Reviews (page 8 of 12)
It was okay. Not quite my sound.
Noisy, I like it
Very sample driven, to the point of sounding messy. Not nearly as good as Nation of Millions. 3/5
Felt like homework
It’s good, and the importance is easy to recognize. But I didn’t love it.
Thoroughly enjoyable experience
I love 90s hip-hop. I grew up with it but I have never been a big fan of Public Enemy, more specifically this album. I understand why it gets the praise it does but it’s too musically scattered to click for me. Too much background noise and not enough clean production for the style of hip-hop I like.
I know most of the songs on this album but I've never fully listened to it before (2). Pretty good, but less enjoyable than their precedent.
Not my favorite - cool sound though
Good album, not my normal cup of tea.
Giving this 3 stars not because it’s not a HUGE achievement in rap and it should be celebrated as such but rather just because it didn’t click with me. I think I need to give it a few more listens but it didn’t fit into my brain the way I wanted it to. This is an INCREDIBLE album- just not for me.
The positive is that it’s less ‘clunky’ (for lack of a better term) than their previous efforts. Production and flows are smoothed over and done very well. The negative is that most songs on here dont leave as much of an impression on me. “911 is a Joke” has gotta be the most unique song subject I’ve heard in a really long time. But “Burn Hollywood Burn” is the most impactful, scathing record for sure. Weaves media portrayals of black people into their long history of being oppressed. Really well done. Soft 3/5. No one does it like Public Enemy, not their best but still leaves you with a few things
Not really my cup of tea, but that considered I did enjoy the album
Saves the best till last. Some of the samples did sound a bit like someone was just mashing a soundboard randomly
Sterkir textar en vantar sárlega sterkara bít til að halda athyglinni
Ágætlega þétt en stundum of mikið að gerast, og svo eru textar náttúrulega minn Akkilesar-hæll.
Chaotische muziek mar niet vervelend
Hip hop clássico, muito maneiro.
I liked a lot of the cool mix tracks.
Sadly this is just as relevant now as it was when it was released. It's angry, aggressive, and important. Excellent turntablism and use of samples. Honestly, Chuck D's rapping isn't my favourite, but it's still pretty good. Flavor Flav on the other hand I find incredibly annoying. Overall, I enjoyed it, but it's not quite for me.
Angry men
Not my style, still great
Kinda cool but not my style
Försökt lyssna en del..men långt album. Vilket är en nackdel därför att det låter allt väldigt likt. Inte så stor variation. Såg att många satt högt och motiverar det med skivans budskap. Det må så vara..jag är dock mer intresserad av den musikaliska aspekten. Man gillar ju ändå de rätt enkla och sköna beatsen, men man tröttnar faktiskt lite. Jaja.
Se föregående recension. Stark trea.
I really enjoyed the sampling and creative layering, but a lot of the rapping felt a bit same samey.
I was there when this was released, I have a good understanding of it's cultural importance, but the music is just meh.
not my thing tbh all been done before
Want to like it more but the beats got a little repetitive
PRETTY SICK OLD SCHOOL FUNKY RAP
Surprisingly good, old school rap.
Some real tunes on here. The problem with it for me, and it’s not unusual of albums of the era is that it just goes on too long.
Finally listened to this album. Samples samples samples.
i liked it, not something i would normally listen to on my own time but i guess that’s kinda the whole point
I usually like social commentary music and the sampling was cool but this didn’t quite hit for me
Better than I was expecting tbh. I hadn't listened to this before but thought it was pretty enjoyable. I may give it another listen down the road but I don't see this as something I'll keep on repeat.
I dont kno man
Good just not for me
3/6
Solid enough album. Not exactly sure why there needed to be 3 Public Enemy albums on this list, but ok.
Good hip hop! But songs do blend together a lot and sound similar
This was enjoyable, but a tad repetitive depending on the track.
This was better than the last public enemy album I heard on this list. Still contains Flavor Flav so points deducted.
I liked it better than “it takes a nation”.
#665. Everything with Flavor Flav can be improved by having less Flavor Flav 3/5: fine
Aborder "Fear of a Black Planet", le troisième album de Public Enemy, aujourd'hui et plus de trois décennies après sa déflagration initiale, est un exercice complexe qui force à dissocier l'objet musical de son aura historique. Car si le message et l'influence de l'album demeurent d'une pertinence absolue, son enveloppe sonore, elle, accuse le poids des années, rendant son écoute à la fois essentielle et éprouvante. C'est cette dualité qui justifie une évaluation en trois temps : une reconnaissance de son génie historique (5/5), une admiration pour sa prouesse technique (4/5), mais un bilan global plus mitigé (3/5) en raison d'un son qui a malheureusement mal vieilli. Pour comprendre "Fear of a Black Planet", il faut se téléporter en 1990. L'Amérique est une poudrière de tensions raciales, et le hip-hop vit son âge d'or militant. Public Enemy, déjà solidement établi avec "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back", n'est plus seulement un groupe de musique ; c'est le "CNN de la communauté noire", pour reprendre les mots de son leader, Chuck D. Cet album est le point culminant de cette ambition. C'est une thèse, un manifeste, un cours d'histoire et de sociologie politique mis en musique. Chaque morceau est une prise de position radicale et sans concession. Le mythique "Fight the Power", déjà hymne du film "Do the Right Thing" de Spike Lee, ouvre l'album de manière explosive et donne le ton. La suite n'est qu'une succession de brûlots dénonçant le racisme systémique ("Welcome to the Terrordome"), la représentation des Noirs dans les médias ("Burn Hollywood Burn"), la manipulation de l'information ("Who Stole the Soul?") ou encore les stéréotypes liés aux relations interraciales ("Pollywanacraka"). Le génie de Public Enemy est de rendre ces thèmes complexes accessibles et percutants. La voix de baryton prophétique et la plume acérée de Chuck D sont celles d'un leader, d'un orateur qui harangue les foules. À ses côtés, Flavor Flav, avec ses "Yeah boy!" et ses interventions plus légères ("911 Is a Joke"), n'est pas qu'un simple "hype man". Il est le bouffon du roi, celui qui apporte une touche d'absurdité et d'humanité au milieu du chaos, rendant le discours encore plus percutant par contraste. Historiquement, l'album a non seulement défini le son du rap politique pour les années à venir, mais il a