Reviews (page 2 of 13)
9/11 25-vuosipäivänä lauletaan että ”911 Is A Joke” - sattumaako? 🧐😬 Odotin/muistelin et tää ois ollu paljon kovempi! Olin myös yllättynyt et esim. Straight Outta Compton oliki jo pari vuotta ennen tätä. Oon käsittäny tän jotenki merkityksellisenä kulmakivenä, mut ei tää musta tuonu hirveesti mitään oleellista uutta - fiittien täydentämä Burn Hollywood Burn melkeen parasta antia. Ja voi luoja miten heti eka raita pöris ku modeemi. PLIIP BLUUP vaan sinnekin! 🫠 (lyhyempään tehokeinoon ois voinu viel mennä, mut liika on liikaa)
Omg, tunti inhottavaa kakofoniaa, korviavihlovia biittejä ja vanhentuneen kuuloista tuotantoa. Olen pahoillani, tää on varmasti hienon poliittinen ja tienraivaaja jne. jne. mut musiikkina ei silti toimi. :(
medio sobrestimultante
A really cohesive album. A couple tracks too long, but I think I liked this a bit more than It Takes... 4/5.
own
Very energetic. Lots of sampling and record scratches. 3/5 Favorite Songs: Brothers Gonna Work It Out Welcome To The Terrordome Burn Hollywood Burn
loved the vibes, felt like i was having so many imputs all at once and it was fun. if i suggested a song from this album I would get nods of approval
I actually believe the hype and love the message and delivery. Chuck and Flav are great, but Terminator X is the real deal--just thinkin of the work that goes into these very intricate beats is wild.
Así como el de wu tang, meros tesos importancia histórica y de black culture, pero no es algo que escucharía
Greatly enjoyed. Way more sound collage-y than I remembered it being
Goede teksten voor het thema, politieke relevantie. Niet per sé mijn smaak maar kan soms.
cool guys but not my jam
I want to live on this planet
Pretty good, would listen to many of the songs again. Justice for radio raheem
Fantastic album cover. Such an influential album and helped so many other rappers use their voice politically.
Cool
I’m usually a pretty big Public Enemy fan but this album kinda dragged for me. Fight the Power is however an all-time great and cannot be ignored.
Enjoyed this one more than the last Public Enemy album. I loved how alive it felt and the energy in every song. I actually thought Fight the Power sounded different but it was still great
1990. Third studio album. Has been viewed as one of hip hop's greatest and most important records. Holds critiques of institutional racism, white supremacy, and the power elite.
No matter what album Public Enemy puts out, it's an instant 5/5. Their sound has not aged in the slightest, moreso, the production genuinely feels clean and fresh.
Angry young men making sure people they are angry at can understand. Plus musically interesting
não me pegou
Angry rap is not my thing. That said, this wasn't awful.
3-/5 J’arrive pas à mettre plus que ça à ce genre d’album … Des morceaux légendaires et classic parsemés d’énormes merdes. Toujours un peu long…
(Decent to strong 7/10) A revolutionary record for sure. It's got monumental tracks like "911 is a joke" and "Welcome to the Terrordome" and "Fight the Power", and not to mention the fiery (pun intended) "Burn Hollywood Burn". I think for me the main thing that holds it back from being a truly great album is the amount of filler and sample-heavy-wankery that goes on in the middle. This record is full of amazing statements and some state-of-the-art production chops, but I just find myself getting a tad weary of it all before the final track comes on. The high points are really high though don't get me wrong.
I liked it more than I thought I would. A lot of interesting ideas.
As with Straight Outta Compton, an album I'd never fully listened to until starting to use this website, this one feels transitional to me, which is probably just a consequence of my lack of familiarity with this era of hip-hop. This one is very good, though I think to fully appreciate it as an alleged masterpiece I would need to have a bit more knowledge of the context and also listen a bit more attentively to the lyrics. (Honestly I should get into the habit of doing that with every single first listen to a hip-hop album.) But the excellent beats and general demeanor definitely feel like they're laying the groundwork for where hip-hop would go later in the 90s. Crazy to think that this came out the same year as the Humpty Dance.
Burn Hollywood Burn is amazing
Great beats, great lyrics, great album. I think there was one track, instrumental, that was a little disjointed for me at times, but that's just looking for something to nitpick.
This album is so good. Punchy, hardhitting and monumentally relevant, even 30 years later. The songs are so powerful, they feel like lighting to listen to.
Bon mais pénible à écouter avec tous les extraits et samples
Vrm pas fous honestly, out of toute les og rap groupe c’est le moins bon
This one was a gateway for me into a world of black militancy and perspective. It still hit hard but there is some pointed antisemitism and homophobia that I think Chuck has moved past. Or I hope he has. But still some absolute anthems, punk rock fuck you’s, astute cultural insight all against a backdrop of absolute chaos from the bomb squad. Five stars for hitting me like a bro k sophomore year of hs
Love this shit. Punk rock
Dang did not know flavor flav had that
Samples throughout are great, and it feels practically timeless. The 63 minutes fly by Favourite track: Welcome to the Terrordome
Fantastic politic hip hop album. Can't go wrong with Public Enemy.
I feel we just need the first public enemy on the list, it's still good tho Will I listen to again: 50%
Wow! I'm ashamed to say I've never listened to any Public Enemy, other than anything I might have heard on the radio/tv. This is fantastic. The best album I've been served up so far.
Some of the samples work in this album but I found it to be a bit repetitive after a while.
3,3 Highlights: Brothers Work It Out, Fight The Power
insane, dense, historical, classy
Superb
I grew up in the 80s but 80s rap isn't one I go back to often, when I do it's this album.
This gets very boring very quickly to me. I'm a big hip hop fan but Public Enemy never did it for me.
Gammal hiphop än en gång. Inte min grej, men jag kan förstå att det har ett visst kulturellt värde.
good album but the first one is better
Really liked it, but 20 songs is a lot in the same genre in one go. I generally like recorded bits and little sotries so I was served. The 90's hip-hop/rap vibes are great and the while it's more true for some it really look like they were exploring sounds instead of finding a beat to sing to. Liked the lyrics although I would need more listens to really fully let them sink in. Definetly more socially engaging then most modern stuff.
Good lyrics. Heavy on the drum and bass. Clearly a foundational album for a lot of music that would come later. It's good but not quite my style. Fav songs: Welcome to the Terrordome, Fight the Power.
Yeah it slaps
A lot of late 80's early 90's rap seems exceptionally dated but the intellect, intensity and anger on this album is just as poignant as it was over 35 years ago. This is the anti Fresh Prince and a voice that opened the eyes and militarized suburban youth, showing a reality that we were all insulated from.
Better than expected. Would listen too again.
Рэп – это однозначно не моя вещь. Просто не могу слушать эту бесконечную болтовню. К тому же альбом чрезмерно длинный. Час такой музыки ощущается как вечность
public enemy have a habit of filling projects with bloat, which was mostly kept to a minimum on the acclaimed "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back", but with 4 interludes and 16 full-length tracks, averaging nearly 4 minutes per track (excluding the interludes), this record definitely has them showing some cracks. there are some great songs here that can compete with many on their last record, but they are, unfortunately, usually overextended and overshadowed. they go deeper in lyricism and concept than before, but the actual music does take a hit in the end.
