Fear Of A Black Planet

Hhm, I think this is an album I respect more than actually enjoy listening to. Objectively, I think this is probably one of the pinnacles of music. Sonically it’s beyond astonishing, and probably the high point of sampling in hip-hop. It’s just such a claustrophobic, dense and violent sounding record that’s a complete sensory overload and absolutely flaws me. Sadly that denseness does mean I get exhausted by it relatively quickly. I think I could probably get myself to enjoy the whole thing if I forced myself to listen to it a load more, as I do ‘get it’ and it’s appeals. It’s just a really singular listen that’s both a braggadocious howl of righteous anger and a deeply confused paranoid mess with all the bleakness, uncomfortableness and remorselessness that comes with that. Rather than being a record with lots of political answers like you’d expect, it’s more a labyrinth of confused, unfocused seething anger that merely throws out questions rather than providing any answers. There’s something about its uniquely suspicious and scary vibe that I find really compelling. It’s like a case study of what desperation can do psychologically to members of marginalised communities, in all of its unpalatable and unrestrained glory. Hopefully it will fully click for me one day, as I would really like it to and I do think it’s amazing.

Every track is a heater. It's rowdy, rude, and in your face. It's also one of the most culturally influential albums of all time. This one is an all-timer

Great. Never gets old.

Never had much time for this when it came out but it is a brilliant album.

Fantastic foundational album.

"Fear of a Black Planet" is the third studio album by American rap group Public Enemy. The deep, complex album was produced by the Bomb Squad and expanded the sample-layered sound of Public Enemy's previous album "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back." The sound features elaborate collages that incorporate varying rhythms, numerous samples, media sound bites and electronic loops. It thematically explores organization and empowerment within the black community, social issues affecting African Americans and race relations at the time. Commercially, the album hit #4 in the UK and #10 on the Billboard 200. It also received rave critical reviews and, in 2004, was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for its artistic significance. Piano synth keys begin the intro "Contact on the World Love Jam." Hip hop beats. Scratching. Various vocal samples of controversy of the rap world. "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" continues the onslaught of voice samples. A hard beat and Chuck E's voice comes in strong. It's funky and danceable with a bass sample. A searing guitar. Flavor Flav takes the mic in "911 is a Joke." A less serous tone but 911 is still a joke for people like him. Numerous horns open "Welcome to the Terror Dome." A perfectly annoying guitar sample. More danceable beats. Chuck D and Flavor Flav are rapping about the riots in Virginia Beach and criticizing the Jewish people who protested former Public Enemy member Professor Grif and his comments viewed as antisemitic. Ice Cube and Big Daddy Kane join the party in "Burn Hollywood Burn." Harder, quicker beats as they criticize black stereotypes in Hollywood. They take the speed to another notch in "Who Stole the Soul." A long voice sample intro and then they're off. This beat is in your face as they condemn the music industry's exploitation of black recording artists. They go after and name drop Jack Be Quick...lol. The bass is brought in "Can't Do Nuttin' for Ya, Man!." Flavor Flav comically criticizes welfare dependency as he's got nothing too. The album closes with "Fight the Power." Spike Lee ask them to write a song for his movie "Do the Right Thing." This was Public Enemy response and directed as a response for African Anericans. A James Brown-sampled beat. Various background samples that gives this a dense vibe. Scratching. Groovy, funky. I love the mimicking of a record stuck and repeat certain vocals. And why not diss Elvis and John Wayne; they deserve it. This album is just plain relentless, in your face and awesome. I typically try to look up the samples used in a hip hop album. I gave up on this one since some songs have over 20 samples. And that's one of the reasons this album is great: an absolute overload (or collage as they say) of vocal and music samples. Thank God for the Golden Age of hip hop where they could use these samples before the lawyers got involved. I read that Public Enemy would have lost approximately $5 per album if they would have had to pay for all the samples, even with all the album sales. The music is funky, catchy and danceable. The lyrics are clever, funny and serious, sometimes within the same song. An absolute classic album that you probably will never hear the likes of again.

Fight the power forever!!!

Cold chillin' in effect!! Saw PE open for U2. It was awesome. Another game changer for me. 5

Flava Flav! Some good shit here.

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

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

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

Exceptional

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

Excellent album. One of my favorites.

excelent

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

One of the greatest albums

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

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

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

You can’t fight the power of this record

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A classic!

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

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

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

FIGHT THE POWERS THAT BE!

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

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

The rap album that changed my life. This is when I realized how powerful music can be and it can be used as a weapon and to create social conscience on issues. Chuck D is a national treasure and still have not gotten his dues. This group is top notch and the message is clear and surely makes white people in power be affraid. The intro is a sample galore with Terminator X just killing that mix and scratch demo. It makes you want to stay and sit, listen to whats about to come out of that speaker. Fight the power is still very relvant and so is fear of a black planet and 911 is a joke. Its simply a top 20 rap album of all time without a doubt.

I haven't listened to this album in 30 years, and I've never listened to it with the ears and mind and eyes of an adult who's learned, seen and experienced so many of the issues that were boiling points for these records and these groups...these Men & Women. What a remarkable, angry, focused example of what great protest art can be. All time classic

That was surprisingly still relevant. Really enjoyed this one, but I don't know that I would seek it out.

I have a ton of respect for this band and agree that this is the golden age of hip hop. The album is raucous, political, and perfectly crafted. It's a history lesson and history in the making - we are still dealing with bullshit almost 35 years later. 5 stars.

Great album. Relentless, inventive, political.

I didn’t know much about Public Enemy before I started this project, but they were consistently great. My favorite is still It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, but this is a lot of fun too.

Raw energy. Kicking ass with a message. This rules.

Wow, this is great. It still sounds so good. The music has aged extremely well. The songs are not all five stars individually, but collectively this album is five stars. One of my favorite concert memories is seeing Public Enemy perform at an outdoor summer festival in downtown Des Moines where there was a small group of hippies with lit up hula hoops doing their thing up front by the stage for the entire concert.

Now this is more like it! Truly essential listening, one of the greatest rap albums of all time. I might like this one even more than Nation of Millions, but it’s too close to call. Okay?

