Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), better known by his stage name Chuck D, is an American emcee, author,[1] and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious hip hop music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy. About.com ranked him at No. 9 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time, while The Source ranked him at No. 12 on their list of the Top 50 Hip-Hop Lyricists of All Time.