Fear Of A Black Planet

“Hey fellas, I’d like to get a band together. I want the drums to Sound like I am banging someoen‘a head against the curb until they die while I talk about 400 years of oppression to my people. While I am doing this I want a skinny guy with gold teeth and a giant clock around his neck to encourage me. I would like to add heavy metal guitar over much of the music and if we play live I’d like to have military grade weapons in most of our hands Sound like a plan?” - chuck D

Chuck D delivers as always. Flava Flav is at the top of his game. Every track is a heater. It's rowdy, rude, and in your face. It's also one of the most culturally influential albums of all time. This one is an all-timer. Best track: Fight the Power

Before Nirvana exploded in 91 and what came in their wake pretty much took over my musical world, I was more into hip hop -mostly via music videos. Public Enemy really stuck out to me then and was perhaps my favorite group from this era. I am much more partial to their politically centered music than the gangster rap that came to dominate the genre shortly thereafter. Their previous album "It takes a nation of millions..." usually gets the highest praise as it was their breakthrough (and I love it too) but I think this is their best album and easily one of the best hip hop albums of all time. I love chuck ds voice and his contrast with flavor flav is wild but I think it really works to temper the tone of the album so that it isn't overbearing. This album is relentless in so many ways, from the sheer power of chuck ds voice, to the weight of his message, to the dense layering of the music, to the pacing and BPMs... I feel like this one flows nearly perfectly as an album, interludes and all.

Kind of reminds me of Sting, Kind of reminds me of Mumford and sons. Will have to listen again to pick my favorite track.

As relevant today as when it came out. The anger is righteous and palpable. 911 is a joke - echoes to the present day. A listenable, danceable, seminal album.

Ho-ly. SHIT. This album is aggressive and angry as fuck. It still resonates today especially with 2020's BLM movements. Production is tight and reminds me of early NIN, a shed load of samples and turntablism (from the sound of it) expertly crafted. This album is powerful. 10/10

Public Enemy does not sound dated at all - so many (too many) of the lyrics and topics are 100% as relevant today (30+ years later holy hell). Yet what makes this album (and PE's other early (pre~1994) albums) especially fantastic isn't just the lyrics/topics but the kickass music - judicious samples and hard beats; if the music isn't any good, the message isn't going to be heard - and the music is great. Chuck D was never better than on this collection - "Welcome to the Terrordome" and of course the huge hit "Fight the Power" are standouts. "Burn Hollywood Burn" might be the best of them all - the beat is intense and high-paced, and guest verses from Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube make this catchy as hell. I'm unlikely to ever give a perfect score for a PE album because of Flavor Flav's songs (I like him well enough as a sidekick but as a sidekick alone) - him taking lead on a song mostly kills the vibe for me but on this album he is thankfully more limited and he hits a little differently - "911 Is a Joke" had a huge impact and actually had something to say. Fear Of A Black Planet also works so well because it is truly a complete *album* rather than a smattering of tracks here and there - in some ways (it's a reach, I'll admit) it's not unlike The Who's Sell Out in terms of there being "connecting tracks" ("Incident at 66.6FM" "Reggie Jax" "Leave This Off Your Fn Charts") that work as a path from one "proper" song to the next. In other words - you lose a ton if you listen to some of these songs on a mix... listen to this from tip to tail for the full effect. And admittedly even though it is a dense album you do have to listen to it as a complete collection and worth any effort - it also gets better upon multiple spins. If it's not the best hip-hop album ever made it has to be in the conversation.... 9/10 5 stars.

