Fear Of A Black Planet

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

Fight the Power

I’d never given this album a full listen. It’s really good - love the sampling.

Was ready for this to be over from the start. I get they are talking about real issues in society, but sonically it is not for me.

Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet (1990) On Day 71, Public Enemy delivered a strong 4/5. Technically, the production on this record goes incredibly hard—the "Bomb Squad" really showed their range in terms of layering and sonic density. It’s an aggressive, high-energy body of work that demands attention. However, compared to their predecessor, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, it doesn't quite reach that same level of perfection. While I liked the album and respect the sheer scale of the production, there wasn't quite as much to love as there was on the previous LP. It’s a great project that proves their technical dominance, but it sits just below the 5-star mark for me. A solid 4/5.

Lowkey deep lyrics and a vibe for any 90s hip hop/rap kid.

meh

Think I might slightly prefer this to It Takes a Nation if only because the production feels more urgent and aggressive. Fight the Power remains a total classic.

It was long and loud and went on a bit - Still good

It's alright but it's very repetitive

Inte min smak

A genre defining band. Really into an interesting sound by this album. 4 stars. Fave track - fight the power.

No as good as Apocalypse 91, but still quite good.

Not my cup of tea

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

Loved the album. Adding this to my regular rotation.

Not my thing

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.

Ha estado muy interesante. El uso de samples me inspira mucho a usarlos en mi propia música o en mis shows. Son samples que van más allá de sonar bien, son relevantes al mensaje que quieren transmitir. Definitivamente un clásico, muuuy bien hecho, un álbum que seguiré escuchando, sobre todo en esta época de tanta incertidumbre y rabia. Le doy un sólido 9/10. Siempre estuvo muy interesante, muy innovador. Soy muy fan del rap de los 90, así que esto es una recomendación muy agradable.

with this one i know that i have issues with this era/style of hip-hop. this bombastic style, that is so charged and energetic, can get so fucking distracting. it's ironic that i'm used to expect more complexity/musicality on modern hip-hop, but this it's like the monkey paw result of that. To say something, it felt like listening to some kind of Trout Mask Replica of Hip-hop, with how chaotic it was. Aside from that, it's lyrically interesting, but i would lie if i said anything more. It was really convoluted

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

Still relevant today, would listen again

As relevant today sadly as it was when it was made. Good sampling too.

ovo je najbolje opisati, barem je meni takav doživljaj bio, kao hiphop inačicu rage against the machinea, premda je, dakako, ovaj album izašao prije nego što je ratm počeo s radom. a to u konačnici znači da je ovo predug, krindž, mjestimice dosadan i gdjegdje dosta naporan repniški album. barem meni

inescuchable

Importante y trasversal. Vigente y duro

kinda what i needed to hear today

3/5

Wouldn't listen to it again, but "Fight the power" is such a significant track!!! #StanleyLee

4/5. Though I am more of a “it takes a nation of millions to hold us back” kinda guy, Fear of a Black Planet is still a great rap album that mixes blunt and hard-hitting political lyricism with densely layered and aggressive production from the Bomb Squad. Also on a side note it is hilarious to me that there’s a line in Fight the Power that shit talks “Don’t Worry be Happy” by Bobby Mcferrin.

Cool, but I'm not really into rap

Another good Public Enemy album.

I hadn't heard much of this before. The parts I had heard were sampled all over the place, and of course this album samples a fair amount itself. Not really my genre, it was an OK listen but about twice as long as I needed.

classic.

Favourite Track: 1. Who Stole The Soul?

Good album, some song titles might not be great to listen to if you have an app that lets people see what you listen to

Not my genre but it was very good!

Reminds me of something mom would listen to when she was younger

It's good, I see the political impact this album had, but it's not what I enjoy much, mainly from how dated it feels listening to it.

The social commentary is the real star of this album. This rating is based solely on the apt social exposition. Huge credit for cultural, social, and political relevance. However I don’t think I’ll be listening to this album again any time soon.

Couldn’t finish this old rap is so boring

I've been quoting Public Enemy for years. In fact, I've already done it in one of these reviews. The line about Elvis in "Fight the Power" has been my go-to for a long time, to back up my feelings about his popularity over black artists of the time. As much as I've quoted Public Enemy, I never listened to an album of theirs in full. I've heard lots of their stuff and loved everything I heard, but never sat through a full record from start to finish. It's quite an experience. It starts off with an instrumental intro, cutting together snippets of public speeches, media announcements and a million other sounds, with bass and drum loops. One hour later, Flavor Flav is asking about the future of Public Enemy at the end of "Fight the Power". It's an intense, dizzying attack on the senses. It doesn't let up. I absolutely love everything about these songs. Public Enemy make exactly the type of hip-hop that I love: sample-heavy, musically interesting sounds with amazing lyrical content. The Bomb Squad's mind-bending sound collages of funk, soul, conversations, speeches, media clips, commercials, radio shows, and whatever else is thrown in there, are the stuff of legend. You could study these sounds for a full year and still not be able to identify everything in this mish-mash of noises. Terminator X's mixing and scratching adds yet another dimension. And then of course Chuck D's lyrics and baritone rapping mixes so perfectly with Flavor Flav's more high-pitch tone. It's everything that good hip-hop should be. Frantic, musically engaging, interesting, confrontational and a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. Heavy subjects tackled sardonically, set to a head-spinningly good cacophony of sounds.

