Reviews (page 4 of 12)
Review - actually a touch better than It Takes A Nation Of Millions, had never listened to anything else of theirs before. Score - 8/10 Need to listen? YES
Great
fight the power
Perfect old school hiphop
Solid album! Long tho all the samples can get a bit irritating at times but other then that this shits fire 🔥
Kan je moeilijk omheen
Of all the hip-hop albums I've listened as part of this project, I'd say this is my favourite (probably in some competition with the Beastie Boys). I really like the lyrics and the message. Good to listen to some hip-hop that is not ridiculously misogynistic, or stupidly violent,... also, they show you can have hip-hop songs with other words apart from the "n word". Really liked the overall concept. Songs I enjoyed: "911 is a Joke", "Welcome to the Terrordome", "Burn Hollywood, Burn", "Fear of a Black Planet", "Can't do Nuttin' For Ya, Man!" or "Fight the power" (best track for me; had to listen to "Killing in the name" by RATM after that one). 4 star for me (again, not a big hip-hop fan).
The hip hop albums on the list continue to be good. But kind of surprised how challenging this album is from a production point of view. It’s noisy, harsh in parts, a bit unusual to the usual polished/smooth production of the 90s hip hop albums.
Chuck D just has the most badass voice. This one not quite as It Takes a Nation of Millions but still essential listening for anyone who likes hip hop
PEAKANUMA SAMPLE SAMPLE SPOTTED!!! PEAKANUMA SAMPLE SPOTTED!!!! Not a single "Yeah boy"? -1 score
Not my favorite, but its a good album
Big boom box blasting beats, old school scratching, and hard hitting verses delivered with a relentless pummeling force. Incredible energy, glorious embrace of the haters, and perfection of the art of the hype man.
Had this album back in the 90's as a scrawny teenager dipping his toes into the world of Hip Hop and it was always a favourite, though I must admit a lot of the cultural touchpoints went straight over my head, and some of the looser, almost slam-poetry delivery lost me at times, especially compared to more straight-ahead stuff from the likes of Dr Dre and Ice Cube. Listening to it now though as adult? I'm amazed how fresh and relevant it sounds, yet simultaneously of its time. Helps that the mix on Apple Music is especially dynamic in it's use of spatial effects. What a great re-discovery this has been!
Awesome.
Solid
less an album of songs and more a sound collage of Black history wrapped around a runaway freight train. given the driving, consistent tempo, it's hard to tell the songs apart, and the vocal sampling (real and put-on) make it hard to know who's rapping them. it feels almost non-musical in that sense, more like a news broadcast, a manifesto, a montage - its primary object is conveying information. luckily this is done primarily by Chuck D, one of the great voices in terms of aesthetic listening pleasure, and the Bomb Squad, who are just relentless in their tempo but at the same time very funky and fun. the whole project is genuinely unlike anything i know in its overwhelming forward motion and vocal polyphony - it feels like a dance remix of a record that doesn't exist, or a plunderphonics album made in reverse. and if i'm making the record sound prickly, well, it is. i found August 91.... hard to love, and this the same, though bolstered by sheer originality. but at the same time, it's wonderful that listening to Public Enemy still feels like grappling with something, contending with anger and animosity and incredible noise. records like this make me feel like we're all still catching up to them
The social commentary is, unfortunately, timeless. The overall sound is, unfortunately, dated. But its solid and well produced, if a little long. I don't like a lot of hip hop because so much of it is just wanker posers glorifying violence and misogyny to try to sound controversial. But this wasn't controversial because it was saying to beat down on others, it was controversial because its black people saying they're being treated unfairly. There's nothing scarier to white America than black people singing about treating your fellow man and woman with respect.
Imagine putting Fight the Power after one full hour of relentless rhymes
Ferocious from start to end. Definitely sounds like an album from 1989 in terms of production but it really kicks you in the gut. Lyrically impeccable. What a band.
4 singles fight the power like PE's Bossanova The sampling is premier! done in 89? out in 1990 And call backs from old albums... the through line AND the beginnings of drum&bass direct lines to DJ Shadow, and early 2000 techno
Beter dan de 1e
This is a really cool album, but I feel like I'm not the right person to listen to it or appreciate it fully.
Fight the power
Still holds up. Heck of an album.
Expertly put together, everything just works so well together. Still relevant nearly 50 years later.
Legend.
rightfully angry and powerful and it is shown on the abrassive production and the straight up lyrics this really manages to paint a stark portrait, as uncomfortable to watch as it is humorous, of the social tensions of the time, trough statements that dont really need for metaphors or embelishments to prove its point over some of the most sample stacked beats ive heard
ABSOLUTELY INSANE OH MY GOD????? HUGE FAN OF THIS ARE YOU KIDDING ME ITS SO FUCKING GOOD DUDE. I'd listen to thins of repeat over and over and over
Technically elaborate and lyrically agile, extremely enjoyable listen
Great album. Simmilar to MF DOOM. Ofcourse more the other way around. But i really like it. Great theme. Great arwork. Good sound.