A little long, but still holds up amazingly well. 4.5/5.
It’s a good time this first time through. Listening to some tracks solo kinda felt flat
The lyrics are great, but the music is dated enough to kinda take me out of it. "Welcome to the Terrordome" "Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man!" and obviously "Fight The Power" are the standouts for me here
8.5/10
fav songs: 911 is a joke fight the power influential, conscious, defining 60/100
This is the first Public Enemy album I've listened to. I listened to it quite happily, though it's really not something I need to listen to again. The music is too repetitive.
Ahead of its time
Not my thing
Yknow it’s always a little hard to talk critically about albums like this without being insensitive or ignorant, so apologies in advance It’s very unique, and apparently one of those albums that really started the trend of overtly political themes in rap albums. I think Burn Hollywood Burn is probably one of the better tracks on this, pretty unarguable themes and I think the featured artists add a lot to the musical portion. Fight the Power is also a good track, definitely more reminiscent of older hip hip in my opinion. There’s some very positive views that I’m glad they’re championing, including support for interracial relationships and being actually pretty damn women positive for a genre that’s infamously not I’ll try not to tiptoe around it; I don’t think this albums aged very well and I think some of the themings a mess. The whole themes of black unity get completely derailed by all the attacks against groups Public Enemy has personal beef with. Meet the G that Killed Me just might be one of the most homophobic songs I’ve ever heard and really implies that black unity’s great unless you’re gay. There’s also just a lot of weird attacks on stuff like obtaining public assistance for food, which again hurts that message of unity. I also just really don’t like the sound collage stuff going on in a lot of these tracks, to the point where some of them are excruciating and detract from the lyrics; from a purely musical perspective, I hate the end of Power to the People, Brothers Gonna Work it Out, and that one song I’m not gonna write out. I also think the vocals themselves just don’t have enough oomph, it feels like they’re missing emotion at times when this is very emotionally charged album content wise I think there’s absolutely some valuable insight and themes in this one, and they’re conveyed very directly, but I just think there’s too much I dislike about select content and the actual music portion of a lot of this album is just awful and actively harmful to the ability to enjoy this one. Also I kinda don’t like how Flavor Flav gets a pass for being a serial woman beater and I feel like it never gets brought up because his public image is so positive. Don’t think I can quite justify giving this a 1 but easily a low 2
rap
Outside of two tracks, I didn’t really find anything revolutionary about this album, not even the lyrics. Seems like most of these issues were from the 40’s and 50’s in the degree that they are written about yet they are portrayed as present tense. Not my place to judge the content of the lyrics though, since I can’t really argue with how they felt when they wrote them. The two most noticeable weak links on this album found a new home in the Plucky Goose Egg Fund and they were the very repetitious and noisy BROTHERS GONNA WORK IT OUT & the annoying mid-tempo narrative POLLYWANACRAKA! Those two tracks were by far the worst! A lot of cool samples throughout this, although at times this came across as too busy for my tastes. A lot of average stuff surrounded by 2 terrible and 2 great tracks. I could give or take half of the interludes as 50% had a point and the others just didn’t work for me. So putting them all together in one track didn’t really hurt the rating. I can understand this having sentimental value to some, but your can’t really rate an album on how it affects the easily influence people of society. It’s just centralized rebellion from one standpoint, but it is done pretty well.
Non troppo il mio genere però il mix di sample gasa
it doesnt look like my type of album
Fight the power
Solid hiphop album, a classic in all its right and still so politically relevant even after 30+ years
Racism still exist today and it's ridiculous. Everything is still relevant to this day. Why do they hate black people so much? It's just the evolution of racism with crack thrown into it. Again everything is still relevant to this day especially the pollywanacraka song. Smh. Oh and fight the power and 911 is a joke.
The different sounds really help create a catchy melody. This contrasts well with the powerful, deep lyrics. This creates musical poetry
I'm familiar-enough with a few tracks from this album, though I've never listened to it start-to-finish. I'm quite looking forward to this. This is great. I'll be adding this to my listen of albums to listen to again.
Still don’t like this much - harsh and annoying, which is the point to a degree. It is more interesting now as a quasi-historical document; I was most engaged when I was reading the lyrics on Spotify along with the music.
The sampling was chaotic and stimulating, at times entertaining with all the recorded messages, and at times the samples were at odds with each other harmonically, like how I've noticed with some other albums in this space. I guess the point is they are purely being treated as rhythmic tools. I do t mind the edginess, but I didn't notice much appealing about the lyrics. Interesting how high the instrumental-to-vocal ratio was
Time is weird. This was (cutting) edgy, when it came out, but now sounds kind of dated. Not surprising, though, I guess, since it has been (!) 36 years. Anyway, I was for sure aware of Public Enemy, back in the day, at least in part because this album finished #3 in the Village Voice's annual "Pazz and Jop" music critics poll for 1990 (their previous album, "It Takes a Nation," was # 1 for 1988). And yet -- although I was (and still am) glad that these albums exist(ed), and their message(s) promulgated, and eyes opened, I never felt compelled to purchase album, nor do I now feel inspired to listen to this one again. It's not music that makes me want to dance, or sing along, and, for me, that's what really matters -- I have to like the music. I do like this better than some of the other hip-hop we've listened to (not De La Soul, though!), but it shares with some of them the sense that it's mostly about the lyrics (poetry with a beat), whereas I'm just more interested in music than lyrics. And, given how much good (better) music there is out there, this one just doesn't make me want to listen again. I prefer a book, if I want thought-provoking words -- and then I'll go listen to an album that makes me happy, energizes me, and engages me musically. Anyway, to rate this one: 3 stars: 2 for the music, plus 1 for social significance. P.S. To sort of prove my point: I just checked my collection, and realized that I *DO* actually own "It Takes a Nation," but the fact that I'd forgotten this kind of proves my point (that I haven't been very interested in listening to it -- and/or proves) that I own too much music, lol.
I feel like I have to TRY to enjoy this, like most early hip hop. The rapping sounds dated and the beats are made with primitive technology. The sampling is fun and it is culturally important, but not enjoyable as music, for me
Public Enemy is so damn cool. Especially considering this was 1990, this one is really impressive. The lyrics have depth, and are surprisingly timeless. The way they use percussion is creative. I think it's fun to listen to the way people wrote rap beats before synths and sampling were the standard. The production is good. It's probably my favorite 90s rap album so far.
it's got a frantic and angry energy that doesn't let up, just feels infectious. the production's very very dope, all in all strong and consistent. favorite song is Burn Hollywood Burn or Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya, Man! strong 3
Rating: 8/10 Totally radical, a way ahead of its time conscious hip hop achievement, super effective as an in your face political protest statement. Chuck D is a visionary of an emcee, he shouts revolutionary slogans with a deadly seriousness while Flavor Flav breaks it up with some needed comical brevity in the background. The Bomb Squad production is sick, its dense and layered sampling often gives it the feel of an experimental sound collage of an album rather than strictly a hip hop one. I don't think it's perfect, it's got a couple of amazing classic tracks in Welcome to the Terrordome and Fight the Power (the Do the Right Thing intro is eternal), but it runs pretty long and there aren't too many other top tier highlights. Just all around great stuff
Angry, as it should be.
