Fear Of A Black Planet

Ok I guess.

Oh my gawwwwd, the radio dial/record scratch for one hundred years at the beginning of most/all of these songs is grating on my nerves. Respect to the culture, but I did not like this album.

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

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

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

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

I expected a more tunes than vocals

Professional victims

Basic bad rap crap. Life is too short not to skip bad music like this

I am not a rap fan

Album 647 of 1001 Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet (1990) Rating : 1 / 5 I listened. I didn't care for it. It isn't music. If I want spoken word recordings, I'll seek them out.

HipHop is not my taste

I know this is supposed to be a classic album. When I first heard it around the time it came out, it was something different. Being from a small town, we didn’t get to hear a lot of music like this. Now the whole album sounds like the same song. Meh 1001 album worthy: No - 1/2

I appreciate their lyrical points but I simply can´t stand one hour of hip hop. favourite: "Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya, Man!" 1,5

Oh wow. This is just straight up bad. 1 kinda okay song, rest is just stuffing

meh.. the rhythm is so loud and disorienting

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

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.

Killer record. Battle rap against the state and it’s repressiv system.

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

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!

Welcome to the terror dome

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.

Sini stimm brucht echli agwöhnigszit

Relentless brilliance 4.5

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.

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.

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

YES

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

Pure genius. 5 stars.

Favourite Songs: Brothers Gonna Work It Out Burn Hollywood Burn Fear Of A Black Planet Fight The Power

An album and a band speaking truth to power with an angry passion. And almost 35 years later these same problems still exist. The album is high energy, impassioned, and cacophonous in the best way possible. The layering of sound, the punching lyrics, the bits where a broadcast breaks in complaining about the band or their music is all so well formulated and cohesive. It makes for an amazing listen and I really enjoyed this album. Fight the power!

So, so, so brilliant.

We dig. But “Can’t Do Nuttin’ For Ya, Man” is one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard. Closer to a four than a six.

Right out the gate this already sounded like a rawer album than my previously reviewed Apocalypse 91’, which I loved. The opening instrumental had me hooked. The second track was cacophonous with squealing guitars and front and center loops. A hype track that keeps energy flowing, where actual lyricism doesn’t begin until halfway through the track. Flava Flav’s funky hooks and Chuck D’s fire verses really don’t relent through this album. Despite this constant barrage of unbridled rage against the powers that be, the run time felt 10-15 minutes too long. Understandably so, this album won me over and exemplifies why I dislike the 5-star system. I give it Soft 5. Inflated because I enjoyed it more than Apocalypse.

No notes

Old school goodness, full of bangers

I remember listening to this album when I was a kid. I liked it so much. I think it was the first album I had ever listen to that referenced white and black people. I was almost proud to know the music when others didn't.

Loved it

Insane samples. Surprising, raw, funny as fuck, this thing hits. Not perfect, a few songs didn’t age great, maybe one too many “yes yes y’all” type vocal fills. 4.5 tho, really good time for me.

Higly influential gem to Rap, masterpiece.

I heard the drummer get wicked.

Ha! Just listened to this again a little while ago. When my brother was 10 or 11 this and Tribe’s Low End Theory were a couple of the first cds he legitimately bought for himself. Most of his music collection until this point had been copied from other’s copies and consisted of Misfits, Descendants, Minor Treat and other bands that were coming out when he was a baby. For my part, I was ruminating in my locked room over the initial releases from Nine Inch Nails and Ministry. He played this endlessly. At a certain point it seeped in through osmosis. We were able to bond over it. Run into each other in the kitchen? “Hey boiiiii, that peanut butter needs some flavor!” Somehow he was always Flavor Flav and I was Chuck D by default. Didn’t matter that we were two alienated middle class white kids. Public Enemy spoke our language. 5+, the rating can’t possibly be separated from nostalgia. Isn’t that the real power of music? Boolean rating: yes absolutely, very glad to hear and hear again before I die.

Ah, Public Enemy ! Ça fait bien plaisir de tomber là-dessus !

No notes

Love this.

What a fucking ride. Loved this! Definitely want to give it another listen, preferably somewhere i can dance my little heart out

Not a fan of the genre but it was a blast to listen to this at the store full volume

Just incredible. Wildly incendiary but ultimately based in love and compassion. Public Enemy are legends.

This production still goes so hard and these sentiments still ring truer than a motherfucker.

Favorite Track: Fight The Power

I remember when these guys were at the height of their career, though I really didn't truly start listening to them until a couple of years later when I was in college. This album was a trip to go back and revisit. First things first, Chuck D is amazing, full stop. Yes, rap has always had a strong voice, but it has never been stronger than with Chuck at the mic. His style, his rhymes, his message, all of it. Just the pinnacle, way better and more important than Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and others will or could ever be. Want proof? Listen no further than Welcome to the Terrordome, one of the great raps of all time, driven by the strength of who Chuck D is and his message. Just an all-time great track. But there's a lot more on here than just WttT. Brothers Gonna Work It Out is excellent. 911 Is a Joke is probably Flavor Flav's best track. Burn Hollywood Burn drives so amazingly well (and featuring Ice Cube and Big Daddy Kane doesn't hurt). Power to the People and Revolutionary Generation are both great. It just goes on and on. Yeah, rap started to get into the mainstream in the late 80s with artists like Run DMC, Queen Latifa, Rakim, and others. But it didn't really fully explode until the turn of the next decade and it was Public Enemy at the forefront who set the stage for so many who followed like Ice Cube, Tupac, Notorious BIG, etc. Every one of those artists owe so much to Public Enemy, and it's impossible to overstate the importance of them as a group and this record in particular. 5 stars, no doubt.

It's Peak Your honor. Really good lyrics and some good messages. and more respectful towards women than snoop but still needs work.

Raw, uncompromising and really fucking good.

Unremittingly angry. And articulate. And chock full of some great sounds.

This was great, second listen this week randomly

Omg, this album is the real shit! 5/5

Some absolutely classic 90's hip hop. Fight the power is amazing, some really good beats, incredible lyrical flow, full of bangers. Really a great album from beginning to the end, though it is a little long. Touches on pressing issues, really urgent and topical. A joy to listen to.

Pure sound, total immersion, energy and mission. The pivotal album of the early 1990s. A masterpiece. Shame about the homophobia.

When this record dropped it shook the world. Well, at least my world in tbe projects. This was street education of the highest level. This one definitely opened my eyes. A Masterpiece!

I'm probably the opposite of the demographic for this album, but this fucking slaps. I love all the sampling and the relentlessness of it all. There's so much anger, but it feels like it's directed into action instead of violence. Never thought I'd like an album like this, but I love it! This is exactly why I do this challenge.

Just a great album. Production, samples, lyrics. Powerful. 5.

This is how you do it...seems to fly by despite being over the hour mark, bangers nicely spaced between less headline tracks..

I don't play much hip-hop from pre 92/93 ish for whatever reason...this is absolute top drawer though, the production, the sampling, the uncompromising message, the relentless sound..probably the best album of that earlier period I've heard so far.