(me equivoqué de álbum) está bueno pero las canciones son moooooy largas. el correcto tiene sonidos interesantes
Loved the Prince guitar sample
06/04/2026 1. contract on the world love jam - loove the scratching. *2. brothers gonna work it out - already really like this one :) the beat is reallly nice! the samples are phenomenal! the lyrics are great!!! 3. 911 is a joke - the bass is greaaat immediately!!! very relevant still.... 4. incident at 66.6 fm - ooo reaallly nice skit. *5. welcome to the terrordome - horns at the start are great!!! fantastic energy!! scratching is great!!! love the ending :) 6. meet the g that killed me - the lyrics on this one weren't great even when it was released..... for such an obviously politically aware and intelligent band from the lyrics on the other tracks, it's a real let down... 7. pollywanacraka - not as fond of the vocals on this one, but still really great. love the sampling in the chorus. *8. anti-* machine - the start is phenomenal!! loove the bass on this album!! love the phone ringing and sampling at the end <3 *9. burn hollywood burn - immediate start.. looove it!! spike lee <3 love the whistle in the chorus! *10. power to the people - really great!! love the energy throughout all the album <3 <3 11. who stole the soul? - same as the prev songs! the lyrics are phenomenal <3 *12. fear of a black planet - ooo looove the bass! droning sound in the back... fantastic beat.... great! *13. revolutionary generation - love the lyrics!!! samples are great as always <3 love how it recognises and stands up against the casual misogyny common in other hiphop, especially gangster, songs (wu tang clan....) 14. can't do nuttin' for ya, man! - nice :) 15. reggie jax - slower beat... love the bass again. *16. leave this off your fu*kin charts - loove the opening! real nice sampling!!! 17. b side wins again - looooove the instrumental!! great! 18. war at 33 1/3 - reallly great! 19. final count of the collision between - okay... like the bass :) *20. fight the power - already love this one <3 <3 <3 loooove the sound of public enemy..... the bass is absolutely fantastic and the lyrics are amazing!! did go on a bit towards the end, but maybe that was just me listening to it too late at night and getting tired lol... will def give a relisten soon <3
fun
Loved this. Thoughtful and incisive lyrics and I love the anger, the passion and the vibe. Also refreshing to not have a huge dose of dick measuring and misogyny so common in the genre, which is all well and good but pretty tiresome. Power to the People and Welcome to the Terrordome particular standouts.
A classic of its genre. Very solid throughout and sample follows recognisable sample. Great social commentary but not an album I feel drawn into listening to frequently
This one is slightly more complicated than their previous album. This still has the driving and absolutely slamming beats but it feels more disconnected. Like it has super clear themes but there is so much interstitial stuff here that it makes everything feel disjointed. There have to be 5 or 6 sketches or news broadcast sections. Maybe more. It just makes me roll my eyes a bit and want to ask them to hurry up and get back to the songs. Sure none of that in-between stuff is bad in any way but im listening to a record. I want to hear music. It just makes the whole thing feel less whole. But otherwise its business as usual. Conscious and clear as day raps with just about the sickest beats of the time. Maybe all time. All the songs rock. They kick ass. Im just hung up on how much of this isnt the kick ass songs. Still a great record but not as great as it could be with a little more editing
I don’t need to own it or anything, but I really dig it and I’m glad I finally heard it
Damn fine old skool fuck the system music!
I really enjoyed this album. Fight the power is a classic. But i did love the rythms. This urally isn't my sort of album, but I'll give it a 4. Was a fun listen.
Wow, what a pleasant surprise! This is my kind of rap — backed by funky, groovy beats. I don’t know if I’ll ever actually revisit it, but it’s the first hip hop album on this list that has me tempted. 8/10 Most Excellent
Public Wnemy and NWA were absolutely instrumental to the evolution of hip hop
Flavor Flav is a great hype man. Vh1 should give him a dating show or something
Fuck yeah.
I almost never throw on Public Enemy but whenever I do I get wow’d, so L for me I guess.
I think hip hop is at its absolute best at it's most political. Discovering albums like this is why I started this project. The only thing stopping me from giving it a 5 is things like the slight homophobia. But, given the politics of the rest of the album, I'd like to believe that was just a side effect of the time period and that the album would be much more queer friendly if it was released today.
Punchy, intense, meaningful
Not quite the masterpiece that is It Takes a Nation of Millions, but still . . . Fight the Power!
Ouais pas mal
Love these guys, excellent powerful album, “Fight the Power” 👊🏿
Good album. Maybe not quite as good as Nation Of Millions, but still classic P.E.
When to listen: walking through the streets of New York in the middle of August. Good beats. Good lyrics. Good listen.
Excellent stuff
While not as consistent as its masterpiece predecessor, Fear is still an incredible hip hop album with some of the cleverest production heard before or since. Highlights include the posse cut Burn Hollywood Burn, the foreboding Welcome to The Terrordome, and 911 is a Joke, proving that Flavor Flav can stand on his own away from just propping up Chuck D with his YEAAAAAAAAH BOYEEEEEEEs!
Really taken away by the production on this album. The energy is beautifully chaotic and moves so quickly you can barely keep up. Lyrically Chuck isn’t on the same level as some of the other GOATS but when you’re discussing complex political thought in a relatable way you get pass. Would love to spend more time with this one.
The kings and O.G.s.
me gustó mucho y su significado
Quite a long album but a lot of good material.
Liked this a lot, incredibly powerful vocals
One of my favorite rap groups, this album falls just short of the previous and following efforts of PE. Still a strong 4/5, though.
This doesn't hit quite as hard for me as it did in 1990, but it's still a great album. I continue to appreciate just how packed these songs are with samples, such that it's really part of the music rather than an add on. The skits, though, I could do without.