I'm in a record shop in 1990 and they're playing Welcome to the Terrordrome. I belatedly realised that hip-hop could be as exciting as the rock I mainly listened to, so I will always be grateful for that. I don't think this has aged quite as well as It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back as there is more filler but Fight the Power is still great

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.

Favorite songs: Brothers Gonna Work it Out, 911 is a Joke, Incident at 66.6 FM, Welcome to the Terror Dome, Burn Hollywood Burn, War at 33 1/3, Fight the Power

Maybe a tad long, but a really good album. They have a good grasp on how to do thought provoking music while keeping things entertaining. Some absolute classics on this one.

Eh ... its Public Enemy, so its fun! But not anything I would gravitate to or probably ever listen to again.

I know what time it is

nah

Albun divertido y poderoso también.

tråkigt

"991 Is A Joke", "Welcome To The Terrordome", and "Fight The Power" are my favs. Not really into the rap genre sadly but loved listening to this piece.

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: 911 Is A Joke, Pollywanacraka This album is both prescient and as politically and socially relevant today as it was when it came out 35 years ago. I am glad that Flava Flav toned down the "Yaaaa Boyyyys" significantly. He's still a little grating - not to mention this album is quite noisy - but it's still an awesome full of original samples have been used dozens if not hundreds of times since its debut. This album falls into the same category as Beastie Boys for me. I recognize its cultural significance, but the music both loud and it can be obnoxious; its something I can enjoy, but only every once in a blue moon. It's not an album that I can binge for hours on end. 3.5

Fear of a Black Planet is the third studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy. It was released on April 10, 1990, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. A commercial and critical hit, Fear of a Black Planet sold two million copies in the United States and received rave reviews from critics, many of whom named it one of the year's best albums. In 2005, the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry. In 2020, Fear of a Black Planet was ranked number 176 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Classic

2.5

Legal mas não é mto meu estilo de hip-hop. Tem que ouvir no momento certo pra curtir mesmo

A lot of good tracks on this album. I had this back in 1990 on cassette. Ahh, those were the days. Having to wait to get home to put it on and hear the tracks.

Not as good as I remember it. I prefer it takes a nation, but that is personal preference

Jävlar vad det håller!

Riktigt klassiskt album som både har bangers, fortfarande lika relevant budskap, feta beats (tidvis med helt obegripligt metal-shreddande ovanpå) och där till och med mellansnacken faktiskt allt som oftast är underhållande att lyssna på.

Inte min typ av musik och detta höll på för länge. Men stark avslutning!

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

Mostly noise. I understand the protest but there isn't any real cohesiveness to this noise.

Loving what they did in "It takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" I was very excited to listen to this one, but the more listens I gave it, the more tame it felt compared to the other. I'll start with my biggest complaint. I think this album has a lot of interludes and short songs that don't really add anything. These particular tracks can be found in two sections of the album: before and after the middle part. Basically, from "Incident at 66.6 FM" to "Anti-N****r Machine" and "Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man" to "Final Count of the Collision Between Us and the Damned", with the exclusion of "Welcome to the Terrordome" and "War at 33 1/3". Not considering these last two songs, I believe all of them have very weak beats, performances and lack any strong messages. The rest of the songs are what brings the essence to the album. They are the two first songs (not counting "Contract On the World Love Jam"), "Welcome to the Terrordome", the section between "Burn Hollywood Burn" to "Revolutionary Generation", "War at 33 1/3" and "Fight the Power". These are the tracks which contain all the social commentaries that made this group so relevant, and the energetic beats and flows. However, I do have another but smaller complaint. I think this album is not as powerful, angry and loud as their previous one, which were the aspects I was really looking for. Not saying it is bland, but it definitely pales in comparison. They do have a great frenetic feeling, but is not the same. So yes, I do think this is a weaker release from them, but still has some great highlights.

Such a great album. I love the sampling, the beats are so much fun. It's funny and angry and worth visiting again and again.

Hip-hop is not my thing but this is the better end of the spectrum. Political and sharp.

Classic iconic; not necessary my genre, but the quality is high

It's just regular hip-hop and doesn't do anything for me at all.

Fear of a Black Planet was my first proper listen to Public Enemy. I had known the name for years, but I don’t usually listen to hip-hop. To my surprise, it was more within my taste than I expected. That said, the album feels quite long to me, which may be one reason I’ve never fully connected with hip-hop, especially since I tend to prefer the brevity and speed of punk.

Still hits hard years later.

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

“…Nation of Millions…” was such a tectonic shift, this follow up couldn’t go one better could it? Sadly the answer for my money is no. In fact I think of it as more of a dip than most listeners. Chuck still delivers of course, and Flav is still as iconic as ever but The Bomb Squad have a reduced intensity, certainly on side 1 and as a whole, the album is definitely not as brimming with hooks as its predecessor. It’s still another brilliant PE release, but it’s not as good as it needed to be to ever step out of the shadow of their masterpiece.

𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵 is a forceful, sharply produced album, but it doesn’t carry the same explosive impact as 𝘐𝘵 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. The Bomb Squad’s dense, sample-saturated sound is still impressive, yet the record feels a bit less focused and less urgent. It’s strong, no doubt — just not the knockout its predecessor was.

Album #59 Public Enemy: Fear Of A Black Planet I think that old-school hip-hop had less to do with making enjoyable music, and more so about packaging important messages for the black community in a digestible manner. It is much easier to radicalize the youth by giving them something catchy to remember rather than boring them to death with lectures. For whatever reason, I just don’t get gripped by much rap; it seems weird to say because the music was really high-energy and dense lyrically, but this album just bores me. The messaging is fine and well, though I can’t say I relate to much or feel too empowered by it. I find it hard to care about my own problems, let alone everyone else's. For me, music is an escape, so I’d rather drift away than be yelled at for over an hour. Why is every rap and electronic album over an hour…To be honest, I thought that the front man was charismatic and compelling, though it wasn’t enough because the lyrics at times were pretty corny. I think that for what this album is, it is probably great, I just don’t enjoy whatever it is, so disregard my opinion. Best Songs: Revolutionary Generation, Welcome to the Terrordome, Pollywanacraka Worst Song: Can’t Do Nuttin For Ya Man! Score out of 10: 4

Not 4 me

It sounds funky but dated heavily. Aggressive lyrics, I like some of their word play and directness. Dancy, but not as great as Paul's boutique for samples.

I don’t enjoy the music

Not entirely sure how to review this other than to say that this really isn't my jam. It's that style of early 90s rap where they just kind of yell and its noisy and loud and a bit frenzied. Did not really enjoy it.

This album has come up in so many "Greatest Albums of All Time" lists, that I've been had to make my way through it before. Every time, it's been a rough listen. I've always ended up with a brutal migrane. When I saw this album come up, I was immediately filled with intense dread. I put off listening to it for days. Yesterday, the day came. I had to listen. I made it about 30 minutes. I'm choking my way through it now. I have to accept it. This is my least favorite record of all time. In terms of pure listening experience, nothing fucks with my ears more than this.

abrasive and energetic, delivered with conviction. some of the tracks feel extraneous. with a select 15-20 min cut out it would feel more explosive.

Logan Lore: I used to play "Bring the Noise" by Anthrax and Public Enemy as my hype song for football. I'm indifferent towards their music/beats/styles. It's hard to separate from Chuck D's retarded political takes and social commentary. 2/5 black berets

Definitely a step up production-wise from “It Takes a Nation of Millions…” and Flavor Flav is more sidelined on this album. I like the bombast of it all, though it is a bit long. Ice Cube being on that track about Hollywood and how it flattens black characters is pretty funny in retrospect. I’ll save my thesis on Conscious Rap seeming to be a psy-op inhibiting class consciousness for another day.

Album 101. Fear Of A Black Planet — Public Enemy (1990) I changed my mind about the previous Public Enemy — It Takes A Nation Of Million To Hold Us Back album, initially I gave 3 out of 5, but reconsidered it as 4/5 a month later because it's fucking brilliant and I listen to it sometimes. It's a tough one too. The album feels like a tsunami. It's a conscious overloaded unstoppable back-to-back flow of aggressive hip-hop with great samples and beats. This album is messy but somehow cohesive. Production is great. Political and angry af and still relevant. Initially, I wanted to give it 3 out of 5 too. But no, it's.. 4/5 Liked songs: — 911 Is A Joke — Welcome To The Terrordome — Anti-Nigger Machine — Burn Hollywood Burn — Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya, Man! — Fight The Power

This was kinda boring ngl.

pedrada master bruta

GIGANTESCO esse aqui cabulosíssimo. mto importante pro hiphop e pro movimento negro estadunidense sem contar os beat lotadaço de sample bonito demais, putz. bão ddemais!!

muy largo pero de alguna manera me gusta

Я такое не люблю

The Greatest Rap Group Of All Time.

Fight the Power a 5-star song, despite my overall rating.

An absolute classic. Loved it! it’s a solid 4 for me

Pioneers of the rap game, Chuck D. Blackmilitant and Flavor McFlavortown.

✊️

Hell yes. Love this album but if we’re being real it could be 20 minutes shorter. Would probably be a 5 then.

Right down memory lane. Great stuff. Love the incredible samples.

This was great! I totally missed this growing up.

Well, I guess PE were Black America's answer to Bob Marley. They were hugely influential worldwide with their political messaging, which still resonates today with White Power supremacists in the White House. Powerful stuff and mostly devoid of the misogyny and homophobia of gangsta rap, which came later and ruined hip hop for me. Not as varied as Yo! Bum Rush The Show or It Takes A Nation..., but still pretty essential.