It’s a classic, with tracks like fight the power, 911 is a joke and welcome to the terrordome it’s just amazing old school hip hop

wowww wow wow. so insanely thick and intricate, so many samples and messages, extremely fun to listen to 4.5?

Had this on repeat for most of the day. What a hoot and also a holler.

This is the first rap album I can remember listening to on my dad’s CD player. The samples still hit, the messages still hit, all in all still a great album. 4.5-5

great album overall, good message and good tracks all around, powerful lyrics too

✊️

Fuck yeah!!! Fuck the man!!!!

It’s on the longer side, but if the album stays good for an hour then I’m happy to listen. I read about the background and concept for this, and it’s just really cool, and I love getting snapshots of an era through music like this.

Another unexpectedly excellent album. The bars, the beats, the boom bap, the subject matter - what an excellent project. 5/5

The fact that this album's message is as relevant today is kind of depressing and makes it an evergreen album. I might edit a song or two out since it's a bit on the long side, but I think that this is a 4.5 star album worth rounding up to five.

Bnager, love the way the album construct itself, truly an amazing experience. Today´s bird: Grey Go-away-bird

Great album, not just rap but a collection of many genres

A Classic one!

I can't stop thinking about the reviewer who said this album reminds him of Mumford and sons

I actually loved this.

I do think It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is a bit more immediately accessible, but this is obviously still incredible and has Fight the Power on it.

For the time and context in which this album came out, it is really an incredible record. It has so much in it, and while it is long, all the interludes, instrumentals, cuts, and mix of both hard-hitting and more "radio-friendly" tunes make it an album I do think people should hear. I want to listen to it a second time, as I think it will flow even better now knowing the arc it takes. I'd give it a 4.5, but I'm going to round up. I also could see people giving it a 4, but I think that even if it isn't someone's thing or seems dated, at this point, if put in the proper context of 1990, this rises up.

woke

I gotta admit, by the time I get to "I can't do nuttin' for ya, man!", I'm kinda waiting for Fight the Power to wrap it up. I still really love it though. Maybe it's just a bit too long.

Love this album

Holds up surprisingly well. Probably in large part due the emphasis on great vocals feom Chuck D and great work as always from Terminator X. Songs have a lot going on without losing the foundational beat driving the song.

instrumental goes so fucking crazy love 9.5/10

242/1001 Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ✅ Important, Angry, Relevant - and essential listen.

I would listen to Chuck D work his way through a phone book.

Loved the album. Adding this to my regular rotation.

Loud, proud and all over the place. Replaces It Takes a Million's laser focus for a scattergun approach that plays to Chuck's and especially Flav's strengths., A barely contained and highly flammable mix of rage, wit and beats.

Really good album, thought provoking brilliantly written lyrics. Fantastic use of samples and backing tracks to help get the message across.

kinda what i needed to hear today

classic.

Still as important today as it was when it came out. And still amazing! I was really looking forward to listening to this album again, as I don’t think I had played it front to back since I was a kid.

Chuck D is so real good lord. Most based rap album of its generation. It's an hour but not one wasted minute.

Holy heck, I have a favourite hip-hop album. I'm really not a hip-hop person, but this was unreal... The production pulled me in, the performance held me there and the lyrics made me feel things. I feel like I've been profoundly impacted by listening to this in ways I can't explain. (spoken like a true white boy, I know) This album has to be one of the most worthwhile albums of the exhortation to listen before you die or anything on this list. It is insanely good.

it's like rap with really important meaning ig

The Greatest Rap Group Of All Time.

✊️

This was great! I totally missed this growing up.

I think a step below It Takes a Nation but not a 4. Some absolute bangers and it all really flows together

Production is amazing, along with the general message

Fuck yeah 5 out of 5.

lo escuche haciendo un trabajo de ef para el gilipollas de mi profesor lo unico bueno de hacer eso fue escuchar este album

Best Song: Fight the Power I was really stuck between a 4 and a 5 for this. I have heard it before, like all Public Enemy, and I don't like this one as much as the previous and the next album. Plus, it goes on longer than it needs to and if it were made more succinct it would be a no brainer 5/5. After contemplation and looking at other music that was around at this time, 5/5 was the only grade it could get. Public Enemy was a cornerstone of great hip hop and even their weaker albums are still better than tons of mediocre artists in the 80's-90's. 5/5.

Public Enemy – *Fear of a Black Planet* (Def Jam, 10 April 1990) Produced by The Bomb Squad (Hank & Keith Shocklee, Chuck D, Eric “Vietnam” Sadler, Gary G-Wiz, Bill Stephney) --- ### 1. LYRICS – “a university of noise that tapes ears and eyes wide open” Chuck D’s baritone is a news-wire made flesh: every verse is editor-in-progress, foot-noted by Flavor Flav’s street-corner comic relief. - **Micro-to-macro scope**: 911 Is a Joke zooms in on paramedics ignoring Black neighborhoods; Burn Hollywood Burn widens the lens to the plantation logic of casting offices. - **Language as weapon**: internal rhyme-dense, all-caps slogans (“Power to the people no delay”), sampled talk-radio racism, even the track titles are headlines (Incident at 66.6 FM). - **Blind spots**: casual early-’90s homophobia and sexism (Pollywanacraka) age badly; some punch-down jokes feel like filler between manifestos. --- ### 2. MUSIC & PRODUCTION – “sampling heaven… shattered pieces of the past re-assembled like stained glass” The Bomb Squad treat the Akai like a Molotov: 100-plus snippets per song, all filtered through cheap 12-bit sunchips and tape saturation. - **Sonic palette**: JB breaks, Slayer-like guitar squeals, air-raid sirens, chain-gang chants, even the Star Wars scroll-text theme on the title cut. - **Rhythm tricks**: beats often drop *out* for half-bars, letting Chuck’s voice become the kick drum; hi-hats pan in dizzying 3-D while Flav’s ad-libs poke through the ceiling. - **Lo-fi warmth**: the album was mixed “in the red,” so every snare clip feels like a typewriter key slamming through paper—still unmatched in digital age cleanliness. --- ### 3. THEMES – “the fear in the title was sensationalistic… Chuck’s Black planet is a refuge” A concept LP about America’s projected fear of a Black demographic majority. - **Media critique**: Who Stole the Soul indicts label execs; Incident at 66.6 FM airs a real talk-radio caller calling PE “animals.” - **Self-determination**: Brothers Gonna Work It Out is a blueprint for community tech programs years before “digital divide” entered policy papers. - **Multicultural future**: the sleeve’s planet logo is half black / half white—an early Afro-Futurist image that predates the term’s 21st-century revival. --- ### 4. INFLUENCE – “as important to Rap as Sgt Pepper is to Rock” - **Sample law catalyst**: the density of uncleared lifts (est. 150-200) helped force the 1991 Grand Upright ruling that changed hip-hop economics. - **Voice template**: Ice Cube, Rage Against the Machine, Kendrick’s “We gon’ be alright” chant, even the clipped urgency of Run The Jewels owe cadence debts. - **Protest DNA**: Fight the Power is still the go-to anthem—played at George Floyd marches, quoted by Spike Lee in 2020, streamed 300 % spike every Black History Month. --- ### 5. PROS & CONS (35-year hindsight) **PROS** ✅ Still the gold standard for politically charged hip-hop that *moves* bodies, not just minds. ✅ Production innovations—layered atonal noise, stereo-pan shock-cuts—remain ahead of 2025 trap loops. ✅ 64-minute runtime but *no* two tracks share the same drum pattern; constant reinvention. ✅ Flavor Flav’s comic foil prevents sermon fatigue; 911 Is a Joke is gallows-humor perfection. **CONS** ❌ Middle third sags: Can’t Do Nuttin’ for Ya Man and Pollywanacraka are repetitive skits stretched to song length. ❌ Hour-plus duration feels “exhausting… the record almost buckles under the weight of its political message.” ❌ Socially regressive slurs date the text; younger listeners often need contextual footnotes. ❌ Not as cohesive front-to-back as predecessor *It Takes a Nation of Millions*—some call it “the first great *messy* hip-hop double-LP.” --- ### 6. BOTTOM LINE *Fear of a Black Planet* is the sound of a genre realizing it can be simultaneously pop hitmaker, CNN alternative, and avant-garde noise collage. Its flaws—bloat and period prejudice—are inseparable from its urgency. In 2026, when algorithmic playlists flatten protest into mood music, the album still feels “dangerous and abrasive,” a reminder that revolution should never fit neatly into 15-second TikTok drops.

