Fear Of A Black Planet

Still the noisiest revolutionaries in rap, PE fire off their third Molotov cocktail with the usual mix of sonic overload and righteous anger—but the flame sputters more than it roars. “Welcome to the Terrordome” channels Chuck D’s frustration with fame and racial scrutiny into a hard-edged confessional that Flav nearly derails with cartoon ad-libs. Elsewhere, the Bomb Squad’s collage-core approach starts to feel cluttered, even stale. “Who Stole the Soul?” crackles with urgency and gives Flav a lane he can actually drive in. “Meet the G That Killed Me” is a 46-second minefield of AIDS anxiety and homophobia, while “Pollywanacracka” and “Fear of a Black Planet” flirt with paranoia in ways that are more unsettling than enlightening. “Reggie Jax” dips into dub territory and sounds like it wandered in from another record entirely. PE’s ambition still demands respect, but somewhere between the politics and the noise, the message starts to feel like static.

clocked that thriller sample

Started listening but it was too heavy for me that day - may try it another day when I’m in the right mood.

Idk

FLAVOR FLAV!!!!

Fight the Power holds up well, especially the intro A 2.7

Couple good songs. Other than that, would rather not listen to those ever again.

The Good: This is all about SciFi! The Bad: It lacks tractor beams, forward shields, and bikinis! The Ugly: Inversing this album… 911 is a joke, I remember when that song came out. Flavor and his clocks were stating to become, what today we would call, a meme, kind of taking away the power of the message. I get the fact that there is need for political messages at times, plenty of artists have done this in their career, I have to wonder where we are today, considering that this album came out over 35 years ago and one could bitch about the same things, however, removing references to color… it is not about race, it is about economic power and how one decides to apply it… Anyway, did not have an enjoyable time listening to this, but will give PE 2* as they are one of the few rap groups I can stand...

It's alright. Had a couple classic songs. Adding 911 is a Joke to the playlist

Za album koji je vrlo napredan sa temama, zvuči baš isprazno. A onda mi to malo remeti poentu i tekstova i svega. I predug je stvarno.

2/5

I didn't really like this.

Nuta z Ice Cubem jeszcze siadła, ale reszta, jak słuchałam to tak nie za bardzo zwróciła uwagę. Bardzo podobne są do siebie utwory z albumu. Ciężko coś wyszczególnić.

eiii kuuland lõpuni aga siuke klassikaline hip-hop, minu jaoks siuke hit or miss žanr (puhtalt muusika mõistes), aga temaatika on tähtis!!!

The problem with rap/hiphop like this for me is that it feels like it’s mostly the same thing repeating. There are a few highlights, but I want to skip ahead several times, while listening.

Conceptually I like the idea of Public Enemy and their political conscious rap. I just can't get behind it musically. It is far too dated for someone who did not live through this era of hip hop. I really wish I liked it though.

i hate being the guy that doesn’t like rap but unfortunately i am, i used to love rap it but i slowly started to listen to it less and less until now i jst don’t like it. this is a very sample heavy album, which honestly annoyed me bc they were jst using news clips for the majority of songs and i jst didn’t enjoy it, “pollywanacraka” is genuinely one of the worst songs ive heard in a while, i hate being so critical of this album but i rly jst didn’t like it and it does help that it’s the longest album yet and extremely repetitive.

So. Much. Funk. lol love it

I love the message of this album. Unfortunately, hip hop isn't my favorite genre 2.5 stars

bien mais bad long

Better that they average 90's rap album with relentless beats and a funked up vibe. Still not my cup of tea.

One trick ponies (again) with diminished returns

Nah. Boring

Cool hiphop, not my style though

Too angry, too much

Totally surprised to see this pop up, I already had one Public Enemy record and surely there aren't two that everyone needs to hear... I'm halfway through and have heard no 'yeaaaahhhh boiiiiiiii's yet. Why am I even listening to this? Spoiler - there were none on the whole album. Hip hop is totally not my thing. This was a struggle though I'd take this over probably all the newer hip hop on this list. I can at least appreciate why this is relevant and included on the list. I still don't like it though. 1.5/5 and I guess I'll round up because it isn't the worst thing I've heard.

Way to long of an album to just be saying the same thing over and over again over minimalist beats. Public Enemy is a group that had a few good songs you can throw into a rap playlist, but a 20 song album is too much. There are way better rap albums that came out around this time that probably won't be on this list.