As ever, there's nary a milisecond of respite, but the relentlessness comes from a life-giving and life-affiriming variety rather than single-speed tempo. There are skits, sound effects, smooth moments, funny as fuck moments, soulful songs, rebel-rousing songs. But it's non-stop because they aren't neatly parcelled like that. From the first beat you never know when you'll be thrown in a different direction. Sometimes the skits stands alone, sometimes a breakbeat interrupts a skit, sometimes the song interrupts a sample, somtimes a sample becomes a song. The permutations are endless. And for all Chuck's verbal artillery and bombastic oratory, nothing assays the necessary resourcefulness of militancy as that. Use every last scrap of what you can lay your hands on to fight your cause. It's an ethos that imbues everything from the explosive found-art approach of the production to Flava Flav's diatribes. It's a constant and unpredictable clash of ideas. In a word, dialectics. Hence why the simpletons phoning in on Incidient At 66.6 FM can only respond to PE's multifarious ideas by reducing them to "They're bad because they have guns on stage". But even that track subverts expctations, giving the ignormai a coolly propellent and pleasant bedding track whose levity not only ridicules the callers but shows how casually acceptable it is to air such views. Something similar goes down on Pollwannacraka, where Chuck fully embraces the preacher quality of his voice. Likewise, the "black man, white women, black baby..." sample that starts at 00:53 of the title track and doubles down on creepiness because the speaker is so convinced of their rightness. Finally, shouts to when Chuck fluffs his line "Ain't how that God planned it" on the title track. It makes the music sound more than ever like a demonstration, where even the more powerful orator can trip over their words.

Anger channeled, proof positive that this vital emotion leads to vital art when honed to a bleeding edge. It struck me how prescient it seems, then struck me again how it only seems prescient because it sees its present so clearly, and because so little has changed.

I’ve listened to this recently as part of a resurgence in interest of classic rap. This is a quality album. Each song flows with the aggression and urgency against the system that it’s lyrics highlight.

Listened to a few tracks. Not feeling old school hip hop these days. Will revisit

This is sampling heaven.

I knew of Public Enemy but never knew who they were or what they were about. Political rap and media commentary samples contextualize this nicely.

Huge credit for cultural, social, and political relevance. Also a gateway and a huge jump in production and quality between 80s and 90s hip hop. The whole thing runs a bit long but the message and concistency holds up. Chuck's delivery is also one of the best. Terrordome is probably the best track even if 911 and fight the power are more popular and relevant.

Educational.

Chuck D and Flava Flav are wholly underrated in the pantheon of Hip Hop. The true voice of late 80s brooklyn, So New York that Spike Lee had them be characters in "Do the Right Thing". This is the anger boiling beneath the surface. Anger at the police for fixing broken windows and not broken streets. Anger at Hollywood. It's been 30 years, do we still fear a black planet? I don't know. Butt regardless, we should fight the power

YESSSSS I've been waiting for some true hip hop classics, this is a great place to start. Public Enemy is such an enigmatic duo to me. I grew up knowing Flava Flav from reality TV, but here he's the hype man for Chuck D, one of the most politically motivated rappers ever. This album is a bold political proclamation from front to back, but it's also extremely listenable and danceable. You can hear how easily these beats would turn a club up in the '90s. The sampling is really impressive, so many samples on here that appear throughout hip hop history. To name two, I heard a sample that appeared on Illmatic in '94, and a sample that appeared on Tribe's album from 2016. I also loved that Ice Cube was featured on a track, and it made me realize how similar Chuck D and Ice Cube's rap styles are. Cube is definitely indebted to Chuck D. This is a fantastic album. Favorite tracks: Fight the Power, Welcome to the Terrordome, Burn Hollywood Burn, Brothers Gonna Work It Out. Album art: This is a great one. I don't think it's as iconic as their prior album, but I like this one better honestly. Public Enemy's crosshair logo is incorporated into the black planet, the title is presented in Star Wars scroll-text fashion. Excellent colors, and I love the chyron across the bottom. 4.5/5