Not my favorite Public Enemy record, but still very good. I think Flavor Flav is better as a hype man than MC, but I get why 911 became the single. But my heart belongs to Welcome to the Terrordome.
Not my thing, but I do like some of the tracks -- just not the super-long, super repetitive ones. And it's obviously important, even prescient.
Chuck D's delivery is so good and Flav is an iconic hype man. The beats are the epitome of the New York sound. Substantial lyrical content. The overall punch is watered down by the long playtime.A handful of bits that would just be skipped on repeated listen. Ends on a high with Fight the Power Rounding up from a strong 3.
This album hits you wave of passion and energy right from the off, and this doesn't let up for the whole 1 hour runtime. Some wonderful tracks in here, not least the closer which featured in Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing". A power house of an album. Favourites: Pollywanacraka Burn Hollywood Burn Fear Of A Black Planet Fight The Power
highly suggest listening this with high quality headphones or sound system, otherwise you'll miss out on the textures and beats...
now this... this was fun
Kicks you in the teeth for an hour and doesn’t let up.
really really great, of course!
I like his voice and it's got that 90's rap people-jumping-around-in-circles sound that's fun and makes me want to jump with them. But sometimes it's too much and I want them to stop jumping for a few. 4 instead of 3 because it's interesting
One of the greatest hip hop records ever. I still can’t put it as high as ‘91 or A Nation of Millions
Um disco com capa e nome muito legais, claramente um grupo já consolidado em sua identidade, começo fraco, porém o álbum vai ganhando corpo e termina muito forte, a música que dá nome ao disco é Public Enemy na sua melhor forma. Poderia ser uma obra mais enxuta, porém permanece muito boa.
Only slightly familiar with their singles, but an incredible album. It's fun to hear flava flav in the background and all I can picture is him as an old man on Flavor of Love.
Loved this.
Can't believe I haven't listened to these guys before. I love the chaos
Another great chunk of hardcore hip- hop, love it
ja rap hiphop 90er ist halt gut aber nix besonderes
Finally a hiphop album that clicks with me.
KICK IT Fight the power is a 10/10
4/5, definitely listen again
Fight the Power
I’d never given this album a full listen. It’s really good - love the sampling.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Still relevant today, would listen again
As relevant today sadly as it was when it was made. Good sampling too.
Importante y trasversal. Vigente y duro
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.
Another good Public Enemy album.
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
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.
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.
Albun divertido y poderoso también.
"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.
Classic
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.
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.
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.
Classic iconic; not necessary my genre, but the quality is high
Still hits hard years later.
“…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.
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.
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
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!!
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.
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.
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.
fight the power
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
Another album I'll listen to again.
Standouts Brothers Gonna Work it Out 911 is a Joke Welcome to the Terrordome Fight the Power
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!
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 👊🏿
👊🏼
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.
The messages couldn't ring more true today in our turmoil and troubled environment.
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!
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.
Fight the power! NWA pre NWA. Solid precursor to revolutionary black hip hop
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
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
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.
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!
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
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.
3,5
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.
Actually better than I remembered
Great music and a ‘cinematic’ album. Culturally significant and I enjoyed listening to it. Not sure I would listen again though?!
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)
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
Lyrics good. Samples good.
Half way through and enjoying this very much. Amazing beats and brilliant samples.
a classic
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.
Brothers Gonna Work It Out - Transition into it was pristine
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.
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.
dang its 80s as fuck
I wasn't able to finish it completely, but I can tell I'll enjoy it, and will finish it eventually.
Liked it. I'll probably like anything I'll be listening but this was pretty good. Good lyrics, great beat and absolute hip-hop
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
Phenomenal beats and undeniable energy and swagger
Yeah boyeeeee
Solid album, enjoyed listening
Vraiment cool, j'ai passé un bon moment. Décidément les albums hip hop dans cette liste sont tous tops 4/5
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
Man, I love Public Enemy. They’re old school enough to provide those childhood nostalgia feels, but they were ahead of their time in delivering social commentary that wasn’t just, My name is Chuck D and I’m here to say. At the same time, they weren’t just about rapping about society’s ills, they also provided satire and cool music that you could groove to. Plus, Flavor Flav is that spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down. This was PE’s third album, coming after the album that introduced me to them, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. That was a great album and it put PE on the map. Fear of a Black Planet only increased their footstep, providing MTV with several videos, including the hilarious 911 Is a Joke, in which Flavor Flav takes lead vocals. Fear of a Black Planet is looked upon as one of the most important hip-hop albums of all time with respect to introducing political subject matter as a topic to rap about over great beats. I know it introduced this rural, country boy to social ills going on in America. It’s hard to get your arms around a problem if you have no personal stake or know someone who has gone through it. PE helped me, if nothing else, to begin to look into and educate myself on such things I had no reference for. The old, walking a mile in someone else's shoes deal. I just wonder if there is even a current hip-hop collective or artist that is carrying the torch for PE, though they just put out a new album. I saw them perform live on a talk show, and they still have the fire, or at least Chuck D does. Flav, I think, may be fully invested in the parody now. Every generation needs a “dangerous” group making music. I say “dangerous” with quotation marks many times when a group is labeled “dangerous,” it’s just because old people don’t understand. Looking back over some of the “dangerous” acts parents thought would corrupt their little children, Elvis Presley, Ozzy Osborne, Alice Cooper. I mean, we do tend to get worked up about nonsense when there are much, much bigger fish to fry, don’t we? If you’ve never been introduced to PE, this is a great album to start with, though It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back is my personal favorite. Beyond just being great, smart music, it’s important music. There isn’t so much of that around these days, it seems. This is a definite must-hear before you die.