Very good

Pieerful album that sadly has many of the same cultural issues today as it did 34 years ago when it came out. Many of the songs here are bangers with awesome beats, like 911 Is a Joke, Burn Hollywood Burn, and Fear if a Black Planet. The lyrics are non-apologetic in how it talks about being black in America, with some of the breaks like Incident at 66.6 FM being particularly brutal, but funny at the same time. Flava Flav was much better here than in It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, in my opinion.

I'm just a low middle class suburban kid who went to pretty good schools, but god damn do I wanna fight the power!

Though the goosebumps this culturally critical album raises on my skin lack melanin, the heart and soul within are forever tuned into the fearless frequency of Chuck D and the limitless legacy of Public Enemy.

Love this album. Love the sampling. Love the skits

The high water mark of hip hop (or even 20th century music) before it went Gangsta. Political creative, inventive, challenging all the goodness marked by the genius of Chuck D who held a lighting rod against the American white hedgemoney. Few managed to do this, create truly orginal music with real time politics and make it commercial. There's a handful and they are up there with the best.

Still as relentless, powerful and relevant as it ever was, such a great album.

Welcome to the Terrordome!

Fear of a Black Planet is Public Enemy's third album - and their most successful. Public Enemy pushed rap in a socially conscious direction, and these songs are all about the racial issues that plague our world. From the title track to "Pollywannacraka," PE focused on the various manifestations of racism in society. PE express their messages in fluent raps, from Chuck D and Flavor Flav, and layered samples from DJ Terminator X. This album is regarded as one of the greatest rap albums - and of the greatest albums - of all time.

Rowdy, rude, and in your face. Flavor Flav with a bigger role than on ITANOMTHUB. Chuck D in prime form. Perfect production from the Bomb Squad.

They're great!

Another great one by Public Enemy, a sound collage that is amazing to experience in addition to the lyrics. Great album to make art or work to.

explosive, righteous, powerful, and just fucking cool as hell sonically. one of the best albums on the list flat out

Enjoyed this.

Album has core memory vibes.

What a great album, probably the best hip hop album out there.

NSFW but great beats speaking the truth! Solid rap.

An absolutely hip-hop classic that 100% holds up. I have so many college memories of this iconic album. I remember the first week this album dropped, and it was ALL everyone was listening to and talking about all over campus. Public Enemy was so huge, and so respected for their political commentary in their music, that I remember us officially studying the album as part of our African-American studies class at UMASS. It was a big deal, because it was one of the first times I remember rap getting respected as a legitimate art form and not just a passing cultural fad. And the music was so damn good! Of P.E.’s run of classic albums, this may be my favorite. Chuck’s voice just dominates and he clearly has something to say, almost forcing you to listen to him out of fear he’ll kick your ass if you don’t. While Chuck’s words have meaning, Flav provides just the right amount of comic relief (and yet still creates a classic of his own in “911 Is a Joke”), and there’s a reason that the Bomb Squad became legends for their production techniques here and on It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.

Although I'm not too interested in this genre - simply because it's culturally very distant from a person who lives where I do and from its context - I can smell greatness where it is. It's great musically, emotionally, technologically and message-wise. I remember when the album came out, I was in awe of the flow of it, the sheer power of the performance, the technical sophistication and excellence of the resampling and re-contextualization of so many musical elements already familiar from other contexts. The aggression and urgency of the message without it ever becoming a mere exercise in production technique. It's a great production, but it's also warm in a human sense. It's emotional without being clichéd, it discusses conflict without being exclusively confrontational. It's musical discourse at its best, profound, inclusive and considerate, and at the same time consistent and positioned. I would wish for so much of it in these turbulent times full of ignorance, malice and hate.

Hip hop and rap heritage. Sounds as fresh now as back in 1990.

AARP-aged white woman checking in: this album is banging, and the lyrics are important. Five stars all the way.

I'm just in awe of the production, mostly. Of course Chuck D and Flava Flav's rhyming and rapping is amazing and worth a five on theif oqn, but the production from The Bomb Squad? The sampling going on here? Incredible, incredible. It's this kind of sampling I would love to do if I were a producer myself. In fact, at some point in the future I gotta

Killer beats plus a legitimate cause that's still prevalent in today's society have made this album age as little as possible.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. I’ve never really heard Public Enemy before this; obviously I know about Chuck D and Flavor Flav in terms of name recognition and everything in between, but I’ve never listened. God, what a fool I feel like – this album is fucking rocking from top to bottom (ok, there’s a few lulls, but shh). In terms of just about everything from flow, to lyricism, to vocals, and especially in terms of the instrumentals, this album very rarely missed a beat for me. With that said, I think a few tracks could’ve been cut down or cut out entirely, and that’s really my only major flaw with this album; 63 minutes is a bit of time to commit to an album that never really takes its foot off the gas pedal, even with the amount of instrumental breaks here. The amount of sampling, especially in terms of spoken word speeches and radio criticisms really make it feel like an album that desires your attention at all times, as it should. I just think for my tastes there weren’t many points where I, as the listener, got a chance to fully breathe. Even when songs hit those long instrumental points, they’re so full of evolving noise that you can’t really take that step back to appreciate them. The biggest offender of this is easily the 5:43 runtime of Revolutionary Generation, which just went on for so long that it almost diluted the message for me. That’s a fucking nitpick though, really; I thought this was a fabulous album, and I’m honestly kinda glad it tested me as a listener. Paying attention for that much time through that many samples and that type of production (again, fantastic production) felt like an endurance test, and it’s a test I probably wouldn’t have gotten through at the start of this entire 1001 Albums bit. I could keep gushing about the flow and the lyrics and all of it, but I’m just glad this album lived up to the very high bar that was in my head. Very deserving of a 5.

Exceptional! Like a time capsule for the year of its release.

Now here’s an album :) absolute genius

This is such a great hip hop album. Production, lyrics, everything, just absolutely top notch. My favorite songs are “911 Is A Joke,” “Burn Hollywood Burn,” “Revolutionary Generation,” and “Fight The Power.” I don’t always love Public Enemy, but this is definitely their masterpiece.

So fucking good. Awesome beats and political commentary.