The social commentary is the real star of this album. Public Enemy muses on the plight of black Americans like: feeling less than marginalized (911 Is A Joke), mistreatment of women (Revolutionary Generation ), and being stigmatized (Who Stole The Soul). There are also several songs with positive messages like: black men should help each other out (Brothers Gonna Work It Out), interracial relationships are acceptable (Pollywanacraka), and black pride (Fight The Power). Musically however, there isn’t much to point to on this album. The vocalists are not great. I get that it’s hip hop, but their voices are not good even with the style being more spoken word than singing. The music screams early 90s, and that’s not a compliment here. The sound is dated. There aren’t any terribly interesting hooks, samples, nor beats. This rating is based solely on the apt social exposition. I remember that Public Enemy pissed off a bunch of the white establishment. Of course the white establishment twisted the focus onto the “vulgarity” of the music by doing some of the very things Public Enemy was protesting against on this album. Unfortunately, too much of the message is still relevant today.

It's a hip-hop/rap classic for a good reason. Welcome to the Terrordome / Fight the Power / Brothers Gonna Work It Out / 911's a Joke / Fear of a Black Planet. Chuck D and PE don't always speak for me, but they make their case solidly. Even the lesser tracks are good, and while I'd be inclined to cut everything under 1 minute maybe that messes with the flow... The production on this album is fantastic. This record sounds amazing today. The Bomb Squad definitely deserves their flowers.

No album embodies its politics more effectively. Its perspective is indelibly stamped on my skull since my teens. I hadn’t returned to it for a couple of decades: too long, too strident, an intensity that is more exhausting than invigorating. But its demands reward. It’s a university of noise that tapes ears and eyes wide open. The slamming shut of the sample copyright free-for-all soon after means we won’t see its like again. Flawed, oft-questionable, difficult to get through, but you don’t hang “Guernica” on a living room wall. So fast, so dense. “:..and John Wayne.”

Such a great sounding album! Old git here, but this is how rap music should be produced. Still sounds dangerous and abrasive, and sad how the "controversial" stuff like the call-in sampled on Incident At 66.6 FM resembles the golden age of radio compared to the shit nowadays on Fox News etc. Fight The Power pushes this to a 5 easily [EDIT - Much appreciated relief from the curse of the twos. A masterpiece]

Masterpiece. All-timer, such an incredible record. In a genre so defined by its minimalism and DIY-ness, this album is nothing but deep, lush soundscapes layered with texture and sonic experimentation. I could go on and on about the godliness of the production, but Chuck and Flav are on a whole other level on this album. It’s an absolute masterclass in lyricism and rhythm, their voices often being used as another layer in the sonic collages that make up the album. Absolutely incredible. Every song rips, every step takes us further into the mind of Chuck and his angst, confusion, anger, frustration, desperate hope and optimism, every emotion he feels looking at the world matched perfectly by these instrumentals and spoken word samples. I could go on and on, I’m rambling. I should’ve just kept it to my first word: Masterpiece.

Amazing. Is it possible...is this.. better than nation of millions? Maybe not. Because, well, what a record. But this is relentless. And certainly not less good. Burn Hollywood Burn was right there in 1990, how many years did it take for the message to only just begin to trickle through to filmmakers? About 30, yeah?

I can see why this album was so influential, top-notch 90s rap with unapologetic and important political messaging.

Fantastic album. 9/10. Fight the power is a classic. The album has a lot of variety too. Work of art.

Crazy that this came out in 1990... Still relevant

Very good and iconic hiphop album with smart sampling, very good flow and rhythm

Powerful album with tons of cultural significance. Lyrically strong and deep with a lot of innovative sampling of sound bites interspersed throughout. My only criticism is that the songs seem to run together musically, but Public Enemy was always more about the lyrics than the music.

4.5/5. Genre defining record with samples and politically charged lyrics that remain relevant to this day.

This album slaps, the sampling on this is so good. The second half goes on for a little bit too long but still a great album. Fight the Power is such a great protest song and a great song to end the album.