Ughhhhhhhhhhh i hate Public Enemy. I like this album a lot more than It Takes A Nation To Hold Us Back but it’s just so lack luster. There is nothing that makes me want to listen to it and ITS OVER AN HOUR. I swear every song is the exact same thing but I’m so happy it isn’t as annoying with Flavor Flav and the beats. Overall mid 4.8/10 Fav Song: None 2.4/5

Tja, helt grei. Litt sånn sinna rap

Didn't really do anything for me. 2/5

Too many scratches and samples for me. Some bangers in the mix though.

oldschool

Not as formidable a planet as it once was, a lot of its production aspects have aged really badly. There are some heavyweight blammers on here to match the ones on their previous album to this - namely the incendiary Fight The Power - but generally the samples are too much of a cheesy, frazzled, jarring, overloaded mess and the weak songs which are most of them tend to spooge into one samey discombobulated pile. Some of the time the samples play extra headachey havoc and it seems like a toddler has been let loose on a Fischer Price sampling pad and is trying to trigger any combination of the buttons at random. 2.5 yeah boiiiii’s out of 5.

hip hop não é meu gênero musical de escolha, não me agrada muito sonoramente … mas gostei bastante das letras e dos sons não convencionais no fundo das músicas. achei que os instrumentos fogem ao clássico de hip hop em vários momentos, o que me fez gostar mais, pq quando foi só o som tradicional de hip hop achei sofrido. as transições entre uma música e outra me assustaram de tanta quebra, achei que tinha começado uma propaganda no meio kkkkk gostei mt de welcome to the terrordome

Álbum cansativo. Algumas músicas parecem usar samples irritantes em loop indefinido. Faltou dinamismo. Senti falta de linhas de baixo mais presentes. O lado 'B' melhora bastante nesses aspectos, e é melhor que o lado 'A'. Num geral, não me impressionou. Entendo que é um álbum que representa bem a cultura e o estilo dos anos 90, mas já ouvi outros artistas que exploram o gênero de forma muito mais interessante. Melhor do álbum: "Burn Hollywood Burn". Pior do álbum: "Brothers Gonna Work It Out"

Just absolutely mediocre, non-catchy, forgettable beate

Very low chance I was gonna like this. As I predicted, dated sounds and very focused on lyrics. Has got a very rock feeling which is kinda cool I guess

Lots of anger expressed here. Not my genre but I did really like how the tracks flowed together seamlessly. Would give 2.5 if possible.

Homogeneous

Dunno. Didn't much care for it

Almost 1 star but beats are listenable

Limited appeal

Ok, not offensive. just not my thing.

2/5

Rap is really not for me

Kind of a slog because it's just way too long. Iconic group but Chuck D is so much more interesting than Flavor Flav that it's not even funny

2.5

Interesting as spoken word poetry but not for me

Not for me

Enjoyed a few bars here and there but faded into background on my listen attempts

It’s a very particular and innovative album. However, I wouldn’t listen to it again. Its lyrics give a lot to think about regarding the society and culture of the time.

Not a rap fan, sounds like fun if I was.

Не дослушал, не ложится.

i just cant get into chuck d’s voice at all…..

i liked this better than the other public enemy album but it went for way too long

Again, not as bad as anticipated but came up too close to the last Public Enemy album for me to really care about

They need to take the drum loop off. It is also a fun reminder these people were rappers before they were tv people.

This was pretty good. I could do with a more modern sound, that super early 90s rap sound rubs me the wrong way. But the lyrics are fantastic. I wouldnt mind hearing a modern remix of the lyrics with more current beats.

4.7

It was alright but just not for me. I can't see myself going back to it.

Rap but not my kind of rap. I’d say the main problem for me is the aggressive production throughout the project which kind of ruins any and all interesting bars. Whilst I wouldn’t come back to this project I wouldn’t say it’s terrible it’s just not my kind of music and for that reason it’s a 4/10 for me

This is the 8th album i've listened to. I can see why this is such a large album and on this list because i feel the cultrual impact it would have in this. However just looking at the music, I really dont like this album its also pure rap which is my leas tfavorite genre im gonna give it a 63/100

I love rap, but I've just never enjoyed Chuck D. Sorry!

Listened to the whole thing waiting for Fear of a Black Planet, and Fight the Power. I struggle with Hip hop and decontextualising the samples where recognisable, or recognising the symbolism and relevance where there is some to be had. It might benefit from further listens but I'm not going to oblige.

This album could have been slightly shorter, as it seemed to become repetitive towards the end. The group deserves credit for all the work they did to put together the overall sound on the record, which was dense. Hip hop is not my cup of tea, so this one gets 2.5 stars.

This is a great album title. Like their last album, even though the raps/lyrics are solid, I don't like the beats! Too many annoying noises. Truly, what is music but a series of annoying noises? Maybe I should come back to this one when I'm less tired. But for now, it's another 2. I bet nowadays some people think '911 is a joke' refers to 9/11 and not 9-1-1.

I liked a lot of the themes and content but some the songs sound very noisy. I liked fight the power and incident at 66.6

A few good songs but the rest doesnt impress

Didn’t love. Why am I getting so much early 90s hip hop?

Listened with my dad, not my favorite hip hop that I heard so far but kept my attention even though it was pretty long. 2.5

Borderline annoying

This was fine. I do feel like sometimes the songs never went anywhere and just were too repetitive. Love the aggressive anti-racism lyrics tho! Liked Songs: "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" , "Welcome To The Terrordome" , "Burn Hollywood Burn" , "Who Stole The Soul? " , "Fear Of A Black Planet" , "Reggie Jax" , "War At 33 1/3"

I was very surprised by this album, it wasn't like I expected at all. Didn't like any of the songs.