This isn't nearly as good as It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. The highs are just as good I would say (Burn Hollywood Burn, Fight The Power) and Flavor Flav's track is better, but it feels like half of the album is just interludes where everyone just goes "yes y'all" for a few minutes. There's too much filler in here, and it's a lot less cohesive for it. It Takes a Nation just relentlessly blasts you in the face for an hour and doesn't really have any weak spots. Man, the integer ratings are really making me take some bold stances.

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

One thing I noticed is how much more I liked this album when I was listening on headphones versus speakers. Part of that might be production value but there’s a lot of discordant sounds that just hit the wrong way u less I was fully plugged in. Anyway, good beats, Fight the Power obviously a known standout on the album, and Incident on 66.6FM was absolutely an insane encapsulation of the racism at the time. Definitely enjoyed it, but maybe it’s just too soon after the first Public Enemy record on the list, so was torn between 3 and 4.

Fight the Power is one of those "forever songs," but this is honestly a step down from It Takes a Nation of Millions. There's a lot of great tracks on this album, but also a lot of filler, and musically I think it feel less potent. A 3.5 but I am rounding up to a 4. It Takes a Nation might have deserved a 5 rounded up from 4.5.

Lowk stressed me out

Another Hip-Hop Rap album! Accoring to the number of Spotify plays, this isn't a very popular album, so why is it in this list? Based on the inoridnate number of Rap / Hip-Hop albums in this list, a better name for the list might be "1001 Albums To Make You Want To Die.

ouvi até onde deu, chegou um momento que passei a sentir mal estar, não curto.

Very good. Maybe a bit too long, and the beats started to sound the same, but I enjoyed listening to it.

appreciate the signifiance, but does little for me.

fight the power

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

Just realised I don't have this album. A classic album, suffers from CD bloat, can sound tinny in that early hip hop way. 3.5 rounded up Heard before? Some Owned: No 47/187 (25%) Will I get: Maybe

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.

monotono boring che palleeee ho preferito it takes a million to hold us back

Another album I'll listen to again.

Public Enemy is great but I can't stay hype for an hour straight.

nahh

Very far from what I call music.

Standouts Brothers Gonna Work it Out 911 is a Joke Welcome to the Terrordome Fight the Power

a solid 6-7/10 it was good but not amazing Better than I expected it to be by a solid bit

What a masterpiece! I was already aware of Public Enemy but had never listened to this album in its entirety. The political statements are just as relevant today as they were then and the way you can feel the anger through the music is powerful and intense. The lyrical choices are sublime and I particularly felt this was apt - “because no man is God and God put us all here” - I think many people need to hear and understand this line now!

Well, it's good at angry gangster rap and hip hop.

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.

Funky

Not really my type, feels like 90's rap that guys would listen to in a movie. It's okay but nothing memorable for me at all.

Fin troppo lungo e fin troppo hip-hop

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

Alucinado coa produción de todo o álbum. A cantidade de samples, referencias, ideoloxía, influencias doutras músicas negras, rexistros e, sobre todo, pura enerxía é abrumadora. Rap a trallón e un lema inmortal. FIGHT THE POWER 👊🏿

👊🏼

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.

I really enjoyed this! Hard to believe it’s 35 years ago!

I'd never really listen listened to this one before. Really enjoyed it.

Enjoy the hits, but would probably rate higher if I was younger. 3.5 stars

The messages couldn't ring more true today in our turmoil and troubled environment.

Public Enemy again... Chuck D. claims that “Fear of a Black Planet” was "a deep, complex album". Objectively speaking, that's certainly an exaggeration, but it's certainly true when compared to its predecessor, “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back,” which I reviewed recently. The “development” essentially consists of the fact that the samples typical of PE are no longer used only selectively, but actually continuously. I can't say for sure whether this is an improvement. To my ears, the sound has changed from empty to intrusive; the sweet spot would probably have been somewhere in between. What I did notice, however, are the samples based on distorted guitars, which point the way to the monumental Judgement Night soundtrack (are there actually people who have seen the movie?) three years later. Where was Public Enemy when that was recorded? Back to the topic: “Fear of a Black Planet” isn't particularly annoying for hip hop. However, it provides little justification for why two Public Enemy albums are on the list.

534/1001

I liked it a lot better than I thought I would. Hip Hop / Rap is still not my favorite genre, and I'll never be arriving home and thinking "Man I want to put on that Hip Hop album...", but I guess I have learned to tolerate it more as I've grown old.

Pretty cool. interesting/bombastic production. Good rhyming. Just feels like rap classics

Quite good, number of great songs, vibes were great too

Not my normal genre, but plenty of meat, passion and stories that need hearing and learning from as much today as 35 years ago!

Not my style of music

A fun experimental mix with great use of different real-life recordings, mixed with energetic beats with great storytelling and lyrical flow

PE is one of the great hip-hop groups. All of their albums are similar in my view, heavy, over-produced, intense, and of course political. When they mix those elements together well, we get amazing tracks like Fight the Power, Brothers Gonna Work It Out, and Welcome to the Terrordome. But, many of their tracks just don't get the right mixture and come across as too experimental or over-produced. Its a great sound, its just not executed consistently.

One of the hardest rap albums of the 90's and it was released in 1990. It was going to be hard to follow up their best album, "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back", but this album hits too. I like both immensely. 4 / 5 stars

Seems like lyrics remain relevant.