Listening to Public Enemy is always like attending the most aggressive party in the city. This record is no different but feels less cohesive than some of their other efforts. I am still digging it though, and for 1990, this was ahead of it's time. It has deep layers like PHM from NIN and the rapping has already taken the leap away from simple rhyming to a more complicated sound. Great record.

Preliminary 4 stars. I didn't give it the full listen it deserves yet but I like most of what I've heard. Welcome to the Terrordome is amazing.

I liked it. banger. it was everything I expected going into a public enemy release from what ive heard about them and then some. the production was sick. the rapping was slightly rudimentary but it worked in the style. great album.

👍

i love it, love the humor on the album and it's a classic

BOOM.

Elvis never meant shit to me.

Great hip hop album

really into it by the track Incident At 66.6 FM. Damn what a masterclass in hip hop and race relations.

I mean it's a classic hip hop album and kind of the bridge between 80s style hip hop before the more hard-hitting 90s takeover. Couple classic hits like "911 Is A Joke" and of course, "Fight the Power". 7/10.

After a couple of days having albums that I didn’t really enjoy, I’m excited to see Public Enemy as my generated album for the day. I only recognise the title of one song, but this feels like a pretty bankable album. Let’s listen! Songs I already knew: Fight The Power Favourites: 911 Is A Joke, Fight The Poser, Burn Hollywood Burn Thankfully, this album was very enjoyable. There was a good amount of angst, mixed with occasional apathy and social commentary about racism in the USA. Lyrical messages aside, the music itself was great. The beats are good, and the bass is often funky. This is my preferred variation of hip hop. Overall, a pretty great album.

Score: 80 Album art: 80 I got the powers that be running through me This record is very 90s. The drum beats, the record scratching, the topics and vibes are all here. The use of news clips and spoken word is so smart and well done. Everything is pretty damn near on point for most of the album. At 1 hour and 20 songs, I feel like it could use a little tightening though. The pacing only falters a little here or there though, and I like that a lot of songs have a good amount of breathing room before and after the lyrics. It makes this album flow very well as the songs mesh into each other. It would be hard to deny the importance of this album. Pollywannacracka was the only song i didn't care for. I don't think this album needed an interpolation of ring around the rosie. It is toungue in cheek but I would skip this every time.

This shit is unapologetic, aggressive, and in your face music. Oh, they use bad words? Good - they should be able to talk about these very REAL AND RELEVANT ISSUES using whatever language they want. All y'all homies want lyrics that mean something, well, here you go. Chuck D is cool and Flavor Flav is mostly not annoying. Some of the beats and flow are a bit dated, it has that early hip hop sound, but most of it fine. I love the news bits and interludes that they incorporate in the songs. I don't like the homophobic lyrics, unfortunately, it was very prevalent back then from every group of people. They could probably have cut a little, this album is overly long and some songs are basically just 3 minutes of noise, but it's worth listening to by anyone. Fave Song/Lyrics: 911 Is A Joke, Burn Hollywood Burn, Fight The Power

Lourd album, dommage pour l'homophobie PREFS : Brothers Gonna Work It Out, 911 Is a Joke, Welcome to the Terrordome, Pollywanacraka, Anti-Nigger Machine, Burn Hollywood Burn, Power to the People, Who Stole the Soul?, Fear of a Black Planet, Revolutionary Generation, Can't Do Nuttin' for You Man, War at 33⅓, Fight the Power MOINS PREF : Meet the G That Killed Me

After listening to Jurassic 5's "Power in Numbers" yesterday, it feels fitting that I was given an album by a group that influenced it heavily. This record here being vastly superior in terms of originality and messaging. There a lot of great cuts here. My favourites being "911 is a Joke", "Who Stole the Soul?", and of course, "Fight the Power". I definitely see the Influence that Funkadelic had on this era of hip-hop shine on this album. And that's a very good thing. Personal Enjoyment - 8.5 Songwriting - 7.5 Lyrics - 8.5 - the subject matter is a 10 but the cheesy moments bring it down slightly for me. Originality - 7 Production Value - 10 Artwork - 10 Overall - 8.3