A genre defining album

Man does this album take me back. My brother listened to this album, along with NWA non stop. Such a good album. Chuck D is the man.

Wow. This was genius

✊👊

I hadn’t listened to this whole album since I was in high school a thousand years ago. For an hour long, there really isn’t a lot of filler. It goes hard from start to finish with only a few breaks to showcase old school dj skills or throw in weird or funny samples. I had forgotten how good Public Enemy were at the style of rapping at the time, and obviously they had a lot to say. There are hardly any goofball bits, it’s 99% social commentary. You can see why so many bands and artist with a serious message always cite them, and this album in particular, as a huge influence. If there’s any criticism to this album it’s that rap has evolved so far from the fast beats and long samples that it sounds a bit dated. But the message is still relevant and the songs still hold up. One of the best.

When I was a teenager, I used to ravenously consume the Sydney Morning Herald pink pages every Monday, picking out the interesting movies that were screening that week that I could tape. It also had the record reviews, mostly by Lynden Barber before he threw his hands in the air and shifted to movie reviews instead of music. Poor Lynden had clearly heard and reviewed a bazillion records by 1986, and he had tired ears. It took something really different to catch his attention. Through his reviews I discovered Kraftwerk, Cabaret Voltaire and a bunch of quite left-of-centre records. He liked an obscure record. Weird that Holger Hiller's Ein Bundel Faulnis in der Grube would get a mention in a major metropolitan broadsheet. Later, when I was working in a record store, Lynden's tendency to review very hard to get records was the bane of my life; you often couldn't get records he raved about for love or money, which the punters found hard to believe. But, in 1987, he raved - RAVED! - about the first Public Enemy album, and on the strength of that review I bought a copy, and it blew my mind. The follow-up, It Takes a Nation of Millions, was even better - a masterpiece. And Fear of a Black Planet was equal. I bought the first four PE albums as they came out and played them obsessively. As a white, middle-class Australian kid, the political realities they spoke about were largely new to me. Public Enemy were not always perfect in their expression (there are the occasional homophobic, sexist or anti-semitic utterance on record or in the press), but they were generally authoritative and eloquent about the emotional reality of living in a racist society. And they records sound amazing. I had never really heard a collage of influences like this. Along with Three Feet High and Rising and Paul's Boutique, this is the peak of free sampling, and they wove a completely new artform out of the scraps of what they sampled. It was aggressive, abrasive, funky, clever, energizing, angry, funny and powerful. This is not a perfect record, but it is both massively important and amazing to listen to. It still sounds fresh, exciting and relevant.

More of a unit and more a sense of dread? than their others. I was not really aware of the hot streak these boys had. Lotsa flava, and Terminator x goes easy on the horns. Ice Cube! Eddie Murphy! All their albums serve as a historic document to count the late era fat republican talking point (something along the lines of race relations were getting better until obama and wokeness and identity politics created BLM and CRT just to mess with the nation). Of course nothing new under the sun, but the fats don't have the processing power - maybe if they listen to enough Chuck D they'll catch the woke? 5 for fight the power and 911 is a joke. Muthafuck Elvis and John Wayne!

Can't get enough of this shit that makes me feel like a misunderstood black youth (am middle aged white) but also kind of like I am in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live action movie circa 1990. Chuck D for president.

Yes, that was nice, certainly in this time where here in Netherlands soon a new team of Ministers will rise to Power who are not only Afraid of A Black Planet. But also of a Left Wing Planet. Or a transsexual Planet. Actually of any planet that is not as it was in the 50s when everyone was White and Cute and Sweet and nice to their neighbours as long as they were not Gay or in another way different. The album was different than (but as brilliant and addictive as) the preceding one, Takes a Nation of Million album, music less aggressive, funkier and sometimes even funny. Musical Youth, some Sly&Family Stone, one long 63 minutes trip to Wonderland ending (was this in original release too???) with Fight the Power, bless Spike Lee too. Pollywanacraka is my favorite song, but whole album one great experience.

Just chock full of classic lines and hooks. Fantastic album.

De locos la portada. Is dis a cosa de gente de color (negro) reference? Espero escoltar rap de lo mas profundo del barrio mas chungo de Detroit al donarli al play. Y no he sido decepcionado. 5/5

The Best!

These beats were insane and never let up. I normally don’t enjoy the whole “movie dialogue sliced into the track” thing but this DJ excels at at. This has to be an unexpected 5

I knew most of this album already but had never listened to the whole thing before - so good.

Public Enemy just rocks. This is the third album I’ve gotten from them on this generator for me and it did not disappoint. I think I like Apocalypse 91 a bit more than this, but I don’t think I could give this a four with a good conscience.

FANTASTISKE beats, Chuck D er en af de bedste rappere nogensinde, selv Flava Flavs nummer fungerer ret godt. Fight the Power er for vildt et nummer at lukke med. Klassiker alert!! It Takes a Nation of Millions... - Fear of a Black Planet - Apocalypse 91 er et hattrick man sjældent ser mage!!

There’s a reason this era of hip-hop is called ‘the golden age’ when you had groups like PE putting out albums like this. They took the samples and intensity of It Takes a Nation Of Millions to Hold Us Back’ and came back with a more focused and sharp record. It’s just a great listen from front to back, Chuck D has a great presence, alongside Flava Flav and Terminator X who once again delivers colourful and crazy beats (remember this was done before digital tech) The message was relevant then and it’s just as relevant. FIGHT THE POWER

Chuck D goes insane

This, PE’s third studio album, really brings the fire - as strident as ever but the music is really, really good, full of sound and fury and energy, marching the darts Chuck D spits. Could be their best album. And might be my last chance on this project to say I met Chuck D and shook his hand. Icon.

The OGs.

Love it. A true highlight for me. Variety in sound and style. Still as timeless as it ever was.