A solid album, good messages, and surprisingly relevant even if the sound is a bit dated.

not a fan lowkey. i see the appeal but just not my thing (maybe i wasn’t in the right mood for it? will relisten later)

Ikke for meg, noe som er rart med tanke på at jeg elsker sinekyre 3 liksom??

I don’t listen to much rap/hip hop, so I can’t give it a fair critique. Overall, it sounds dated and not something I would choose to listen to. I had to push through the last several tracks just to finish it.

Quintessential 90s rap kings

I love the 90s rap sound but I didn't really think there were bangers on this album. I see the influence on later rap groups. Cool album historically but not one I'm trying to listen to again

Fight the power! NWA pre NWA. Solid precursor to revolutionary black hip hop

6/18,

not for me

Sounded pretty much how I expected it to, which is a good thing.

Nice album, only knew the biggest song on it (fight the power), but the rest completely matches that song

DNF

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!

Good sampling, good energy, stylistically maybe feels a little dated

This is #day526 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… how about another record from the golden age of hip-hop? Well, bring it on. Fear of a Black Planet is just as good as It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, which I gout a couple of week ago: the beats, the scratching, the rapping... all out '90s. Back to the time when music meant innovation and quality. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day527

I’m not going to lie I’m really not feeling it with this music

I don't think this electronic hip hop style will ever be for me. At least I hope not.

This album is full of annoying songs. Not all are annoying, but a lot of them are. Definitely brings the album down and it's not even that good to begin with. It's not boring. It's not entertaining either, though. At times, I wanted to like it, but most of the time I just wanted it to be over.

Not a fan

it was alright

Not my fave

Final Public Enemy album. It's been a good while since their last. About ~250 albums, to be precise. The gap was much narrower between my first and second albums of theirs. Anyways, it's fortuitous that the list has rolled this album for me now, as I've begun pre-writing my reviews for the remainder of the hip-hop albums on this list. This was actually going to be the next album I'd be listening to ahead of time if I didn't roll it today, which is kind of a crazy coincidence. Good to get them out of the way early, though listening to a bunch of hip-hop albums in close proximity of one another has kind of undermined the things I can say about them - I'm too self-conscious about how repetitious my criticisms are becoming. Anyways, on with the music. More of the same, really, though I was kind of digging the first couple of tracks. The songwriting was pretty alright and the bombastic vocals weren't half-bad, either. Like most hip-hop albums, my problem boils down to quantity. There are too many tracks and the album was way longer than it needed to be, which left me bored and disengaged for much of the duration. I find the lyrics hard to take seriously as well. The cameraphone and bodycams have kind of one-shotted the civil rights movement and the police brutality narrative. Book time. A lot of political wank. Wikipedia says that this performed well on the charts, had a significant influence on the trajectory of hip-hop, was well-received by critics and went a long way in popularising hip-hop for a mainstream audience. Yeah, these are solid qualifiers. I cosign this inclusion. ================== Four hundo albums. I have now officially cleared over a third of the list. Feels good. This hundred simultaneously felt quicker and longer than the previous hundreds. Quicker because this was my first full hundred with weekend albums enabled, and longer because I sank into a crippling album debt multiple times while clearing this hundred. I'm on top of it now, but only because I've streamlined my review-writing process considerably. I've given up on talking about individual tracks and have merged that section into a general overview of the album, which I find makes it easier for me to engage with the music while also communicating my thoughts on an album more effectively. This is also the hundred where I've begun pre-writing my reviews, as alluded to earlier. Hopefully the buffer I'm building starts doing the heavy lifting for me soon. There were some alright albums within this past hundred. "Ambient 1/Music for Airports" was okay. It occasionally pops into my head, though I'm not raring to give it another listen anytime soon. My review of Taylor Swift's "1989" still stands as one of my favourites. I'm surprised by the number of things I had to say about that album. I rolled both Doves albums within this hundred. I didn't like "Lost Souls" at the time, but I did quite like "The Last Broadcast". I'll have to give the band a re-listen somewhere down the road. "Elephant Mountain" was pleasing. That album has popped into my head on occasion. Same goes for "Brothers In Arms". Adele's 25 was another album I enjoyed reviewing. "Nixon" was a pretty good early-2000s indie affair. The vocals were kind of off-putting, but the instrumentals were pretty great from what I recall. I enjoyed going chuddy mode on my review of "Untitled (Black Is)", similarly to how I did with this album. It was nice to revisit "Gorillaz". I wound up liking that album more than I had previously thought. I also had a ton to say about it. It's my longest review by a mile. "One World" is quite possibly the best album out of this hundred, though The Last Broadcast puts up a gallant fight. I quite like my interpretation of One World as a summery, extra-planetary vacation album. The ten-minute instrumental track on that album is prime stuff, too. "Clube Da Esquina" was an album I didn't think all that highly of when I reviewed it, but it has surprisingly persisted within my memory. The mental image of being in a seaside village on a cold summer's morning persists within my memory. "Pelican West" wasn't all that bad. I remember it having a pleasing, soft sound if I'm recalling correctly. Let's take a look at the favourite artist trunk once again. Things are running alright - we're only down one album from the last hundred. That being said, we're slightly off-schedule. I should be rolling two albums I like per hundred in order to reach the finish line with a few remaining. The Beatles: 2/7 Eels: 1/1 The Flaming Lips: 2/2 Gorillaz: 0/1 (-1 since last hundred) Pink Floyd: 2/4 Radiohead: 2/6 Total: 9 albums remain