Among the religious traditions of India, Asia, and Africa, certain deities are sometimes invoked for the purpose of destruction. They are portrayed in iconography as real bad asses, physically imposing, fiercely armed. But their purposes are not considered evil. Rather, the destruction they practice is actually designed for the elimination of things that are an impediment to one’s ability to be fully self-realized- the destroying of unhealthy behaviors and attitudes, everything from a bad cigarette addiction to a bad temper. Public Enemy is a band of destruction, with their sights on unjust systems and a biased status quo that present major obstacles to the realization of a more fully developed human consciousness. So, yeah, they’re unapologetically aggressive, and not especially interested in necessarily being your friend. (That said, P.E. should be commended for its consistent respect of black women, and criticism of the misogyny that exists among the male members of the black community.) Given all this, is it any surprise that the general lyrical content of 'Fear Of A Black Planet' is received fearfully among whites? ‘Elvis was a hero to most but he never meant shit to me, you see, straight up racist that sucker was, simple and plain. Motherfuck him and John Wayne.’ Whoa, who shines whiter among whites than Elvis Presley and John Motherfuckin’ Wayne? Follow up lyric: ‘I’m Black and I’m proud. I’m ready and hyped plus I’m amped. Most of my heroes don’t appear on no stamps. Sample a look back you look and find nothing but rednecks or 400 years if you check.’ – ‘Fight the Power.’ Invoking destructive powers, though, can be dangerous business because of the risk of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, as in P.E.’s unfortunate running feud with Jews witnessed on ‘Welcome to the Terrordome.’ But this LP is so aggressive, so offensive (I mean that in the sense of advancing, not insulting) that there’s bound to be some ricocheted verbal ammunition. And Chuck D is the voice for these lyrics with his commanding and passionate baritone, ringing out like a hammer on anvil, hard and loud and proud. Along with Terminator X’s infectious scratching, and the Bomb Squad’s always lively producing, 'Fear Of A Black Planet' comes, literally, with lots of bells and whistles… and sirens and gunshots. It’s fast paced and busy, instrumentally and verbally, with multi-layers of samples. This’ll raise your blood pressure, whatever race. I say all this as a long-time fan of P.E, and this LP being one of my two favorites from their body of work. Sure, they come with conditions, and some I don’t particularly espouse myself of a troublesome theological and ethical nature. The listener will do well, though, to acknowledge that while both John Wayne and especially Elvis are deified among many American whites, they too come with their own moral shortcomings. This lyric from ‘Pollywanacraka’ is important to consider in an overall assessment of P.E.’s position: ‘The devil splits us in pairs and taught us white is good and black is bad, and black and white is still too bad.’ Remember to whom Chuck D is claiming ultimate allegiance- God, and not the devil. And as such, he’s promoting tolerance among both whites and blacks when it comes to interracial relationships. Thus, an interesting question posed to frightened whites on the title track, putting the ball in their court: ‘What’s wrong with some color in your family tree?’ ‘Now we are ready if you are ready,’ Chuck D challenges the African American community on the first song following the intro. ‘Brother’s gonna work it out.’ Sadly, over thirty years later, there is still much left targeted but untouched for demolition.

Public Enemy was that tiny bit too old by the time I started listening to music that wasn't in the top 40 (metal, rap, punk etc). Even though it was only about 1992-93, Public Enemy was already a thing of the past. I knew who they were, but no one was listening to them. It was all about much more "gangsta" shit by that point, or Cypress Hill - thinking about it, there was an almost instant shift away from PE's style. Not sure what the catalyst was, would be interesting to know. But out with the socially-conscious lyric stuff, in with the street life and weed themes. That may also just have been a regional Australia thing and limited to my own experience, can't say for sure. But it's weird to realise that PE were releasing albums that sounded this good right up to the changing of the guard. It's not like they were washed up or anything and needed to pass the torch. In any case, I do really like this style. The sampling and drum beats etc float my boat much more than the later "bassline + drum machine" formula that became the norm. And Chuck D's voice is genuinely cool. I'd listen to him read the phone book. This is an easy 4/5 - I'd give it a full 5 but it's over an hour and some of it (eg. "Pollywannacraka") was filler.