90s hip hop. Classic old school hip hop, strong beats and delivery. Cool samples. Sound collages from golden age of hip hop.
Brilliant album. PE was one of my absolute favorite artists in high school and college, and the music remains as powerful today as ever. Would give 4.5 stars if I could.
Obviously a hugely important moment in hip hop history, but not my jam. Listened while driving home from work
Man this album just rules
Kul
My main takeaway from this album is that Flava Flav deserves some respect. In recent years, he's become a bit of a cartoon character with his reality show stints and general goofiness. However, as a hype man, he's so essential to what makes Public Enemy. Chuck D is the fiery and combative MC that is core to their rebellious tone. Flava Flav's part in this is to bring some levity to the scenario. It makes their strong messaging palatable for an admonishing crowd still nervous about hip-hop. He may not do much rapping, but he flows in and out of each song with commentary and catchphrases. He contributes like it's his own instrument. Listeners will enjoy the comedic aspects but will come out the other end learning something new about the black experience. He's the cold glass of water when you put too much salsa on your chip.
281125 15:57 4 / highlights: welcome to the terrordome, burn hollywood burn, fight the power
This album is badass
I enjoyed listening to this classic
I can appreciate the energy and emotion and anger of Fear of a Black Planet, but I’m still a little too white to fully love and understand this album like many others do
They always slap
Super compelling and cacaphonous album that has a great meaning. Some moments feel a bit stale in the middle but impressive nonetheless. 4/5
Great!
such an epic and dynamic album it does get to be a little long by the end, but listening to it consecutively is the best way to go I think
This was great. Like a lot of rap albums around this time, it’s a scathing attack on racism and the white man. It’s great and full of valid criticism of the way black people were (and sadly still are 35 years later) treated. I’m not a huge rap guy but I really liked this.
Album No. 0067 on my list. I’ve been aware of the existence of Public Enemy before, and that was about it. So listening to this was a fresh start into 90s hip hop. And I liked the album. Very powerful, tough, socially conscious lyrics, intense beats, lots of sampling. My favorites were the intro (“Contract On The World Love Jam”), “Brothers Gonna Work It Out”, “Burn Hollywood Burn”, and “Fight The Power”, obviously. Interesting listen, very powerful. 4/5 stars.
I already know this one and it's a classic. Good, old school conscious hip-hop.
86/100. Fear of a Black Planet by Public Enemy is a powerful political rap album that tackles injustice and double standards in society. It addresses systemic racism, media bias, cultural appropriation, and the oppression of Black communities, delivering a bold and urgent message. The production is layered and dynamic, matching the intensity of the lyrics
With razor-sharp sociopolitical commentary, meticulous sampling and a strong urge to continue the momentum of their 1988 breakthrough 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back', Public Enemy pushed the envelope further with 1990's 'Fear of a Black Planet.' Much had happened since their last record: N.W.A. had blown up on the West Coast with Straight Outta Compton, hip hop was being leveled with media condemnation from all corners for inciting violence and unrest, and Professor Griff had been booted from Public Enemy for his anti-Semetic remarks in public. But they persevered to polish and tighten the efforts of their previous record to ensure 'Fear of a Black Planet' is just as biting, controversial and thought-provking. Chuck D and Flavor Flav continue to push the envelope of socially-conscious hip-hop through songs such as 'Brothers Gonna Work It Out', '911 is a Joke', 'Welcome to the Terrordome' and arguably their most iconic track, the self-explanatory 'Fight the Power'. They even welcome Ice Cube from N.W.A. to guest on 'Burn Hollywood Burn', showcasing some camararderie of East meets West, and given Publc Enemy and N.W.A. were the two hottest hip-hop groups of 1990, it was a cornerstone moment for the genre. Also of note is the impressive production by The Bomb Squad. The impressive and inventive use of sampling adds to the creativity of the lyrical content, setting a scene steeped in chaos, disorder and rebellion. You can hear these songs echoing from the harder, meaner streets of New York, giving Public Enemy the status of watchover men for the lower socioeconomic communities. 'Fear of a Black Planet' ensured that Public Enemy, unlike their New York contemporaries Run D.M.C., would not be lost in the more serious, antagonistic nature of hip-hop in the 1990s, and that the East Coast would still be a vibrant breeding ground for rappers in the years to come. Best songs: Brothers Gonna Work It Out, 911 is a Joke, Welcome to the Terrordome, Anti-N***** Machine, Burn Hollywood Burn, Fight the Power
Exceeded my expectations, good stuff. A tad long, but solid stuff if you're in the mood.
Not there best but so, so good. Call me old but this is what rap should sound like.