Un prodigio de principio a fin. Public Enemy en estado de gracia antes de que la regulación de los derechos de autor les jodiera el flow.

Con 15 años o asi, un amigo del insti con el que nos crujimos los primero joints en el patio, nos ruló, al Danielo y al menda, las primeras cintas de Hip Hop. Un pibe mayor que nosotros que nos educo a base de cassettes, de los de los packs de 3 por veinte duros que vendían en el rastro. No sabéis lo que se lo sigo agradeciendo cada vez que le veo, se te quiere Markés. El caso es que lo primero que nos ruló fueron el Doggystyle, Bushbabees y el Return to the 36 Chambers de WuTang y aunque nos descubriera cosas, nos ubico en un rap/hip hop que sonaba bien y con el que creo que no teníamos que haber empezado en esto. Ahí yo creo que fallamos, por que después cuando empezamos a profundizar en la mandanga y le dimos a este disco, dije que sonaba a puta mierda y lo tire al fondo del cajón. Gracias a lo de los 1001 discos lo he vuelto a reescuchar con 30 años más y tengo que cambiar completamente mi opinión. The Bomb Squad, Chuck D y Terminator X educan a toda la puta generación posterior del Hip Hop al sampleo, producción y scratching que mamamos. Sampleo a machete, atonales, scratches con la técnica de la época pero con todo el mensaje, creación de interludios que luego recogió todo kiski y mil movis mas. De aquí a bebido todo cristo como en el mini del botellón que hacías con toda tu clase los viernes por la tarde en el parque del Pryca. Sorry por no meter al Flavor ahi, pero es que siempre me ha parecido un notario y un MC penoso aunque necesario eso si, tanto como el Bez en los Happy Mondays. Deseo para el futuro: Que no saque camiseta el H&M

Me gusta tanto el inicio de It takes a nation... que cuando me apetecen Public Enemy me suelo poner ese disco y este hacía mogollón que no lo escuchaba. Craso error. Vaya discarral, que empieza como una especie de remix de su anterior disco y sigue con cinco minutos de la música más avanzada de su tiempo. Tuve la suerte de verles ya de viejos con el baile de catanas y fue una de las mejores cosas que me han pasado en la vida. Me lo he escuchado cuando me he desvelado a las 6 AM y casi voy haciendo break a la ducha.

Quintessential 90s rap kings

Well, I'll give it some leeway because this goes beyond music. It does contain my favorite PE song (Terrordome, and that one is one of my favorite instrumentals in rap), and there are really some 3-4 great songs here. Crux of it is that nothing has changed from when it was released which definitely says something about the world. Social activism music is not a fun listen, but it is important, and especially as this could have been released today, hence my 5 star rating. Don't even have to mention the state of rap music today vs then. PE's production was stellar in its time, probably the best in the classic era, and still sounds great! Chuck D was never my type of MC, more of a spoken poetry/preacher type, but it does go along with his powerful lyrics and messages, even though it does start to grate after some time. Bit bloated with skits and whatnot, but all that falls to the side - fight the power and the terrordome!

day five is

Me encantó

Was hovering between 4 and 5 but it's simply too much of a banger. Excited to keep coming back to it. It's interesting to hear a lot of, I think, the same samples as with Paul's Boutique. But I do feel like Chuck D may perhaps be the better rapper. Highlight: Fight the Power

This would be a good workout album Honestly super sick album Pollywannacracka is great

In love. Can’t believe it’s new to me. Will listen to this many times.

Importante pro hiphop

Like it

The best this kind of thing can ever be

So good. Top rap album of all time.

P.E. at there PEak. I love Chuck Ds lyrics and Flav is a great counterpoint . A few issues with lyrics - aggressive and rightfully angry as fuck. Unfortunately It still resonates today especially. Production is tight with a ton of samples and turntablism (from the sound of it) expertly crafted. This album just builds and builds The segment from the mighty but unfortunate theme of "Meet the G that Killed Me" through Pollywannacracka and AntiN***erMachine before the mighty Burn Hollywood Burn is an excellent mush mash of styles and samples . Heavy on the guitars and attitude . This is maintained to the end of the album where fight the power rounds everything off on a high note. Even the almost comidic distraction of can’t do Nuttin for ya, man is excellent

Terrible cover. It looks like a badly written sci-fi book that was massed produced on the cheap. But once inside the story, you'll find Chuck D in full stride. Angry, diverse, relentless, dense, engaging.

Loved it. Great. Fantastic. The energy of Licence to Ill (Beastie Boys) with a quick-witted social conscience. Standouts included 911 is a Joke, Fear of a Black Planet and Fight the Power.

Excellent! I listened to this when it was released. I actually stole the CD from my brother. It lived in my car for weeks.

One of the best Hip Hop album ever

Dude, Public Enemy is so much fun to listen to. Chuck D is a master.

another amazing Hip Hop record

Bomb Squad! LFG!!! One of the best hip hop albums of all time. So many bangers. Will definitely revisit.

Chuck D 🐐

Yeah, boyyyyy! This album really impressed me! Generational talents, bangers and influence. Chuck D's arguably the voice of hip-hop & awesome to hear Flava Flav on there too. Pretty advanced for 1990 and seems like the connector between early rap & 90's hip hop / gangsta rap. Top notch mixing in this album and the rhymes are way more advanced than songs from the 80's. Gave me DJ Shadow vibes & sounded like Beastie Boys level mixing. "Fight the Power" was track 20 and with a little research, seems to be the best track 20 ever, at least top 5.

This is the Public Enemy album to end all Public Enemy albums. Fun 80s style Hip Hop with pointed social commentary in the bars.