aussi prouvé que le hip-hop pouvait être un véhicule pour les idées les plus subversives et intellectuelles. Il a influencé des générations d'artistes, de Rage Against the Machine à Kendrick Lamar. Pour son courage, sa portée et son impact sur la culture mondiale, "Fear of a Black Planet" mérite sans aucune discussion la note parfaite de 5/5. C'est un document essentiel, un chapitre obligatoire de l'histoire de la musique du XXe siècle. Si le fond est révolutionnaire, la forme l'est tout autant. La production, assurée par le collectif The Bomb Squad, est une œuvre d'art en soi. À une époque pré-numérique où le sampling était un artisanat fastidieux, ils ont érigé un véritable "mur du son" hip-hop. Oubliez les boucles claires et les rythmiques épurées. Le son de "Fear of a Black Planet" est une cacophonie organisée, un collage sonore d'une densité presque suffocante. The Bomb Squad superpose des dizaines de samples par morceau : des bribes de funk de James Brown, des discours de leaders noirs, des cris, des bruits industriels, et surtout, ces sirènes stridentes qui sont devenues leur signature. Le résultat est un paysage sonore anxiogène, agressif et urgent, qui épouse parfaitement la colère et la paranoïa des textes. Des titres comme "Welcome to the Terrordome" sont des chefs-d'œuvre de production maximaliste, où chaque seconde est saturée d'informations sonores. Cette approche était techniquement une prouesse. Elle a repoussé les limites de ce qui était possible en studio et a créé une esthétique sonore unique, complexe et inimitable. On ne peut qu'admirer l'ambition et le savoir-faire nécessaires pour assembler un tel puzzle sans que tout s'effondre. La note de 4/5 salue cette vision et cette exécution technique hors-norme. Ce n'est pas un 5/5 car, et c'est là que le bât blesse, cette complexité est une arme à double tranchant. La brillance technique, poussée à son paroxysme, est précisément ce qui rend l'album si difficile d'accès aujourd'hui. C'est ici que l'auditeur de 2025 doit faire face à une réalité inconfortable : "Fear of a Black Planet" a mal vieilli sur le plan sonore. Ce qui était révolutionnaire en 1990 sonne aujourd'hui daté, et souvent, simplement désagréable à l'oreille. Le mixage, volontairement sur-saturé et agressif dans les hautes fréquences, manque cruellement de la chaleur et de la profondeur des basses qui sont devenues la norme dans le hip-hop. L'ensemble est souvent criard, métallique. La densité sonore, cette fameuse "cacophonie organisée", peut rapidement devenir une simple cacophonie pour des oreilles habituées à des productions plus aérées et dynamiques. L'écoute de l'album d'une traite est une expérience fatigante, qui requiert un effort constant de concentration pour ne pas être submergé par le maelström de bruits et de samples. Ce vieillissement n'est pas une critique de l'intention originale. The Bomb Squad voulait créer un son de confrontation, et ils y ont parfaitement réussi. Cependant, le résultat est un album qui s'admire plus qu'il ne s'écoute pour le plaisir. C'est une œuvre aride, exigeante, qui ne fait aucune concession à l'auditeur. Si on le compare à d'autres classiques de l'époque, comme "The Chronic" de Dr. Dre sorti à peine deux ans plus tard, le contraste est saisissant. Dre a inauguré une ère de productions léchées, chaudes et groovy qui restent infiniment plus accessibles aujourd'hui. En conséquence, la note globale de 3/5 n'est pas un rejet de la grandeur de l'album, mais un constat honnête de sa pertinence en tant qu'objet de consommation musicale en 2025.
It was alright, felt very half baked honestly. Some of the lyrics were great but I don't think the majority was. I'm sure the samples were great/innovative at the time but think groups get much better with it quickly after this. The feel of the album is pretty fun Rating: 3.0
Not a massive PE fan. Think there was much better hip hop acts about in the early 90s.
A classic rap album, absolute legends. Unfortunately, their message is still relevant and just as powerful today.
Classic hip hop that kinda just sounds like all the other classic hip hop on this list.
I hadn't listened to much Public Enemy before. It had some cool tracks, not my favorite hip hop style though.
I rejected hip-hop out of hand when it first appeared because I didn’t understand it. My understanding began to change when I heard this music in Spike Lee films. I began to recognize its significance, relevance and beauty as a musical form. Listening to this for the first time free of my former biases made me realize how much I was missing. This is a beautiful album.
3/6
Great stuff on here, Burn Hollywood Burn is a jam. Album is long IMO. But given its significance at the time, I think it does a lot. I dig it, and would listen again
Fight the power!
One of the best 1990s rap albums, impactful for what was to come the rest of the decade. Quite the global album in its themes. Its most popular song is included as the closing track even as it was released a year before.
Good! Fight the power is a classic!
Public Enemy's energy and deliberate, focused writing are what make this album. There's a slew of topics they set out to target centred around race, and they score direct hits pretty much every time. They're also drawing from an incredibly rich well of samples, so varied that it's dizzying. My favorite instance of this all coming together is Burn Hollywood Burn, the thesis of which is as simple as it is effectively communicated (Like, I guess I figure you to play some jigaboo / On the plantation, what else can a nigga do?). The main knock I have is that despite this range, the project started to feel a little one-note by the end, but only just. High 3.
Not my style. It was okay, but nothing stood out to me
I own an anti-nigger machine
I enjoyed
✊🏽
Don't feel the need to revisit, but this was a fun ride.
Lots… LOTS of sampling of news clips, conversations, sayings, etc… kinda works but there’s too much of it for me. The beats were cool and I liked the more rock-ish approach to hip hop than other stuff I’ve heard.
Not the best PE album. But still great.
I liked it
Didn't do that much for me
Good 90s rap. Great beats. Some great songs. That are pretty creative. But others just feel repetitive, not in a groovy way, more in a “ok, where are you going with this way” I was expecting some of the black power political lyrics, I didn’t expect to hear so much discussion about roles of black men vs black women. Directly trying to call out a sometimes resentful relationship. Not sure it did much to repair it - it kept trying to put a lot of responsibility on black women to be better, rather than talking about what they as black men could do. So, I thought that angle was surprising. Definitely a group that likes to provoke discussion.