Hooked since the first time I heard the drummer get wicked. This is a time capsule of the late 80's and early 90's that is better than most other sources. A couple of times, like in Who Stole the Soul, there has been an annoying level of repetition. Overall, an above average listen that influenced artists in multiple genres.
Overall Rating - 2.88/5 (5.76/10). Seriously good flow on this album. Not something I'd listen to again, but these guys are good.
I like the old school hip hop
Not my thing, but som good tracks
#231 Heard Before? Yes, a long time ago. Coincidentally I just had "...Nation of Millions..." yesterday. Notes: - the beats are a bit muddy and the tempo is largely unvaried. lots of cool ideas and great samples. - interludes lack impact. - Flava Flav is much improved but less funny. - Chuck D brings it, but occasionally seems drowned out by the Bomb Squad. - "Burn Hollywood Burn" is a banger. Verdict: For reasons I can't quite pin down, it's less immediate and runs together more than "... Nation of Millions ..." Listen Again? Maybe.
I'm pretty sure the guy on track 4 now gets on 1001albumsgenerator and leaves 1 star on every hip hop album
251.
Energy is relentless. Technically awe inspiring - you feel how its influenced. Flows often electric. Minus one for Pollywanacraka
Rocky CREATIVE
Average hip hop
Public enemy was a hero to most
hiphop, it was very good but very long and it got boring fast
Ser mange skryter av tekster og tematikk, men jeg klarer ikke helt å få fatt på det. Blir litt sliten av mange låter her om gangen.
This was MTV in its hey day, bringing righteous and musically innovative acts on vivid display to the suburban kids like me who would have never heard this on the radio. Doesn't hold up as well as other Public Enemy albums for me, but still great.
Epic. I wasn't listening to these guys at the time. Wish I had been.
This was my most anticipated album of 1990. I loved It Takes a Nation of Millions of to Hold Us Back and had been playing "Fight the Power" on a loop from the Do the Right Thing soundtrack. "Fight the Power" is one of the greatest songs of all time, "Welcome to the Terrordome" slays, and there's plenty of good stuff on here ("Brothers Gonna Work It Out," "Burn Hollywood Burn," Who Stole the Soul?" etc.). There's also a good amount of filler, and luckily my young self didn't understand the sickening homophobia of "Meet the G That Killed Me." Chuck & Flav should've known better, and that song is a stain on this album. Otherwise it's awesome.
A bit too frenetic for my taste.
Bah, ruim.
i aint listening to 1 hr of public enemy
Fuck yeah!
Oh man, das hat mich wirklich abgeholt. Public Enemy haben das sampling wirklich perfektioniert. Dazu noch die klare politische Message, die Wertschätzung Schwarzer Künstler wie zb James Brown und der an manchen Stellen selbstironische Humor der Texte machen das Album für mich wirklich zu einer 10/10. Einfach ein Meilenstein.
Not up for debate - this is rap/hip-hop royalty at its best. You cannot deny this one. Fight the power!!!
Not for everyone, but that's the point of a sound and a band like this.....in the current climate, especially the unfortunate souls who live in the USA, sentiment is never more prescient...
Not a fan.
there were a few songs on here that i liked, but the overall flow did not awe and amaze... i understand the cultural significance of the album but this one just is not for me im afraid.
Standard
Great forward-thinking and hard-hitting conscious hip-hop/rap record. It packed all the punch I though it would after having only heard PE singles. Messages were loud and clear on wax and definitely stand the test of time. This record is now as relevant as ever and should rightfully be considered among the best of all time. Can't wait to revisit this one and chop up what I missed on the first listen. Insane record.
good classic rap album
Elvis wasn't a fucking racist. That is a bullshit urban legend that was further popularized by Public Enemy. As for the album itself.. Flava Flav is the most interesting thing here as the proto-ODB. Chuck D shines on "Welcome To The Terror Dome", but overall his flow is repetitive, lyrics are just ok and political topics are predictable without offering any real insight. The music here is a real step down from "It Takes A Nation of Millions". If im gonna listen to Rap from 1988, I will be more tempted to throw on "Long Live the Kane" or "The Great Adventures of Slick Rick" but overall, I think it was a few years away from being a genre to obsess over.
Interesting
Didn't realise how many tracks I would recognise
Great album, not something I’d listened to much before but enjoyed it a lot. Chuck D the absolute guvner of rap.
Fun hip hop. The sampled memes lol. The album was a little long, however
I thought this was just gonna be a well rated album for me but I look back at my list so far and this is really top tier, some of the best it gets
Damn what a phenomenal album! Enjoyed it from the very first second until the very last second. Must hear hip-hop album! 4/5
I have no fear.
Yeah boiiiiii! You know what time it is
demasiado monótono para mi gusto.
Overuse of n word
Epic
The fucking power.
flavored flavvvv
Like a bomb going off in your ear! Dope af
guay
This is an album that was clearly not designed for someone with my particular brain function because all the layering and panning made me physically dizzy.
Couldn’t finish. Absolutely terrible
Fight the power fr fr. Nice stuff! Actually thoroughly enjoyed this despite having low hopes due to it's genre. Great message, and without that stupid ego that you get in hip hop of the 90s. Good samples and all x
Je veux bien que ça soit le début d’un mouvement de dingue, que les textes contestataires et le style complètement nouveau ça soit remarquable. Mais c’est inaudible, impossible de se mettre dans le rythme, y a que du bruit. Même les plus connus. J’espère changer d’avis
🌚
liked this a lot
The Do the Right Thing opening credits were playing in my brain for the entirety of this album
Semmoista paahtunutta, väljää hipediräptihoptia jota ei oikein jaksanu kuunnella. Tylsähköä.
Vähän samaan tieriin muidenkin east coast räpäytyksien kanssa. Hyvä meno ja poljento, mutta pidemmän päälle kuitenkin rupee vähän kyllästyttämään kun ei nostalgiaa kyseiseen levyyn löydy.