3.5
3.5
3.5
*Fear of a Black Planet* Actually like this one a good bit more than I did *Nation of Millions*. I think one thing I really like is Chuck D's flow something I really kind of got into last time. I think one of the reasons has to do with this manner of delivery which seem a little bit less in your face or arrogant. He just straight up sounds like a man wanting to tell you his side and how important it is. I think another thing I like about this album is that it's more of a national political statement rather than just a neighborhood they're from. Sonically I really got into the collage of samples on this album. Not so much because I knew where they were from but it really gave a nice thick texture that kept the groove going which is what really sold me on this album. I'm not as big on Flavor Flav which has flash and arrogance that usually detracts me on most rap but I honestly did not dislike what he was doing on this album. Right now this is sitting at my second favorite rap album in this project 8.5 ★★★★
como um album de rap é um 3, não sou mt fã do flow do PE e as vezes eh meio repetitivo, mas como mensagem é um 5. tem momentos mt fodas, a música que leva o nome do álbum, Fight the Power, 911 is a Joke, Welcome to the Terrordome... vontade de sair batendo a cabeça na parede. se alguem curtiu o album, recomendo escutar It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back do Public Enemy, é um ábum com uma mensagem parecida, mas um produto bem melhor e consistente deles.
Na minha cabeça é isso que toca no Brooklin se eu viajasse no tempo pros anos 90. Se hoje em dia tem quem faça som parecido, foi porque alguém fez primeiro. Os samples de rock são absolute fodas em Brothers Gonna Workout. Queria ter um boombox pra sair por aí… Acho que finalmente chegou o momento de tirar Do The Right Thing da Watchlist. Pontos altos: Anti Nigger Machine e Who Stole the Soul
Not sure we need to listen to 3 Public Enemy albums before we die. I preferred this to It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back and probably on par with the other one. 3.5/5. Raising to a 4.
4.5 Stars
That’s probably enough for Public Enemy on this list. But this is good. Overtly political as always, some powerful bars. Welcome to the Terrordome andFight the Power are classics
I appreciate and respect Public Enemy immensely, but this was just too much sound for me. The songs had a lot to say and I wish the production had been stripped down slightly to let that breathe. But I do understand that this barrage was their intention and it was certainly well executed.
Really liked this. Perfect blend of political/activist messaging and catchy beats.
let me guess- another album that is fantastic but the racist users of this site hate. edit: turns out people like this one. weird Would I listen again: yes Deserves to be on this list: yes 4.2
No private session used for Spotify as I have listened to this album quite a few times. Angry, yes, but angry with a point and thought provoking. Use of the n word, including the name of of song, but it's used to make a point so it seems purposeful and not gratuitous.
8.5 / 10
Too much extra noise between some great songs. 3.5, rounded up.
Spitting truths
very influential album and though some of the songs aren't bangers i really loved this project (though i just like public enemy as a whole)
This is where Flava Flav came from? That’s hilarious. Cool samples. Sounds so modern. I want to revisit this for sure. Funny timing since my dad was just showing us the Anthrax crossover song.
Would not buy
Not a hip hop fan but beat is very funky.
Music brimming with thesis-worthy songs: - How media perpetuates and limits how black people are portrayed in media (Burn, Hollywood, Burn - and still relevant given Lupita only got that Oscar for playing a sexually abused slave) - Police profiling and violence (Anti-Nigger Machine - also still relevant) - Using anti-miscegenation to show how race is purely a construct to perpetuate notions of supremacy (Fear of a Black Planet - maybe less relevant given some of the gross ways mainstream culture has come to fetishize mixed folks) - An ode to black women in direct opposition to so much of the misogynoir endemic to US culture & media (Revolutionary Generation) - How health care fails marginalized people and communities (911 is a joke - still relevant; just look up rates of maternal mortality for black vs white women) ...all while layering in more samples than Paul's Boutique, with a vibe that varies from a riot to a party (and sometimes both.) If I have a quibble, it's that some of the rhymes feel clunky in the way that early hip hop can often be, and it feels like the whole thing could just be tightened up a bit overall - within songs and with the album overall. Minor complaints when the artists are clearly aiming to deliver a meaningful masterpiece.
Golden era of hip hop. Quite possibly the most uncleared samples i’ve ever heard on an album. Black excellence. Revolutionary words. Fight the Power as the final track to send a clear message and that message is strong.
Muy gangsta skkkrrt skibidi toilet, sampleos pro y no mamadas como las de ahora, hermano. No le di 5 estrellas porque me distraje escuchando Vértigo de la diosa Fey, buen disco, buenas rimas, buena música.
Pretty decent, considering I am not normally a big hip-hop fan.
Meget fint gammel rap album. Plejer normalt ikke t høre gammelt rap men dette var en dejlig overraskelse 7/10
really engaging and inventive if ultimately overlong. fav tracks: fight the power; welcome to the terrordome
I enjoyed this more than the other Public Enemy albums I’ve heard. I felt like there was more variation/musicality in their delivery and backing tracks than the usual somewhat robotic style of late-80s rap. Fav tracks: Burn Hollywood Burn; Who Stole the Soul?
Great beats, great rapping, very nice production style
It’s hard not to appreciate this powerful political statement that resonates 35 years later
Really, really solid 90's rap FLAVAAAAA FLLAAAAAAAV Best Song: Fight the Power Rating: 7.0/10 Stars: 4
Yeah boiiiyyyy. This is great. The sound is a bit dated, but the themes are still relevant. I love Chuck D's voice, it hits hard. How sad that 35 years on, the attitudes they rhyme about are still rampant. Quite thought provoking. I love driving to this too. The anger makes me feel cool.
Very good
4.5 / 5 A lot to unpack here. Very much of its time, but also (sadly) universal. Groundbreaking even if followers have eclipsed the original in terms of talent and creativity - will be revisiting this album a lot, and I expect my opinions will get even more positive.
An album that's trying to get your body moving and move you to action. Perfect to listen to while you do a job that requires extreme stillness.