10/10 no notes

Exactly a week after I heard their breakthrough sophomore album, I get the chance to hear the follow up. And I’m sure for Chuck and Flav, following up the impact that record had couldn’t have been easy. But I think what they did with this is exactly the direction they needed to move in. This album has made me realize something about hip hop that I think I always knew but was never 100% sure on. Which is how much my enjoyment of an album really relies on the drums. An artist once said to never mess up the drums, but I can’t remember who it was. Either way, they were totally right. This takes the already chaotic collages of different samples, and cranks it up to 11. There is such a huge variety of sounds going on at one time. It really is a marvelously produced record. And the beats are just all so killer. It’s the kind of aggression that I was looking for to really match the duo’s delivery. And said delivery is just as strong as it was on the last album. Plus, all of the controversy that was backing this album up only led to an even more intense theming. Even the name Fear of a Black Planet alone really sets the stage. It really feels like they just said “Fuck it, we don’t care if you don’t like us, we are gonna stick our dirty boots in your mouth, spit on you, and then use your complaints as a sample on the record”. It’s honestly the ultimate power move. I don’t know how I predicted it, but I had this gut feeling I was going to like this album a lot more than It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, and I was dead on. But I’m glad I heard the latter first, because this would have that seem even worse in comparison if the order was switched. Rating: 9/10

Great album - classic!

Still incredibly relevant, and for classic hip hop has a pretty low level of misogyny and homophobia. Loved it.

A classic of the genre. PE has been a favorite for a long time.

When I bought this the week it came out, the cashier at Sam Goody said it was “the ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ of rap albums.” That made no sense to me then or now, but it is fantastic.

This album rocks. Was even better all these years later. 911 is a Joke, Welcome to the Terrordome, Burn Hollywood Burn, Fight the Power....and 16 other tracks....so good.

ultimate classic hip hop album. one of the first (if not the first) group to be political with their lyrics.

This was a non stop intensity from beginning to end. My first time listening to them and I definitely get the hype

This is an album I already own and have listened to hundred, if not thousands, of times. It brings back so many vivid memories. Smoking weed round the back of Chessington Industrial Estate in my mates XR3i Cabriolet, more mates sat in an 205 GTI (1.9 of course) next to us. Thinking we were the busines, probably looking like a right bunch of numpties. Happy days. Can't believe it was almost 35 years ago.

Powerful and influential, this album flows like an album should. Whether or not you agree with his politics, Chuck D is a brilliant writer and Terminator X mixed like few others ever would.

Goddamn

I loved it. Just learning I really like early rap.

One of the most important sociopolitical albums ever made. Embrace the rage.

There’s an argument to be made that this is the greatest hip-hop album ever made. In a way, it’s the culmination of everything hip-hop aimed to encapsulate since its inception, and it helps that this then shaped the sound of the genre to come while still being in a league of its own because it's so detailed, which meant that almost no one would ever be able to redo this style. This is an example of art that may not be made for me, but I can still enjoy it and give it its flowers. It deserves all its praise as a pinnacle of culture. It is what music is meant to be in my opinion – expansive, confrontational, researched, reactionary, yet still ultimately enjoyable despite all that. But then again, PE was always for the punks. Easily my favorite PE album, because it expands their sound so much, but it feels like it's done purposefully as a way to target their message. Maybe not as important to Music History ™ as its predecessor, but I believe you can hear its impact more. And while it's not my favorite hip-hop album ever, it's solidly in my personal Top 100.

power, fought

Classic!

drømme

Not into rap but this was incredible

soo fucking awesome. as a resolute beastie boys fan i hold the strong belief that young hip hop fans today (and young music fans at large) do not pay enough respect to the golden age. the beats here are out of this world, chuck d and flava flav are absolute menaces, the rhetoric is righteous, what's not to love?? i had heard nation of millions before this, but never this full album- consider me a fan. 9/10 fav tracks: brothers gonna work it out, burn hollywood burn, fear of a black planet, leave this off your fuckin' charts

Yeah Boi! I had this poster on my wall when I lived in the dorms. This is one of my all time favorites. Chuck D puts everyone to task with his lyrics while Flavor Flave is the court jester. Great album with cultural significance.

I echo every single sentiment of the top rated review

albums been really good recently, banger of an album

Public Enemy is so cool. I feel like I’m showing up to a revolution and a neighborhood block party at the same time. The music just feels SO New York! You get that sense of cacophony, things popping in and out, disruptive and freeform and so much noise and static… on one interlude it literally sounds like they’re tuning to different stations of pirate radio. It’s political but somehow very zany, wacky, a little larger-than-life satirical in the way the voices are done and the message is made. Somehow never preachy, though they do a lot of preaching! I was getting Booty Collins vibes with some of the rap delivery hahaha, is that weird? It’s got that same kind of wacky energy. Political, fun, complex, 2-bit characters but somehow very real. The world is a complex place, but it’s also kind of like GTA. I don’t know where I’m going with this. A surprise 5!

We wanna thank you all for makin' our lives just a little brighter here on We Love Radio!

Laid the groundwork for basically all future conscious hiphop from Rage to Kendrick. There's always a raw and in-your-face sound, as there should be when Chuck D is rapping about the problems that still haven't been solved to this day. Also obligatory YEAH BOYYYYYYY!

Mejor y más complejo de lo que recordaba. Hay que escucharlo con atención. 5/5.

This album taps into a time, a place and an angry determinism, and still feels as raw and relevant as ever. This is Black Lives Matter before many were aware of just how bad the situation was. To top it off, the music is phenomenal and the best output that I've heard by Public Enemy. The social message deserves strong beats to back them up and they definitely delivered here.

Ik zette dit eerder tegenover de funky rappers uit dezelfde tijd. Maar hoe eerlijk is dat eigenlijk? Als het album voortkomt uit een continue gevoel over onrecht, dan is Public Enemy eigenlijk nog ingetogen. Je zou het toch uitschreeuwen, vloeken en tieren. Public Enemy laat de emotie overkomen, maar schieten zowel in de tekst als in de muziek niet door. Ze weten hun gevoel van onrecht te verwoorden . Ook fijn; ze verzanden daarbij niet in stoer-doenerij. Muzikaal weten ze het te begeleiden met geluiden waar je maar moet opkomen om ze muzikaal te gebruiken. Er wordt veel gerepeteerd, maar met allerlei ingrepen zorgen ze dat het niet saai wordt. Belangrijk daarbij is ook de afwisseling en het samenvallen van Chuck D en Flavour Flav. Wat ook functioneel wordt ingezet om je daar waar zij dat belangrijk vinden de tekst te accentueren. Zelf als ze hun stem vervormen tot smurfen-geluid is dat functioneel en muzikaal niet eens vervelend. Public Enemy biedt daarmee niet alleen een basis voor veel rappers, maar ook voor veel elektronische muziek. Een makkelijke 5 sterren. 'Yeah, Boyyyy'.

banger after banger with great production through out. Also I find that the interludes add a lot compared to other albums.

