Public Enemy (PE) formed in Roosevelt, Long Island, New York, in 1982, as an outgrowth of the group "Spectrum", the mobile DJ arm of the Roosevelt Youth Center's radio training program formulated in 1978 by Hank Shocklee, Krandel Newton and Eddie Murphy's first manager Ujima. Though originally the designer of the group's flyers, Chuck became the group's MC when Hank heard him rapping and was impressed with his skills. Around 1982, the group hosted a popular radio program over WBAU, Adelphi University's radio station in which they developed to compete with the newly-formed KISS-FM and to give exposure to local and popular rap artists. Hosted by Chuck D and Butch Cassidy, who would go on to head the Public Enemy sub-group "5ive-O", and deejayed by Hank's brother Keith, he was introduced to Flavor Flav when he accompanied "T.A." from the group "Townhouse Three" (later "Sons of Bazerk") to the studio to do a tape, which eventually led to a camaraderie between the two. Developing his talents as an MC with Flavor while delivering furniture for his father's business, Chuck and "Spectrum City", as they were called, released the record "Check Out The Radio", backed by "Lies", a social commentary - both of which would influence RUSH Productions' Run D.M.C. and Beastie Boys. They were signed to the still developing Def Jam record label after co-founder Rick Rubin heard Chuck D freestyling on a demo. Around 1986, Bill Stephney, the former Program Director at WBAU, was approached by Rubin and offered a position with the label. Stephney accepted, and his first assignment was to help Rubin sign Chuck D, whose song "Public Enemy Number One" he had heard from Doctor Dre. According to the book, The History of Rap Music by Cookie Lommel: "Stephney thought it was time to mesh the hard-hitting style of Run DMC with politics that addressed black youth. Chuck recruited Spectrum City, which included Hank Shocklee, his brother Keith Shocklee and Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, collectively known as 'The Bomb Squad,' to be his production team and added another Spectrum City partner, Professor Griff, to become the group's Minister of Information. With the addition of Flavor Flav and another local mobile DJ named Terminator X, the group Public Enemy was born."

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