They have a unique style, but this is one of those albums where the style is so prevalent that it feels a little repetitive after all. Still, I can appreciate this album as pioneering a specific sound in hip hop. Plus, even when the sound gets old, some of these songs don’t get old. Songs like “Burn Hollywood Burn” are great. Saved the best for last with “Fight the Power.” Most of these songs are great and enjoyable in isolation, it’s just hard to hear so much of the same style back to back.
Tänkte ge detta en femma efter första låten. Sen sjönk det till en fyra efter några fler låtar. Landar på en trea allt som allt. Långt och jävligt album. Segt att lyssna igenom. Många gobitar där i men inte bra som album i sin helhet.
It had its moments, for sure. 911 is a joke in your town!
Not for me, a bit simple and too old school. Not enough to keep me captivated.
2.5, not my style
Flavor
The squeaking became monotonous and annoying. It started to sound like a smoke detector. Really enjoyed three songs though and the masterful use of recordings.
This is still not really my thing, but it’s ten times better than any of the other rap albums I’ve heard from the same era.
Fight the power!
I am not a huge 90s rap fan but this album wasn’t bad I enjoyed it for what it was and thought it was interesting but wouldn’t listen to it on the regular it’s just not my vibe overall
3+
Repetitive. But really good production for the time. Also, I hope flava flave woke up and thanked Chuck d every day of his life
Ok album
Fun.
Good and stuff just a bit too proto for me
Chuck D sure has a lot of grievances.
Ta bien
Appropriate album to get the day before a big protest. Not my usual style but I'm enjoying the funky 90s musical backing.
The author loves the late 80s to early 90s era of hip hop. There’s THREE public enemy albums on the list, and no MF doom. This album is fine but the list is just a deep dive into one man’s taste, it’s horrendous.
Chaos op kunstzinnig niveau. Eerste paar nummers waren even inkomen. Voelde als een koortsdroom.
Paar leuke nummers maar zou het album niet vaker luisteren
While not a big fan of hip hop, there are some significant songs on this album. Fight the Power is the star on this one.
I've listened to this album before, can't say that I'm the most familiar with it though. It's good, it has some hits. Despite not flowing super well, it hits flows between a few songs at a time and then segues with skits. I like conscious rap, but I know it's not for everyone. I think "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" is a better album, so hopefully it's coming on the list.
I don't love 80s hip hop. This albums pretty cool though. The production was way ahead of its time 7/10 Favourite: Fight the Power Least Favourite: Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man
non è il mio genere però..
3+ Stars (9/15)
Pretty good album. Aggressive, oppressive, rowdy. But not any standout tracks personally. As an album tied together
Maybe their second best the first album is what I’d rate higher, but this ain’t at all bad.
I appreciate and respect the social commentary and its impact, but in terms of the music itself it’s just not really my thing. A 2.5, rounded up to 3.
Segundo disco (si no es que tercero) que toca de Public Enemy. Tiene un gran comienzo y se mantiene bien arriba. Lo recomiendo para amenizar una jornada laboral. Sin más para agregar, me despido hasta mañana.
I do enjoy politically charged music and I understood some of the cultural impact of Public Enemy prior to listening to this album but this was my first proper delve. The influence is apparent and many artists I enjoy use the same aggression and chaotic mixing as well as over the top sample layering that is so prevalent in this album and was easily my favourite part about it. The messages still hold up however I can't help but feel like Chuck D's vocals are a bit dated and sound all too much the same on majority of the tracks which is what will stop me from revisiting their music all that often.
Listen, I get it. This record was leaps and bound ahead of its time, but I'm not going to review this favourably because of such. Other genres are reviewed partially with respect to how well they hold up, so why does old (with a capital O) school Hip Hop get special treatment? The production is solid, the rhymes are clean but ultimately this album, be it culturally significant at the time doesn't cut the mustard anymore. It's fatiguing listening to a busy boom-bap beat over and over with different herbs and spices added each track. Best Track: Revolutionary Generation Worst Track: Reggie Jax... dude...
Everything I'll say is probably the same as others. Good album with some absolute classics. But the gimmick gets old. Controversially I enjoyed this more than it takes a nation. 7/10
Got a lot going on and a very formative hip-hop album. Unfortunately, we didn't really vibe with it that well.
Some bangers on here. Love the concept. Sadly it’s way too fluffy for my 1001 album speedrun
There are some incredible songs on this album, 911 is a Joke, Fight the Power, Welcome to the Terrordome. It'd be a masterpiece if it was just those songs. Unfortunately, its so full of filler that I've tried to listen through it like 5 times and at this point I've just called it. 3 out of 5, 5 out of 5 if its 30 minutes.
I enjoyed this, but not to the same extent as others so I hope to return to it at some point. The production sounds like plunderphonics in its infancy, a collage of samples which is cool and almost certainly cutting edge for the time, but falls short given what I can listen to today. The rapping is much better than the beats but it does still sound a little late 80s, early 90s to me in a way I’m struggling to get over. It could hit harder. It's obviously influential on music that I love. I’m hoping its qualities are going to dawn on me sooner or later.
It was aight
Standout Songs: Incident at 66.6FM Welcome to the Terrordome Burn Hollywood Burn Fear of a Black Planet Fight the Power I don’t often listen to hip hop, because I don’t usually like it, but this album was actually pretty okay.
Much like the previous PE album I got, I enjoyed the album all the way through. I again thought the songs worked well together as a whole, which I always look for. They did a good job with interludes and effects to blend the tracks into an overarching work. This album also had that late 80s/early 90s hip hop sound, and again I thought it contributed in a good way to the feel of the album and found it to be fitting with the messaging. In the same sense, though, it does take away from the "timelessness" aspect I find a lot of great albums to have. It also felt long, though the 1 hour runtime wasn't anything over the top. I think it was just a barrage that made it a bit tiring by the time it culminates in Fight the Power. I can see myself coming back to this one. It's a solid listen. Overall: 3.5/5
I respect what Public Enemy is and their impact, but why did I get two albums just days apart? Like the last, they are speaking their mind on important issues. The music is slightly more engaging, but the album feels very long. I almost didn’t finish this one. My rating reflects my respect for what Public Enemy represents, but I can’t see myself revisiting any of this. And maybe I can avoid repeats for a bit?
