A long-gestating collaboration between Chuck D and The Doors drummer John Densmore has finally arrived — but not without controversy.
The project, released under the name doPE, traces its roots back to Record Store Day 2014, when Chuck D served as official ambassador and met Densmore during a panel discussion. According to Chuck, the spark came a year later via email: "You've got the beats, I've got the rhymes, let's make doPE."
The name was conceived as a hybrid of The Doors' lowercase logo aesthetic and Public Enemy's longtime shorthand, PE. More than a decade after their first meeting, the two cultural heavyweights have now completed a full collaborative album under that banner.
However, the announcement quickly drew a response from Edsel Dope, frontman of the long-running industrial metal band Dope, who publicly accused the duo of infringing on a name he says he has legally owned — and lived — for over 25 years.
Opening his statement with an emphatic "Yooooooo!", Edsel made it clear this was not an attack on the artists themselves. I am a huge fan of Chuck D, Public Enemy, and The Doors, so the last thing that I want to do is interrupt a creative endeavor from two legends that I admire and respect."
Still, he stressed that the name dope is inseparable from his own career and identity. "It is important for me to highlight the 25 years I have devoted to building a band/brand, which has found a good bit of success and built a sizable fan base around the globe. Those 4 letters 'dope' have been tattooed on my knuckles since 1998."
Edsel went on to state that the name is not just symbolic, but legally protected. "I appropriately registered the artist name dope and I have owned the Trademark, ever since I hit the scene, more than 25 years ago… The paperwork is up to date, and my rights regarding the name are indisputable."
He also pointed to the practical implications in the modern streaming era, suggesting that the newly formed doPE could cause significant marketplace confusion. "Choosing to call themselves doPE would invite a good bit of market confusion, especially on the streaming services like Spotify, where I have more than a million monthly listeners, along with several hundred million combined streams…"
Despite the firm stance, Edsel struck a conciliatory tone, positioning himself as a fan first — and even extending an olive branch. "Next to the two of you, I humbly consider myself 'the little guy'. So if YOU TWO LEGENDS are committed to using MY FOUR LETTERS, please hit me up directly, as I would love to be part of some form of collaborative effort with you."
He closed with reverence for both artists' legacies: "I know every word from Apocalypse 91 & I have smoked more weed listening to The Doors than one could ever imagine. LOVE AND RESPECT TO YOU BOTH!"
As of now, neither Chuck D nor John Densmore has publicly responded to Edsel Dope's statement. Whether the situation escalates into a legal dispute, results in a name change, or unexpectedly evolves into a three-way collaboration remains to be seen.