Rap

The lyrics were pretty good, and I appreciate the subject matter, but I didn’t think the instrumentals were that catchy or the songs the most enjoyable to listen to. 5/10

This is OK, but I find the backing too tuneless and repetitive and the lyrics toneless and more shouted than sung, lacking the cleverness that I enjoy. It's not my favourite kind of rap / hip-hop. Like a lot of albums, I find it kind of charming that this was ever considered especially controversial or offensive music.

This is too hiphop for mee. Too much rap, and too much random soundbits. The more popular songs were okay, but the majority not

Klart melodisk og mange fede samplinger fra medier. Men jeg blev ør ar noget scratching, der blev sendt fra side til side, og så kom jeg til at kede mig undervejs, så den røg fra en 3'er til en 2'er i gennemlytningen.

Already listened on Nov 20 2024 as album #6, before joining a Group. Here is a recap of that review: "I've "It Takes A Nation..." in my collection, this album didn't hit me like that one did. I think I was moving on to other things musically, so it took few more years to get back into hip hop via Paris, Cypress Hill, Ice Cube et al. While I'm sure this is an important album in the hip hop context, it's just "more of the same" to me. I do remember several of the tracks on this album, probably can get in on the hook from first go, due to power play in MTV and such, on tracks like "911 is a joke" as well as "Burn Hollywood burn" and "Fight the power". Also, I didn't like the interludes that we're quite common at this time, I feel they just brake the feel and flow of the album, instead of adding to the story."

♫ Listening to "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy (Fear of a Black Planet, 1989) ♫

Day 5 First listen- I was vibing, yes but I got completely bored few tracks in unfortunately. (2/5)

I have an issue that no matter what wonderfully apt politically conscious lyrics are being expressed if there is not a melody I find it difficult to listen to. This album therefore washed over me. Combine this with samples which to me always feel sterile and contrived and you have something that is unpalatable.

ærgerligt, men det er slet ikke min smag. Der var ikke særlig meget hvor det sådan sprang ud og jeg var sådan wow det er et fedt track det her. Jeg forestiller mig det er fordi meget af det også ligger i, at det er conscious hiphop og teksterne er fyldt med en masse kulturelt og banebrydende. Jeg tror måske det er noget jeg vil værdsætte senere i livet og noget jeg sikkert gerne vil vænne tilbage til, men jeg er bare mere til jazzet hiphop eller oldschool hiphop.

Okay, so to start off, this is definitely not my genre. I thought some of the tracks were alright, but some of them were just rhythmic noise. Flavor Flav can be alright sometimes and other times his voice can get really grating. I had heard a couple of these tracks before (eg. 911 is a Joke), but most of them were new to me. The bits with Ice Cube were pretty good, and some of the beats were pretty nice and interesting to listen to. Overall I didn't love it. Two stars.

Appreciate a lot of the productions, but early 90's just doesn't scratch the itch for me.

Wasn't a huge fan of this one.

Honestly this was a breath of fresh air after the recent string of boring albums. However, not one of my favorite hip hop albums on this project.

Not for me

Je n'ai pas du tout accorché...

Not for me

Not horrible but just couldn't make it through - too much just hyping up and not enough song

I'm afraid Rap has never done anything for me

Oh cRap... I am not into hip-hop, and I don't really understand why are these "stories" from radio recordings or so in the songs... Or other "side sounds". I wish I could understand more lyrics on the fly. Cause the music is not interesting for me

Open to listening to this, but quickly finding it too much. Too aggressive. Not enough melody.

Another hour long record. It’s not bad but noisy and repetitive! All the songs sound the same. Wouldn’t listen again.

Idm

Not really my thing

I understand the importance of this one, but I just don't care enough for it. It sucks to say, because this is up there in top 5 most important albums to the hip-hop genre. I can't even force myself to like this one. I like Public Enemy, but 60 minutes of them as it turns out is really jading to me. Chuck D is such a one trick pony flow wise, he really doesn't hold his weight across an entire album. Individual songs yes, a whole album? No. Most of the songs were a carbon copy of the previous, with DJ scratching, repeating samples of the same nonsensical shit (usually some radio jockey voice), and then the same drum machine pumping out the same drum pattern over and over. I hope there's another Public Enemy record on here, because I really do like them, this album just sucks to me. Also, Pollywanacraka was really annoying. I had to skip it.

The fact that this album, and public enemy generally, was considered controversial enough that people would call into a radio show to tell Chuck D to go back to Africa really just shows how much Americans are soft cocks

I appreciated this album as an important piece of history, so I was glad to have listened to it, but I think 90s rap just isn’t my thing!

Not as good as Fear of a Blank Planet. 1.5/5.0: Bad

Wow what a dense psychedelic album, love all the samples and can see it growing on me over time but one listen probably isn't enough for this one.