FLAVOR FLAV! Focusing on social issues affecting the black community at the time (and unfortunately, now), this one helped popularize hip hop in the mainstream. I’ve come to love golden age of hip hop during this project and this one is seminal.

Solid cohesion through songs from start to finish. Overall message still reigns true 35 years later

Rap at its finest. We need more rappers like Chuck D....but that's kind of like saying we need more guitarists like Jimmy Page, bassists like James Jamerson, singers like Otis Redding, and mirror holders/dancers/foils like Jerome Benton.

We need this anger

Unbelievable album!

Incredible. One of the best hiphop albums ever recorded. The beats, lyrics, the production is immaculate. This feels like an album ahead of its time, but also a perfect representation of the time and place where it came from. Fear Of A Black Planet deserves a spot at the top of this list.

Such a great album. Never boring. Fun yet political. An absolute delight from beginning to end.

Banger. Can instantly tell how influential this is, and really enjoyed the old school hip hop from front to back. Easy 5/5.

Classic

Excellent

A good time the entire way through. I didn’t think I’d like this album but it was so good. I imagine I could listen to it over and over again. Great summer vibe.

Classic

Great rap album by one of the greatest groups of all time. This one has some awesome 90s beats and the lyrics are in your face and well written.

This is GREAT. I've never listened to a Public Enemy album all the way through, but pretty much every track is a banger. By War At 33 1/3, I was a bit overstimulated, but that's on me because there's so much to take in with every track - music, lyrics, layers and layers of sound. Plus, the lyrics are still relevant today (unfortunately). I love hip hop/rap that leans on soul and doesn't have over the top violence or misogyny.

Banger ass album

Genius all around. The sampling, the beats, the lyrics, the delivery, it’s all amazing. I love the way the album uses samples of interviews and radio shows talking about Public Enemy, it creates a time capsule of how the general public and the media felt about them, but it doesn’t date the album as much as you’d think it would because it furthers the album’s themes of oppression and racism. The beats are all so satisfyingly layered, and the lyrics are direct and punchy, but they are packed with so many great rhymes. All the rapping is great, Flavor Flav has so much charm and charisma and Chuck D’s voice is so commanding and powerful. 5/5

totalmente caótico, amei. gostei pq nao é um álbum que eu ouviria por conta própria mas com ctz vou ouvir de novo. me lembrou um pouco a música frontier psychiatrist que gosto mto.

never listened to this before. i've been putting this off because of how long it is, but i've heard nothing but good things about this Contract on the World Love Jam - no rating Brothers Gonna Work It Out - 5/5 911 Is a Joke - 5/5 Incident at 66.6 FM - no rating Welcome to the Terrordome - 5/5 Meet the G That Killed Me - no rating Pollywanacraka - 4/5 Anti-Nigger Machine - 5/5 Burn Hollywood Burn - 3/5 Power to the People - 5/5 Who Stole the Soul? - 4/5 Fear of a Black Planet - 5/5 Revolutionary Generation - 5/5 Can't Do Nuttin' for Ya Man - 4/5 Reggie Jax - 3/5 Leave This Off Your Fuckin Chart - no rating B. Side Wins Again - 5/5 War at 33 1/3 - 4/5 Final Count of the Collision Between Us and the Damned - no rating Fight the Power - 5/5 Average score: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ damn good for an album that came out 35 years ago. the sampling choices are insane, almost experimental/industrial at times i think the biggest obstacle in appreciating some hip-hop albums from the 90s or earlier is how poorly a lot of them aged by today's standards (oftentimes the lyrics). so to have an album this old be just as enjoyable and relevant now is a testament to their artistic abilities

While I loved "Fight the Power" the rest of this album is very very good. I enjoyed my first listen and will check out the other PE albums. Great production

Great album

My favorite hip hop album from my favorite hip hop band. Absolutely perfect.

Changed the game

Love this album!

As good as it gets

Yeah, boyeeeeee! This is what I'm talking about! Finally something good after that drought.

This was the first time I really heard Public Enemy and even then it was just the singles off the album that got radio play. I forgot how hard this album goes in all ways. The music they are rapping over is frenetic and just hearing Chuck D spit so much truth over this beautiful cacophony that Terminator X is laying down. Then you have songs like Burn Hollywood Burn which would fit right in on some metal albums. This is a force to be dealt with just like Public Enemy is, sonically, lyrically, thematically this album is a weapon in your hand just like an AK-47. This is the kind of album where it’s so fucking good that the people who made it almost need to stop right then and there because there is no topping it, you have created perfection.

Innovative sampling. Timeless lyrics. Just overall a badass listen. Classic af

politically charged. heavy material with a good sense of humor. seamless transitions. timelessness,

Fight the power!

Awesome

One of the best albums of all time

Old school rap

Epic, incredibly important rap album, both for the sampling and pushing rap music to be more politically conscious. Chuck D told Ice T he wrote this while listening to Sly and the Family Stone. Fight the Power and Welcome to the Terrordrome are super classics. And somehow Flav carried a decent song on 911 is a Joke. In terms of importance this is definitely a 5/5. That being said, I don't necessarily listen to this album--or any Public Enemy album--a ton, despite being a huge hiphop head. One of those James Joyce situations I guess, where everybody knows it's genius, but not always easy to listen to. Dense and driving beats and energy--you have to be in a mood for this.

Institutional racism, white supremacy, golden age of hip hop, critical crediblity Burn hollywood burn Fight the power Power to the people

To me, it sounds like a NIN record. 5/5

Smooth as fuck funky beats

Angry, confrontational, and, sadly still far too relevant.

One of my all-time favorite albums of any genre... just as relevant as today as it was 35 years ago... Jimmy Kimmel knew what he was doing when he brought them in.

Amaaaaaziiiinnngggg You feel it In your heart and ur body Experimental, fun, but consistent Top of the genre

Probably their best work, and not just saying that because I played the shit outta this tape when it came out.

Five stars for an absolute classic.

Such a great collection of bangers. Aged super well and it is always fun hearing Flava Flav! I wish the topics weren’t as relevant today as they were in 1990 but here we are. Powerful message

This was Public Enemy at their peak. A very well-produced album and everyone is in top form (Chuck, Flav, X). It’s either this or “It Takes a Nation…” as my favorite PE album.

Very poignant, especially giving the current political climate. I’m not incredibly familiar with Public Enemy, but this was solid.

Awesome. This is the first HipHop/Rep album I heard that has a very clear PUNK vibe. The voice and lyrics of Chuck D on top of that wall of music/noise hit directly into my guts.

The key to a successful group is to have one big serious guy, one lanky goof, and one terminator

So good

Excellent

Some really good socially conscious hip hop. The songs all have great beats and flow, and the lyrics are good. I enjoy the samples and the wide variety of voices on display.

Phenomenal album, with messages that have continued to resonate thirty years later.

Amazing album! I'd personally give it 4.5 if possible.

Killer. Revolutionary. Brothers Gonna Work it Out, 911 is a Joke, Fear of a Black Planet, Fight the Power all added to Liked Songs.

(90/100)

I can imagine this was probably a phenomenal album of its time, but it has held up completely in the face of our current climate.