Not really my jam
not the genre for me. but I could at least *almost* finish this album on a low low volume
Classic. Chuck D is the man
++: Brothers Gonna Work It Out, 911 Is a Joke, Incident at 66.6 FM, Welcome to the Terrordome, Burn Hollywood Burn, Power to the People, Who Stole the Soul?, Fear of a Black Planet, Can't Do Nuttin' for Ya Man, Leave This Off Your Fuckin' Charts, B Side Wins Again, War at 33⅓, Final Count of the Collision Between Us and the Damned, Fight the Power +: Contract on the World Love Jam, Pollywanacraka, Anti-Nigger Machine, Revolutionary Generation +-: Meet the G That Killed Me -: Reggie Jax 8,5/10
I like the flow of this album. It has a lot of different moving parts and different speakers throughout as well and I think the ads a nice bit variety to the album. I think the base is really good and it's also got a good sense of rhythm , and I like the instrumentation as well as the sampling that's used throughout. I think it's a fairly easy listening experience.But I feel I don't feel like it challenged me too much. But I think it definitely had something to say. It's not my favorite but it was still quite engaging throughout and I didn't feel bored at any points. Fav Track: War At 33 1/3
This is really good. Still feels fresh. Just has this energy that never lets up through the whole thing.
I liked the social commentary but disliked the overall length. It's way to repetitive for its own good.
Like electricity, bolt of lighting right to the brain.
This is a really great album but it doesn’t have the same bangers the other two do. It’s still really good.
Pretty good but they still have yet to fully click for me
very redman dirrty with dry shampoo in some sort of shoe commercial -911 is a joke -incident at 66.6 FM -Burn hollywood Burn
Yeeeesssss! This is such a great album, so many jams.
This sounded so good today. I love Chuck D's stentorian flow, and the beats and lyrics are so strong. Landmark.
So smart, so prescient, so urgent. I would need to listen to the lyrics closely and repeatedly to really get its impact. Besides the songs I already knew, I really liked “Burn Hollywood Burn” and “Can’t Do Nuttin.” “Fight the Power” will be forever linked to Do the Right Thing as one of the best film musical combos of all time.
Whilst It Takes a Nation… is generally considered their masterpiece, Fear of a Black Planet is an outstanding follow up. I’m always amazed at how accessible Public Enemy sound, despite their inflammatory tone. Will listen again
I love the message but hate the music, it's way too stuck in the past with all the DJ-scratching effects and the rap that feels more like a talk rather than sticking to the rhythm, which I wouldn't mind normally but it became too much on this record after I got to the 8th track of 20
No me gustó nadaa. Creo que es un sonido de momento y no es trascendente para quien escucha. No me dejó nada, ni siquiera me guardé una sola canción. Pésimo, quizás no es para mi.
Great sampling, great rapping from both artist, and great messaging that is still applicable to modern life just as it was on release. Always impressive to see artist take a politically charged message and wrap it into a song that is catchy while still holding a deeper meaning.
Nope. Nope. Nope.
It crazy to me that some of the themes of this album are still so relevant today. The song Fear of a Black World could have been written today not 36 years ago. Lots of other bangers too. I liked 911 is a joke, Burn Hollywood Burn and obviously Fight the Power. Great album
Nope, this is BAD music.
Fun to listen to, partly good lyrics with political issues in them, partly the old hiphop style but thats the times.
Boring sample based hip hop. Beginning of the 90s there were far better albums already.
Vaya mezcla de guitarrazos, muy buena mano en el turntablism y el scratching, sampling, flow y hip hop. La risa de 'Thriller' metida en '911 Is A Joke' me encanta. 'Fight The Power' es un clásico activista del que no me acordaba, ha sido un gran regalo volver a escucharlo en condiciones, además de descubrir la cantidad de samples que pueden contener 10-12 canciones. Meter ahí a James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, Funkadelic, Afrika Bambaata, Kool & the Gang, Bob Marley... Qué locura
One of the first hip-hop albums that I enjoy but still find annoying. I can really appreciate the production for the 1990s. I was rocking my head to a lot of it, but I don't always pay as close attention to lyricism on the first listen as I should. I haven't marked it to listen again, but I might come across it again and appreciate it more when I do.
Rap from 90’s not my vibe
This one was better than the last PE album, there are some great hits but Chuck D was very much in form here. You can feel a real energy and momentum behind the album.
I liked this more than the previous Public Enemy album, if only because Flav toned down his "yeahhhhh boooyyyyyy"s. Dragged on a little long, but every track was a fun listen.
So I listened to this for 1 hour of a 6 hour drive so I wasn't fully focused on it. The hits had me giving this 5 stars but there was a lot of filler. Ultimately I enjoyed it enough but will never revisit more than two songs off of this so it can't be that high of a rating
Hip hop is generally not for me. I found this album repetitive and too much abstract and weird. The mixing is pretty weird and all over the place, but the rappers of public enemy have a nice flow to be honest.
Ну я хз если честно.
Hmm, it's not Nation of Millions is it. That's not to say that it doesn't have some really powerful and enjoyable songs on it, but it doesn't grab you in nearly the same way. One thing that is still true is that their lyrical content is absolutely excellent and right on.
public enemy tiene su propio genero musical, me refresco la cabeza de lo que siempre escucho, peak
Flavor Flav has become such a meme in the last 20 years that it's easy to forget how great he and Public Enemy are
1. 3.5 2. 4.5 3. 5 4. 4 5. 5 6. 3.5 7. 4 8. 3 9. 5 10. 4.5 11. 4.5 12. 5 13. 4 14. 4.5 15. 4 16. 4 17. 4 18. 4.5 19. 3.5 20. 5
fine, prob 3/5
Its giving Thomas the stank engine
I liked this album. I briefly got excited at the beginning of"Welcome To The Terradome", and thought it was sampling "Loadsamoney" (it was not). I think I liked the tracks "Pollywannacranka" and "Burn Hollywood Burn" the most. The lyrics had a good number of clever cracks and flowed well, and they gave weight and an occasional level humor to the issues of racism addressed throughout. I would be interested to check out this group's other albums.
Overall pretty good but I didn't enjoy it as much as the other Public Enemy albums I've had so far on this list.
Musique concrète/collage with an infectious groove and great rapping. 5 stars.
911 is a joke is the same banger I remember as a teenager. In general, the album holds up better than some of the other early 90's hip hop.
Although it might say my favourite genre is currently electronica, this was painfully repetitive to listen to. There were some good moments and the lyrics are still relevant today, but that doesn't mean much when you have to listen to what sounds like a dragged out 1 second loop over and over again.
There's a space movie these guys should see if they're looking for a black planet
Big problem I find with this album is how uneven it sounds. Like, You'll have tracks like "Welcome to the Terrordome" and then "Pollywanacraka" will turn the hype down, "Burn Hollywood Burn" and "Power to the People" and then the whole album becomes absolutely exhaustive until the immaculate closer. The parts are good, but it's the sum that drives me crazy, and since we're rating the sum, it's meh.
fun vibes :) i liked it
I'm sure this would have been the hottest shit around when it dropped, but seeing how far rap has progressed makes it feel very dated. This isn't to say Chuck D isn't a good lyricist or the production isn't good, but it feels far older than say 2pac despite that only barely being the case. That being said, it's fantastic as a piece of conscious music, the messages are very viscerally hammered home in a way I find very satisfying. Also, it's good to see our favourite actor Ice Cube get a spot, even if he gets totally mogged by Big Daddy Kane in the next verse. 3.7/5
Groovy, though I found the singing to spoken to enjoy whilst reading as it was at time jarring and took me out of the book.