Pretty underwhelming for being one of the Most acclaimed hip hop records omof all time, I was expecting a bit more
"It’s a sprawling, messy, politically charged, and ultimately humanistic album. It features Chuck D and Flavor Flav trying to envision the future, and taking chances as performers." -- Jesse Ducker https://albumism.com/features/public-enemy-fear-of-a-black-planet-album-anniversary
I enjoyed it! Was a fun record with lots of really good beats.
Hip-hop is very hit and miss with me buy I like this album. It has energy, the lyrics are better than the usual (n-word, dicks, etc.) and it's an influential record. I have heard that the band has used some homophobic and antisemitic language but I haven't looked into this properly - it would be a deal breaker (and it means I won't round "up"). Otherwise, they have good and critical social content in their lyrics - they are not Nobel Prize quality but still. The album sounds good, varied and with good musicianship.
It was perfectly fine. I found the album to be too long, but nevertheless enjoyable
Hey guess I never reviewed this one but solid stuff here. Wish I had sat down with the lyrics of this one but good stuff regardless great beats.
6/10… east coast hip hop
Hip Hop Klassiker und mit Fight the Power einfach auch einer DER Banger auf dem Album. Reicht aber finde ich nicht an andere Hip Hop Größen ran, für mich schwankt es zwischen 3 und 4 Sternen
Nice tunes but not my style - thx!
I like public enemy and this was enjoyable. Feel would’ve liked more if it was 20 mins shorter
Remember Monkey... Always do the right thing
Couple of bangers
Decent album, will require a few listens
I'm admittedly not much of a hip-hop fan, and I really only listen to Kendrick and Mac Miller but this wasn't bad. I like the substance of what they were saying in the songs and a lot of their points are still salient today. I appreciate what they were going for and the execution is objectively good. For me personally, it's middle of the road. I wouldn't rush to turn it off but I won't reach for it again. It's just not quite my speed. Also, the album was LONG! I wasn't expecting that
Definitely a classic - can't say I'd go back to it often for any reason but reading up on it was rewarding. Truly the golden era of hip hop.
Solid, but not spectacular. The race theme is cool though.
Oh good grief, more hip hop. While I understand the cultural importance of much of this genre, on the whole I dislike the way hip hop vocals are delivered. Despite the comment above, I played this album twice, and kind of liked it, particularly the "constructed" backing music. At well over an hour, this is frankly far too long.
[7/10]
Loud, brash, explicit, and just being themselves. You have to appreciate something to unapologetic. Is it an everyday spin for me? No. Is it high energy and iconic. Yup!
Going with a 3 because the production and just sound is sweet but an hour of cuts and samples is a lot. I had a similar issue with the Beastie Boys album. Individual songs are solid but hip hop has a come a long way and as an album run it’s long and I hate to be dismissive, but after a while it’s like I get it.
This album coming on the heels of Doggy Style kinda hurts it. You definitely feel it's age after the comparison. The songs and sound are pretty good, but gets really repetitive. Every song sounds pretty much the same.
Great Interludes but mostly mid songs. Only Fight The Power remains the all-time classic
Pretty fun, I've liked it. However, unsure if I'd ever feel the need to revisit it.
Lowkey didn't listen to all of this -- I'll circle back. But it's pretty good. Every public enemy song sounds lowkey the same to me but none of them sound bad so that's good.
I enjoyed this one more than the last one of theirs although it was a bit of a drag to get through.
Bursting with energy and urgency, but in terms of straight up listening enjoyment it's not my favorite 90s hip-hop.
Oldschool rap on edelleen ihan kuunneltavaa kamaa. Levy on kantaaottava ja vieläkin ajankohtainen. Public Enemy myös edelläkävijä, että tekivät yhteiskappaleen bring the noise trash metalli yhtye Antraxin kanssa. 💪🏻
Hyvää OG räppiä. Siellä se kuuluisa James Brownin Funky Drummer -sample soi pariinkin otteeseen! Itselle ei mikään kovimmassa kulutuksessa oleva genre mutta mukavastihan tuon kuunteli!
Better than the last public enemy album but a bit long
Great start--love how the rap doesn't dominate but is another layer in their complicated mix. The rhythm is with them, though there's definitely a soggy, repetitive middle here. Wish the album had been the best 40 mins.
According to my last Public Enemy review I really didn't care for them. I think a lot of the same sentiment is back this time. Felt kind of all over the place. It had a pretty clear message though throughout. Not the best, not the worst.
I enjoyed this, I did feel the album was a bit too long though.
Hip hop. A few standouts but a lot of it blended together.
no estoy muy instruido en cuanto al hip hop se refiere, pero si reconozco que este álbum tiene sus buenos momentos. el mensaje político que trae consigo no resuena conmigo, así que intenté escucharlo exclusivamente por la parte musical. está bastante bien, es una buena introducción al género para mi, pero no creo que sea algo a lo que vuelva para escuchar todos los días.
Etwas zu langes, aber ziemlich gutes Hip-Hop Album. Eingängige Beats.
I love the beats and the samples, some of the best in the scene Not a massive fan of their rapping for some reason but a high 3
I’ve always found Public Enemy to be a bit overrated unfortunately, but I probably prefer this to “It Takes A Million…”
Not for me
Esto es hacer buen uso de samples, no como otro disco que hace poco escuché. Gran disco. Un tanto largo para mi gusto. Más allá de mi distancia con estos sonidos, el texto que contiene es de los que me gustan. Nota: 3.5
I know some of their most famous songs but havent listened to too much Public Enemy. I liked it more than I thought I would. 3/5 for me. 0/5 that it’s still so relevant.
Not a genre I usually listen to but was impressed even though I only recognized a song or 2. Liked it better than the Cure. Should have given that 2 stars.
Good album, though i do not think i am the target audience. Not a ton of standalone great songs but still enjoyable.
Fight the powaaaa!
Did not listen.
Ehhh I understand what this did for music but I just couldn't get into it with my current mindset. Appreciate the difference it made but didn't resonate.
Didn’t get through it all. I love 90s rap but some of this is just too noisy for me
I do remember this album. I always thought Flavor Flav and his persona took away from the seriousness of this group. He was a bit cartoonish. Where as Chuck D was/is the real deal.