No soy negro, no entiendo inglés. No

Not my thing too old school sorry

not bad, not my type

It was ok

Interesting but not my favorite

1,5

Fear of a Black Planet is undeniably an important album—culturally, politically, historically. But musically? It just doesn’t work for me. Public Enemy’s third album is loaded with sharp social commentary, touching on everything from systemic racism (“911 Is a Joke”), to the stigmatization of Black identity (“Who Stole the Soul”), to the empowerment of Black women (“Revolutionary Generation”). Tracks like “Brothers Gonna Work It Out” and “Pollywanacraka” even dare to push positive messages about unity and acceptance, including the then-controversial topic of interracial relationships. At the time, Public Enemy’s refusal to soften their message shook up the white establishment—and that’s commendable. But message alone doesn’t make a great album. Sonically, Fear of a Black Planet is mired in the early '90s—noisy, cluttered, and not in a way that holds up. The Bomb Squad’s chaotic production style may be revolutionary to some, but to me, it sounds dated and abrasive, without offering enough melodic or rhythmic payoff. There are few engaging hooks, beats, or samples that stick. As for the vocals, Chuck D’s booming delivery is iconic, sure, but not particularly enjoyable to my ears. I get that hip-hop leans more toward spoken delivery than singing, but even within that realm, there’s little nuance or variation here to keep me engaged. Flavor Flav’s contributions are even more grating, especially on tracks like “911 Is a Joke,” which feels more like shouting than performance. What also can’t be ignored is the presence of some problematic content. For an album that positions itself as socially conscious, it’s jarring to hear moments that come off as homophobic or antisemitic. Some might argue it's satire or cultural expression—but I don’t think the intent was clever irony. It feels crude and mean-spirited, which undercuts some of the very justice-oriented themes the album champions. In the end, Fear of a Black Planet is a landmark in hip-hop history, no question. It challenged power structures, sparked conversations, and gave voice to a segment of America that desperately needed to be heard. But for me, appreciating its historical importance isn’t the same as enjoying it musically. Culturally significant? Absolutely. But sonically? Hot garbage

J - 2/5 Best Track - "Fight The Power" F - 1/5 Best Track - "Fight The Power"

This was a little bunk. A few songs were genuinely good but a lot were mid or annoying. It's like they just discovered the soundboard and were spamming it at some points.

Jag fattar inte hiphop :/ Tvåa.

Respect what it does and a great message, but not my type of music. Really funky and groovy

Early 90s HipHop wird nicht mein Freund. Schrott

Too old of rap still classic but not my tastes

Not really my jam. But classic.

Not big fan of hiphop

Das Album hat für mich ein bisschen von allem zuviel.

☀︎c’est un style musical que je n’avais jamais écouté auparavant, et ce n’est pas quelque chose que j’aurais écouté par moi-même sans ça donc je suis contente d’avoir essayé ☀︎c’est pas quelque chose que j’irai réécouter malheureusement, j’aime aucune des chansons au niveau musical →2☆ sorry

Not as fun/entertaining as Doggystyle. Not bad, but a little bit boring as it kept going on, and also just too long.

Before my taste.

I liked the lyrics. Had a hard time getting through the whole album. Could see myself listen to this in a specific mood. I have a feeling that this album has cultural and racial importance.

I didn’t hate this! A refreshing paucity of explicit language and misogyny compared to other rap albums I’ve listened to for the project.

Jaaha

Kovin on vihasta menoa...en sillon ku oli pinnalla ja en kyllä vieläkään

Once again, certainly unique or different in its musical approach, but not my cup of tea. Too much aggressive shouting and too many political issues.

Listened twice fully through. Their are a number of moments where I think, ok, it's gonna kick in here and be great. But then it just...doesn't. Samples are good. Messages are good. But as a complete musical package, it feels underwhelming and overly repetitive, with many tracks that don't go anywhere.

Ok

As a white European this doesn't resonate with me. I like the sampling, I like some of the raps. I liked some of the hype flava Flav brings. But overall it felt way too long and started to become annoying. Maybe if I had more connection to the subject matter would I rate it higher. I'm for sure never listening to the whole album again

Typically like 90s rap, but this was like eating a meal that tastes bad… you wanna finish the plate but you gotta force swallow to get it down.

Made a resolution. Going forward I'm not going to force myself to listen to an album end to end just for the sake of completing it.

um

What do you know, another group that thinks it's saying Something Important.

a ideia é legal, mas n é um estilo q eu gosto, então PRA MIM, não serviu

It's okay, but just not my thing at all. If this list is about rating our own personal enjoyment of an album, I have to give this a low score, even though I can tell it has some pretty serious merit.

Don’t believe the hype. ‘Fight the Power’ is the only redeeming song on this album.

Early 90s rap is not my cup of tea.