day five is

Me encantó

Goes hard

So much energy in this. An album that probably would be in the mix if you were trying to outline the chronology of rap. Favourites on the album would be "Brothers Gonna Work It Out", "Burn Hollywood Burn" and of course "Fight The Power". No least favourite in particular, just a general sense that this might be a little on the long side.

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 was actually a lot better than I thought it would be. I found myself really enjoying it. I like all the racism awareness themes throughout. Some tracks totally reminded me of the beastie boys. I was going to give it only 3 stars but I think it deserves 4. And yes, I actually listened to the whole thing!

was fine, nothing special

Still not a fan of the genre, but this wasn't terrible.

5/10 Best songs: Welcome to the Terrordome I always enjoy political rap/hiphop so I'm happy to hear this album. This album is very loud: deep bass, loud drums, shrill whistles, forceful vocals, samples and lyrics that very clearly scream "this album is about the Black experience." It becomes overwhelming, which is honestly the entire point: one can argue that much of the Black experience is tied to anger and fury, and this album makes that very clear. That being said, a little bit goes a long way, and this level of anger for over an hour is waaay too much for me. I also don't really like some of the gender views expressed, but y'know, time and place matters, I guess. I understand the significance of the album, but I think a little tightening (particularly in the second half) would have made it stronger. Overall it's not for me.

This is in your face rap oc the highest order. This is very much the sound of rap of my youth that unmistakably Def Jam footprint across everything here. Lots of the music conjures a combination of street party with old school sampling and scratching with the lyrics delivering potent messages about the state of the world as they see it. Welcome to the Terrordome is a classic, as is obviously Fight the Power. Overall the album makes me very nostalgic for my youth when rap still felt very new as was pivotal in educating on the challenges faced by black Americans

I have suffered the indignity of the Beastie Boys, Queen Latifah, and a host of late 80s / early-to-mid 90s rap albums that I have put out of my mind so poor were they as part of this generator, so I was wary when this one popped up. However, I quite liked it. There is something inherently listenable to it, much like there was when Run DMC came up. I liked a lot of the samples, and had fun picking them out - hello Vincent Price’s “Thriller” laugh - and the interludes were less about women and money (see Notorious BIG), and more about racism faced by the likes of Public Enemy. If I could give it 3.5* I would, but I don’t think I enjoyed it as thoroughly as I did a 4* album.

I continue to be surprised by how much I appreciate a lot of late 80s/early 90s hiphop, and this was no exception. I enjoyed this album, even... and this really is a surprise given how much I've whinged about them on other albums... the skit-adjacent bits! Fight the Power is obviously the standout here, but I liked a lot of this album. The style of sampling on albums like this is just so impressive to me and I appreciate that Public Enemy were outspoken about their politics and experiences. Probably a 3.5, but on balance I'm rounding down not up. It was a close run thing though. 3/5

political message still relevant and necessary, sound itself is very old school hip hop

The legends Flava Flav (before the Flava of Love saga) and Chuck D. I love listening to albums from 35 years ago that prove that nothing has changed since. One of the great and controversial early rap albums that openly puts on display hostile race relations in the US. What separates this album from the other great early rap albums is that it's openly addressing racial issues in the US and was one of (the?) first rap albums that came with a direct message. I love that this album comes at all angles. Pollywanacraka addressing interracial relationships from the perspective of the black community seeing a black man dating white women. Burn Hollywood Burn with black actors being typecast as slaves, things that ARE STILL relevant today. I will say many of the beats are..........questionable. From not great to downright annoying, especially with the repeating shouting samples like at the end of Power to the People. It's early 90's though and beats were still developing, but man, they do not age well. It's so interesting how content wise the album is a 10/10, but musically it is out of date and just terrible. Fast forward to 2026 and it's incredible how far we have come in terms of music and beat quality/development and how we have not changed at all in terms of the issues represented on the album.

ein track glost

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

no

3,5

only good thing about this is the star wars cover

I was excited to see that Flava Flav was in this group! However, not my favorite music. It felt very noisy to me.

unexpectedly enjoyed

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

Another solid album. Early 90s hip hop at its absolute best. Not an album I would have on repeat but definitely some songs to add to the favorites list.

The amount of sound effects irritated me.

I wonder if Kendrick was inspired by this album when creating DAMN bc the radio/news recordings of this album remind me of the same aspect in DAMN Shoutout Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. Fight the power!!!

Rating: 8.5/10 Short Review: You can tell the second this record starts it acted as (and still does to some degree) as a form of resistance. Now it stands as archival evidence of ongoing Black freedom struggles, many of which still exist today.

clocked that thriller sample

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

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

Idk

Dated raps with very important messages over a ton of very fun instrumentals.