God🙏💯

somehow more chaotic but catchier than it takes a nation. I never have and never will hear something that sounds like this. also the chuck D cube BDK collab is one for the gd books

Musically and lyrically intense and relentless, but never overwhelming thanks to the commanding Chuck D. Timeless masterpiece.

so fucking raw and put together so impressively. the way the album builds up to Fight The Power is phenomenal

5 stars bc it’s a) super impressive rly, i wish i could put my thoughts down better and b) previous one was so annoying i needed something enjoyable and this came in clutch.

Repeat listen

The standard for rap that has a message. The fact that the message remains relevant to today is both impressive for its writing and scary for the lack of social progress.

Flav-A-FLAAAAAAV! I've probably listened to this album a hundred times.

Growing up seeing Flavor of Love on VH1, I would never have expected Flava Flav to have songs like this. I'd give it a 4.5, so I struggled between a 4 and 5. But hearing Burn Hollywood Burn right before seeing Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest cemented it as a 5.

This album slaps Infact every public enemy album slaps

Proper classic this one! Right, I'm not exactly what you'd call a massive hip-hop head - don't have it on rotation daily or anything - but I know quality when I hear it, and this album is absolutely mental in the best possible way. Already had my head turned by their debut "It Takes a Nation of Millions," but bloody hell, this follow-up proper blew me away. It's like they took everything that worked and cranked it up to eleven. So what's all the fuss about then? The way they've chopped up and flipped those samples is just mad skillful. Not just nicking bits here and there, but properly reimagining them into something completely fresh. Chuck D's still spitting fire - his lyrics are sharp as anything and still bang on today. The bloke's got this way of laying down serious political chat without being preachy about it. Proper articulate anger, you know? And then Flavor Flav - mental as a box of frogs, but in the best way. His random outbursts and general nuttiness shouldn't work alongside Chuck's serious stuff, but somehow it's perfect. Like having your mate cracking jokes during a heated pub debate - keeps things from getting too heavy. The bangers on this record: "Welcome to the Terrordome" kicks off like a proper statement of intent. Aggressive as you like, but with a point to make. Gets your attention straight away. "Power to the People" - does exactly what it says on the tin. Proper rallying cry that gets the blood pumping. Shows hip-hop can be a right powerful tool when it wants to be. "Fear of a Black Planet" is the big one though. Tackles the uncomfortable stuff head-on, no messing about. The production's all dark and brooding - fits the subject matter perfectly. This isn't just another hip-hop album - it's proper boundary-pushing stuff. The thing still sounds fresh decades on, which says everything really. These days everyone's sampling everything, but back then this was revolutionary stuff. Changed the game completely. It's one of those albums that opened doors - showed hip-hop could tackle the big subjects without losing its edge. Still relevant today, which is pretty impressive when you think about it. Quality always stands the test of time, doesn't it?

Such a fun listen. Really like the songs, sampling and energy. Also like Chuck D’s voice a lot

5/5. I love Public Enemy. Every album really just delivers every time, I can't believe I've been missing out. And especially this right after listening to the Clash's debut, another defining moment in the punk movement. Just so layered and complex, instrumentally and lyrically, Chuck D is so up front and personal, not mincing words. There is just so much on this record, it doesn't feel like an hour, it feels like a feature length movie, and not in a bad way. I am excited to revisit this one, and the others, and truly see what the hype is all about, even if I'm told not to believe it. Just an awesome record, perfect again. Best Song: Fight The Power, Burn Hollywood Burn, Welcome To The Terrordome, Who Stole The Soul?

A 'counterattack on world supremacy' that's more world supremacy, i.e., a 'black planet,' will never work out, but Fear of a Black Planet has more than a rumble of truth in it. Conspiratorial, not so much, Public Enemy is merely tired of the shitty system and more often than not espouse common sense: 'Teach a man how to be a father / To never tell a woman he can't bother'; 'Every brother ain't a brother / Cause a black hand / Squeezed on Malcolm X the man'; 'Yeah, I'll check out a movie / But it'll take a black one to move me.' Before PC there was PE, which recognizes identity but isn't swallowed up by identity politics. But The Bomb Squad's atonal funk, that noisy yet charitable in-your-facism, remains the sui generis export of the group.

Absolutely stellar throughout. Great words on 'Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya, Man!' The title alone is great. Love the cut off ending the last song.

God DAMN! Like a nuclear explosion in your face.

Lives up to the hype. Brash and impactful.

I mean, holy hell. That’s one of the best albums I ever heard. I knew of Public Enemy but never got around to listening to them- man, I was missing out! It made my head spin; it’s a bop, socially conscious, heavy sonically, and Chuck D. Goddamn! I put it on repeat and might listen again today.

Definitely an album to listen to all the way through - so many good samples and I really liked how they pulled in so many different types of audio

Holy shit, this album jumps off. If I was a white person in 1990 I would have been terrified. Chuck D and even Flava have such great presence on this. But I give all credit to The Bomb Squad and Terminator X for the hardest of hard production. This never slows down, never falters, slams out the gate and keeps on hitting. 911 is a Joke and Welcome to the Terrordome, Burn Hollywood Burn and I Can't Do Nuthin for You Man, this album has no shortage of bangers.

A raw and authentic album that sounds like both a declaration of war and a history lesson in Black America. Chuck D’s authority and the Bomb Squad’s chaotic production make it an intense and uncompromising experience. The album is packed with political messages and cultural power, and it still holds up today. 5/5

I haven't listened to this album all the way through, so I'm pumped!! This is a VIBE. I've got it on while working and I am really enjoying it. I wish I had listened to more Public Enemy earlier. I didn't know how important it was until my mid-30s.

Basehead

If this is not the quitessetial hip hop sampling album, I don't know what is.

I really like Public Enemy. This album is a nice progression from 'It takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back'. They've ditched the catch phrases a bit. But, we still get the odd 'Yeah boy' and 'Here we go'. Again, I love the sampling. There's a nice range of familiar sounds (including their own, can you sample yourself?!). The raps are quite political and racial. But, I'm cool with that. I particularly liked Ice Cube joining in on a song about hating Hollywood (well, Ice, famous now in Hollywood...). The more I hear from these guys (35 years too late!), the more I like it. 5 Stars!

All time trend setting groundbreaking noise hop politically powered masterpiece

Great from start to finish.

One of the great classics of old school hip-hop! Can’t beat the Chuck D rhymes.

I have said it before that Public Enemy is the Greatest Rap Group of All Time. This album is just more evidence. I liked how this album actually starts with Terminator X doing his thing, proving that he was a talented producer and member of the band rather than just a guy dropping beats in the back. Chuck D’s lyrics are powerful and resonate in culture today (sadly, I would like to say they don’t apply because America has finally moved on …but I can’t). Welcome to the Terrordome is a classic banger that is spoken with power and presence. I forgot how many times the metal band Anthrax sampled this album throughout their discography. 9-1-1 Is A Joke was Flava’ Flav solo work and poignant, however, his style and flow feels dated today. I get why his solo album never grabbed traction, though respect his role in PE. Every year is class I tend to play Fight the Power any time we are discussing a social uprising, and often show segments of the video when talking about the Black Panthers, or the birth of Rap, or because it’s Tuesday and I don’t give a shit what my admin would think. Damn it, every generation should listen to Public Enemy and I’ doing my part!