I wasn’t allowed to listen to Public Enemy when this came out. They were banned in my house. Which is a shame, because this is a great album. Rap is not one of my favorite genres but I really liked this album. Welcome to the Terrordome and Burn Hollywood Burn are favorites.

KITTY FELL ASLEEP ON MY LAP AAAH anyway (im melting) 1- GOOD START makes me wanna listrn to MF DOOM 2- banger going to liked 3- I LOVE THIS 4- feels like theres a backstory that i dont understand 5- IMMEDIATE LIKE 6- want this to be longer 7- i think lea likes this song she keeps wlaking to the laptop == -lea 8- GOING TO THE LIEKDD 9- chorus is so satisfying, another like 10- ngl lea was climbing my shoulder so i couldnt focus 11- i thinl she climbed to listen through the headphones w me, anyway i wanna bop my head to this so bad, another like 12- this is doing something to my brain and i love wtv it is 13- lyrics valid asf 14- "ur mother got gold nipples" went hard ngl 15- idk why this is calming 16- something id listen to if i ever cooked meth probably (i think i just wanna watch breaking bad) 17- WHAT HAPPENED AT ONE MINUTE I LOVE IT, besides that not my fav 18- LIKEEEDD 19- HELLO. THE BEAT IS SO. i understand why there was a seperate track for it 20- i think lea likes this one

I LOVEEEE HOW THIS SOUNDS and how real it is I just love it

- Never listened to a Public Enemy album in full before but not sure why because I always thought I'd like them - Lived up to expectations, can 100% see why people love this so much - Fav songs: Fight the Power, 911 is a Joke, Welcome to the Terrordome

Classic.

This was a great listen. There were a couple of great tracks on there that are classics, and a few that I never heard before but clicked with me. This isn't a genre I listen to all that much but I'll definitely check out some more of it after listening to this album!

Revolutionary!

Explosive. Loud. Awesome

Good intro to Rap/Hip-hop

No slowing down the whole album. An assault on your ears, in a good way. The sampling is a bit much but keeps the intensity going. Still saying the same things today.

Relentless in a good way

A tour de force. An argument against the white supremacy that hip hop faced and continue to face.

I ended up absolutely loving this album. Fantastic from start to finish. I figured I would enjoy it, but still a surprise.

Tremendous album. It's smart, witty, fun and meaningful. It makes you want to get up and vibe while still teaching people like me the plight of the black American experience.

Iconic rap.

Sometimes I see people saying hiphop and punk are pretty similar to each other, and then some people get very mad (particularly punks). But albums like this show that its true.

An absolute masterpiece.

Amazing

This blew me away back in the day, and wow does it stand up, both musically and lyrically. Powerful shit.

Finally some good fucking food. I loved this album so much

Love the way this album kicks from the first beat, the first note.

Takes a very serious topic that still exists today and makes an incredible, catchy album out of it.

Awesome

Just absolutely grabs you by the balls and never lets go. So much rage and, depressingly, it feels just as relevant now as it did 30 years ago.

Well done. Excellent social commentary. Chuck D and Flava Flave

OG.

If you don't rate this as 5 stars, you were there on Jan 6.

penis

Brilliant. Every song hits.

Brilliant album full of crisp beats and urgent basslines

Flava faaaaaaaaav

i was not prepared for the relevance and absolute mastery

Goddamn, powerful, straight-to-you-face album. Fantastic beats, fantastic lyrics. Love it!

Darkly funny.

This is amazing. I was grooving to the entire album. It holds up too. That’s fortunate, but unfortunate as well. This is a straight banger.

Bomb squad perfection

Ten out of five. Still holds up.

This is one of my favorite albums of all time, PE couldn't miss during this time, the Bomb Squad were on fire, the beats were fire, the rhymes hard as fuck and you can't deny Fight the Power! Welcome to the Terrordome is an all timer, Flav is on point and 9-1-1 is a fucking joke!

Peerless. Had it not been for ITANOMTHUB this would be PEs best album. As it is, it'll have to settle for second best.

The novelty of the discovery of how great Public Enemy has kind of worn off. Nonetheless, this was another excellent album from them. Did I discover anything new or unexpected, not really, but I did enjoy the ride.

Really enjoying these Public Enemy albums. Fight the Power is one of the best songs ever.

Another Public Enemy album… well, the other two established that I like this group. There is a lot of anger expressed here to that great Public Enemy sound. I’m not familiar enough with these three Public Enemy albums to reliably say if I really need all three on the 1001 list. For some reason that tempted me to give this a 4. But it is every bit as good as the others and just because it was presented to me as the third album is no reason to knock it. Plus I might have a more subtle u derstanding of the differences if I had more than a few listens of each. So it is another 5! Because this album is great!

Incredible, catchy, infectious, I can’t stop listening to it, this is exactly what I hoped for when I signed up for this thing Best tracks: 911 is a joke Welcome to the terror dome Who stole the soul Fight the power

Taking everything that made 'It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back' great and cranking it up to another level. This is a heavy and challenging album that takes some surprising turns and is well worth the listen. The use of sampling and audio snippets are really good and Flava Flav shines a lot more here, too.

I bought the follow up to It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back as soon it was released, and, blimey, if it wasn’t even better. One of the most powerful musical experiences of my life. Instead of rough, industrial beats for Chuck D to rap over, the music is much lusher, more depth, more funk. It wasn’t the political content that hit me back when I first heard it (because ITANOMTHUB is similar in that regard, although Fear Of A Black Planet does package it up more neatly into discrete topics), it was the new way it was being delivered. It takes the ITANOMTHUB song ‘Party For Your Right To Fight’ and follows through on its promise. As well as the full-on party friendly funk, another thing that’s different on this album is the use of interludes and snippets. They control the pace, but also provide context and/or make rhetorical points. For example, the ‘They would rather switch than fight’ introduction to Fight The Power and the phone call that abruptly transitions between Anti-Nigga Machine and Burn, Hollywood Burn. You don’t get that kind of thing on It ITANOMTHUB. On the downside, Meet The G That Killed Me is incredibly crass, and I always skip it. While I’m about it I skip Pollywanacraka as well. The attitude to women in a couple of the tracks is a bit cringe. Chuck D isn’t a convincing feminist, which isn’t surprising really because he’s one of the world’s great mansplainers.