‘Fear Of A Black Planet’ is relentless. It’s harder, angrier, more intimidating, and full of even more samples twisted beyond recognition than on ‘It Takes A Nation of Millions…’. It starts and finishes phenomenally well, but the middle sags as the record almost buckles under the weight of its political message and the dense and brutal nature of its beats. It’s still a great album, and you can’t question its legacy or influence, it’s just exhausting to listen to all the way through.

A really good album. There's definitely a lot to like here. Chuck D is great as to be expected. Flavor Flav has his finest moment in "9-1-1 is a Joke" and Terminator X supplies some great beats. However, there are some hiccups. Pollywanacracker has some weird vocal fry stuff that just grates on me. I can't stand it. I feel like the album loses some steam starting with "Can't Do Nuttin For Ya Man" they're not bad songs but the real greatness doesn't come back for me until the closer, the classic "Fight The Power" Overall it's a really good album, it's just not quite as good as "It Takes A Nation..." Still very much worth listening to.

This was a great listen. Full of energy: poetic, politically-charged lyrics, bouncing bass-dominated rhythms, a cacophony of percussion, noodling electric guitar: it sounds like it was recorded in a party house in Brooklyn back in the day.

Relentless, crushing beats and noise, and wave after wave of sounds and noise and drones. Dizzying panning and cutups, sonic bombardment, a cavalcade of voices and slogans

definitely influencing the genre.

I do really like Public Enemy. The lyrical flow, the emotion, the message, the delivery - all excellent. However, I'm not a always a fan of the constant repetition of short samples that backs the majority of the tracks. Sometimes it works great, other times it can become a bit monotonous. The whole album also feels a bit long. Regardless, this is a classic from the golden era of hip hop and, due to tighter restrictions on the use of samples, records in this style will probably stay resigned to the past. (3.7)

I got two Public Enemy albums in a week. “Nation of Millions” earned my respect and this is even better.

A great album for Black History Month. This is the genesis of truly radical hip hop that would go on to influence all the best hip hop records to date. Terminator X provides the hard-hitting production that keeps the music memorable, Chuck D's presence is unmatched, and Flav is...there. Not a perfect album, but still a one worth listening to for it's history alone.

On my Hip Hop education tour last year, I listened to this and their older album in full. While I liked their earlier album more, this one isn’t bad. You can see the influence these guys had on so much hip hop going forward not just stylistically and lyrically, but in samples as well. I heard “Dis Generation” on Revolutionary Generation which was sampled on the most recent Tribe album. My favorite song on the album is Fight the Power probably because that’s in the opening of Do the Right Thing. I hope their first album comes on this list as well but I’m glad this one did too. There are also some great interludes about people calling into the radio and complaining about Public Enemy and other types of bigotry that sadly still ring true today. They are saying so much with just their album cover alone, and the title. People who just want to be treated equally are often looked at as a “public” enemy and showing this black planet with someone in the cross hairs merging with earth really does invoke that fear of a “takeover” that so many are still unfoundedly afraid of today.

I've never been that much into hip-hop, but this late 80's/early 90's tracks by Public Enemy do bring some nice memories back. Love the production, all the layered samples and the flow on top of it. Those were nice times to innovate with this approach.

Like noise rock but rap?

«Motherfuck him [Elvis] and John Wayne». Agree.