Fight the power
Great riffs that lend expression to those that society has held down but not something I will return again and again to listen to. Provocative stuff that I do not usually choose to listen to that is painful but well executed. An important record and social commentary.
Very good early gangster rap. An ignorant critic might say it's derivative of N.W.A. but it's the genre and nwa propagated it. Good funky sounds and rap. Fear no black planet.
Public Enemy albums are just so listenable. Great sound collages. Occasionally the lyrics jump out and those march the music, but the lyrics sink back in my listening enough that I can’t go five stars.
East coast rap during the golden age of sampling. Great album
Hell yeah.
It’s a shame we’ll never hear sample work like this ever again. Often it’s like an audio collage. Vital and angry and still fun to listen to. It’s also classic hip-hop that holds up.
A classic. I'd say parts haven't held up as well as "It Takes a Nation" but it's still great. Mid 3 to low 4 out of 5.
Вообще не идеальный альбом но очень хороший, биты где то технично крутые где то классные по наполнению или просто мелодичные и жирные, вокал не могу назвать выдабщимся но на нескольких песнях читают просто афигенно
for an album that released 35 years ago, there's a real freshness to it. anything with flavor flav is bound to be great too, look at flavor of love!
It's always fun getting these wildly influential albums and having everything make so much more sense in hindsight. Also, Fight the Power hell yeah.
Fun but ohhhh man the lyrics
Loved it. The production and sampling are amazing.
Bit overlong but I quite liked the vibe of this one
Better than Coldplay
Excellent testament to the rise of hip hop.
Nice oldskool hiphop.
The time has arrived for the final Public Enemy album of the project. Have I ended on their best effort? Well, I think I prefer its predecessor, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, but this is a close second. Fear of Black Planet is great. This encapsulates just about everything that makes Public Enemy a big deal in hip-hop history. You've got lyrics and production that could both be considered revolutionary in multiple senses of the word. Both Chuck D and Flavor Flav bring their A-game in spreading their messages. Speaking of messages, boy does this album have them. This album really makes you want to fight the power. Yeah, this album closes on its best song with the all-time classic, "Fight the Power." Nothing new to add here, that song is amazing. Others like "Welcome to the Terrordrome" and "911 is a Joke" show off the Bomb Squad's stellar production. I think the album's a little long and it has some skippable tracks, but there's no denying that this album's a classic. Public Enemy isn't quite my favorite hip-hop act, but they've definitely earned a place in hip-hop history that I have to respect. High 4/5.
political and correct
Classic old school rap. Public Enemy #1.
Aw hell yeah! I remember when this came out, it wasn't my scene but a lot of it was inescapable. Listening to it as a whole today I don't know if I would've liked it then as much as I do now (which is a lot). Sadly the themes are all too relevant (maybe even moreso) in 2025. Music and loops are definitely of their time but are still super solid grooves. I will be revisiting this fairly regularly.
4 out of 5 From the early days of rap. Chuck D and Flavor Flav had great beats and powerful lyrics. Not related to this album, but I really, really needed this music after they gave me "Super Fuzzy Logic" yesterday. That shit was painful.
Solid.
Is good
4.75
This was my most anticipated album of 1990. I loved It Takes a Nation of Millions of to Hold Us Back and had been playing "Fight the Power" on a loop from the Do the Right Thing soundtrack. "Fight the Power" is one of the greatest songs of all time, "Welcome to the Terrordome" slays, and there's plenty of good stuff on here ("Brothers Gonna Work It Out," "Burn Hollywood Burn," Who Stole the Soul?" etc.). There's also a good amount of filler, and luckily my young self didn't understand the sickening homophobia of "Meet the G That Killed Me." Chuck & Flav should've known better, and that song is a stain on this album. Otherwise it's awesome.
Public Enemy was the high water mark of hip-hop to me - perhaps not surprising for a 48-year-old liberal-ish white guy from Ohio into rock/alternative. Don't think I ever owned an album but the singles on MTV (cuz I certainly wasn't hearing it on the radio) from this era are all classics. Definitely hyper-of-the-moment which does for me affect its longevity but great stuff.
