CLEVELAND, Ohio — Chuck D had the honor of inducting R&B legends Kool & The Gang at the 39th annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday.
But backstage at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the frontman of Public Enemy, part of the Rock Hall’s Class of 2013, wanted to get something on the record: he’s against the Cleveland Browns moving out of downtown and into a domed stadium in the suburbs.
“Y’all remember the last time when the Browns left? They became the Ravens. I don’t know what this Browns team is threatening,” he said, subtly referencing the team’s dismal 1-5 record.
“When you put a stadium outside the city, what you have is Richfield Coliseum, right?,” he continued. “Why revisit the Richfield Coliseum nightmare that you had? It’s all right here,” he said.
Earlier this week, Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam announced their intention to move the team to a new, $2.4 billion domed stadium in Brook Park after their current lease expires following the 2028 season. Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb called the decision “profoundly disheartening.” It’s unclear how the Haslams plan to finance the project.
“Some years are up years, and some years are down years,” Chuck D added. “It doesn’t mean that you move everything out of town… What the f—?”
When he was finished waxing poetic about the Browns stadium situation, the hip-hop legend, a noted New York Knicks fan, asked the reporters gathered if they wanted to talk about the Cleveland Cavaliers or LeBron James.
Nobody took him up on it.
The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is streaming live on Disney+. ABC will broadcast an edited version featuring the best performances and moments on New Year’s Day 2025 at 8 p.m.
