Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black

I bought all of the first four PE albums as they were released, and listened to them incessantly. This album is the bookend of their imperial period, when they were unarguably one of the most important bands in the world. Maybe not the masterpiece level of It Takes a Nation of Millions or Fear of a Black Planet, I have a massive love for this record. Reading about it now, they had lost all their data for what was supposed to be this album. This explains the slightly more straightforward production of this record, which is not quite as overwhelming a barrage of sound collage as the previous two records. But necessity is the mother of invention, and we have instead a more direct, though no less powerful, production. It is pretty abrasive, noisy and assertive, enhanced by the aggressive scratching of Terminator X. It draws heavily on funk and other black forms, and even their own previous records. It is a new thing, and yet stands on the shoulders of giants. It plants itself firmly in the history of black music. Chuck D has never sounded more authoritative, leavened by Flavor Flav, humorous but not a clown. Flav is angry on this record, and in a way, his number s(especially I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo N.) is the angriest song on the record (disguised with humour). The political message of this record is mature, thought out, and undeniable in its logic and emotional intensity. It is hard to think of a political band of the past 40 years that is both this eloquent and musically powerful. I was going to rate this 4 (for maybe not being on the level of Black Planet and Nation of Millions) but the more I write about it, the more I realise how much I love this powerful, focused, and forceful record. (Favourite song: By the Time I get to Arizona; the funky power of this song is really unique).

Apocalypse 91 is iconic but it's also really annoying. A lot of later music wouldn't exist without this album but, man... it did not age well. Three stars for its importance to music. Minus two stars because I just don't like it.

Can't do it. No way I'll get thru this whole album. I'm annoyed after the first 2:53 of the 1st song.

After hearing the cover of Black Steel on the Tricky album (it was probably my favorite track), I was excited to listen to a Public Enemy record. The beats were high energy and very 1991, which is basically my ideal when it comes to rap. I liked the voices of the MC’s although one or two of them I couldn’t always understand, which was a shame, because the lyrics I did hear were great. I didn’t know that Public Enemy would have such political lyrics. It was interesting and sad how many of the lyrics felt like they could have been written in 2021. The work is never done. My personal enjoyment: 3.5/5 Did it belong on this list: 5/5