1971 had What's Going On and There's a Riot Goin' On 1990 had AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and Fear of a Black Planet no one has really risen to that level of dense, political outrage in the decades since, even though we continue to have to fight for every goddamn thing we deserve. it's not for lack of trying - Kendrick has certainly come close - but I think it speaks to how expansively and deeply Public Enemy was growing and evolving between Nation and Planet. There's no way those titles weren't intentional, related choices.

Fav songs: Welcome to the Terrordome; 911 Is a Joke Classic album. I've loved this since I was a kid. Fun to give it a re-listen.

There is nobody that can stand toe to toe with Chuck D when he's angry and on a mission. Combined with the ferocity of Terminator X and the rabidness of Flavor Flav, Public Enemy are essential listening.

I feel that liking this album is going to put me on a list somewhere. Political rap is the best rap, and 35 years later there is still a palpable fear of a black planet.

Extraordinary sampling and song composition. This is a heavyweight, landmark album.

Terrordome Jamz

Hard hitting, abrasive, polished, excellent. There's a reason these guys are still seen as masters of their genre.

damn, I didn't expect the very first rap album I reviewed to be such an iconic one. I mean, this is the album with "fight the power" on it, which rolling stone once called the second-best song literally ever made, not to mention everything else on it. the whole album bashes institutional racism and the failure of the police, and just like most of this era of hip-hop, it absolutely slaps - it has a lot of energy and the flows are catchy and satisfying. also a lot of the songs have heavy metal guitars layered under the rapping which is a really nice touch. favorite song: "911 is a joke" absolutely slaps overall: 9/10

This is so awesome.

I mean, come on, it's Public Enemy. they made two of the most powerful and influential rap albums of the 80s and this is one of them. Every song is great and they really did want to dig in their point in the most "we don't really care if you think the title '911 Is a Joke' is offensive" kind of way possible, deserving of all 5 stars.

Absolute hip-hop classic. Maybe not my favorite hip-hop album, even by Public Enemy, but there's a lot of brilliant songs on it and the influence is undeniable. I've owned a copy for years now, and always appreciate any occasion to revisit it. I'll give it full marks on here, but if we could do halves it's a high 4.5 for me.

Hated Public Enemy back in the day. Felt like noise. Just took me a couple of decades to catch up I guess. Who knew Flavor Flav would be a beloved figure now? Seeing them live is so fun too.

One of the best, and most important, hip hop records of all time 9/10

I mean just sonically remarkable. This much sampling in the 1990s when sampling was more difficult. Also more varied topics. Just an excellent listen.

Often "hugely influential" albums are a bit average, but are important for what they started. This album stands on its own, the variety of samples, the lyrics (which are as relevant today as in 1990), and the overall production are fantastic.

In the best possible way, this album pummels you into submission. Is it too long? Probably, but Public Enemy never give you time to think about it because they're too busy hitting you with their righteous racket. They even save the best track for the last, that's how committed they are to never letting up.

Very very strong record. Beats are slapping, Chuck D's lyrics are just as relevant (oops), and Flavor is cold lampin his way around this bad boy. Soft 5/5 only because I think "It takes a nation..." is a little better

Great. Know it well

I've had Public Enemy on my to-listen list for a while and this album didn't disappoint. I love the sample-heavy style, my favorites are Brothers Gonna Work It Out and Who Stole The Soul? but I also have a soft spot for the pettiness in Incident At 66.6 FM

Flawless

A seminal album. My mom claims she likes Public Enemy, but asked me to turn it off while I was driving. This merely adds to the joy of listening to this banger.

Public Enemy have an awesome sound. The spotify band description calls the production "cacophonic" and that is definitely right. The production is overwhelming and confrontational in a way that couples with the lyrics. You should be a little uncomfortable from the barrage of sound, as well as the message being given to you by Public Enemy. "911 is a joke" is Flavor Flav on every verse. My only other explosure to Flavor Flav is his dating show from the 2000s. "Incident at 66.6FM" likely inspired Kendrick's recording on DAMN with the TV hosts criticizing him. Hip-hop has been a target of this kind of pearl clutching since the beginning. The bars on "Burn Hollywood Burn" are insane. "Reggie Jax" is the first song that I haven't liked. This album is great. It's got fiery political lyrics on top of genre and era defining production. An hour is a little long and the cacaphony does get a little tiring, but it's rarely bad. This music and the music inspired by it plays over scenes in so many 90s movies about black america. I can see Radio Raheem walking around with his boombox as I listen. 9/10

I own this and like it. Rock and anger has a place, and that place is here! Fear the Black Planet? Nailed it!

1. okay!! 2. chaotic but I'm jamming out. went a little long 3. W song 4. the 'instrumentals' are really cool 5. another solid song 6. short and sweet, futurama triangle 7. examination of interracial couples, solid song 8. examination of police violence against black people, solid song 9. examination of anti-black racism in Hollywood, banger song 10. this one's fine. interesting stereo mix. at the end 11. this one's fine. examination of the way america suppresses black culture into conformity 12. another solid song. twewy stole this beat 13. this one's fine, ending is good 14. solid song 15. another solid song 16. this one's fine 17. this one is okay, a sheep keeps bleating 18. pretty good 19. short and sweet 20. solid ending I wasn't familiar with Public Enemy, but I came out a fan

Fantastic record

10/10, this albums like a blueprint to all future rap. Talking about the disenfranchisement of black Americans , this particularly hits home because it reminds me a little bit of Kendrick Lamars raps, but maybe thats just my mind trying to make a connection.