Don't really give a shit about the "message" which so many reviews focus on but god damn it's banging music which is so unique to everything else.

Superclassic rap album. Nothing to add. Score: 10/10.

Apocalypse 91 was always my favourite Public Enemy album, jam-packed with nothing but killer songs. Listening to Fear of a Black Planet, I wasn't as impressed initially, but the more I listen to it, the more I'm enjoying it. Maybe it is not as compact, and arguably has fewer memorable songs, but the overall quality is undeniable.

Still excellent and prescient

Public Enemy always delivers. They got awesome beats/production and relentless lyrics. The ruthless aggressiveness is something you don't find in todays mainstream hip-hop. For being "old school" hip-hop it doesn't feel dated at all.

Damn good album, would happily listen again

I feel like I need to break my own scoring rules here. This is definitely a 5-star album, but there is also a bit of filler, so it's not perfect. For me this will always be the "middle album" of the trio of really great Public Enemy albums. There's some fantastic tracks here, particularly Fight the Power, probably my favourite Public Enemy track of all time. The samples are diverse, dense, interesting, and set up a great backing for Chuck D and Flavour Flav. There's so many iconic moments here to mention and much of this album has itself ended up being sampled for a multitude of purposes, which is slightly ironic I guess. It makes you wonder how much copyright laws stifle musical creativity. The weaker parts are still musically interesting and there's definitely some importance to the positioning/ sequence of the album. However, some of the individual tracks are just so good that they can be lifted out and stand up on their own right.

Absoluut essentieel hiphop album, en naar mijn mening leuker dan It Takes A Million. Genoeg herkenbare samples, sterkte teksten en harde beats. Ook lol @ de top review hier, die omschrijft het top denk ik

The experimental aspect of this album is phenomenal. The songs contain more texture than usual hip-hop. All of this combined with strong political themes and a masterful delivery of the lyrics... Well, I consider this an essential listen.

Great album. Learned a lot too.

Love. Listened to this in real time in high school. Welcome to the Terrordome, bitch. Awesome album. I still play some tracks for my kids today.

A blockbuster of an album, raw and multifaceted, topped off by maybe hip-hop’s greatest protest song? Sign me up.

Maximum enjoyment. 11/10

This album is iconic. Fight the Power, Burn Hollywood Burn, and Welcome to the Terrordome are huge. The samples, the hooks, and the punch on all these tracks totally deliver- and the fact that like a quarter of the album features samples of people talking about how controversial they are is genius. When I was growing up Flavor Flav was the dude on flavor of love- so it took until my mid-20s (after hearing Chuck D host The Clash podcast) when I started listening to Public Enemy to realize that at one point Flavor Flav was a legitimate rock star. Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya, Man! and 911 is a Joke have a ton of depth, but are also so unbelievably catchy and fun to listen to. Chuck D described It Takes A Nation of Millions... as the Sgt. Pepper's of hip hop. I don't know what that makes this album, but who cares. It's political, it's fun, it's filled with great beats. And Chuck D is just a genius- "What's wrong with some color in your family tree?" On the title track is both a hilarious, but also unambiguous and extremely sincere lyric. Best: Flavor Flav as the MC on 911 is a Joke and Chuck D's poetry on Revolutionary Generation

This album is bursting at the seams with purpose, and it has amazing production to back it up. Without getting caught up too much in the politics of the album, i find it very interesting tha in "66.6FM" someone said how disgusted they were by Public Enemy when they saw them open for the beastie boys. Ironic to me because the beastie boys rap constantly about sex with minors, beating, and raping .. meanwhile public enemy is making songs about racial injustice in america and how that creates rifts within the black community.. TLDR; beastie boys are objectively more disgusting but white ppl just don't want to hear black voices. The production in this is amazing too, the sheer volume of samples that are used is almost overwhelming. The rhyme schemes, and how clever and fun the lyrics are while STILL being meaningful. Awesome. The beat switch in countdown between us is sooooooooo fire Also they diss Elvis in the closing track. Automactic 5.

What a great album! That flowed beautifully from one track to the next. A concept album if I ever heard one. A cohesive, consistent, commanding work of art.

Legendary

Righteous anger is cool and relevant and fun to listen to

Probably Public Enemy's second best album. But given how damn important that rap band was for hip hop at the time--helping it grow out of its infancy stage for good--said album just *has* to be on this list, c'mon! To be fair, *Fear Of A Black Planet*'s back half is maybe a little overlong and patchy, but its first half is as solid as their previous LP. Plus, with all the highlights that you can find throughout its tracklisting, it would be a crime *not* to mention it. Those highlights are raging numbers of course, both sonically and politically. They are "Brothers Are Gonna Work It Out", "911 Is A Joke", "Welcome To The Terrordome", "Burn Hollywood Burn", "Who Stole The Soul?", and closer "Fight The Power" (the latter of Spike Lee's *Do The Right Thing* fame). Oh, and did I mention how iconic and topical that album's artwork is? I don't remember if Dimery's list also included *It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back* and *Apocalpse '91...*. Under that light, I'd give *Fear Of A Black Planet* a perfect 5/5 grade just to make sure Public Enemy appears in my summary, even though it's probably closer to a 4,5 or a 4. Next, please... Number of albums left to review: 562 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 213 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 102 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 127

Great album. I'm not going to be an old man but this is an album not from when rap had meaning but this is an excellent album that isn't just about partying or the celebration of self. Public Enemy was fighting for the respect on the behalf of rap artists (along with others) and this plus "A Nation of Millions..." are a mission statement that must be listened to.

Great album... a classic

Very solid record, great rhymes, great lyrics, great beats. No complaints here.