Blends together. I would preferred it to be shorter but I really just think the songs don’t do it for me. There are some exciting parts, but I really started to roll my eyes whenever some clip of a speech was in the background of a song

not my cup of tea

It doesn't do it for me at all. I think I feel the same way I do about a lot of punk music - important political message - don't care for the music though. 2/5

It sounds like early 90's hip hop, which is a genre that sonically just hasn't aged well in my opinion. Hip hop is inherently supposed to be cool as hell, and I'm sure this was in 1990, but it sounds a bit cheesy today compared to contemporary music. It's the aural equivalent of hammer pants. 2.4

Not for me

not for me

Flavor Flav sounds the same in this as he does in modern day to me, which is impressive. Listening to this on headphones got a little disorienting on some of the tracks that alternate quickly between the left and right channel, especially the last minute of Power To The People.

Very angry and raucous, Public Enemy living up to their name with FOABP. I was annoyed throughout this listen but it's not as bad as the previous entry. It's very politically charged but the step up in production quality is noticeable. Lots of sound bites and media samples that didn't add much but "Welcome To The Terrordome" is good. It feels a bit dated and corny at times though I can see how this was culturally significant and I don't completely hate it. 1.65 for saying "Ya'll" 5,000 times.

This is a step up on production and mixing compared to their previous album. Lyrically it's slightly better as well and Flav not as annoying. Culturally, it had more of an impact but still too dated hip-hop. I'll give it a spot on the list though and don't immediately dismiss it...1.95.

Boring

Pretty cool

Bit samey and way too long. 2.5/5

Harsh hitting, political, surprised i've never heard of it.

Lately, I feel like I'm listen to same hip-hop album over and over again... I'll leave 2 stars today.

Good transitions between songs, long album, not a lot of substance

Too much Flava Flav

Eh, det høres jo tidvis kult ut, men repeterende beats med lag på lag med sampling og virrvarr gjør ikke så mye for meg as.

Ein Meilenstein des Hip-Hop: Fear of a Black Planet kombiniert künstlerische Brillanz mit kraftvollen politischen Botschaften und bleibt auch heute relevant. Aber halt Hip-Hop.

90s hip hop. Good beats not quite my vibe

A classic, but not my vibe.

Sadly, I found this album to be quite forgettable. The overuse of samples created a repetitive experience where many songs blurred together into a droning monotony. Flavor Flav’s nasal delivery grated on me, and while Chuck D’s commanding performance stood out, it wasn’t enough to save the album overall. That said, my criticisms of the album’s abrasive tone and confrontational delivery feel tempered by the context. The aggression and dissonance are reflections of the environment and culture that Fear of a Black Planet was born from—a world of systemic oppression and deeply entrenched racial injustices. Unfortunately, the issues this album confronts remain troublingly relevant today. Public Enemy’s approach was never going to be timid or restrained when addressing such vital sociopolitical matters, and I respect their unapologetic passion. Ultimately, I suspect part of my disconnect stems from not being in the album’s intended audience. As a middle-class white guy from England, my lived experiences differ drastically from the perspectives woven into these tracks. I can recognize the album’s importance and artistry, but it wasn’t one I could connect with on a personal level. Standout Track: Burn Hollywood Burn Score: 2/5

Why did I just get yelled at for 63 minutes? Interesting to juxtapose this album with The Chronic to see the two distinct styles of 90's rap. I think the more laid back sound of West Coast is more my preference. 4/10

The genre as a whole leaves me cold, but compared to some of the other stuff I've listened to, it's marginally better. Two stars.

Wasn’t my favotite

But more rap than I was expecting. Not my favourite.

I suppose it is fine. None of the tracks or themes resonated with me - makes sense - but I couldn't really get into it. Found it overall a little repetitive and didn't say too much of anything new. Fight the Power was the best track.

I could probably write the exact same notes as the previous Public Enemy album I reviewed. These guys may be pioneers of hip hop. They may be culturally relevant and historically significant. But, I. The grand scheme of all things rap: Public Enemy is weak. The only thing I will say is that I enjoyed the beats much more on this one. There were tons of recognizable samples used in interesting ways (like the Vincent Price laugh from "Thriller" during "9-11 is a joke"). If you want to understand more about hip hop's roots, listen to Public Enemy. If you want good hip hop from this era, listen to De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Tupac.

That's not my taste in music.

Having only listened to Harder Than You Think (which is an incredible banger) and Fight The Power, I was excited to finally check out some more Public Enemy. Unfortunately I didn't end up liking this; I found it unvarying in its raps and flows, which makes the length feel even more interminable.

Not as fond as I expected. Maybe listened to it too passively instead of delving into lyrics

At best it was just OK. Otherwise it was boring and dragged on too long.

not bad, love when rap uses clips of rap-criticism.

Not my favorite genre and def not my favorite group from the genre

Too much filler, sound quality not great. Not my style of hip hop tbh

I'm a big hip hop fan, but these guys just don't do it for me. Not interested in listening again.

Og rap. Not really my thing though.

Not as enjoyable as the last Public Enemy album (It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back). The sample-heavy style is very unique, and the rapping is full of passion, but this just isn't clicking for me personally

Interessant, vielsagend und sehr sample- lastig.