While I do think 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back' is the better overall album, Public Enemy's 'Fear of a Black Planet' is ripe with experimentation, lyrical fury, and dizzying production that can easily overwhelm you upon first listen. I mean, I've listened to this album countless times, and I still think that it is a lot at times, but in a mostly good way. The production here, and the album in general, feels like flicking through various news channels - songs like 'Contact On The World Love Jam' and 'Incident At 66.6 FM' especially play into this aesthetic. And if there's one thing that remains obvious about all these news samples we're flicking through, it's their disdain for Public Enemy, their music, and hip hop in general after their commercial break with 'It Takes A Nation...'. So, what this album ends up providing for the listener is Public Enemy's much-needed responses to the media's baseless, and mostly racist, claims. But I'll jump to the lyrical side of things in a bit. First, I just want to stress how bat-shit insane the production on this thing is. It's untamed, and a sample warehouse - a Bomb Squad production that is the essence of "Throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks", and, miraculously enough, most of it sticks and leaves a permanent mark. The messy guitar sample and that funky bassline driving 'Brothers Gonna Work It Out' feel like a calm before the storm. The vocoded vocals of '911 is a Joke' are my favorite aspect of that particular song, though I also love the group ramblings that just hang in the background; they're absurd. 'Welcome To The Terradome' has too many incredible moments to list off - I mean, the core beat itself has this very industrial feel to it, and it's another example of the Bomb Squad just choosing an insanely bold, short sample loop to encompass their core beats. Some other small moments from this song that I love are the female vocals in the interlude, that one random electric guitar hit at the beginning of the second verse, and Flavor Flav's accent during the interlude. 'Anti Machine' has this insanely hypnotic groove driving a good chunk of the song, it lulls the listener into a false sense of security before hitting them across the head with D's verse in the final minute or so - I love the sound effects paired with his verse here. The whistle of 'Burn Hollywood Burn' alongside those horn hits makes for an explosive refrain, and the organ of the title track gives the entire song a very funky edge. 'War At 33 1/3' is the best beat here in my opinion, I love that wayward synth that drives the beat, it sounds like it's being perpetually tuned. And that screaming at the beginning of D's verse kills me every time. The other obvious highlight here is 'Fight The Power', just an incredible fucking beat - and not as chaotic as everything else here, sounding like something off their previous record. But even then, the sample list for this song tells another story; many smaller details in this beat can easily fly over your head on a first listen. The lyrical intensity on this album is brought up a ton. These guys are fed up, and any sort of restraint that Chuck D had on their previous album is completely gone (not that there was much there to begin with). It works (mostly) well, with 'Meet The G That Killed Me' being a bit of a blemish on the rest of the album. '911 Is a Joke' actually has Flavor Flav rapping something meaningful, with some genuinely poignant commentary on first responders' apathy toward the black community, with Flav even saying he'd rather call a cab because it would come quicker. 'Burn Hollywood Burn' has PE welcoming some feature verses for once, from the best-of-the-best. Big Daddy Kane's verse here is incredible, just the way he comes in with his deeper caodence on this chunky beat is great. I love this posse cut because it remains focused on the core message of the song, which deals with the pigeonholing of black actors and roles in Hollywood. A few songs here, like 'Pollywanacraka' and the title track, deal with these ideas of race mixing, both providing very unique insights into the world's view on it. And 'Who Stole The Soul?' tackles the idea of persistent dehumanization of the black community at the hands of various government institutions throughout history. Finally, you have 'Fight The Power', one of the greatest musical anthems ever. That Elvis line is still one of my favorites to come out of the band, and I love the way the first part of that bar just repeats to hammer the idea home. Going into the '90s, Public Enemy still sounded like they were operating on a completely different level than any other artist in hip-hop. Their group felt like an idea, a movement, and larger than music itself. They also just continued to sound really fucking good, everything fits so nicely in the mix despite the messy presentation.

fire

Love this album. Still sound powerful and at times depressingly relevant. Definitely paved the way for rage and a direct descendant of Gil Scott heron and the last poets.

Powerful

Preteen me that practiced drumkit to the album growing up in southern Louisiana would have given this record a 9

yeah! mir gefallen die soundcollagen die PE bei jedem song neu zusammenbasteln - hip hop in seiner rohen, urtümlichen form.

LOVED IT brought back many memories and 90s feelings though I have never actually heard most of it before.

Classic

Hablar de Public Enemy es hablar uno de los grupos fundamentales de la música negra. Sus tres primeros álbumes son esenciales. Este, contó con Fight the power, uno de sus mejores y más exitosos temas. También con Welcome to the terrordome, 911 is a joke con Flavor Flav haciendo de las suyas, Brothers Gonna Work It Out o Burn Hollywood Burn. Más de 200 samples en un disco imposible, legalmente, de hacer hoy en día. Saboteando y apropiándose de todo lo que les daba la gana, sembrando el caos en unos USA deseosos de seguirles. Como bien dijo Chuck D en Kool thing de Sonic Youth: Fear!

Is true for most white people.

this album is a microcosm of the afrocentric movement within hip hop. taking the negativity and owning it, putting it blatantly out there and forcing people to hear what these rappers have to say. i particularly love the skit 'incident at 66.6 FM', showing the reaction that the white community was having to these rappers that demanding they be listened to. this album is so much deeper than what is on the surface. i believe it is truly a work of art - and very worthy of this 5 star ranking. P.S. I will never hear Chuck D and not think of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 P.S.S. I will never stop laughing at the fact that Flavor Flav went from this to hosting 'The Flavor of Love'

Classic old school hip hop - I’ve never listened to one of those albums before that REALLY reflects what hip hop was originally about - criticising our society. The album touches a lot on the subject of racism and equality, it was certainly a very eye opening listen. I enjoyed all the beats thoroughly and this album definitely is up there

I’m a hiphop fan but am so ashamed to have never listened to this all the way through. Ever get emotional hearing musicians at their peak while also making a piece of art that’s really fucking important? That’s this record. I still have like five more songs before the end of the album, but that doesn’t matter…we’re calling it 5/5.

Understandable why this album is probably considered one of the best rap albums of all time. It had everything: powerful messages, good beats, great sampling, some humor, and Chuck D might have the best voice in hip hop. Awesomely entertaining.

I've never delved into this Public Enemy album, which feels like a miss by me. The opening instrumental and then lead-in to Brothers Gonna Work It Out...fire. 911 Is A Joke...fire. Welcome To The Thunderdome...fire. However, after a while all the beats feel like they run together and sound the same. Don't get me wrong I like this style a lot and you do get a huge payoff with Fight The Power as a closer, but you do get the same style of song and message over and over. Honestly it's more of a minor critique from my point of view and since I'm more of a 90s rap guy it doesn't bother me but I could see it being repetitive for other folks. Some of the skits and interludes helped break up the album pretty well. This is a 5 for me. Maybe on the lower end of a 5 and behind some other great rap albums that are a better listen, but Public Enemy's cultural impact with this album can't be ignored here. And there are some straight heaters here too.

I acknowledge that I am not the desired demographic for this album and I'll get my anxieties about this out of the way first. Homophobia and misogyny are alive and well. Can't we all just get along? On to the music. It's great. It takes me back to the 90s. The lyrics are still so relevant now in maga-Amerikkka. We need protest music and righteous indignation now more than ever. I feel like we've gone from “fight the power” to “chase the clout.” Consumerism coopted rebellion. I prefer rebellion. More of this, please.

Great album. It’s amazing to see that much of American culture hasn’t really changed. 9 out of 10.

Everything about this album is so incredible and whole and futuristic, from album cover to samples to lyrics! Unbelievable!!

Why does music have to be so political these days??? 😒

One of my absolute favorite albums. Changes up throughout to keep it interesting. I can't adequately piece together in a review like this my love of it, of PE, and the effect it's had on me. I think very often these days of both "Brothers Gotta Work it Out" and "Fight the Power." "Who's that--Broowwwwnnn!"

PE is inarguably my favorite all time hip-hop group, and Fear Of A Black Planet is probably my favorite album they made. It represents the absolute culmination of the Bomb Squad, perfecting their unique approach to production. Hundreds of layered samples creating a cacophonous wall of noise that some consider unlistenable, but hits ALL of my brain's pleasure centers. This is an audio assault. All of that, paired with Chuck's revolutionary lyrics and aggressive delivery and this album just oozes power you can feel as well as hear. Fight the fucking power!