Again my deep lack of knowledge will likely handicap my understanding and enjoyment of this album. The album cover, title, and indeed the very name of the band immediately locates this music in a universe well outside my personal experience. Looking through the track listing I don't think I've ever heard any of these songs before. No, I take it back, I was a bit of an Anthrax fan back in the day, so I do know Bring Tha Noize and remember it fondly. The opening track, Lost At Birth, has a synth (presumably) repeating a descending riff, essentially acting as the baseline, but pitched to sound like a siren. Makes the song stressful to listen to, which I think is the point. Sets the atmosphere for the whole album. Building from there we get a variety of sounds, beats, styles, with I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga very much reminding me of some of the funky albums I listened to earlier in this project. Setting aside the content of the songs for a moment, the music is interesting and layered and (to my uneducated ear) drawing on the best of past soul music and rap traditions to generate something fresh that remains quite listenable. The production is top notch. But you can't set aside the content, the quality of the music is just an aside; this is a band with something to say. I regret that I didn't listen to more hip-hop in my teenage and college years. Songs like By The time I Get To Arizona would have helped me get a more realistic grip on the world. Sadly the issues being discussed so poetically are still salient issues today. Clearly an important album, still relevant, and completely engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Many many years ago a friend put a tape in his mom's a car, and played the song "She Watch Channel Zero," a death metal loop with this big voice hammering rhymes at us and this little voice yelling silly things over it. Then came "Night of the Living Baseheads" with this relentless sax loop. All us 12 yr olds were blown away, thought it was the most awesome music ever. Up to that point, rap in my world was skate rink stuff, kinda fun stuff but nothing too engaging. The Freaks Come at Night, Run DMC, and sneakers. I knew sneakers were really, really important. But Public Enemy was fast, angry, funky, different. It sure was odd that a bunch of white skater kids were listening to Public Enemy while none of our black friends at school even liked them. "Too loud," or sometimes, "why do *you* like them??" Most liked Kool Moe Dee, MC Hammer (to be fair, "Turn this Mutha Out" MC Hammer was pretty good). Move up 4 years, rap had transformed and was in the golden age, and Public Enemy was fixed in this weird space of theirs - loved by MTV, ignored by radio and either loved or disregarded by kids. And yet, they basically helped shaped so much rap of the time. Sample-heavy, hard beats that didn't shy away from repetition: embraced it, hammered you with it. They either influenced the sound or paved the way for so many of the hip hop sounds of the era. One the west coast, NWA and Ice T etc seemed to pick up the hard and fast beats, but on the east coast, whether it was all from Public Enemy or whatever the cocktail was of wild west sampling at that point: a lot of clean, looped, lyrically clever sounds. Gone were the rhyme-trading party-starting styles of the Beastie Boys and Run DMC. Arrived were the pounding verses of Rakim, Pete Rock, Big Daddy Kane, etc. And unmatched, uncopied, was Public Enemy. Poetic, political, noisy, angry, borderline reverse-racist. And what I'm sure has always seemed weird to a lot of black fans of Public Enemy, maybe even Public Enemy themselves, is their white following. This album doesn't quite attack the white naivete as much as Fear of a Black Planet, but it is no doubt a black experience album. But the undercurrent of the Public Enemy sound has always been so rock-oriented - noise, distortion, uptempo, pounding, and however ignorant of racial bigotry or oppression white kids might have been, teen angst is always real, and PE has got some angry angst. It should be telling that the tracks chosen for MTV on this album were Can't Truss It, Shut Em Down, By the Time I Get to Arizona. But interlaced with those slower, no less hard-hitting songs, are borderline punk equivalent: blazing energy-filled tracks like Nighttrain, How to Kill A Radio Consultant, Move... To me, this album is pure genius. Listening to it after so many years, the lyrics are so brilliant and layered, the rhyming so relentless and referential, and I don't think there is a voice more perfectly suited for rap ever than Chuck D's. The previously Public Enemy albums broke the ground, but this album was a group at their peak, striking an amazing, balance, producing an incredibly impressive, brutally unapologetic set of serious yet sonically infectious songs unlike anything anywhere.

Old school hip hop, yet another album to the list of "Listened once, was okay, never again". It's actually a pretty long list now. And that's all I have to say about this album, let's just move quietly to another position.

Very noisy and thought this was heading straight to a 1 star… but it grew on me. 2 ⭐️

I bought all of the first four PE albums as they were released, and listened to them incessantly. This album is the bookend of their imperial period, when they were unarguably one of the most important bands in the world. Maybe not the masterpiece level of It Takes a Nation of Millions or Fear of a Black Planet, I have a massive love for this record. Reading about it now, they had lost all their programming data for what was supposed to be this album. This explains the more straightforward production of this record, which is not quite the overwhelming a barrage of sound collage as the previous two records. But necessity is the mother of invention, and we have instead a more direct, though no less powerful, production. It is pretty abrasive, noisy and assertive, enhanced by the aggressive scratching of Terminator X. It draws heavily on funk and other black forms, and even their own previous records. It is a new thing, and yet stands on the shoulders of giants. It plants itself firmly in the history of black music. Chuck D has never sounded more authoritative, leavened by Flavor Flav, humorous but not a clown. Flav is angry on this record, and in a way, his numbers (especially I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo N.) are the angriest songs on the record (disguised with a bitter humour). The political message of this record is mature, thought out, and undeniable in its logic and emotional intensity. It is hard to think of a political band of the past 40 years that is both this eloquent and musically powerful. I was going to rate this 4 (for maybe not being on the level of Black Planet and Nation of Millions) but the more I write about it, the more I realise how much I love this powerful, focused, and forceful record. (Favourite song: By the Time I get to Arizona; the funky power of this song is really unique, and shows the way for subsequent productions by Wu-Tang Clan, Dilla, MF Doom etc).