Really great didn't quite hold my attention all the way through

Public Enemy come out with a record that emphasised the mood of the time: anger. As many felt their world was under fire (and indeed it truly was for othres), Public Enemy guides you through the emotional rollercoaster in this time. Strong themes of social justice exploring racial injustice, stereotyping, and feminism; this is a record that truly speaks it's mind.

The definition of a mixed bag. I do not like Flavor Flav's schtick, I feel it totally waters the entire politically charged messages which I think are pretty good, I like Chuck D's delivery. From reading about Public Enemy it seems like Flavor Fav is sort of a hype-man for the group so I get it, it probably made sense and made them more popular, but in terms of the general "art" his inclusion drags it down. Welcome to the Terrordome, Brothers Gonna Work It Out, Contract On The World Love Jam - Instrumental, and obviously Fight the Power are the standout tracks.

Culturally significant, but most of the music was just not enjoyable to me. 2.5/5

Encore un album de hip-hop au bout duquel on a le sentiment d'avoir écouté la même chose pendant plus d'une heure (les albums de ce genre musical durent en moyenne une heure quarante-cinq). J'ai envoyé une carte postale à Robert pour avoir davantage d'explications, sa réponse devrait arriver dans une poignée de jours ouvrables, je vous tiendrai informé.

I guess it's OK. It didn't really annoy me, but it didn't really interest me in any way either, so I stopped midway through because it's on the long side.

I don't usually listen to hip hop, but it was pretty solid Some of the tracks were pretty catchy, but I didn't feel a connection to it

I expected a more tunes than vocals

meh.. the rhythm is so loud and disorienting

Not at all my kind of music. Also, can we just not with the antisemitism and homophobia..

i'm sure it's an "important" entry, but it's not for me. purportedly socially conscious rap containing homophobia and antisemitism might be clever if done ironically, but i don't think they were smart enough for that. i think it's genuine in its crudeness and cruelty. hot garbage

So much of what rap is now and has been for the last 30-some years started right here. It’s incredible in many respects that so many of the political talking points are still current to this very day. Loved this front to back

Non stop black power. I can understand why white kids back in the day knew every lyric, sang it loudly, and just didn't get it because they never lived it. Powerful album, a musical representation of all the great black preachers, and yet goes a different direction. It will be hard for me to listen as often as I should, I need to get used to the sonic energy of the band. 4.5/5

This was a powerful album, both lyrically and instrumentally. First time listening to Public Enemy and won't be the last, found this album to fly by

Exceptional

i don't love the references to Jews in "Terrordome" or the homophobia in "Meet the G That Killed Me," but I've looked past a lot of shit for other records. this is a top-5 hip-hop album for me.

Excellent album. One of my favorites.

excelent

I can't do anything else while listening to this. So much going on. Almost avant garde in places. Once I'm locked in, the music becomes mighty impressive, righteous and powerful.

The layers of samples are so thick at times that it risks sounding messy, but somehow it never does. Albums like this just aren't viable any more.

One of the greatest albums

Biggest thing listening to these long lists has been the appreciation of the golden age of hip hop. This solidly lands in that group.

Boom pow. Like a one-two punch. Nonstop driving force. Head boppin the entire time. Good workout music. These guys have a lot to say. Flavor Flavs accompaniment like an exclamation point. When this came out originally, I was not a fan of rap or hip hop music. Over the years I’ve grown to enjoy some of it and this one will now forever be on that list.

Hearing these jams took me back a few years. I was able to catch Chuck D, Flavor Flav, and crew live a few times in the LA area. The music is infectious and the messages are more relevant than ever. I grew up in the Hawthorne area and worked in Carson, so even this white kid felt the energy around this form of socially conscious rap music. I was a little closer to the west coast sounds of Dr. Dre and Ice-T initially but these guys won me over with their astute assessment of racism in America. Five stars.

You can’t fight the power of this record

Landmark album. Might not be something I listen to much, but still sounds fresh and relevant.