Very early hip hop in a fun way. Brought to mind how inflammatory the content would have been at the time.

Very average, don't understand the hype around these guys at all, the 90s shout all the bars style rapping isn't my favourite

Solid thought I would know more songs, I did hear certain parts of certain songs that were sampled in some of my favorite rap songs. Also amazing ending with "Fight the Power"

FLAVOR FLAV!!!!

Didn't like it

radical af. rip radio raheem

Actually better than I remembered

Importante pro hiphop

Great music and a ‘cinematic’ album. Culturally significant and I enjoyed listening to it. Not sure I would listen again though?!

Lots of sampling, can see why it’s a classic but got a bit tired of the same formula over each song

Like it

The best this kind of thing can ever be

Only knew Fight the Power before listening !

So good. Top rap album of all time.

- kyä 90s hiphop toimittelee edelleen - hullun pitkiä nää albumit ollu kyl, kavereilla ollu asiaa

Immense respect for Public Enemy and their influence... but I've never liked old school rap. I've always struggled to parse lyrics in music, so I always come around to songs based on their sound first. And with old school rap, the samples are harsh, cacophonous, and real lo-fi. It's a real punk aesthetic, but just as I don't like seminal old punk bands (i.e., Sex Pistols) because it's not pleasant to listen to, I don't like this. I got far more enjoyment out of reading up on the Wikipedia article of this album than I did listening to it. So then how do you rate an album like that? So how do you rate an album you appreciate the significance of but found unpleasant to listen to throughout? A two, I guess.

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

old school masterpiece

I'm very familiar with Public Enemy, and I look forward to when I get "It Takes a Nation" because I tell you what between that album and this one Public Enemy where a head of the fucking game. The message of much of this album is VERY clear in the song names and the album name itself. It's angry, it feels like a tornado rolling down your street talking about oppression and history and it's great top to bottom. To be honest you'd have to be blind to ignore the statements made on this album, looking at you some of the 1 star reviews. Hell if you think this is bad because it's rap just listen to the first interlude and digest that a little, see how it makes you feel. Some of these messages are still sadly relevant today, some 30 years on. Especially the messages of being marginalised and how black men should be helping each other out when they're in the same situations. There are some excellent samples and hooks in here especially, Public Enemy always interested me because of these and it's heavy inclusion of rock riffs and there are bits of this on the album but it does leave me wanting more. But the music itself? Really good, maybe a touch weaker than the album that it followed (It Takes a Nation) but Chuck continues to show that he is a fantastic rapper with some of the most digestible flow in the game. I do find it a little hard to take Flava seriously though, especially between such politically charged and otherwise very intelligent messaging. Perhaps a touch long too but I won't criticise it because this album has things to say that needed saying then and honestly might need repeating today. Eternally relevant, this album is really good and VERY justified to be on this list in terms of influence (musically and socially) and quality. Best songs: 911 is a Joke, Burn Hollywood Burn, Fight the Power Worst songs: N/A Rank compared to everything else so far: 22/40 (below Boston, above Green)

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

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

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.

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

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.

Fav: Brothers Gonna Work It Out Least Fav: Incident At 66.6FM - Instrumental I need to delve deep into their discography, this was good

Inimigo dos meus ouvidos. 1 hora de música repetitiva e barulhos desnecessários. Uma delas já estava me deixando irritada. 1/5

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

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

Hip hop is not my jam, but this wasn't a terrible listen.

As I wrap up the last "essential" Public Enemy album I think I should come out and say once again that even I am not as huge on their music as some other people, I still have a lot of respect for all the influence they have on the genre and with more detailed lyricists within Rap as a whole. Fear of a Black Planet is what I would argue to be the peak of Public Enemy's sound as a whole as their lyrics are much tighter, track-listing is much stronger, and even beats are more notable but still very same-y. The Ice Cube and Big Daddy Kane feature really help bring together some of the best lyricists of their time for an all-time great Rap collaboration to add to this banger of an album. This album feels serious and has serious subject matter and it works beautifully, the only problem is this album has so many songs and really bogs itself down. There are a good bit of songs here that could be cut like a lot of the shorter tracks and interlude pieces, but all in all I still found this album to be an improvement from Public Enemy's last two projects. Fear of a Black Planet isn't perfect by any means but it is still influential as hell.

Abrasive, heroic, stylish; but lacks the songwriting to back it up. I prefer their first album. It’s a lot hookier and I think conveys similarly important messages, though perhaps not as directly.

Iconic

Not First Listen; 4; "Pummeling" is probably the word that best describes this album. Incredibly tight, aggressive, and energetic music. The use of samples and production is revolutionary - it's an impressive technical feat, to say nothing of how well everything comes together. And the lyrics and delivery is powerful but still maintains a smooth flow. Favorite Tracks: Brothers Gonna Work it Out, Welcome to the Terrordome

It’s ok. I just don’t love rap

Classic. Sick beats and the vibe is great, I've outgrown it though.

Lyrics good. Samples good.

pretty good, interesting artists a bit too psychedelic

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

Half way through and enjoying this very much. Amazing beats and brilliant samples.