I'm a big fan of their first two albums. Glad I finally got around to giving this one a listen because it's a pretty awesome album. The music is creative and the message is pretty right on. Chuck D raps about the cultural issues affecting blacks in a powerful and meaningful way. The songs are powerful and angry without being violent. Still culturally relevant today. This is a pretty epic album. Fight the Power!

Fear If A Black Planet is definitely culturally and historically important. My first trip through felt very disorienting, yet as it flowed it started to make more sense. Second trip through I’m a fan. They’re laying down the absolute truth on racism in America, and it’s brutal. Sadly, America hasn’t grown much since 1990, and has regressed in some aspects. Fight The Power alone sums it all up perfectly. This album is still remarkably relevant.

A classic and one of the best hip-hop albums ever.

1989 the number, another summer, sound of the funky drummer... Elvis was a hero to most, but he never meant shit to me. Chuck D and crew deliver a mad album, a ratcheting, seemingly endless series of bangers that builds towards to absolute peak with the final track, "Fight The Power" Welcome to the Terrordome, bitch!

Pleasantly surprised by it. Needs a closer listening.

5 stars

Did not expect this to be so musical. Great funky mixes. Lots to enjoy. Not just politics, but straight entertainment, too. It’s a fantastic classic. But it’s even more relevant now.

Love this great album, just exactly what you need to listen to

Holds up well

Favorite album so far. Chuck, Flav, and Griff all brought their A game to this album

Rushmore rap album

- P E -

Great shit

Rad

Public Enemy have always been my favourite rap act. This is them at the top of their game. Few have the intensity of Chuck D, and Flav offers a nice counter point. The fantastic samples, making it flow as a whole album rather than ana collection of tracks. Others can express it much better but this is just vital. 5 Star 1 of the most essential albums of the last 40 years.

My last Public Enemy album, and my favorite of the bunch! I didn't get exposed to much rap music when I was a kid, so several years ago, I started going through some of the best rap and hip hop albums from the nineties. Fear of a Black Planet absolutely blew me away, and I fell in love with Chuck D's vocal style and the militant lyrics of this album. I haven't listened to this in a minute, because I knew it would eventually come up for me, so I'm really excited to revisit this album today. As much as I love the lyrics and rapping on this album, I love it musically too. Every song hits like a freight train; the samples, beats, and instrumentals are all incredible. This music hits as hard as any rock album that was coming out at the time, and it's an absolute treat for the ears. Chuck D's rapping is fantastic (it is on every PE album I've heard), and his voice booms on every track. The songwriting is fantastic too; the issues discussed weighed heavily on black America at the time of this album's release, and they still weigh just as heavy today. The songs about race relations really resonate well in the present day, as more and more people in America are starting to realize that the financial elite in this country are taking more than their fare share from Americans of every creed and color. That's not to say that the playing field between black and white Americans has become even in the last 35 years, because it certainly hasn't, but there seems to be more cause now for people of every race to band together and fight for a fair share of the country's wealth. One track that really stood out to me today was "Pollywanacraka." I'd never realized how brilliant is; to me, the lyrics address the flack and disrespect that black women who marry white men face from the black community. As black women continually get left behind in this country, who could fault someone for seeking financial and social safety to better guarantee their own future? And tying this song back to the title track, the child of any black woman and white man would still be black, so what criticisms of this woman would even be valid? I loved diving into this album again today, and I really appreciate the new thoughts it left me with this time. Fear of a Black Planet is a masterpiece, and even though it's dense, I'd have to say it's my favorite hip hop album.

I've always loved It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (actually always - I was dancing to it in my car seat when I was three), but I haven't really explored PE beyond that album. This is fantastic. Groovier and a little more polished than It Takes a Nation, heavier on the samples.

Did not expect this to be so musical. Great funky mixes. Lots to enjoy. Not just politics, but straight entertainment, too. It’s a fantastic classic. But it’s even more relevant now.

Great album. Awesome beats and lyrics Standout songs: Burn Hollywood Burn Who Stole the Soul? Fight the Power

So many of us in limbo How to get it on, it's quite simple 3 stones from the sun We need a piece of this rock Our goal indestructible soul Answers to this quizzin' To the Brothers in the streetSchools and the prisons History shouldn't be a mystery Our stories real history Not his story We gonna work it one day Till we all get paid The right way in full, no bull Talkin', no walkin', drivin', arrivin' in style Soon you'll see what I'm talkin' 'bout 'Cause one day The brothers gonna work it out Yeah, this album cooks. 5/5

Super powerful album. Crazy Production style too.

Aaaaaaawwwwwww! I fuckin' love this album.

The album that spawned the MAGA movement.

another album from public enemy, and it's another great listen. i don't listen to political albums too often, but compared to other artists, these guys are a lot better, than... let's say, rage against the machine. unlike ratm, these guys don't scream and holler and the songwriting feels much more elegant. the lyrics impact greatly, and there's some awesome sampling techniques throughout as well. i wish i could give this album a 4.5 though, because the repeating-repeating-repeating vocal chops get annoy-annoy-annoy-annoying sometimes.

Totally awesome. That’s it. And I’m not even a big rap fan at all. But this is cream-of-the-crop vintage as far as I’m concerned.

This one hits extra hard now that God help us the Tangerine Palpatine has returned. We're all pretty much doomed so we must fight the power I suppose

Never listened to Public Enemy up to this point but, this is an absolutely excellent album. Cutting lyrics that go with a great beat.

It's interesting to hear a rap album of this era specifically not mention beefs or objectify women. Yet I bet the people that say that is the only reason they don't like rap still not like this. There is so many bands directly influenced by this album and not just rap. I hear obviously ratm but I also hear Beck. I don't quite know how to word this, but it's such a breath of fresh air to hear a consice call to action for the black community. And that a third of the band is flav a flav. What a world we live in

masna repčuga

Sonic wonderland! Sharp rhymes, cutting insights, slick samples, non-stop rhythms with tight transitions. Serious messages wrapped in creativity and humor. What more can you ask from an album? An essential classic.

I loved this. Way more funky than I was expecting. Booooyyyy

Public Enemy does not sound dated at all - so many of the lyrics and topics are 100% as relevant today (30+ years later)! Yet what makes this album (and PE's other early (pre~1994) albums) especially fantastic isn't just the lyrics/topics but the kickass music - judicious samples and hard beats; if the music isn't any good, the message isn't going to be heard - and the music is great. Chuck D was never better than on this collection - "Welcome to the Terrordome" and of course the huge hit "Fight the Power" are standouts. I still can’t hear 1989 without immediately thinking “a number, another summer…”. "Burn Hollywood Burn" might be the best of them all - the beat is intense and high-paced, and guest verses from Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube make this catchy as hell. Fear Of A Black Planet also works so well because it is truly a complete *album* rather than a smattering of tracks here and there. It's not the best hip-hop album ever made, but it might be the one that has the most to say. 5⭐️

Scary, prescient , brilliant and political. A masterpiece.