Thick, dissonant layers of samples, often pulled from Funk, Soul, and Rock, combined with sirens, scratches, and breaks. Production team the Bomb Squad’s approach here is to layer sounds in a way that mirror the social tension and complexity in the lyrics—tracks like “Fight the Power” exemplify this with its stacked samples and driving rhythm, creating a sense of urgency. The production choices on songs like “911 Is a Joke” and “Burn Hollywood Burn” keep the listener off balance, as sounds collide and voices weave in and out, reinforcing the messages in the lyrics. Lyrically, Chuck D’s verses are relentless, addressing systemic racism, media manipulation, and cultural appropriation with sharp precision. “Welcome to the Terrordome” confronts criticism of the group head-on, turning controversy into a rallying cry, while “Fear of a Black Planet” examines racial paranoia and social power dynamics. Flava Flav’s interjections add a level of satire and comic relief but also underscore the serious themes. All in all, this is a top-tier album and you need to listen to it now !

Excellent. It's held up well over time and is still pertinent in far too many ways.

Sadly just as relevant today as it was 30+ years ago Still a great aggressive indictment of the American dream

For my money, this is the best Public Enemy record ever released. It's still just as relevant as it was when it came out, it sustains an incredible amount of energy over the run-time, and the beats are on a whole different level. Essential listening.

They sure don’t make em like they used to.

I gave "It Takes A Nation..." 4 stars, and this is better across the board, so it's gotta be a 5.

This album caused me to feel disappointed that they can't do sampling like they used to. It's dense and transformative. I really enjoyed this album a lot. I'm surprised I like this SO much more than "It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back". I have been listening to a lot more older hip-hop since then so it's possible I just have more of an ear now and need a relisten. But somehow I think this one just grabbed me more. I haven't had a chance to dig into the lyrics completely but what I caught was profound. I waffled between a 4 and a5 for this but I think it actually tips more to the 5* because already I am wanting a relisten.

when hip-hop is good, it’s as good as anything else. And Fear of a Black Planet is hip-hop at its finest. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-fear-of-a-black-planet?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

A classic!

I have listened to 'It Takes a Nation of Millions...' a ton over the years, but never this one, other than the singles. I was really impressed - this is fantastic. I wish I had found this back when it was new. Great flow, energy and beats. Powerful message. What else are you looking for?

I would have sworn this album came out a lot later than Apocalypse 91. It sounds so much more competent and to the point in every regard. Fear of a Black Planet sounds like a direct prototype to Kendrick Lamar's best work, and Welcome to the Terrordome is 100% where Cypress Hill found their whole sound. Really good!

Brilliant! Favourite track is Welcome To The Terrordome 5/5

FIGHT THE POWERS THAT BE!

Fuck you I'm giving this a 5 stars without listening because Welcome to the Terrordome has always been and always will be one of my favourite songs of all time.

This record is gold. It is so punk rock. Maybe one of the most *punk* rap album out there. This is right up there with Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies, US Bombs, 25dalife, Descendents, etc. Its explicit, its direct, its angry, it's poignant, it's truth. I think what sets this apart from a lot of early punk though, is that a lot punk is raising awareness for real problems, Public Enemy was raising awareness and speaking from their own lived experienced. They're referencing MLK Jr, Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela. They're covering all issues around racism and social injustice. This is a true rap album, where its driven by true lyrics. But the music is really cool too. It's the boombox speakers, the record scratches, the radio samples, and vocal samples of civil rights figures. The loops and samples are kind of messy, but they really pull together and make really cool sounds and rhythms. I noticed a lot of soul, funk and jazz samples as well, which also makes this really fun. The music really carries this record through. Almost every song connects seamlessly to the next. It really just hums along and flows really nicely. For sure one of the greatest rap albums of all time. I kind of miss this era of rap. I love how dirty and grungy it is. I love that is completely unapologetic without every feeling gimmicky or silly. FIGHT THE POWER THAT BE ✊🏼