1. jam - 1 2. brotherz - 1.5 3. joke - 1 4. incident - 1 5. uuelcome - 1.5 6. killed - 0 7. polly - 1 8. nigger - 1 9. burn - 1 10. people - 1 11. zoul - 1 12. planet - 1 13. revolutionary - 1 14. man - 1 15. jackz - 1 16. leave - 1 17. again - 1 18. uuar - 1 19. final - 0 20. fight - 1.5

Not for me

I found this album kinda annoying and I love throwback hiphop

I remember when this hit, it was very eye opening for the time. I was more into traditional hip hop like Run DMC, Whodini, Beastie Boys, Naughty By Nature, etc in the early 90s. I saw this as angry, not light fun music to listen to in college, so I didn't give it much time back then. From the outset it has aggressive relentless beats & energy, along with a unique audio mix meant for big speakers. In listening to it again, I remember why it never resonated with me... Chuck D just sounds like a preacher to me and I don't listen to music as much for the message as the song structure and instrumentation which are super important to me. Some of the samples are just distracting and disjointed. "Burn Hollywood Burn", "Anti-N Machine", "Revolution Generation", nothing catchy about them, it's all message no focus on the music. They spread a message and opened eyes to what a 90s black man was experiencing, us white suburb kids had no idea. Influential, check. Provocative & eye opening, check. "We do what we have to do to survive" is the message I walked away with. Would I listen to it again? Nope.

Not really my type of rap. Had some good beats, but just not a fan of 90s rap

Boh, mai piaciuti.

The description in the book made me like it a bit more. However, fight the power might be one of the only listenable track on here.

in het zelfde bedje ziek als alle rap... het is rap gedaan met de variatie...

These guys are very angry. It could do with fewer skits.

I think this is the best Public Enemy album I've heard, but not fully sure

Didn't really click for me. I appreciate what it is, but it just felt too chaotic for me and not very cohesive. That may have been the intention but I just didn't enjoy it all that much

4.5/10. Honestly, I wasn't as fond of the album as everybody else seems to be. Something about it just doesn't click for me.

bit too much going on, very noisy

I just cannot get into rap music no matter how many albums appear on this list. Also why are they always so long!? 😩

The album feels disjointed and Flava Flav’s interludes are deeply irritating. Not to mention, I really don't appreciate the homophobia and antisemitism (¬⤙¬ ) Public Enemy really live up to their name! Before you complain about my low ratings, go find me a hip-hop album that doesn't scrutinize minority groups!

Can respect but not enjoy.

Nostalgic for me. It's also fascinating how something that was so revolutionary now sounds quaint after 30 years.

I like a bit of hip hop so I was excited for this, but just found it a bit difficult to listen to

I found this boring

Fight the Power is fantastic, but a lot of the rest of this album is pretty meh. I love Public Enemy, but Apocalypse 91 is just way better.

Not for me.

Rapp finnst mér oftast ekkert spes og á þessari plötu voru mjög mörg ekki-spes lög. Hún endaði þó á neglu og ég hafði mjög gaman að innskotunum í lögunum þar sem fólk var að drulla yfir þá. Það bjó til rétta andrúmsloftið um að þeir væru öðruvísi og táknmybd minnihlutahópa sem er að berjast við ofurefli. Þetta tvennt togar þá upp í tvist

Maso

This didn’t do it for me

Liked a lot of the samples used here, but as you know, this is just not my jam.

Not reasonating

Ні про що і не цікаво. 2/5

O melhor do rap para mim ao deixar lembranças da relação com o rock.

Still not into hip-hop

Angry. I get that. But it unsettles me. I prefer music that inspires rather than enrages.

From a production standpoint this felt similar to watching a 90s movie with bad CGI. Might have been cutting edge at the time, but can't say it holds up. Prob enough to just say it's not my thing.

I'm not a hip hop fan, mainly because of the constant beat. Burn Hollywood burn was ok

I had a hard time really getting into this album. While I respect and agree the message is important it's just not my style.

Yo siempre voy a favorecer el hip hop, pero Damm que este álbum de decepcionó, Public Enemy es conocido por varios clásicos de la cultura y incluso uno de esos estaba en este álbum, pero realmente como simplemente un álbum, no lo disfruté casi que nada. Lo salvó de un 1 los beats honestly.

I don't really have any great thoughts on this. Nothing really stood out. I'm not a fan of an album of any genre that just plods along. Is this socially conscious? If so it's not something I care for, but also from a country I don't care about.

3/5

Was somewhat familiar with Public Enemy’s game, as I listened to “Apocalypse 91” about 6 weeks ago, and thought it was just fine… Their style is their style - so points for originality of sound, though it did get a bit repetitive after a while… Going to say that “Fight the Power” was the best track IMO, as I’d give that song 4-stars out of 7-stars in my little rating system… Nothing mind-blowingly awesome on this album – but nothing all that awful either – but just can’t get it to a 3, so a 2 it is…

This didn't really work for me (too dense maybe, lacking direction?) which is a shame as I loved It takes a nation :/

not for me

No me cautivó , lo intenté..