Anti what machine!!! Fantastic album jokes aside, great listen
Samples galore. Rab več k samo eno poslušanje, da ga loh res ceniš, ker zna bit kar overwhelming na začetku. Na srečo sm ga že fulkrat in je dons a happy coincidence, da ga moram spet poslušat. Bedno je sam, da je ful tematike še dons relevantne, ker god forbid, da bi se stvari na svetu spremenile/izboljšale.
Fiery
A legendary album that rightfully deserves its place in the pantheon of hip hop. Public Enemy brought unprecedented anger to the genre, putting the political message center stage. I had the privilege to see them live in Beijing many years ago (it was a weird experience to watch them sing "Fight the Power" while cordoned off by two rows of visibly nervous CCP guards...), and their generosity towards the public didn't disappoint. Flavor Flav truly is a beast of a MC. I love this album, but unfortunately not every part of it has aged well. Some tracks could probably have been left out or shortened, especially since it's a very long, very noisy record with a LOT of skits and instrumental parts. It lacks the sobriety and simplicity of their earlier records, which makes it a bit too old-school for me, but not in a good way. The stratospheric level of energy can also be exhausting at times, and I can't listen to the whole thing without a few pauses. Still a classic, but certainly not an everyday listen, and not my favorite PE album (nothing hits harder than their first one for me). 6/10
When I was in middle school, some classmates proudly wore T-shirts with the band’s iconic target logo, a favorite among the suburban zoulous of the time. Socially conscious hip-hop was already becoming rare as gangsta rap was taking over, but Public Enemy has a unique blend of militant politics and hardcore intensity. It’s a brilliant album, dense and uncompromising, also a bit too old-school for me to revisit often, but absolutely fascinating.
la verdad no me gusto. no es el rap que me gusta, es mas molesto que otra cosa. nose la historia, por ahi en contexto puede ser un gran albul, pero no
[4/5] hip hop sample city. angy and powerful political lyrics. brain-scratching sound bites and samples build a collage of sound. lyrically dense. prefer the more energetic tracks. track notes: 1. scratchy chaotic warmup 2. nice samples, let's go crazy got me acting crazy. feels like a big collage of lots of songs and ideas. 3. difficulties of dealing with a call centre 4. the jeremy vine show, 2026 5. good bars. references both edgar allen poe and steve jobs. BOING 6. dated + conspiracy theory 7. spoken word 8. windows xp crashing ahh glitchy intro 9. fast bustling production. brainrot callout. 10. pumpin again, definitely did not slow down. peace, love, unity. whiplash ending 11. taxation is theft 12. discussion of prejudice 13. return to sample city, pass the dutchie fits very well 14. skulky beat suits the cat burglar lyric 15. deeply funky 16. scratching, reversing, glitching, bleep bleep, honk, plane taking off, ear candy 17. energetic mudding 18. revolution (not just vinyl). plus birds 19. i n f l e c t i o n 20. classic. catchy protest
3.5 - good album
For starters, Fear Of A Black Planet is "more" than It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, in most every way, but I don't know if that makes it a "better" album per se. But, the beats are more intricate and bombastic, the lyrics are more pointed and confrontational, and the flows are more natural and complex. However, it does seem a *little* less consistent, and a *little* less singular. On a first full listen, the beats are probably the thing here that stand out first. The Bomb Squad double down on the textural, collagic production of It Takes A Nation Of Millions... and provide a collection of beats that feel organic and chaotic and even noisy in a way that hasn't really been explored much in mainstream Hip-Hop since. And the energetic flows of Chuck D and Flavor Flav pair perfectly with the beats as they deliver some real lyrical depth here. A *lot* of the ideas here are still controversial and challenging in the contemporary political climate, down to the album title. I don't have the time or qualifications to completely break down the themes of Fear Of A Black Planet, but I will say that they are *very much* worth looking into. It's really an album that confronts the listener, asks you if it makes you uncomfortable, and invites you to contemplate why. I will say that there is a little homophobia on one of the skits here, which has aged really weirdly , especially in the context of Public Enemy's career which aspires towards being earnestly and radically pro humanity. But don't let this blemish distract you from the fact that Fear Of A Black Planet is a cuttingly smart, deeply astute, and justly angry album. I really did love this one. And the more time I spend with both this and It Takes A Nation Of Millions... the more I like them both. Fear Of A Black Planet is an utterly essential Hip-Hop classic, and as I spend time more time with Public Enemy's music, I think that either this or It Takes A Nation Of Millions... *will* eventually be a 5. What's stopping me now is really just the density of this thing, much of which I don't feel as though I fully appreciate. But this really is excellent.
They’re basically from my hometown but I didn’t love this
I love the sound of the album and I think this is some of Chuck D’s best lyrics. Sampling is awesome. Fuck the system messaging is awesome. But god damn does this one just give me a headache by the end. I get that it’s the point, but a straight hour of it was a bit much for me.
Good grooves
It's fine but it was just kind of noise
Interesting record indeed. I was aware of PE in the day, knew some of these tracks but had never listened to the whole album. Christgau wrote in 1990 that Public Enemy had become not only "the most innovative popular musicians in America if not the world" but also "the most politically ambitious". Musically it could be called sampledelia with strong beats - high intensity, a bit chaotic. The rap flows are appealing, Chuck D and Flavor Flav a classic pairing. Lyrically, it was always interesting to me that PE was so political, the raps are fortunately more open-ended than the interviews and thinkers/writers cited. It's electrifying in small doses (makes a lot of other rap seem shallow, or other hip hop seem staid), but I don't think I'd choose to play through the whole album again, other than as an object of study. I get that it was hugely successful and influential, and a high-water mark of sampledelia before the industry developed sample clearance/payments processes, it's validly in the 1001, but for its alignment with my listening tastes, I'll just rate it as Okay, 6/10.
Fight the power!
Got this album the day after Afrika Bambaataa and it's incredible to hear how much rap progressed in just those four years between that and this, and most of that is thanks to PE and The Bomb Squad. The samples here are so layered and creative and the lyrics are stridently political. Not as familiar with this as It Takes A Nations of Millions... and that probably tops this for me, but might need a few more listens to really fully evaluate this.
I haven't listened to this in probably over a decade, and I was ready to give it a four and move on, but this hit me this time around. It's powerful, in your face hip hop that some may find abrasive, but is exactly what's needed to convey the anger in the lyrics. This is another one of those charged sociopolitical records that you'd hope would age poorly, because things have changed for the better. So sad that the themes here still are applicable over 35 years later.
This is one of the first golden age hip hop albums I’ve listened to all the way through; and what an album to start with! Public Enemy brought their A game with all aspects of this project. The sampling and productions is absolutely insane for an album from 1990, almost every song has a barrage of chopping and loops that culminates in an amazing backing for the rhymes and message of this album. Doing some research this album was groundbreaking for politically conscious hip hop and it’s easy to see. Each song discusses different aspects of the difficulty of racism and race relations in America during the time. And I can easily see how this influenced hip hop and its subject matter moving forward. That is one of the most impressive parts of this albums is how influential it sounds. Everything from the samples to subject matter I can almost immediately think of multiple examples of rappers to come picking up on. Ultimately this album is amazing and I’m very eager to return to it in the future. Also, FLAVOR FLAV 😝
Classic old-school hip-hop.