Great hip hop that was very popular back in the day. I remember some of these songs being played when I was a kid. I didn't understand them until much later. Great beats and great early hip hop, really classic stuff.
Favorite Track: Fight the Power
Pretty solid album, and Public Enemy is hugely influential, they just aren’t my favorite sound of 90s rap
It's fine. A couple of interesting songs but I'll probably never go back to this again. 2.5
pretty aggressive tbh
A lot of songs, each with an interesting idea. Interesting uses of sampling
Decent, but didn't jump out at me. Way too long as well rating: ⭐⭐⭐ [69/100]
It was fine.
Wasn't that focused when listening to this one Old school rap, addressing big topics in the black community. Those issues are still there today 35 years later, uh-oh! Interesting to hear (what i interpret as) a MC behind the rapper's vocals and how predominant he is. You don't hear that anymore in today's rap I believe, or maybe I don't listen to the kind of hip hop that does feature it. 3
It's good, but I still don't like tap
Great album
Some powerful rhymes in there
Good but too sad to care
They definitely rock. I liked this one less than "Apocalypse 91", which happened to come up on my feed just two albums ago. This one felt more like a political cartoon than anything; they wanted to say something, and were very specific about what they were focused on. A few of the earlier songs landed pretty well musically. I didn't like the second half of the album.
Pretty good, songs run together and can get a little to repetitive for me but otherwise very good
Wasn’t crazy about them musically but I got mad respect for their group politically just overall.
Fight the Power
Powerful but dated.
As I hear more rap albums from this list it's becoming clear that I am a sucker for the old-school hip hop stylings much more than current/contemporary mainstream rap. While I didn't find Fear Of A Black Planet to be the greatest album I can't deny that it has an upbeat energy that resonates more with me than some other examples. FOABP will be chalked up as a fun romp albeit an at times hokey and annoying one. Regardless Chuck D, Flava and company carved out a sound that scratches a certain old school house party itch that I can enjoy at times. 2.87 stars
Good album but a little long. Music is nothing special but the lyrics are great and still resonate today.
I think you can not enjoy 100% a rap album unless you're a native speaker of the record's tongue. Because of this, I'm a bit afraid every time I get a rap one here. For example, I got one of Snoop Dogg and I couldn't enjoy it at all. The only exception to this rule (up to this point) is NWA's Straight Outta Compton, which I really dig and play often. When I saw Public Enemy (a band I hadn't heard before), I was hoping that this was another NWA, given the popularity of the band and the fact that they are seminal. And yes, I liked it, but not as much as NWA. Could I listen to this again? Yes, and I will. But I still felt it was not for me.
Of their albums, this is the best. I'm still not a huge fan and I find it weird I've gotten all of their albums before other more represented groups. That being said, seems like less annoying scratch sounds and flavor flav make for a more timeless sound. Everything else sounded so dated but maybe that's what made it cool to begin with.
this album is pretty hard to rate because it's a powerful historical piece, but a rough form of an early art and is bogged down by too much indulgent deejaying and flava flav
alright. all kind of sounded the same.
Didn’t get a chance to listen thoroughly but def a cool one.
Uneven but influential, Public Enemy's "Fear of a Black Planet" will forever be associated with Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing" (because "Fight The Power" is perpetually blaring on the boombox of Radio Raheem). A lot of the sample based interludes expand the run-time but contribute very little to album cohesion. Flava Flav's "911 Is A Joke" and "Can't Do Nuttin' Fo' Ya, Man!" contrast with Chuck D.'s serious political tracks but both feel less than essential. "Who Stole The Soul?", "Fear of a Black Planet," "Revolutionary Generation" and "Burn Hollywood Burn" are salient critiques of institutional racism. And "War at 33 1/3" is impressive in terms of flow and content. "Fight the Power" is the obvious breakout hit.
👎not in the mood for hiphop
I like rap, this was a little too long. Overall a positive experience
my spotify algorithm must have got a shock. Burn Hollywood Burn was a highlight (but the name hasn't aged well this week)
I liked this more than I thought I would. I liked the scratchy guitar and heavy hip hop beats in "Brothers Gonna Work It Out". "911 Is A Joke" is unsurprisingly a hit, the juxtaposition of the funky beat with an essay on police brutality and negligence makes it feel like it's a joke that's been told too many times. I could "get down" to "Power to the People", the fast-and-loose trumpet(?) is fun. The line "Don't diss your sisters" from "Revolutionary Generation" should be graffitied in every bathroom stall - and I endeavour to do so. It's absolutely a necessary album, it's messaging is still relevant today, and no song feels singular (which you don't get much of these days). You move from one song to the next without noticing, but each song is still unique. Am I a hip-hop die-hard? No. Will I be listening every ride to work? No. But, I appreciate it's significance, respect it's production, enjoyed some of the tracks, and I've added some to my hip-hop/rap playlist.
hard to live up to a nation of millions but miles ahead of most other people
I loved a lot of this, but it felt like 3/4ths were skits and flava flav rather than Chuck D rapping
INCREDIBLY solid album. This personally probably won't be a repeat me but this was pretty damn interesting. Very creative, reminded me a lot of Endtroducing... . HIGH 3.
not exactly my style but i like some of the beats, will listen to properly when i get the chance fell asleep to it tho so it cant be that bad
I'll probably get lit up for this as I've heard quite a lot about this album, but this didn't hit at all for me. Even the top played track felt like generic 90s hip hop. Not at all unpleasant, but if I was scanning through radio stations and heard this album I'd keep scaning.
Too much for me man. Maybe influential at the time, but it's mostly just a whole bunch of shouting nonsense lol. There's some good dj work, good scratches and itches, but it still boils down to a bunch of shouting.
Public Enemy during this era was on fire. A lot of hip-hop from this time hasn’t aged well, but their music is still just as fun to listen to today. While it might not carry the same impact as it did back then, these guys created a distinct sound that sets them apart from everyone else. The Bomb Squad’s production perfectly captures the energy of their music, and DJ Terminator X is a legend in his own right.
I understand it’s relevance, and it’s influence on modern hip-hop, but the best part of rap to me is always to flow, and this music has no flow at all, it kind of just sounds like a clash of sounds with random spoken word over it. 6/10 for the cultural impact and the message of the album, but the music just didn’t hit at all for me.
album to listen to when high
Thin beats. Saying interesting things but it takes too long
strong 3.9 but i have to differentiate it with It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back that I preferred, absolutely insane album nonetheless
A game show? A reality TV show? An album? Yes it wasn't bad
It was pretty cool. And it doesn't sound dated.
