Enemy, providing security and doing choreographed military step drills on stage. Today he does lectures on politics, society and the music industry, has an internet radio show on World Star Hit Radio and teaches classes in the Kybalion and The 7 Hermetic Principles for Self-Mastery.\n', ' Before the release of It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Professor Griff, in his role as Minister of Information, gave interviews to UK magazines on behalf of Public Enemy, during which he made homophobic and anti-Semitic remarks.In a 1988 issue of Melody Maker he stated "There\'s no place for gays. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it was for that sort of behaviour" and "If the Palestinians took up arms, went into Israel and killed all the Jews, it\'d be alright" However, there was little controversy until May 22, 1989, when Griffin was interviewed by the Washington Times. At the time, Public Enemy enjoyed unprecedented mainstream attention with the single "Fight the Power" from the soundtrack of Spike Lee\'s Do the Right Thing.\n', ' During the interview with David Mills, Griffin made numerous statements such as "Jews are responsible for the majority of the wickedness in the world". When the interview was published, a media firestorm emerged, and the band found itself under intense scrutiny.\n', '