Rap music was pretty much forbidden in my house growing up, so my first exposure to Public Enemy was hearing "Bring Tha Noize" with Anthrax while playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, and I thought it was a great song. A few years ago, I wanted to seek out the best rap music of the nineties, so I listened to Fear Of A Black Planet, and I absolutely loved it. I enjoyed this album too, but not as much as Fear Of A Black Planet. Chuck D is probably my favorite rapper. His voice just has a certain authority and rich tone to it that sets it apart from his contemporaries. I love Public Enemy's political messages too; "Nighttrain," "By The Time I Get To Arizona," and "1 Million Bottlebags" containing my favorite lyrics on this album. Musically, I was probably only a fan of half the tracks on this album. Some of the beats and sampling here just weren't my style, especially on "Loss At Birth" and "Rebirth." However, "Bring Tha Noize" with Anthrax more than makes up for those two tracks. Anthrax's instrumentation takes a great song and makes it even more powerful; I love that the scratching and other original elements are still present though. Overall, this is a great album, and the rapping and lyrics are the stars of the show here. Favorite lyric: "'Cause now the KKK wears three-piece suits." I wonder if they knew how relevant that line would be almost three decades later.

Social commentary mixed with great hip-hop and rap. Delicious.

Wow. A masterclass in quality sampling and beats that go hard. A lot of the boom bap of the time that I love (A tribe / Wu-tang etc) clearly draws on this a lot, not sure why I hadn't given them a listen before as this is just as good as their contemporaries. I'm looking forwards to hearing the rest of their discography now.

The last truly great Public Enemy album. I love that Bomb Squad production, it still sounds like it's from some dystopian future.

Now we're talking! I've listened to a few songs here and there from Public Enemy and also the album "Fear of a Black Planet". This album is equally good. Public Enemy is top tier east coast hardcore hip hop. The production, the beats, the lyrics and the overall aggressiveness is hard to top. The album keeps the momentum all the way through and ends on a perfect high note with song Bring tha Noize featuring none other than the thrash metal band Anthrax.

Wish I could give more than five stars. Lyrics, Chuck D’s voice, mysic/sound… all iconic. Love this album. I remember growing up in Arizona when this album came out and us kids saying “yep, we banned MLK day and now Chuck D will never come here.”

This is my first dive into Public Enemy, and holy shit it was good. The flows were amazing, the lyrics fun and poignant. But the real star for me is those beats, probably the best early hip hop type beats I’ve ever heard. Amazing.

Truly a masterpiece of Hip-Hop in the political vein. I think I always avoided Flavor, but Chuck D and Flavor Flav's balance is very strong, and the narrative style production augments an already strong duo. Plus, Anthrax mixing with Public Enemy feels just so right.

Working on the that permanent revolution is an illusion, “Apocalypse 91” is the point in Public Enemy’s I never got past as I’d read they had settled, that this was just another solid PE record. It’s solid and I’m sold: it doesn’t have the star turns of FOABP, but it’s altogether a more clubbable record while also tougher: some of the loops on the first half are amongst their most juggernaut, and if it goes on too long they were far from alone in that habit over that decade. The fuzzed-out “By the Time I Get to Arizona” sounds like Chuck D guesting on a stalwart New Kingdom track, except that it came out a year or two earlier than NK’s first LP. They were still trying new stuff. Chuck D and Flavour Flav are the most recognisable vocal partnership I’ve heard, and I’m embarrassed it’s taken me this long to appreciate that.

Not quite as bold and skillful sounding as its two predecessors but plenty to enjoy of similar intensity. I know the highlights from my trusty Def Jam compilation, in addition to my state's unofficial anthem and confirmation that the New York Post has been a piece of shit rag for at least 35 years. Fucking Murdoch

Politically charged early 90s hip hop. Chuck D and Flava Flav are excellent MCs.

My favourite hip-hop album in this list so far. I don't know enough abut the genre at all, but I liked this - the energy and hardness of it got me much more than Gas did earlier in the week. And probably the overt political messages helped. I'd listen to this again.

Public Enemy Number 1! Public Enemy Number 1! Kna what I'm sayin? Yeah Chuck! I like how aggressive their rapping style is on a lot of songs, and I like a bunch of their beats. A lot of other tracks are really upbeat and quite funky. Overall the album is solid, with no real dips in quality. Standout tracks: Nighttain, By the Time I Get To Arizona, Move! And of course... Bring Tha Noize - Tony Hawk reprazent! 3.5 rounded up

Like an underground train rattling the grate beneath your feet and blowing hot summer city heat up into your face

Not as good as the first two albums but still a corker

Este género, particularmente en los 80 y principios de los 90, me pasa por encima. Nunca acabo de entenderlo. Pero no es como en el Country, género que activamente detesto, así que acá al menos puedo apreciar la musicalidad y las letras. Incluso hay canciones que con la desventaja de escuchar alejado geográfica y temporalmente, puedo apreciar y hasta tararear.