One of the great rap albums of the 90s.
Good album. Really liked the rapping parts and the lyrics. I didn't like how much sampling there was in the songs; feels like it breaks up the songs too much.
Political Hip Hop/Conscious Hip Hop Favorite Song: Brothers Gonna Work It Out, 911 Is A Joke, Welcome to the Terrordome, Burn Hollywood Burn, War at 33 1/3, Fight The Power Least Favorite Song: Pollywannacraka Yet another album added to my collection. While most of the songs are good, there’s at least a few more standouts on the album than duds. I haven’t listened to their debut album, but this was a good introduction album for me. 8/10
Brothers gonna work it out - this kinda goes hard, the energy is brilliant actually. 911 is a joke is an absolute ear worm. This album would get a higher rating if I enjoyed interludes but I do not. I do like the interactions with black history and circumstances, especially with the civil rights movement. Fear of a black planet is wonderful social commentary. Revolutionary Generation is good also. In some instances I found there was too much going on at any one time.
A class album Not quite as good as 'It Takes....' but it's definitely a high 4
Of the most rythmic hip hop rap a true classic
no comment.
I dont think I Ever liked Public Enemy
FIGHT THE POWER! Glorious hip hop that stays oh so, so relevant. Fantastic beats, funky rhymes, and just overall an amazing album that I -truly- needed to listen to before I died.
Great samples, I could hear the final licks of the solo to Prince's let's go crazy in "brothers gonna work it out" which is a creative use of that great outro. Themes are (unfortunately) as relevant as ever and if anything this record makes a demonstration a real party. Not all the skits hit as hard by the latter half, but the timeless "fight the power" sends us off energized well enough.
First listened on July 9th 2026. Not for me, but the production is good.
Nope not for me. I understand it was a game changer in the hip hop world. But I just can’t sit through an entire album.
Blimey! I tried really hard to listen to the album in one go, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Yes, it's much better than the egomaniacal, misogynistic, Tourette-like gangster rap albums I've listened to for the 1001 Albums project, but ultimately, the constant agitation, anger and brutality are unbearable. It's not music, but rather a series of battle cries.
Bomb squad production carries hard would give a 3.5 if I could
8/10
Awesome.
Killer record. Battle rap against the state and it’s repressiv system.
вообще не воспринимаю рэп
East Coast hip-hop, hardcore hip-hop, political rap, progressive rap, sampledelia.
Nope, allt utom texterna som är bra förstås. Samhällskritik är nästan alltid bra i den här formen och rap funkar bra för det tycker jag. Public Enemy är bara inte för mig, i alla fall inte detta album. Inga låtar som jag gillade speciellt mycket osv. Kommer ej lyssna igen.
5/10
#405/1001. This list offers a Hip-hop / rap week for me (beasties, roots, fun lovin' criminals, neneh cherry), and of course this classic. They don't need to sing about any gangsta shit - the music is their weapon. I remember seeing them at Provinssi (Finnish rock music festival) in 1992, starting their gig with repeatedly shouting out "Where the fuck we're at?" - somehow they manage to be both hilarious and dead serious simultaneously. I'm not sure if there are any better character opposites in music than Chuck D and Flavor Flav, but they really show that 1+1 is more than two, and to top it off with a Bomb Squad sample-based collage which would lose them 5 m$ nowadays if rights were cleared... Not to mention the hip-hop anthems.
This is great. Have the CD.
forgot to rate them - A for effort, instrumental in their endeavors to make sure voices are heard - not my go to for hip hop but Chuck D is killaaaa
I listened to this on the 6 train, headed south toward downtown. It's the perfect energy for the subway. People move in every direction, but somehow it's choreographed with precision. Even in moments when it feels like chaos, the car moves rhythmically side to side at speed until it pitches unexpectedly in a new direction. Sounds come from all directions, but in harmony. It's a force.
Let the man speak. The topics are wide ranging on this album but PE bring the heat everytime. FOABP booms but is probably best appreciated as a headphone album. So many layers and samples and textures ring from ear to ear and that's before the lyrics get cooking. There's a lot to talk about and PE have plenty to say. A personal fave - Welcome to the Terrordome - is the high water mark from the unrestricted sampling era. So much going on. Funky and dense but still a giant slab of art. Lyrics like "my '98 was '87 on a record yo so now I go Bronco" are akin to Dylan "because you know something is happening but you don't know what it is do you, Mr. Jones?" Something was most certainly going on. I may not have full understood what was happening but I heard the revolution would not be televised. Listenable catchy with a helping of danger. We could use some PE energy at this crossroads of history. Something is happening
Really good, jumpy, fun
Seems so much better than modern rap - but maybe I'm just old fat fossil.
Maybe I wasn't listening attentively enough, just seemed pretty meh
The samples and loops are so engaging. You get instantly hooked into the world of PE. Lyrics still hit hard. Flavor Flav for president
This is the album that defined 90s hip hop. At the time it was considered, challenging, thought provoking and dangerous. The messages it got across are still somewhat relevant today, where it had a lot to say about racial bias in hollywood, interracial relationships, division, sexism, cultural appropriation and right wing style criticism. What I love about this album is how meticulously every sound bite, sample and track has been placed throughout this entire album in order to strengthen the sociopolitical messages it gets across. I heard that this one of the most sample heavy albums ever made, which is no wonder why they reduced the amount of sampling in later albums.
Public Enemy has long been one of my favorite hip-hop bands, and Fear of a Black Planet was an album that I spent a lot of time with in the past. Its production is first rate, and the music is just jam after jam. Flavor Flav is at his all time best on 911 is a Joke and Fight the Power is an all-time classic. Released dead center in PE’s run of three massively great albums in a row, the Enemy were at the height of the powers. Not to be missed!
Another one which I'm sure is fine. But not for me
Kickass
Wel oke. Leuke rap
Welcome to the terror dome
This would have been a better listen if I was at a party instead of answering emails at 9 am 🤣
Belongs on the list. Not my favourite thing though
So good I can’t imagine making anything this complex. Some of the lyrics didn’t age well, but I think of the things I thought were okay to say in 1989….
Some of the best socially conscious rap ever produced. Chuck D and Flav have such great chemistry, verse transitions are so smooth and their flow and rhymes are stellar. Big track on this album is obviously ‘Fight The Power’, but don’t sleep on ‘911 is a Joke’ and ‘Can't Do Nuttin' for Ya Man’. Only demerit I have is that the beats are VERY dated, but that doesn’t impact the energy or message of the songs. Solid 4/5
So ridiculously good. The beats go crazy, and the lyrics and flow are next level. Hip-hop as an art form at its best, where the greater community is perhaps the most important thing at every single moment. Will be running this one back many, many times.
