Credit: Kim Metso

When you think about the most influential MCs of all time, Chuck D immediately springs to mind. As a member of Public Enemy, the 64-year-old rapper helped pave the way for politically and socially conscious hip-hop in the 1980s. Albums like It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Fear of a Black Planet and Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black are among the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.

When the New York-born artist lost his father, Lorenzo Ridenhour, in 2016, Chuck searched for answers. As a way to deal with the loss of someone he called his “Superman,” Chuck turned to the plant-based psychedelic drug, ayahuasca. Through its psychoactive effects, primarily resulting from DMT, he could access parts of himself he never could before.

“I think when my dad passed in 2016, I was looking for answers beyond the spiritual ones about him ‘being in a better place,'” he explained to the Big Issue. “And, you know, I actually did a bout of ayahuasca and discovered some answers that were already inside of me.

“It’s sort of like a spiritual journey through uses of a sacrament. We used DMT. It helps you to go within yourself. And that was helpful because the grief about my father was new and it was immense. I mean, it’s like you talk to somebody for 55 years and then you’ve suddenly got silence. So, I gotta say, art came through for me at that time.”

While for some, DMT might be another recreational indulgence, similar to alcohol, Chuck has never had a drop in his life. His father was a significant part of that reason. “My dad never drank and my mum never really drank, but she’s a social drinker,” he said. “So that influenced me. From an early age, the idea of alcohol turned me off.”

He continued, “I was always the designated driver. Also, I wanted to be a half-ass athlete. I was never much good at it, but I thought if I took drugs and alcohol I’d be even worse than terrible! If I was out with friends and got tired of what they were doing, I was always happy to take myself home.”

Chuck paid a loving tribute to his father following his death, crediting him for guiding his way through life. “My Father is my hero; my Dad is my Superhero,” he wrote. “He raised many boys and young men into confident, caring human beings. He shaped me for 55 years on Earth. When I felt lost and a bit off-track, he had some God-given ability to untwist me and put me back into focus.

“He was never afraid of dying. He would simply say that everyone goes to the same door of wherever that is. He would say, ‘Well, either you’re gonna go first or me, unless we’re going to be in the same accident which we can make prayer to avoid.’ Anyway, he would add, ‘No parent should face burying their child. So there you have it, son, and FYI you are not that far behind me in age. So take care of yourself too.”