Was somewhat familiar with Public Enemy’s game, and thought “Apocalypse 91” was just fine… Their style is their style, and it did get a bit repetitive after a while – but I’m okay with that… Going to say that “Shut Em Down” was the best track IMO, as I’d give that song 4-stars out of 7-stars in my little rating system… Nothing mind-blowingly awesome on this album – but nothing all that awful either, so going to slot it in at a solid 2.50 stars – but just can’t get it to a 3, so a 2 it is…

Sounds like something out of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Non dovendo valutare l'importanza storica ma puramente la musica questo disco fatica. Mi ha stupito il fatto che alla fine alcune produzioni siano la parte migliore mentre il rapping è veramente acerbo. Manca spesso la cognizione musicale non a caso tra i pezzi migliori c'è bring tha noize dove gli anthrax aiutano a dare una struttura alla loro energia. Al giorno d'oggi è un disco che si fatica molto a riascoltare.

дженерик реп про превосходство чёрной расы, хули, ещё и строчку про "нига виз хис фингер он э триггер" у Наза спиздили. Да и вообще вся песня I dont wanna be called - кринжатура ебаная. В общем и целом - хуйня старая, 4/10

Ну не. В целом, имидж чуваков импонирует, с Флейвор Флейвом даже не без детского удовольствия смотрел шоу "Вкус любви" на Муз-тв. Наверное и борются не за самые зашкварные вещи. Но камон, альбом в 2к21 представляет с музыкальной точки зрения, вероятно, лишь исторический интерес. В кайф сознательно слушать чёт ваще трудновато. Ну да, головой покачать можно на фоне, но "музыкальные обои" запилить вроде особо ума не надо. Слишком лаконичные биты, какие-то раздражающие звуки, репетитивность (оказывается, так правильнее писать, хотя я не уверен до сих пор). Ну флоу в принципе нормальный, харизматишный, но не настолько, шоб тащить. Умеренно хорошим треком могу назвать I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga. У Can't Truss It бит интересный, но не столь, чтоб его на 5 минут растягивать. В Bring Tha Noize партии Anthrax свели до выработанных для битов стандартов, только репетитивные минималистичные удары, из-за чего всё равно неинтересно слушается. Хотя дебютник Beasty Boys показал, что можно и нормас запилить, если захотеть. Жаль Anthrax, группу уважаю.

I'm not the biggest hip hop person, but if this came on in a gym or something, I wouldn't be mad

meh!

Meh

Oh no.. how did this ever come about

Aggressive, raw and yet still funky and compelling. Chuck D, and I cannot emphasise this enough, has one of the best voices in the industry. His flow is natural, his tone is magnificent. The sampling usually hits the mark, the beats are great. This may not be Public Enemy's finest, but it is still really bloody good.

I love this album

Absolute classic

5/5. The production is so chaotic and loud, it works so well to match the energy the rappers are bringing. Each song just has great beats and instrumentation. It is very complex and layered that it feels so full and dope. It is also surprisingly danceable and catchy. I don't remember wanting to skip any songs even if I didn't catch all of the lyrics but from what I did catch, they were rapping about ideals I mostly agree with, like ACAB, pro-black messages, and anti-racist morals. I did hear some anti-gay lyrics but I'd have to relisten to confirm. I can see how these songs can be overwhelming but I enjoyed it all the way through. Excited to check out more Public Enemy. Best Song: Can't Truss It, By The Time I Get To Arizona, Bring Tha Noize

I don't think there is a voice more perfectly suited for rap ever than Chuck D's. The previously Public Enemy albums broke the ground, but this album was a group at their peak, striking an amazing, balance, producing an incredibly impressive, brutally unapologetic set of serious yet sonically infectious songs unlike anything anywhere.