I enjoyed this. It had some interesting samples. I like the song Fight the Power. That was the only song I knew. I liked how socially conscious this was.
I feel like this is an important album. There are some good messages on it and it still feel pretty fresh today.
The production on this album is on another level. The Bomb Squad pulls out all the stops here, overwhelming you with pounding drums, discordant samples, and seemingly random sound effects for a complete assault on the senses. It's almost hard to believe something this abrasive got as popular as it was. You can really see how this would go on to influence so much experimental hip-hop to come. Chuck D is a pure force of nature, splitting the difference between righteous political commentary and pure shit-talking with his authoritative voice and surprisingly nimble flow, and the assists from Flava Flav keep things fun. Like the production, the political commentary pulls no punches, directly confronting politicians, Hollywood, the records industry, and every other major force in white America. If there's one issue with this album, it's that it can start to feel one note with its hour-long run time, but that note is a powerful one.
Finally a rap album I can get behind. If the Clash were a rap band they'd be Public Enemy.
Contract on the world love jam - 3 Brothers gonna work it out - 4 911 is a joke - 5 Incident at 66.6 fm - 3 Welcome to the terrordome - 4 Meet the g that killed me - na Pollywanacraka - 3 Anti-nigger machine - 4 Burn hollywood burn - 4 Power to the people - 4 Who stole the soul? - 4 Fear of a black planet - 4 Revolutionary generation - 4 Can't do nuttin' for ya, man! - 4 Reggie jax - 3 Leave this off your fuckin' charts - 3 B side wins again - 3 War at 33 1/3 - 4 Final count of the collision between us and the damned - 3 Fight the power - 5
Public Enemy at their finest. Flavor Flav wasn't so much of a chaos monkey as he was a force in here, contrasting Chuck D. Amazing album.
I really liked this, great classic old school sound. Wish I took the time for a readalong but not this time.
Pretty good. Hood ah
Fml
Fight the power!
toch niets voor mij, terminator x
I think I like "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" just a little bit more. Either way, this is a great album and everybody should listen to Public Enemy before they die (possibly while waiting for 911 to show up.)
Sini stimm brucht echli agwöhnigszit
Ну...
Не большой фанат репа
Not a big fan of rap, but this one is at least nice. 2.25
As frightening and confronting as it was catchy and awesome in 1990, and still holds up in the same way.
Nah
Kaip ir praeitas jų albumas, solidus.
This is a more difficult, less immediately appealing listen than *It Takes a Nation*, and that feels intentional. The songs frequently blend and mutate into one another rather than more consistently following traditional structures. At the very least the empty space between tracks is shortened to the point of nonexistence; the songs proceed rapid-fire (a metaphor Chuck D and co. would surely choose intentionally). It figures, then, that this is an album about media - about context and recontextualization and the loss of context, the constant flicker of information across a TV screen or radio. The frequent intercutting of the group's music with snippets of press coverage about the group's music serves to heighten this effect. Chuck is preoccupied with media here - not just with the perception of the group itself, but with the idea of media as a whole as a mechanism for transmitting ideas, and with the sort of performance it engenders. And I mean "performance" in multiple senses - the recorded work of recording artists, but also in the compulsory sense, as a thing that is required by (presumably White) authority. It's hard to tell whether that's TV static or crowd noise on the instrumental "Leave This Off Your Fu*Kin Charts"; they might be the same thing. The burden of performance rests heavy on Chuck; he sounds acutely aware of both the power of his platform and its precarity. He responds in militant fashion, marshalling the sonic troops via a bevy of samples ("Brothers Gonna Work It Out"), drawing the cultural battle lines within the Black community ("Pollywanacraka"), and taking aim at White institutions ("911 Is a Joke," "Burn Hollywood Burn," "Fight the Power"). The latter includes what is likely the most famous segment of this album, the denunciation of Elvis as a racist - and here's where things get *really* intreresting, because he doesn't do as much to make the case as one feels like he could. The whole discussion feels like both a sincere denunciation of the White appropriation of Black culture and a fight Chuck feels he has to pick for the sake of preserving his cred. Similarly, on "Welcome to the Terrordome," Chuck claims to be unbowed while also conceding that he drummed Professor Griff out of the group (for getting his hand caught in the anti-Semitism jar) and apologized for it - and it did nothing to take the heat off him. The picture is always complicated; there is always more than one signal coming in, more than one signifier. I haven't even really addressed how strong this album sounds, with dense Bomb Squad samples that breathe and move no less than those of *Paul's Boutique* a year earlier. It's enough to make one regret the loss of the sampling art due to the Biz Markie decision that came out right around the time of this album; something like this can't realistically be made again, and that's a shame. Again, this album isn't as euphoric a listen as *It Takes a Nation*; but purely as a text, it might be weightier.
Fear Of A Black Planet is a rap album with a message and a throwback to a time when rap music had something to say. At times it may feel dated and a little bloated but it's an okay album and the messages and themes throughout cause you to look around and think for yourself.
Not better than It Takes A Nation Of Millions, but it's still a 5/5 for me. It's a classic, with legendary songs and beats. The way Chuck D's masterful rapping and Flave's hyped up crazyness play off each other is a unique sound that stands the test of time.
My first note while listening to Fear of a Black Planet was literally: “YOOOOOO WHAT IS THIS MADNESS.” This album is chaotic, loud, confrontational, and completely unapologetic. At times it feels like a dozen different sounds, ideas, and emotions are crashing into each other all at once, but somehow it works. Tracks like “Brothers Gonna Work It Out” and “Welcome to the Terrordome” immediately grabbed me with their production, and “911 Is a Joke” hit especially hard once I understood the context behind it. “Incident at 66.6 FM” was also one of those moments where I thought, “I don’t think anyone would have the guts to make something like this today.” What made this album especially interesting for me is my perspective as a Black woman who is not African American and has never lived in the United States. I’ve never personally experienced the specific realities, struggles, or history that Public Enemy is speaking about. Because of that, listening to this album felt less like casual music and more like being invited into a conversation and a lived experience that wasn’t my own. This isn’t an album you can just throw on in the background. You have to lock in and actually listen. The anger, frustration, pride, and political commentary are at the center of everything. It reminded me of how powerful art can be when people use it to document their experiences and make sure their voices are heard. I don’t know if I’ll be replaying the entire album regularly, but I came away respecting it a lot. Even when I felt overwhelmed by the chaos, I never felt like I was listening to something ordinary. It challenged me, made me think, and gave me a perspective I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Rating: 4/5 stars
Love the social commentary on this album. It’s going to take me lot more listening sessions to pick out all the samples they used for each track.
Relentless brilliance 4.5
It's okay, the samples are pretty funky though
What an incredible album this is. I’m on my last break at work listening to this in its entirety for the first time and I’m in awe. The ingenuity of this masterpiece is incredible. Hours later now. Can’t stop thinking about this album. Truly made me realize how much music I’ve missed out on and I get to discover. I love this.
Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet is a powerhouse of political consciousness and sonic experimentation, kicking off with the smooth, prequel-like "Contract of the World Jam" before diving into hard-hitting, socially charged tracks that define the album's core. Throughout the record, the group masterfully balances intense, message-driven anthems—such as the paranoid urgency of "Brothers Gonna Work It Out," the scathing institutional critique of "911 Is a Joke," the provocative "Anti-Nigger Machine," and the industry commentary in "Burn Hollywood Burn"—with more adventurous production, seen in the fascinating, twanging sample on "Welcome to the Terrordome" that bears a slight resemblance to the unique, percussive sound of a morsing, and the high-tempo fusion of the "Power to the People" spoken-word track. While tracks like "Pollywanacracka" offer a surprisingly catchy, humorous flair, and the instrumental "Leave This Off Your Fuckin Charts" provides a masterclass in production that likely influenced later legends like Madvillainy, the album manages to remain cohesive despite some uneven moments in the middle; ultimately, it delivers a powerful, thematic statement that reaches a fittingly high-stakes conclusion with the iconic, essential closer, "Fight the Power."
Flava Flav!
90's hip hop rules. First time listening to Public Enemy and its prety dank. Its more experimental than other rap album from this time period I felt like ? Or am I tripping ?
Great message, great sampling, great lyrics, immaculate transitions, lots to like about this album
Boom bap, boom boom bap. I like it better than most modern hip hop, all the scratching is really cool. They should do more of that. Adjacent to the music, the dancing and fashion associated with this is also really cool. It's very evocative, a really great album, but is evocative of an era and a culture that I am not a part of. Wick wick wick wickky wick wick wick
8/10. Really good album. I enjoy most of the tracks in there, and hoping to listen to public enemy more.
this is such a grounded album, but not to forget mentioning the subject of this album here. yeah sure, some idiot might go around, listen for a few minutes and say 'this is REAL hip-hop' without acknowledging the fact that this album was made to tackle social issues happening at those moments right now. the flows are crazy, lyrics catch me off guard and they are so relevant. timeless.
Rating: 5.0/5 Short Review: Urgent, confrontational, intelligent, and still shockingly relevant. This isn’t background music. It’s an album that demands attention. Every track feels like it’s trying to shake the listener awake. Favorite Track: “Fight the Power.” One of the defining songs of hip-hop and one of the most powerful political statements ever put on record.
the amount of times i did that leo pointing meme whenever i heard a beat or a lyric what was reference or sampled from this… and people say nwa was the most influential…
I don't really like music with to much (what I find) random sounds added and this album has a lot of that. I get that it's the dj era of hip hop and this group certainly should be on this list. I just can't get in to it at all.
Not too familiar with Public Enemy before listening to this but I did enjoy the album overall and found the sampling information I read on wiki interesting. The album art work in history and meaning is interesting to me as well. Welcome to the terrordome & Fight the Power were stand outs to me. Happy listening all!
En general todo el álbum se siente pesado con un sentimiento de enojo, indignación, impotencia, con bases intensas y poderosas. Su mensaje es claro y contundente, todo el álbum me parece muy coherente, lo disfrute mucho.
I respect the group but I was just not feeling it. Not sure if it's because I am tired of rap in general but this was just an uninteresting album. Lots of politically charged, well written songs, but got bored of it halfway through.
This sounds very angry and loud, I like it but I wouldn’t listen to it again. I enjoyed the lyrics and the message as it is very powerful and still very real unfortunately. It’s not my usual listen but I enjoyed it for sure
I ought to love this, I fully expected to love this. It certainly has its gems, and it is a good album, but good lord is it too long, the production quality is also hit-or-miss, really ruining many tracks that could be awesome. Fight the power is an all-timer (truly, motherf*ck Elvis *and* John Wayne) and I'm glad they left it for last, ending on a strong note. 3.5/5
Remember listening to this during a HunterXHunter Fight because a lion on a surfing board said this was a good album, good times and also FIGHT THE POWER
Hell yeah, the second Public Enemy album in a short time. Hard to tell if I like this one more than It takes a Nation... Another essential hiphop album 5/5
Heel vet. Wel wat rauw en de beats zijn net te weinig melodieus voor mij
YES
Repetitivo pero los instrumentales los salvan
Professional victims
Ok so I listened to the album twice, first listen I just didn’t get it- it bounced all over the place and was a lot of noise.. Second listen however the noise did seem to grow on me and I heard the layer upon layer of sound that had been put together, however it still just wasn’t my thing- Best track- ‘leave this off your fuckin charts’ (less vocal) although I quite like 66.6 too. Worst track- ‘brothers gonna work it out’ Average 5/10
Public Enemy "Who needs the band when the beat just goes?" Never heard a wall of noise quite like this. Loops on beats on samples over atonal synth sounds... and then another layer of the same, and another. It is literally an assault on the senses. Pulling through shades of soul, jazz, funk and rock, this is, most of all, music by a philosophically militarised group sitting on the margins of their genre. Every track hits so hard you feel it - the bass on War at 33 1/3 so heavy I thought I'd done a wheel bearing 😂 The fact that you couldn't make this today even if you wanted to, due to the extraordinary and ridiculous amount of sample clearance and subsequent litigation it would precipitate, makes this a one of a kind document to treasure. The marching pace never lets up all the way to the phenomenal closer of Fight the Power. A call to arms to put on your mental fatigues and man the barricades to your mind. Best Track - Could be almost any. I particularly love the cut and paste instrumentals, but let's say Who Stole the Soul? which absolutely bounces. Worst Track - there isn't one but if I have to then Pollywannacracka 10/10
Dang, the samples on this thing. Enough to make you dizzy. Chuck Ds inexorable flow style wears on me after awhile, but those samples. Dang.
Very much one of those albums that I respect the hell out of, but can be trying at times in terms of a pure listening experience. No doubts about its status as a must hear however.
Overall: 6/10 Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this as much as I was hoping. The beats are good, and Chuck's voice and lyrics are great, but for some reason it just didn't click for me. Fav Song: Fight the Power
5/10
Sampling was crazy on this. Wildly influential on modern rap. Highly politically charged.
The album cover should set the tone and give a hint of what we're about to hear. Everything here clearly hints at epic, disturbing melodies with pointed social commentary. Right? Not so. The result is an hour-long cacophony of samples, where every track sounds identical, like background music at an amusement park. As for the rap, Public Enemy has two people in charge: Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The former raps like a sportscaster with a pillow over his face, while the latter's purpose is unclear — he only occasionally repeats a few words and shouts his signature "Yeah, boyeee!". It feels like you're listening to a Pinky and the Brain album. As for the lyrics, the messages about the might of the black race that seemed so powerful in the '80s and '90s now read like typical nagging comments on Twitter. Weak!
Great album with some beats that are difficult to ignore. I enjoyed listening to this.
fun listen. apparently not much has changed since 1990. "911 is a joke" - acab, amirite?
Really enjoyed this one, wasn't really expecting to but it was a good listen.
Pure genius. 5 stars.