Too much going on

Not for me. 2.5

Quintessential 90s hip-hop. I wish I liked this more than I do, but it doesn’t really do it for me. Definitely a good energy but I found some of the samples repetitive and the lyrics, while important for their time, were a bit heavy for me. I understand this is a product of the golden age of hip-hop. Just not really my thing.

Rating: 5/10 The more farther I got into this album, the more I disliked it. It starts off pretty strong with the first few songs but continues to drop in quality as it progresses. I dislike a lot of the production, the deliveries and flows are outdated, and Flavor Flav can be very annoying. Ultimately, this was album that was groundbreaking for the time but today sounds clumsy and dated.

Not bad for a rap album.

Totally fine. Not my thing

Angry, poorly produced and too long.

Não gosto

I found that I prefer Chuck D's raps to Flavor Flav's. Somehow Chuck D seemed to be the more serious of the two.

Flavor Flav is not good on the mic. This has some really cool concepts that have been done much better after this tried to.

I appreciate what Public Enemy was going for here but barely any of this connected with me.

I know this is a seminal hip hop album, but it gets pretty annoying after a while. The songs really start blending together and I feel like I'm getting yelled at. Not for me. 4/10 (2/5)

- Anti what machine - Too long and not really my thing but it was kinda groovy

- early 90s hip hop has never really been for me - decent

Fight the Power. Fight the Powers that be

Beautifully defiant and rebellious, Public Enemy doubles down on its political themes, unfortunately the production fails evolve enough to interest me for more then a single listen. Best Song: Incident at 66.6 FM, Fight The Power Worst Song: N/A

It hits me differently now that I've watched "Do the Right Thing."

Not as bad as I was expecting.

Еле дослушала

It had the X factor that makes it stand out above other, less know artists. But not as good as other albums of its ilk.

not my favorite of hip hop albums.

Not my cup of tea

It's interesting and there's a lot going on. But it's not one of my preferred genres so I don't see myself coming back to it.

Great flash back to the 80/90s. Flavor Flav and Chuck D seemed to be opposites, but this dichotomy ended up complimenting each other vocally and with their on stage personas. Enjoyed a couple songs, but overall it's a pass for me.

Hood 90s rap but not albumlistening

I like Chuck D, don’t really care for Flava Flav or the notes/vocals that repeat to the point of insanity.

Je zet het op, gaat door met werken, en merkt nauwelijks op dat er muziek speelt. Of nou ja muziek, het gebruikelijke non-stop gebabbel met een beatje eronder.

Not my thing

Not really my thing.

Way too long. It isn't awful but it isn't really good. I can see it's cultural significance and can see why someone would give this 5, but for me it just isn't much.

This is probably very good, but I just can't sit through it. Sorry

Fear of a Black Planet, with its dated and heavily dance-oriented music, may not align as well with contemporary tastes. Despite educating a generation with powerful lyrics about Black history, the less-than-smooth listening experience raises questions about its current musical appeal. While the lyrics remain important and valid today, the challenge lies in the album's musical style, which might not captivate a modern audience as effectively as it did in the 90s. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 2 STAND OUT TRACK - Fight the Power

Good beats, too much noise/talking to start each song. I know the point of the album was to be a news broadcast, but it didn’t have flow between songs

not for me.

Lite väl stökigt.

Totally not my style of music.

okiii 6.5/10

- Reggie Jax

Noisy and messy. Not good

grew tired of it before the end

2/5 not my kind of rap

I'm not entirely sure how this is considered revolutionary. Maybe there is something in the background but I found it mediocre and repetitive.

For langt

It's a great album and well worth it's place in history. One of the most disruptive albums to white america - for sure. However, it hasn't grabbed me on this listen. I appreciate it, love it for its impact, but jsut don't see myself returning to it. I'm an ex-hip hop head, and I guess this vote confirms the 'ex' part.

At the start of it I thought all of my preconceptions would be way off mark, it was musical and quite pleasant. But at the start of the 3rd track my fears were confirmed. Loud raucous and virtually unlistenable. The album then proceeded to flow between the two extremes. Yeah, know its supposed to be a social commentary but that doesn't really do it for me. I don't have a problem with rap per se if it's done well. And for the most part this was. But the aggressive bits were just too unmusical for me. A solid medium to high 2 for me.

This was a big album in 1990. Although not my thing, I respected it from a musical and cultural distance. I remember the singles but never had the inclination to listen to any of their albums, but this is a nice hard hitting big beats angry sort of thing which brings on a bit of an emotional response in me. So all good but things are never that black and white are they? This leads directly to my only caveat, which is that I think over the course of the album, they successfully rammed their political and cultural points down my throat - where if this ramming was a literal physical thing, I would now be more like a ring doughnut shape than humanoid. It gets a mid 2, just because it is too much and not enough variation in subject matter.

not really into this one 1.6

Not quite my jam, but not a terrible listen. That old school jam sound is pretty good though. Don’t care much for the lyrics but they’re not delivered too aggressively so I can give it a pass.