Really likes it, the sound was super unique and the songs were catchy

cool

Loved it at the time for the hardline stance, despite the slightly ill-informed lyrics in a few places (Meet The G, for example).. This perhaps doesn't sound as innovative given their previous efforts, but the cut-up nature of the tracks and selections here, and the balance of Flav's humour with Chuck D's more serious lyricism make for what musyt be one of PE's releases. Worth 5 stars for the title alone, but Can't Do Nuttin' for Ya Man still makes me chuckle every time. Timeless AND of it's time. A classic.

Still fresh and on point in 2022

This was really good even though I am not a rap fan. Also a cultural touchstone.

I, for one, welcome any and all Black planets.

Beats were alright but I don't like foreign language music much

Have this one on wax. First started falling in love when the Manics put the 'Elvis was a hero to most...' quote in an album sleeve. It's less organised than Nation of Millions. It's more of a record of two years of ridiculous productivity. A ton of ideas thrown at a wall to see which will stick. A lot of it sticks.

Wow, this was such an incredible listen. The tracks are an all-out assault; there's a neverending flow that makes the record feel like a seamless jump from idea to idea, stitched together with audio samples and drum loops. There's never a dull second of music. And the themes and messaging are brutally straightforward. Topped off by absolutely iconic album art, this might be my favorite discovery from this site so far.

God damn I really like Chuck D’s voice

Amazing album.

Fantastic album. Good beats, great samples, excellent flow. Worth it, 100%.

I would give it a 4.5 if I could but since I like it more than I dislike it, it's an easy 5! Completely emblematic and full of rage, loved it!

Seminal classic, should be taught in schools.

Masterpiece

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

amazing 90s rap that never gets old

5/4 rhymes rhythmed

Lot of noise when this came out about how the production was too dense to listen to. No, sounds fantastic. Had to check my vinyl and yes there were 20 tracks, 1 hour long, on it, so may have in fact been the mastering. The music is excellent, the hi points among their very best.

I've enjoyed it. It gave me the desire to shot a cop in the face and round together wit' ma community for defending black wome'

Still blown away by the cacophony of samples and Chuck D’s powerful voice. Noise rock bands wish they could be as visceral as peak PE sounded

I'm a huge fan of rich and complex sounds. In Public Enemy's follow-up to It Takes a Million, they really spam sample after sample into a working mess, only a few months before the sample clearance system put hip hop into chaos. Chuck D is still as strong as ever, preaching socially conscious issues that tackle different issues about race, censorship, and public perception, not repeating themselves much at all. Flavor Flav once again makes his return as the best hype man in history, with supportive and even comical contributions which balance out Chuck D's aggressive nature. It's fast, powerful, and exciting, which changes in vibes but never slows down for more than a second. Funky enough to have you consistently raising your fist to the music, 95 or 22. This can be a bit draining for an hour-long album, but it carries the energy and sense of urgency of the album, making it an incredibly coherent and focused listen. I'd probably just cut it down by a few songs, but really none of them were obvious picks to remove. They were all fine. I think more shorter tracks like "Reggie Jax" dispersed throughout would be more digestable.

Amazing album. The layering of music and sounds, talking, sound effects is intense and tells a story.

This and 'It Takes a Nation of Millions' are my favourite rap albums. I love the production, the flow, the attitude. The claims of anti-semitism are concerning - but I don't hear them here.

It's still got it. It's a thrilling, important, inspirational record. Basically perfect

Ovo nije it takes... Ali i dalje je jebeno

One of the few albums on this list that made me add it to my discogs wantlist. I positively love every song on this album. Public Enemy created one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, possibly in my own possible top five. The first thing I want to talk about is how incredible the samples and production are. Despite having a lot of repetition and is more in-line with the mainstream at the time, I can't get enough of it. I usually prefer a more jazz style from this era (Low End Theory and Bizarre Ride II), but this tended to lean more metal in it's influences and I found that absolutely fantastic. The production, from a purely audiophile view, is kinda rough. In my opinion, this is the perfect duo. The metal, the rough production, but classicly produced hip-hop beats makes this album bombastic in all the right ways. I don't know much about the group itself, but I think that will change soon enough because I think this album is incredible. The rhymes, bars, and wordplay on this album is top-tier, combines activism, anti-authority, and insight to the group in way that is rarely seen in popular music. I don't know what else to say other than that you SHOULD LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM. I think the biggest detractors are the "rough-around-the-edges" production and the metal snippets, but it would be a shame to go one's entire life without giving this one a chance. Highlights: All. But my favorites were "Welcome To The Terrordome", "911 Is A Joke", "Anti-****** Machine", "War At 33 1/3", and "Fight The Power."

I remember watching Do The Right Thing and hearing Fight The Power for the first time - by proxy through Radio Raheem's boombox, and falling in love with the track, not fully appreciating the political nature of the record. 911 Is A Joke, Welcome to the Terrordome, Brothers Gonna Work It Out, Fear of a Black Planet, Can't Do Nothing for Ya Man and Fight the Power are the standout tracks for me - and Public Enemy show that a statement can be made without resorting to profanity (in the main) and still be as effective 30 years later.

LP

Great album. I liked this one more than the prior good blend of rap hip hop and other instrumentation

this was really great! i liked the production more than the other public enemy record we listened to

Eu descobri q na real eu gosto bastante de hip hop 5/5

Of a time and also very relevant today. Public Enemy sounds focused in their messaging with great delivery over excellent sampling.

Vraiment bon

Great, great album Not familiar, again, to the genre, but very approachable "Welcome to the Terrordrome" is quite memorable Great use of sampling

Ferocious and powerful album. I remember being amazed by it at the time it came out and am still amazed by it now. Lyrically it is peak Public Enemy and the beats behind the raps take on a new level. In comparison, It Takes a Nation of Millions sound stripped back. It is an uncomfortable listen at times and the length of the album made it an impossible task to listen to in one sitting. Worth it for the amount of top tracks on here, 911 Is A Joke, Welcome To The Terrordome, Burn Hollywood Burn and Fight The Power all as relevant as the day they got released

Just as relevant now as it was when released 31 years ago. Sooooo good.