great listen
Angry album this one
Contract on the world. Mello intro. Odd? Brothers gonna work it out. Chuck D such a strong clear voice. Overall not sure this goes anywhere. Bit long and like the slightly home recording feel of the vocals when Flava sings. 911’s a joke. Funky. Great track. Flava surprisingly lyrical/melodic. Incident at 66.6fm. Warmed up for the Beasties….had gentlemen in cages with uzi. Gold. Hilarious track. Welcome to the terrordome. High tension from the get go. Something about it at the end it kind if fades into background music for me. Maybe heard it so many times. Meet the G that killed me. Cool title. Odd short track. Pollywanacraka. Rap version of ASMR? Anti-Nword Machine. Is a positive-sampling machine. Takes ages to open. Was this composed as a walk out song? Burn Hollywood. Good track. Power to the people. They are aurprisingly techno or at least more than i remember. Not sure i like the speaker ping ponging of Flava at the end. Who stole the soul. Who stole the techno more like it ammiright? Fear of a black planet. Classic. Beats. Samples. Spitting fire. Revilutionary generation. Nice intro. I like it a lot too much though I think it is a bit of a bit of a stretch to to be honest with you and I think it is is a bit more of a stretch for me to be honest with you and I don’t think I I think I would be be able to do that but I think I will will be able to to be able to get get a better understanding of what the situation is and what the situation is is and and I think I can do a lot of things better than I can do with the other people and I think that I think that I can do it it just depends on the situation and and I don’t think I think I can do do you know what I think I can do that I think I think that would be a lot of of the things that I think I I think I don’t think that would be the best thing to do it just depends depends on what I think it’s just a a lot of things like that I think think about it is I think it’s a lot lot of people are very different than what I think I I don’t know I think I think I think I just don’t know I don’t know but I think I don’t know I’m just saying saying that I don’t know what to do with my life and I don’t know know what what I don’t know how to do with it I don’t know how I can do it I don’t don’t know how how to do it I I don’t know how much I can do with it but I don’t know Cant do nuttin for you man. Another melodic flava track. I find his voice annoying but his tracks are wuite singsongy and i like the juxtaposition with spitting fire type rap. Reggie Jax. Nice track. Forgot about this. Cool groove. Funky, laid back. Has big Eric B and Rakim feel for me. Leave this off your fucking charts. Track for the b-boys? B side wins again. Nice ahout out foe the b side. I think the title and military styling made me forget this is the album if a dancey party band. Serious message but dancey party band. Not too much distance between this and ‘well the hip to the hop’. War at 33 1/3. One for the carpenters. The circ saw zipping from ear to ear was a bit annoying. Otherwise good track. Final count of the collision etc. odd. Fight the power. Funky. Great track. Solid closer.
When I saw this pop up I wondered how it would have aged. It's still cool.
Energetic and still relevant
Important, of course. Not every second holds up perfectly 35 years(!) later, I suppose, but songs like “Fight the Power” and “911 Is a Joke” still command your attention.
Very much an enjoyable listen. Have listened to this album a few times before as well and I don't get bored by it.
Wow. Can't listen to it a lot, but WOW. 4
I think this album does a great job of taking an early version of the sub-genre of gangster rap and substituting themes of violence / guns with messages of politics and social reform. Tons of energy and a raw, intense, feel but still feels somehow positive in it's message. Not always in the mood for this much intensity but in the right time and place I think this album really speaks for itself.
Very good album. Public Enemy hits every time.
I liked it. Funky and fun while expressing some serious concerns of the times
great album. a few songs to bump while driving. but very real telling of what black america must have been feeling in the 80s around cops. dudes were smart.
Crazy sampling and texture. Seems to have pioneered that style/approach. Some deep themes, too. A classic for a reason.
217/1089 - Way better than the first PE album I got, the beats aren't as annoying. Still a bit repetitive. I appreciated that a majority of the skits were tv footage/radio call-ins but I'd still prefer no skits.
Very good. And interesting.
I was surprised at how relevant Fear of a Black Planet still is today. The impact of this record on music history can't be measured in stars. I should actually give it 5 stars. For listening pleasure alone, though, I'd give it 3 stars, as the old-school style was often too edgy for me.
I like this. It’s good.
Esse álbum é muito bom! Curti bastante. Celest Gumiho.
This album is fantastic and I love all the samples and call backs to other records. My only complaint is the sound is inconsistent, some songs are quieter than others and some sound like there is a blanket on the speakers. But this album feels like a leap forward creatively.
-1 for lack of Cold Lampin
Like a lot of the rap and hip hop on this list, I really appreciate the power of its messages, still relevant so many years later, and the talent of all those involved but do still feel the overall sound or production is a bit dated. Favourite tracks were probably Burn Hollywood Burn and Fight the Power. Like I said, still so meaningful in today’s world (unfortunately).
Fear of a Black Planet – Public Enemy (1990) | Political Hip-Hop | Avg: 7.79 | Favorite Songs: “Fight the Power” and “Burn Hollywood Burn” Fear of a Black Planet is a wall of sound; dense, aggressive, and unapologetically political. I have a strong appreciation for the album’s high points, with multiple tracks in the 8 to 10 range, and “Fight the Power” and “Burn Hollywood Burn” standing out as massive, culture-defining moments. The Bomb Squad’s production is relentless, layered with samples and noise that give the album its chaotic energy, while Chuck D’s voice cuts through with commanding urgency. It’s a record that hits hard and leaves no room for indifference. Even with a few lower-scoring tracks scattered throughout, the consistency in the top-tier cuts demonstrates the project's real impact. Songs like “Brothers Gonna Work It Out” and “Power to the People” continue the fire without feeling repetitive. There’s a focused fury behind everything here, and while the density might be overwhelming at times, it’s also what gives the album its lasting weight. It’s not just a classic because of its message—it’s a classic because it sounds like nothing else, and still resonates today.
Flavor fuckin’ Flav! In his prime! Lyrics are sharp, incredible sampling, great hooks and bone rattling beats. Ear worms all over the place and some classics.
First hip hop album, I was struck by how political it was, from start to finish. 911 is a joke was a track I forgot I loved
Not bad for an older rap album. Sadly the topics are still relevant, but those beats are a bit dated. Enjoyed it.
Good to stick on in the background Quite long. 3.5
A little inconsistent but its honestly hard to fault their 1988-1991 output.