Interesting and influential within context but listening more than 30 years later, it is still 'solid' but not necessarily 'have to hear'
Here we are again in full effect with the PE and the S1Ws. Again, I don't know whether the proper hip hop scene takes these guys seriously, but going back decades ago I sure got a kick (of amusement and in the butt) out of the samples and stomping beats, along with afro-centric indoctri... err... adamant admonition on social issues within black culture. Hence I'm still skeptical of 911, I ought to be ashamed of myself for going to their wantonly immoral shows, I didn't die right, all the people in the neighborhood get mad, it'll take a black to move me, red and blue lights are a common sight, Driving Miss Daisy no thanks, and you need to man wash your butt.
I started listening to this on my morning commute on a Monday and felt like I was filled with enough energy for the whole week. But when I came back to it in the evening I honestly just couldn't listen to it.
Pure Public Enemy energy
Consistently hard hitting beats and lyrics, but not too many specific parts that really grabbed me. Could the runtime be shorter? Maybe. Welcome To The Terrordome is my favorite track on here, along with the closer Fight The Power. I don't really have anything bad to say about this, but I had higher hopes.
Fun for listening to at work. Nostalgic. 3/5
have you ever heard this album well if you didn't you have to listen to it now even though I think that this album was okay I think that the instruments were pretty good and also the lyrics werent even that bad I think this album was good and I recommend listening to this album
Are these the pink Floyd of hip hop? Suppose this needs more listening to but just can’t be arsed. I feel it’s a 2 but appreciate it merits more so gone 3
Liked other albums by them more. But fight the power is such a bop
Nice
It’s not my favorite PE album but it’s solid and gets 3 stars just for the Vincent Price laugh track in 911.
I've "It Takes A Nation..." in my collection, but this album didn't hit me like that previous did. I think I was moving on to other things musically, so it took few more years to get back into hip hop via Paris, Cypress Hill, Ice Cube et al. While I'm sure this is an important album in the hip hop context, it's just "more of the same" to me. I do remember several of the tracks on this album, probably can get in on the hook from first go, due to power play in MTV and such, on tracks like "911 is a joke" as well as "Burn Hollywood burn" and "Fight the power". Also, I didn't like the interludes that we're quite common at this time, I feel they just brake the feel and flow of the album, instead of adding to the story.
An album like this should come out every couple of weeks.
I imagine back in 1990, this was a very good record. Nowadays, I'm not too sure. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate any part of the album, I just think it's a bit dated as hiphop has progressed a lot in production since then.
I imagine back in 1990, this was a very good record. Nowadays, I'm not too sure. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate any part of the album, I just think it's a bit dated as hiphop has progressed a lot in production since then. 3/5
Would give it 3.5 if I could, easy listening album
Not bad but all the songs sound so similar.
I think my previous exposure to public enemy is basically bring the noise from the tony hawk soundtrack. This was similar but no nostalgia factor. Some of the beats and samples were annoying but that's probably my fault for trying to work to it. Generally like the sound, can tell it's influential old school hip hop. Don't think I'll be back quickly but it was alright.
Listened to public enemy before, this is not as good as "it takes a nation of millions to hold us back" imo, but still decent and I'm sure a very important record. This type of hip hop doesn't exist anymore as far as I know, and this makes it feel dated. Feel I've said this before, but it's shit that the social commentary from 34 years ago still rings true. Fight the power and 911 is a joke are the highlights. 3.5
Glad I heard it and has its moments but doubt it'll be something I come back to.
Maybe I’m not American enough, but I wasn’t really feeling this one. I can see why it’s a seminal part of hip hop canon, it’s just not my music
Makes me smile thinking of Nod loving this!!
Pretty fun, hard hitting lyrics. A note about the last album, i did actually enjoy the last half. I like him more when its just his crazy producing and not his annoying voice
Unfortunately this was not for me. I wanted to enjoy it and really made an effort to listen right to the end, when I was rewarded with Fight The Power. I'm going back to listen to It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back.
This is difficult: am I rating based on whether I would listen again, or based on how well this album was executed. It's reasonably good on the latter, but probably going to be low on the former, so I settled on a 3.
The messages here are powerful and amazingly seem still relevant based on news and politics from across the pond. I’m not sure that musically this is their strongest work. It Takes a Nation of Millions… works better as an album. The skits and guest appearances don’t work for me here. Nice to revisit but might be a while before I come again.
Not my go-to public enemy but some great tracks like Welcome to the Terrordome
Feel like I need to give this more spins to really dig into its significance, especially on The Bomb Squad's work. But I liked what I heard on a first impression.
Took me a while to get through this one. It's very dense and you can't really listen to it in the background while doing other things! I really enjoyed it, which I haven't had with a Public Enemy album before. Harsh but intricate and distinctive production. Would listen again when I have the space to devote my attention to it properly.
Even as a white man, I will say this album was ahead of its time, and its message is more relevant now than it's ever been. On another note, it was released the year I was born. With that being said, it could have used a better producer to make the songs more like songs than poems. Kamala Harris For President. Favorite Song: "Fight The Power".
it has a cool interesting aesthetic though i want more
rap icon
mixing is good
Oxford English Dictionary defines “album” as “a collection of recordings issued as a single…” - ok, I don’t have anything to say about this one. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it
I preferred the early Public Enemy album. But this was still good, some interesting themes and got me bopping at my desk. Simpsons: Yes, although only really Flavor Flav
Honestly a little disappointing. A bit artsier and abstract than I would have thought, but I don't really think any of it lands for me. Individual songs are great, but a lot of the album does feel like filler. Still some powerful lyrics and fun beats, plus one of the most iconic songs ever. Too tracks: Brothers Gonna Work It Out, Welcome To The Terrordome, Fight The Power
I quite liked this, though I admit that I tuned out the lyrics a bit. I could listen to it as background music quite nicely, but it didn’t grab me as much as other rap albums.