Easily the best of the three Public Enemy albums we’ve had so far. Just fantastic scratching - some of the best use of sampling I’ve ever heard. Politically active lyrics and minimal yeaaaaaa boiiiiiiiiii’s (thank god) Fave tracks: “Welcome To The Terrordome” “Burn Hollywood Burn” “911 is a Joke”

The first thing that hits you in the face is that these beats are peak early hiphop. They are just so damn tasty. Then you start listening to the lyrics and are forced to confront the depth of the social commentary on display here. Chuck D and Flavor Flav are on the very top of their significant game with this album. It's intense. It's rowdy. It's aware. It's brash. It's fun. But it's also surprisingly balanced in the way that it approaches racial issues while staying angry that there are still issues. I get that, Public Enemy. I feel that anger and hope still, 32 years later.

Elvis was a hero to most, but he never meant shit to me, that straight up racist sucker was simple and plain Mother f- him and John Wayne ... I'm ready, I'm hyped and I'm amped, most of my heroes don't appear on no stamp..." Absolutely love Fear of a Black Planet. Say what you want about Flavor, but Chuck D can do no wrong. This album occupied my TEAC walkman for months during my sophomore year of high school and still get back and listen to some of it even now. Welcome to the Terrordome is unmatched. Fight the Power and it's placement in Do the Right Thing helped shape my teen years. The instrumentals are great, I love the samples and scratches beats that go on forever. A lot of the samples were the first time I'd heard artists like The Temptations, James Brown, Sly & Family Stone... Terrordome lists 21 different sampled albums. You just can't do this anymore. Truly a different era. You just can do this anymore.

An absolute game changer. PE dropped a classic with this one. "Burn Hollywood Burn" is a favorite of mine, but a lot of these songs are trailblazers.

Absolute masterpiece

Badass, can we get hip-hop like this again?

Public Enemy is the greatest rap group of all time. This isn’t their best record, but it’s close

Great album -- great music that really pulls me in, and the lyrics are always worth a listen. Right album by the right group at the right time.

Iconic! And still just as relevant today as it was back then.

Sick beats, sick lyrics. I loved this album and I thought that the commentary was scathing and also still poignant. My favorite tracks were 911 Is a Joke, Fight the Power, and Power to the People, but I liked all the songs (instrumentals included).

Shifts and mutates like it’s working stream-of-consciousness

Solid album, obvi Faves were Can't do nuttin for ya, man and war at 33 1/3

Loved the production and beats on this album.

Oh rap. Flava flav.

Amazing album. Their best.

My first time getting into a Public Enemy album. It’s good shit, hip hop that came before my time.

Strong hip hop from start to finish.

Some wicked beats with important social messages

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO THIS SHIT GOOD ASF

I enjoyed. Hip hop / sampled beats

Still amazing.

Incredible album, innovative instrumentals, great pen game. Chuck D is an all time great

Sick

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

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.

8/10

Awesome.

East Coast hip-hop, hardcore hip-hop, political rap, progressive rap, sampledelia.

This is great. Have the CD.

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.

Kickass

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

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

As frightening and confronting as it was catchy and awesome in 1990, and still holds up in the same way.

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.

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.

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 ?

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.

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…

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.

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.

Fight the Power, alone, is a 10/10. ✊🏾 Power to the people, no delay.

Very good album, a classic for sure, but I feel like it gets too repetitive afte ra while. Also, it's kinda long (20 tracks).

Felt like 8 knew this album as it's been sampled so much and used in sound tracks etc it all felt very familiar despite my virgin ears. Funky beats cool sounds production is great

Fight da powa‼️8/10

Great album and amazing production. Smaples fit nicely and there were plenty. Full of criticism to the situation of that time that still feel relevant. Musically and lyrically, an amazing album overall.

This goes so fuckin’ hard.

This is like MMFOOD but like older. Bangers

Heard this for the first time only a couple months ago so still pretty fresh in my mind. Full of groovy beats and great production, but there are large stretches of this where the production is doing more talking than the lyrics, which is quite antithetical to a record such as this. When they actually lock in ts shi goes about as hard as you’d expect

A curious selection. Album I’ve never really spent a lot of time with.

Enjoyed this one, not as good as Nation but still sold four stars from me

Really good!

Doesn't seem that long since I had a Public Enemy album. Probably because it was just over two weeks ago that I had It Takes A Nation of Millions. Not that I'm complaining, this is a great follow up.

Day864 - fight the power makes this whole album worth listening to. chuck d at his angriest and awesomest

not THE most sensorially overstimulating albums i've ever heard in my life but definitely pretty up there. the production on this thing is all over the fuckin place, in a way that's sometimes working in its favor and sometimes in a way that's like ok guys we get it you found a great deal on that S900 it's a little unusual that from what i've seen, the Bomb Squad don't get brought up much by people talking about the "mainstreaming" of plunderphonics. it's accepted largely as fact that DJ Shadow discovered the style fully-formed but, like... who do people think he was listening to, you know? chuck has one of the most iconic voices and flows in all of hip-hop and flav is also there. no offense to the man, his body of work(?) speaks for itself but i definitely prefer when he's sticking to his hype man adlib stuff and not trying to rhyme. side note: i wonder if we'd even be talking about this record at all if they hadn't kicked griff out of the band after he said all that shit. i checked his wiki article to see what he was up to these days and apparently he's making the right-wing conspiracy theory podcast circuit so rest in fuckin piss as far as i'm concerned

Now this... this is more my speed. The real star of the show here, for me, are the Bomb Squad's beats. The drums are so aggressive and punchy, the samples so discordant and haphazard, yet so unbelievably catchy... This all is not to diminish Chuck and Flav, however. Chuck's voice is so commanding and attention-grabbing, and his rhymes really hook into one's ears. And Flav is just fun. I wish that I had a Flava Flav of my own, hyping me up... I will say though - as fun to listen to as it is, as a full album, this does blend together a little. Their sound, great though it may be, doesn't change as much as my attention would like across the 60-minute runtime... sadly, I can't give this the coveted five stars, especially when "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" exists and has many more memorable cuts. Favorite tracks: Burn Hollywood Burn, Revolutionary Generation, Fight The Power