Maybe the first album I was actually waiting for? And then somewhat disappointed by. That’s the way the ball bounces G! To this day, “Contract on the World Love Jam” through “Terrordome” is unimpeachable. And then...well, it’s not bad, but it all pales next to “Fight The Power.” Which I was already a fan of, from the Do The Right Thing soundtrack (one of my first CDs!). I even got the tape of that antisemitic dipshit Professor Griff in the weeks before Black Planet came out. I was all in. “Terrordome’s” dense sound design is still as incredible to me as a My Bloody Valentine record or one of the Very Expensive Studio Productions by Depeche Mode, etc. The Bomb Squad here was an assault, an all-encompassing, overwhelming sound, especially compared to the more spare Nation of Millions or Bum Rush. There’s so much in there! Meanwhile Chuck D never lets up, surpassed only by Andre and Big Boi on B.O.B. Alas, after that, I get the sense they were spread a little thin between working on other albums, touring, the usual record business ridiculousness. The truism about how you have your whole life to make your first record and then a few months for your second doesn’t just apply to every rock band that comes along. In this instance, it falls on PE’s third outing. They still had enough going to put out 2 more singles on Apocalypse, but the light was just about out by then. The title track and thus the album title has some ideas about ethnicity/genealogy that surely made only a little bit of sense to my dumb ass in 1990 but, as with a lot of PE tracks, the scope is limited to that basic matter of biology. Today, I’d love to hear its critique/observations extend to cultural appropriation, multiculturalism, diversity concerns, but it’s fairly pat. The very next song is, one would think, a necessary part of the future black planet, two Black men’s appreciation of Black women. Of course, this being PE and the Bomb Squad, well, it’s more like reading a Marxist’s chapter on relationships in a book about constructing the ideal society. Not quite a love jam. And then a Flavor track, that...I can’t parse if it’s entirely autobiographical or Flav sending up some better off man bitching about having to loan a few dollars to hangers-on. Or both. Coming right after a song for the sisters, it’s curious. “Fight the Power” has lost not one bit of its power. Just a pure piece of agitprop. And thanks to James Brown, is still danceable and immediately gets your attention. You don’t have this on in the background just kinda passing the time and not notice it. Chuck’s even aware of this in one of the verses: As the rhythm designed to bounce What counts is that the rhymes Designed to fill your mind It felt like something important even to me in (the fall of) 1989 and getting to see Do the Right Thing in the theatres only drove that home. So, they may’ve peaked with this and Terrordome, but damn, those are some incredible peaks.
Het geluid van PE wordt me met dit album een beetje te rommelig, vergeleken met de twee platen daarvoor. Toch een belangrijke plaat, maar zet 'm niet zo gauw op.
This was the type of hip-hop I’ve been waiting for. The type that I really get from Public Enemy: loud, bombastic, funky, and absolutely not dated in the slightest. Chuck D has to be in the conversation for the best hip-hop vocalist. His deep voice really increases the impact of most of the album. Flavor Flav wasn’t bad, either. Especially on 911 Is A Joke. It suffers a little bit from the hip-hop trait of “being an hour long”, but the songs are honestly great enough to prevent this from becoming a slog. Easy to see how this was influential. Favorite track: Fight the Power Other hits: Burn Hollywood Burn, 911 Is A Joke, Welcome to the Terrordome, Pollywanacrcka, Brothers Gonna Work It Out, Power to the People, War at 33 1/3
an absoluting excoriating social expose on racism, police brutality, and realistic depictions of the black experience over high energy samples, breakbeats, and intense callouts. Great album.
PE took everything that had happened in rap and DJ culture and electronic music as a whole up to that point and pushed all of those genres forward by leaps and bounds. This album was a true sea change and unquestionably one that everyone should hear. I don’t ever play it just to play it, but I enjoyed hearing it again today and its quality and importance cannot be overstated.
We need more partnerships between the hype guy and the brain guy.
A highly enjoyable series of punches to the face, culminating with "Fight the Power."
Some great rhythms and sampling, Chuck D is ferocious but with a smooth delivery
I can hear the roots of so much modern music in this. It's often a bit busy--in a way that's very intentional, but means it's music for a certain mood for me.
This was a great listen. I've never heard any Public Enemy, and really wasn't even very aware of them. But, I loved their beats, with all that scratch, and their in your face style with Chuck D as the front and Flavor Flav as the foil; their dichotomy is what made a few of these songs so memorable. This albums whole statement seemed to highlight the difference in white and black in Hollywood and neighborhoods, alike, which is a take I haven't heard. I ended up loving so many of the points that they brought up. The only thing that didn't do it for me here was some of the instrumentals go off the rails and aren't something you can listen to, they seem more to be there to wake you up. All in all, great listen and I'll definitely listen again down the road. Favorite songs: Welcome To The Terrordome Burn Hollywood Burn Fear Of A Black Planet Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya, Man! Fight The Power
The production surprised me on this one, really solid. You can hear the MPCs everywhere and the guys’ mic presence is great
I really like most of the songs, though there are a few misses and it can drag a little long. The concept is great and the message hits hard. 8/10
Not bad, not my favorite but can definitely hear a lot of influence on the newer generation in here.
Solid rap album, strong attitude and message
A few weak/filler tracks hold this back, but when it hits, it hits. Overall I like It Takes a Nation of Millions more, but this very close, and the production sounds more evolved.
Very impressive! The music isn’t in a style I can claim to know anything about, but I can tell these guys were at the top of their game here. The flow is simply unbelievable, and the commentary continues to resonate well into the 21st century. Endlessly listenable. So much to pick up on repeat listens. Incredibly stylish. So cool! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Very close to a 5 star for me
4/5 strong but too long
8.5/10