Good
Fiery, bombastic, and socially conscious. A groundbreaking album for its time that is a kind of bridge between 80s and 90s rap. Filled with heavy drum breaks, electric guitars, and just so many samples the production is good but sounds dated, as does the rapping style. I would say it’s also overly long at 63 minutes but still an enjoyable listen. Fight The Power is a kick-ass song. 3.5 / 5.
Maybe I’m tired but I found the album pretty one note and a bit dull. A shame because I really enjoyed their last album on here and I get their importance musically.
В общем я принял для себя, что олдскульный хип-хоп - это не совсем то, что мне нравится. Биты просто ок. По содержанию, конечно, интересно. Лучшая песня - Fight The Power.
Just thought it really dull
Very good classic, but it’s too long. Hip hop and rap are not my favourite genres, so I get tired of it after a while - It’s an important album with an important message. Politically charged rap and hip hop will always be better than gangsta rap to me.
I’m finding a pattern with the hip hop/rap albums on here. I start out quite excited and the enthusiasm quickly fades as every track sounds similar and starts to blur in to one. And they always love the sound of their own voices and go on for far too long. At least this one doesn’t feature misogyny or constant boasting about sexual exploits, and I do get its cultural significance
Classic hip hop
Wow, back to back Public Enemy. This one did not grab me as much as "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back". Tracks like calling into the radio station took me out of it. Overall still pretty good though.
As the second Public Enemy Album on the list for me, the novelty has worn off a bit. I still like the energy and the lyrics, but I doubt I will come back for more.
Better than Apoc but still not SUPER into Public Enemy.
This album has a way of building tension with each track. The beats feel heavy, almost relentless, like the basslines on some early Beastie Boys records but sharper. The lyrics come fast, hitting hard, like a stream of powerful thoughts and ideas just flowing. It’s chaotic, but in a controlled way, kind of like a Bomb Squad production turned up a notch. You feel the energy, like a rally cry, without any polish to soften the edges.
I appreciate the level of artistry involved in this album, even though I find it difficult to enjoy. The sheer volume of layers of samples sometimes makes it sound like 'noise', even when there is a constant backbeat. And not being part of the culture that produced this album makes it hard for me to really get into. However, I can definitely see why it has such a legacy.
This might be Chuck and Flav at their best. Remember when I fistbumped Flav after the Flo Rida show at the MGM in Vegas? Thanks HLTH 2017. Thanks Validar.
Have been listening to a lot of hip-hop recently, and while I can appreciate the art, I found it to be less pleasing to listen to than most of the hip-hop I've listened to (including from this era). Political message is interesting! But not as easy on the ear as the hip-hop I'm more familar with. 3.5 star rounded down
Appreciate how revolutionary this would have been when released
I enjoyed the overall vibe of the album, but the message doesn’t resonate with me. It’s not for me. I also think the album ran too long. There were some fun and witty lyrics throughout the album which were appreciated. Not a bad album. Standouts: Brothers Gonna Work It Out, Welcome To The Terrordome, and Burn Hollywood Burn.
3.5/5 Soooo much better than "It Takes a Nation.."
Good samples, great social issues addressed. But I just didn't care for some reason, maybe it was outdated for me. Definitely not enough to keep me interested
I do like some rap, particularly older. It has a great vibe to it. This definitely fit that, although the album as a whole felt more like a political statement than something I'd listen to regularly. There were a lot of songs I wouldn't really be listening to for music, which lowers the album for me. Guessing the messaging is pretty unique though as it's in this list. Overall, good music, but the album as a whole seemed to be more about statement than vibing to songs.
My ambivalence to Public Enemy continues
I remember liking Flava Flav as a hype man much better as a kid. His ridiculous presence in the videos might have contributed to that, a silly image alongside the important lyrical content provided a balance. Professor X's beats wouldn't work for anyone but Chuck D, great combination. 911 Is A Joke has one of the sickest beats ever. Welcome to the Terrordome is a great song. The "soundscape" tracks aren't great, they feel like a reminder that DJs were once as integral a part of the group as the MCs. Why did rappers add some random Jamaican saying "buck, buck" on so many albums? No irony in Ice Cube's "Fuck Hollywood" at the end of Burn Hollywood Burn. Power to the People is a good album track. It feels like the early 90s could have seen hip hop move to either socially conscious rap or gangsta rap. I guess it isn't surprising that entertainment won. Definitely an album that I remember more fondly than I like it now. The album tracks aren't that good. B Side Wins Again is good if it weren't for the static running over the whole track. And then it closes with Fight The Power. That's a great final track, has to be among the best last tracks of all time, sums up the album and is an amazing song.
Good stuff, but not as good as their other stuff. I don't have the same way with words that Chuck D does...
I would’ve enjoyed this album more if there were more lyrics than these wild beats.. but I dig Public Enemy
Yes, it's Hip Hop and yes there are samples, but it didn't convince me.
I'm an old white guy that can't hear much of anything without my hearing aids. Even with them in, I struggle to keep up with rap lyrics. Maybe that's why I liked this album, or maybe it's just a good album. Or maybe it's just Schrödinger's Album...both good and bad until I put my ears back in.
Outdated and notably antiquated. Great use of samples typical of 1990's hip hop. The social concious aspect of this album is present but almost lost in shock and horror aspect, another common trope of 1990s hip hop. The vocals are very high in the mix and in your face. Which takes away from the emphasis of the lyrics. But one thing I can say that's a positive is that this album listens like a funkadellic album. And isn't all that bad in the chronology of hip hop. I mean without this we don't get Outkast.
Boom bap meets 80s
Some 5/5 songs, but I don’t love the album as a whole.
More listenable than the last one but still not my jam.
It's pretty good and also nice to have a rap album that isn't gangsta rap (even though I enjoy that too). I do not care for the sample heavy production. 3.4
Hated the first two Public Enemy albums I had, but this one won me over. Easily their best. I finally don't feel like I'm trapped in a Pac-Man arcade machine while an angry black man retells me the fable of Hansel and Gretel. Now I feel like I'm on that interplanetary nebula kush. Hell yeah. Give me more of that. 3/5.