One of the best Hip Hop album ever

a classic

2/5

An odd choice for Christmas day. Fight the Power and Brother's Gonna Work It Out are stand out tracks. The rest isn't as good, but still fun.

I didn't really like this.

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

Brothers Gonna Work It Out - Transition into it was pristine

first track was vibey but the rest wasn’t my vibe :( can def tell it’s from the 90s

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

another amazing Hip Hop record

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

No time for a review. This album rules.

The production of the album easily dates it back to the late-80s/early-90s, but the lyrics and delivery are incisive as ever.

this was just not for me i tend to like early 2000s rap and hip hop and this was too much 80s influence

Tääkin PI levy oli kuunneltava ja tykkäsin. Edelleenkään puhelaulut ei oo mun juttu, mutta tätä bändiä meinaan kuunnella vast’ edeskin. Ainoa tuttu biisi oli 911 Is a Joke.

Decent - really enjoyed, solid 7/10 for me - however the fact the Musical Youth sampling was the bit that grabbed me most is a reflection of me and the fact I’m not really either a fan or indeed target audience

I like a handful of PE songs. But they weren’t written for me, and I get that.

Im happy Im finally getting a hip hop album😌 This one sounded good and classic 90s hiphop. But most of it sounding good was just the beat. For a lot of the songs, they werent even rapping, just yelling into the mic. Its cool when you do it at the end of the song or just a little bit, but not for most of the song. Im loving the beats tho and DJing. Just too much of hearing just that and not hearing rap for me to add these songs Saved: Burn Hollywood Burn 6/10

dang its 80s as fuck

Chuck D 🐐

I wasn't able to finish it completely, but I can tell I'll enjoy it, and will finish it eventually.

I'm well aware I am not the target audience for this album, and this is not my usual genre. But I did enjoy this album. I don't know that I see myself replaying this album much in the future, but it was a engaging listen. Three stars. (Favorite track: Welcome to the Terrordome.)

Enjoyed the vibes - felt too same same for me to really love it on first listen, but parts of it really grabbed me. Will definetly revisit & give it a closer listen. I expect it will grow on me.

Liked it. I'll probably like anything I'll be listening but this was pretty good. Good lyrics, great beat and absolute hip-hop

I want to love Public Enemy but honestly there's just too much where it's just a repetitive drum sections and there's no raps just dudes making noise. I enjoy the rapping and style. Just wish there were more bars.

*1990. New York. *Fun standard 90s hip hop, but like most early 90s hip hop, it's too long. RATING - 6/10

Brash, in your face, aggressive, and certainly not dated considering this was released over 30 years ago. Lyrics still hold up, the beats are interesting and melodic, and flows are sophisticated and hypnotic. Hard to see many flaws with this one. Best Tracks: - 911 Is A Joke - Welcome To The Terrordome - Revolutionary Generation Worst Tracks: N/A Rating: 8/10

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.

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

M'ha agradat menys que "The Score" by Fugees.

1.25 war echt so schlecht, dass ich es nach nicht mal der hälfte abgebrochen habe

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

Classic hip hop w/ real social commentaries.

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

J'ai l'impression que tout se ressemble

Phenomenal beats and undeniable energy and swagger

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

Yeah boyeeeee

Some of the tracks boasted impressive flows and lyrics while others only dated record scratches and random voice samples. Anyway, some good points were being made along the way, ultimately!

Solid album, enjoyed listening

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

So. Much. Funk. lol love it

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

bien mais bad long

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

this shit is whack

The highlights of this album were the samples, and the creative soundscapes they made behind the rappers. The message of the album is extremely important, but it really beats you over the head with it over its hour-long run time, leaving you exhausted by the repetition at the end.

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.

Du rap comme on en a déjà beaucoup entendu, rien de transcendant.

Vraiment cool, j'ai passé un bon moment. Décidément les albums hip hop dans cette liste sont tous tops 4/5

get this shit off the airway bruh

Some of these songs are so irritating to listen to(at first) like a kid just learned how to press buttons and keeps repeating sounds unnecessarily, I understand the cultural importance of this Album but it's so hard to listen to. For example at the end of "power to the people" the RIGHT ABOUT NOW RIGHT ABOUT NOW is so unnecessary Ok now listened to fight the power as I'm getting off work and I am singing along cause this slaps. Not sure if I'm just in a better mood now or what

So good

Anstrengend

It cannot go unsaid how important Public Enemy is to hip hop, especially pertaining to their sonically dense and innovative production. These dudes were absolutely fearless in every way. Nothing but utmost respect to Chuck D, Flava Flav, and the Bomb Squad. That said, this is not a record I'd put on with any frequency, Fear Of A Black Planet is simultaneously timeless as it is dated, the aural barrage of sound is something I typically have to be in the mood for, and even still It Takes A Nation... is my preferred Public Enemy record.

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.

This was much more tolerable than most of the other rap/hip hop on this list.

lofi hip hops cool ass older brother fun samples and sounds meet solid drum loops with an almost minimalist/steve reich influence

We need this anger

Not as good as I remember.