👊

After 3 Public Enemy albums it’s still not clicking like I hoped it would, so I don’t think I can give the benefit of the doubt on this occasion. Yes I respect that there’s some purpose to the lyrics, yes I appreciate there must be some craft to stitching all those samples together, and yes there are a handful of tracks that actually do have a bit of groove to them (including a couple of Flavor Flav-heavy tracks, for all the disparagement he gets). But overall I just don’t find the production style that enjoyable, especially in large doses, and I have tried. It’s just monotonous to listen to. 2.5 stars

3/10 - I can see the appeal but not my vibe. Was not expecting the thriller laugh.

not really my jam

Not my style but a cool album with cool meaning and purpose. 4/10

Not much my style

Started fast paced. Felt boring throughout the end.

Not really my thing. If you like really old school hip hop then I get it, but nah.

Paar wel aardige nummers, maar in het geheel genomen eigenlijk best suf en zelf tegen het vervelende aan.

Pelko mustasta.. ymmärtämöttymyydestä.. en ymmärrä tätä albumia.. Lyriikoista siis viis veisaamatta.. Varovainen 2 star.. ei kummoiselta kuullostaa

It's a huge step down from it takes a nation.

Provocative lyrics, especially for the time, but not something I withdraw listen to again

Awful. Couldn’t even get through it.

listened to like half of it, not bad not great imo, can definitely see its influence on modern stuff though

Only getting a 2 off of this one. Didn't know it back in the day. The first song had my expectations high but the rest just didn't resonate. I appreciate that it moved the genre forward with its dubs and media cuts.

Weeral? Nee, teveel. Luisteren mensen daar eigenlijk nog veel naar? Volledige albums dan vooral.

Ja... Het is gewoon niet mijn stijl hiphop. Kan de 'flow' van de 2 rappers niet echt smaken en de beats zijn ook niet helemaal mijn ding.

Not my thing

This is a strong 2: glad I heard it, but really not sure I would choose to listen again. These guys would have been really cool to see live, if I would have been allowed in the room. Good beats. Odd noises. Lots of yelling.

Teils langsam, teils schnell gerappt, bleibt es am Ende Hiphop

Empezo y pensé que ya lo había escuchado, pero era otro album de Public enemy en esta lista, con eso ya dije suficiente, si bien comprendo que el fuerte es el contenido político de sus letras, el sonido me recordó mucho al anterior, lo que me hace creer que solo con uno de los dos álbumes en la lista sería suficiente

Solid rap album, a lot more hip hop elements than I expected. Decent.

Probably amazing in its day, but like most of these classic Hip Hop albums, doesn't really do it for me to be honest.

Wasn’t really giving to this, some OK songs

The bars are ok but the music sounds like what might have happened if you'd left me alone with the presets on one of those old keyboards in music lessons. Just cos you can stereo-pan doesn't mean you should always do it.

Well, this is way to busy, and I have a hard time listening to it.

I'm pretty excited for this album because the only song I know by Public Enemy is 'Fight the Power'. So far the first 3 songs of this album have been pretty lack luster. 'Welcome to the Terrordome' is the first song I like. It has a good flow and gets you moving. I can picture a car chase to this song. This album gives me GTA SA nostalgia. It sounds like something that was played on Los Santos FM. I personally found 'Polywanacraka' very annoying. It just kept going on and on. It's a very chaotic album. I understand what it means by it powering a revolution. "What's wrong with some colour in your family tree". I love that lyric. Thats just golden. It has its ups and downs but was not the biggest fan.

didnt like.

While the album has a great political massage and concept, half of the project consists of screaming catchphrases and the same beat every song. I’ll probably revisit the album some day in the future. Fav songs: Revolutionary Generation, Fight the Power, B Side Wins Again Least fav: Pollywannacraka 2/5

Trouble was, it was just a bit too overpowering for me. Lots of rage, lots of musicality, lots of talented lyrics, but I just could not ease into it - it demanded to be actively listened to, not stuck on in the background, which says more about my listening habits than this album. I do t want to give it three stars, though I can't give it two because it is undeniably influential and if I had the energy to endure it, it would be great. That said, it did give me a headache, and I gave Miles Davis a one, so it's going to be a two from me.

Intense and aggressive rap album, and it's very long with over 60 minutes - in fact, it was the second 1990s hip-hop album in a row that was longer than an hour and it's just too much to listen to in one sitting. It also sounds quite dated...Not my cup of tea overall.

Never was able to get into classic hiphop and this album did not change my mind whatsoever.

ok, not much for me

its okay I like it less than I thought I would 2.5

fear of a black planet, as an album title, is badass. this wasn't public enemy's debut, so it isn't a surprise they continued to create songs reflective of their society. but even knowing that, the inclusion of "911 is a joke" shocked me! i admire it, and i'm glad it's on this album. go off, public enemy (thirty-three years later)!

The political and social commentary is so important. It's unapologetic and continually relevant. Musically, I just couldn't get into it.

Yes, Fight the Power is an iconic hip hop song, but dang the entire album sounds the same as that song. This album is an in yo face, rude and counter-culture landmark, but it's just too much of the same thing for me.