I've got plenty of respect for Public Enemy, but man I was not necessarily angling to hear another hour-long Public Enemy album within a week of the last one. The production is good but clearly dated, and the raps are dynamic but sometimes heavy-handed. I also just flat out got tired of Flavor Flav. I can't pinpoint why, I got nothing against him, I'm just not very into hearing Flavor Flav's voice anymore. Best song: Fight the Power
So, I don't know exactly what it is, but I don't like this album as much as I like "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back." I'm not sure if there's something in the production (it can be fairly shrill) or the way the album is sequenced. There are excellent songs, but after "Welcome to the Terrordome" it just seems to bog down and I get bored until almost the end of the album. I don't want to take away from the lyrics (they're great) and I really like PE overall, but I just don't love this album as much as I think I should.
Pros: The flow is tight and the passion is abundant throughout the songs. None of these guys are phoning it in. They're pouring their hearts and souls and lives into these songs. Even when they're just rapping about sex, there's a level of heart here that's inspiring. Cons: But content isn't enough for me. I need the songs to be interesting rhythmically and melodically and almost none of the album did that for me. Songs were the same 4 bar loop over and over without ever doing anything to surprise me, and almost every song had the same rhythm and intensity. Which makes critical reviews and comments from band members land even more flat for me. Said frontman Chuck D., "We understood the magnitude of what an album was, so we set out to make something that not only epitomized the standard of an album, but would stand the test of time by being diverse with sounds and textures, and also being able to home in on the aspect of peaks and valleys". So while I recognize the cultural and historical significance of this album, it didn't much do it for me. Also - Whenever I distinctly dislike something, I tend to ruminate a little on why. Because sometimes it’s not the material’s fault. Sometimes I’m just tired or in a bad mood or I’m already dopamine saturated and I’m not going to like chocolate cake, forget about new music. So I put on another celebrated (albeit newer) album - Beck’s 2019 release Hyperspace. And after giving it a fresh listen, I can confirm - I just honestly didn’t like the Public Enemy album, because even after feeling tired from listening to that, every song on Hyperspace blew my mind. What a work of eclectic pop genius. If you haven’t heard it, check it out!!!
This paved the way for Flavor Flav to make trash reality television. 5/10
Very old skool black power, sick beats, lots of sampling. Good rhymes, varied singers and songs
Not the type of hip hop I normally listen to but it was fun and I enjoyed it. 3/5
Didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would but still decent enough
Quello che ha scritto Martina
I’m a longtime fan of hip hop, coming up with it during the golden years in the mid-late 90s. Public Enemy is one of the pioneers of the culture and that can be heard in their social and political perspectives on each of these tracks. The production from this era is more rigid than what I like, but Chuck D and Flava Flav have such iconic voices and cadences. PE is not something I’ll regularly listen to, but I will always respect them.
I enjoyed it, for the most part. It did have a surprising number of songs specifically about the ethics of having sex with white women.
Nice
3.5
I didn't mind this but I didn't love it either.
Un buen álbum de hip-hop, bastante sólido, en donde destacan la complejidad de los samples de las pistas y las letras cargadas de crítica social, las que se cuestionan activamente la posición de los afroamericanos en la sociedad estadounidense y el racismo al que se ven expuestos a pesar de que el periodo de la segregación terminó hace (supuestamente) décadas. Entiendo todo el contexto en el que salió y su relevancia cultural, además del impacto que tuvo sobre el panorama del género en general. Aún así, después de unos cuantos minutos puede volverse bastante repetitivo con una textura, bpm y flow que termina sintiéndose mucho más largo que 1 hora.
Really gone on a journey with public enemy. Having heard a little but not much, this project has opened my eyes. This felt a little more polished, too many samples and not as raw as other albums I’ve listened to. Which isn’t a good thing. 3.3
Very old school hip hop.
Rap and hip-hop really isn't my thing. It's not bad, but I'm not going back
Pretty classic rap album stuff, not the biggest fan but understand it’s cultural significance.
My infant quite enjoyed this one. She grooved along to it. That said though not every song drew the same acclaim. 3/5
Conscious rap or political rap goes back nearly as long as rap itself. “The Message” was 1980, maybe? But PE revolutionized the genre and brought the sonic tools to match their overwhelming, aggressive lyrics. A PE song feels like every inch of space is filled with sound, and that’s by design. It should feel claustrophobic. So, I was not surprised when Maggie came to me, almost ashamed, to admit she didn’t like it. Liking it is not the point, although modern conscious rappers like Kendrick, J. Cole, and Lupe Fiasco have found ways to serve up sugar with their medicine. In 1990, we maybe hadn’t gotten there yet. At the time, Flava Flav was that sugar, and by our standards, that’s not enough. No, this is supposed to hurt a little. This one isn’t as good as It Takes A Nation…, neither as successful at accomplishing its own goals nor as fun, but it remains vital. 911 is still a joke in the communities PE cares about. Elvis remains a hero to most. Any number of recent tweets about JD Vance’s wife show there’s still a fear of a black or brown planet. But in the end, it’s an album I admire more than I love. I’m not too cool to still want some bops. I added “welcome to the terrordome” and “fight the power” to the playlist and kept it moving.
Fight the power!
I'd suggest that Public Enemy have aged better than their peers as their message of revolution stands the test of time better than gangsta wrap. The sound collage style of music was pioneering and the flow is very good. How ever I found the production patchy and the whole thing drags. Should have been a much punchier 40 mins.
Fight the power! not bad.
Creative use of sampling and a lot of interesting subject matter here. Not super memorable and a bit too lengthy for my taste, but overall a decent listen.
This album is kind of a mess. Chuck D is such a good emcee that it’s a bummer that some of the songs are just jumbled
Some good political 90s rap here. I don't find this one in particular to be all that brilliant but there are some good moments throughout. Fav songs: - Brothers gonna work it out - Fight the Power
Decent hiphop album! Fight the power!
Pretty cool hip-hop album. 3.4*
Second PE album in this project. But where «It Takes a Nation…» starts off with maybe their best track, this one doesn’t really get going until the Ice Cube-featuring «Burn Hollywood Burn», with «Meet the G that killed me» providing a false start. The rest of the album is really good, but the overall length and the first eight tracks drags it down to 3.
A listen once and never return type album. Not that I had a bad time but i see no replay value. Shout of flavor flav
Ну это политический альбом. Я могу уважать приятный бит, забавное использование сэмплов, но оценить глубину лирики не могу. 3
I've always loved 'It takes a nation..." but this is just a repeat to me. Maybe a bit more gimmicky? It's still good.......but not as good as before.