Chuck D, co-founder of rap group Public Enemy, has called on the music industry to back online distribution.

Public Enemy was the first major act to offer an entire album as a digital download before it was available in the shops.

Chuck D now believes that digital music has shifted the balance of power in the music business because it had enabled people to become participants.

"It had a great impact if only because the public has gotten it first, before the industry, and that's a major accomplishment," he said.

The rapper is involved in several online projects, including his own web-based radio station, Bringthenoise.com, and the hip-hop website, RapStation.com.

He explained that the internet is an excellent "exposure area" to reach out to fans. "It is a fantastic opportunity for artists to be participants and active in the new music world that's forming right now," he said.

Chuck D's views have inevitably put him at odds with the big record labels, which see MP3 music files as a 'virus' that is destroying the music industry.

But the musician slammed the industry's attempts to shut down services like Napster that enabled music to be shared over the internet.

He maintained that record labels should be investing money in developing their musicians, rather than in lawyers.

"Digital music can work for an artist, allowing them to take control of their work and get closer to their fans," insisted Chuck D.

"If artists really work on their stuff and get in front of the public on a face-to-face basis, they'll have a fan for life."