I was a bit crook while listening to this, so i'm giving it a bonus half a star assuming i wasn't listening that well

Angry. Just how I like my HipHop

Overshadowed by It Takes A Nation of Millions and Fear Of A Black Planet, I’d completely forgotten how good this album is. Chuck D as ever is preaching from a mountain top, seeing the big picture. Flav is less of a comic foil than usual, more an everyman in conversation with the preacher man. Turning the Anthrax namecheck from ITANOM into a collaboration is the highlight.

this album hits hard in both message and instrumentation. a very angry and political hip-hop album bringing light to the divisive issues that america faces, especially against african americans. even with civil rights movements and acts in place, why must injustice and police brutality still occur day after day, week after week? why must big organizations and smaller groups treat afro-americans like lesser beings? not only are the lyrics aggressive, but the beats are as well, mixing BIG drum loops with vintage funk samples. also flava flav is featured in this album. white supremacy is a fucking disease.

Very fun album

Once again another all time PE classic. They churned out way more hits than it felt like and this production was just so ahead of it's time with how harsh and almost industrial it was at times. A little interesting to hear some of the views on this album about their own feelings towards how black people in america act, very akin to The Blacker the Berry by Kendrick in which you do feel if they were asked now to talk about it, they would approach it with a lot more nuance than is presented here. But nuance is usually limited in the medium of music so it does make sense. But overall this was fantastic and I left fueled up to to point passion and energy somewhere and was ushered out by my favourite hip hop/metal crossover maybe ever.

Fantastic album from beginning to end

Love it.

Aptly aggressive Calling out fat injustice While repping culture

Public Em is fantastic here. I use to think Flava Flav was joke but dude has some pretty good lyrics and drops some good beats. This album has some great tracks and their message stays on point throughout.

My God they were incredible. 30 years later the issues still remain…

Brilliant production, explosive lyrics, dizzying use of samples, contemporary relevance, absolutely wonderful

Awesome album to caulk a tub to.

Brilliant. Makes me want to watch re-runs of flava of love - the best reality show ever created. Why isn’t it back on tv? 4.5

No

Chuck D used to do a morning radio show with Liz Winstead, the creator of The Daily Show, and Rachel Maddow doing the news. Chuck D was excellent, thoughtful and insightful. Just like his music. “Now the KKK wears three piece suits.” Exactly. I like this a lot more now than when it came out. How can something this essential be anything but a 5?

This album was one that shaped my musical life. 5/5

Great all the way through.

# Playlist track - By the time I get to Arizona # Notes - Right from the cover, this is an amazing album. - Even though this is not my favorite genre, by any means, there are interesting samples and instrumentals throughout. - Definitely worth checking out.

LOVE

Chuck D is an amazing lyricist. Flava Flav sometimes distracts from his brilliance, but this album is as good as it gets.

own

Bring Da Noize! 👊🏼

My true awakening to hip hop and rap was Public Enemy. Ok, sure I was into Beastie Boys first, but Public Enemy was truly eye opening with their message. I'll pop in PE fairly regularly to this day even though I really don't listen to the genre aside from them and one or two others.

1/1 Enemy publicized

Love Public Enemy. This album is so raw and heavy. More intense and immediate feeling than some of their stuff which I love.

Listened Before? N An absolute scorcher here. Chuck D is the freaking man. This record is very, very good. I wish it was a bit more consistent but the first half absolutely rips, and there's several gems on the second half and it's rounded out with Bring Tha Noize! Wow! Added to Playlist? N Songs added to playlist: Shut Em Down, Bring Tha Noize

This one was great! Great messages, great music, great rapping, some thrash metal thrown in, and no tedious filler taking it over an hour. I liked the sound of this quite a bit more than "It Takes a Nation..." Yeah, boyeeeee!

More hip-hop that I wasn’t curious enough to have sought out previously that I am so glad to know now.

Fantastic!

Really great album! Political. Hard hitting. Even an Anthrax track I like! Really great!

Wow, this was honestly a HUGE improvement over It Takes a Nation in my opinion. Every track was great and filled with energy.

I love this album

Going from Loretta Lynn to Public Enemy is one of the many joys of this ap, ha ha. Unfortunately, today I'm a little short on time to describe how great *Apovalypse '91... The Enemy Strikes Back* is. So it's gonna be a quick one. The only little issue I have with this record is that it suffers a bit from how *perfect* its first side is, paradoxically.The second part of this album still harbors some excellent hip hop. But you just can't beat tracks like tight "Can't Truss It", or the deeply menacing yet groovier "By The Time I get To Arizona" (with its crunchy bassline and its soulful backgound vocals). There's also that lively "Nighttrain" or the more laidback "I Don't Want To be Called Yo Nigga", and all those tracks are as iconic as anything found in "It Takes A Nation Of Millions..." or "Fear Of A Black Planet". The alnpbum also goes out with a final bang, sonce there's the "Anthrax" version of "Bring The Noize" as a bonus at the end. That collaboration with the metal band sure is iconic as well... *Apocalypse '91...* is therefore a great bookend to P.E.'s "classic" period. Chuck D was the best rapper in the world during those early hip hop years: his punchlines *burn* everything on their way, and his political analysis is still as relevant in 2023 as it was back in the day. And Flavor Flav is a master at creating a sardonic atmosphere when he takes the center stage, as always. So the *relative* dip in quality during side 2 explains why my initial grade is 4.5/5, it's nothing that can prevent me from rounding it up to 5. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: a little more than 500, I've temporarily lost count here Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens:  approximately a half so far (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: a quarter. Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): the last quarter

A really good album, a worthy sequel to Fear Of A Black Planet in my opinion. I thought this was equally as good, and maybe even a bit better. For me the ending track being a thrash metal version of Bring Tha Noise, featuring Anthrax, no less, was very unexpected, but absolutely amazing. However I think By The Time I Get To Arizona was my overall favourite here - Extremely funky, and that gospel choir near the end brings it up to a whole other level. This was an aggressive and catchy Hardcore Hip-Hop record that just slaps. Favourite: By The Time I Get To Arizona

3rd May 2023 Not actually listened yet - still no phone so getting ahead of the curve and will listen on the drive home from London. Stayed at Seb and Justo's, went to the theatre with Harry to see Gielgud and Burton play. Was ok. It's 90s rap so I'm going to pre-emptively give this one a big 5.

Hell yeah. The fattest beats. Love

nice sound, one of the best hip hop albums ever

Me crié a base de eminem y hip hop noventoso, por eso m gusto tanto este álbum, en RS hablaron que este álbum intenta establecer una agenda sociopolitica de Y para la comunidad negra y yo estoy en total acuerdo, tmb hablaron de la creatividad de las letras y de los ritmos q son una PASADA, el significado de By The Time I Get To Arizona se ve bien reflejado y de este álbum mis favs son 9/14 así q imagínate como disfrute este album, 9/10.

9/10 - Great album all around, not my favourite genre but enjoyed it nonetheless

CAAAAAAAAAAAALICKED WITH THIS JUAN.

Even better than I remembered

This album kicks so much ass! aggressive, in your face, lyrics are to the point, and the overall sound is a punk afro boom beat.

Public Enemy really was amazing in the golden era of rap.

Awesome old-school rap

return of the jledi

Enjoyed a lot. Man how times have changed between race relations and how we perceive them…let only. Some good bangers in here.

Really enjoyed this album, hip hop it's not a genre that I listen, but the collaboration with Anthrax on the last song of the album really was well done. The overall tone of the album is a bit heavy which I like

I love old school rap

great

Bangers on bangers

Last album of the imperial phase? Maybe. Still feeling every note and word of it? Yes.

very cool

Best hip hop album I've heard from this list so far. Great tracks with something to say.

Yep, still love it.

Revolutionary in every meaning of the word!

Probably the best Public Enemy album.

All the vibes you expect from this era. Rap has changed so much since this

Love P.E. wish I saw them more than 1. Listened like 20x .

Holy shit, what an album. This is the template for half of my favorite albums ever

Not the greatest PE album, but it's still Public Enemy. Shut 'Em Down is among the finest from the group, and the I love the way the beat and the lyrics flow from the beginning to the end of this album. You can dip in and out starting with any track, but it also benefits from being played right through from start to finish. The production is super heavy and I love this album a lot.