Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Lame and corny
damn we're hoppin from the jump. This is sick. I think some of the drum loops in this are crazy. Crazy relevant themes. I really like this one.probably my first 5. Yeah it's a 5. The last song is insanely stupid. Mind-melting.
A classic rap album with energy and a message. I don't think this album aged well but it is undoubtedly an album that has pioneered a sound that would carry throughout the 90s
It was fine, no stand out songs
Was entirely unfamiliar with this album but I knew PE from Fear of a Black Planet. Anyways this was awesome; great beats, ad libs, and some punchy verses.
I liked this album a lot. Cool sampling and reference to other hip hop tracks (they said “can I kick it?” a bunch!). Very interesting and compelling social commentary. Though the rap style was kind of consistent throughout, the beats were varied and I liked the cool and near-intimidating flow. Easily my favorite song on the album was the one that I definitely cannot sing in the company of others. 8/10 today.
I came to this skeptical ... Public Enemy is huge, influential, etc., but ... how well would this hold up, didn’t they peak with Fear of a Black Planet? and so on. The opening track, Lost At Birth, is brilliant. No notes. From there, a dense unfolding flow of sound -- dynamic, vibrant, powerful. A very long album, not my first choice of genre, but this is the real deal. And so refreshing after some of the lame, dull successors we have been saddled with during this project. I was going to give it a 4, because ... I don’t love it. But the music is so well constructed that, thinking about some of the stuff I’ve given 4 stars to, I had to go to 5. Experts in their craft are at work here.
This was a very fun listen. Before listening to this, my only exposure to Public Enemy came from Prophets of Rage and their collaboration with Anthrax (which is the final track of Apocalypse 91), and they were both very good first impressions. Other than that, I was fairly uneducated on Public Enemy's stuff. Now, after listening to it, I can see why they're here. I thought there were some really cool uses of samples, and the verses were consistently great. For the most part, I actually preferred the non-singles, but Bring The Noise (or Bring Tha Noize, as it's spelled here) is awesome. Favourite song: Bring Tha Noize
This album was so important and influential when it came out. For me, it definitely centers in a certain time and place. I wouldn’t have been exposed to this album when it came out - I was nine and lived in a white household that didn’t listen to much rap at the time (though I, personally, would be listening to more rap within a handful of years) - but I’m glad I got to hear it now.
Hardcore hip hop, political rap.
I don't really know what to think of it. I know that it's probably one of the pioneers of hip hop but idk. It has a lot of strongs topics in it but only from the music it wasn't that great for me
Classic
Great album with lots of great tracks. I spent a lot of the late 80's and early 90's driving my family crazy listening to PE.
first real experience with Public Enemy and, like, hm. always thought i'd love them, and maybe Black Planet or Nation of Millions will click harder, but i'm not in love with this. it's a very angry record, which is fine, cool even, but there's a kind of haranguing quality to it when you combine the sentiment with its length that is a challenge, especially with my habit of listening to these multiple times to really wrap my head around them. Chuck D (wonderful voice, incredibly cool, genuinely really excited to hear more of him) has a real bitterness towards other Black people on this record that is certainly earned and complicated and really not my thing to dissect but it makes things a bit less righteous and more lecture-y. still, though, this is just a very cool block of sound. sampling's great, production is funky in a sort of loud, sweaty way, and when the lyrics are on point (which they mostly are) it's really easy to get caught up in the energy. also, just scrolling through their discography, and man, what an incredible set of album covers. just such a cool, cohesive, accurate-to-the-music set of visuals. anyway, that's not really relevant. i liked this! i think i seem negative because this has been a week of total heaters from the generator, and i expected this to be another one. oh well!
I can see it is probably important but it isn’t my thing. Not sure it has aged well either.
prefer wu-tang clan or other similar bands, overall decent but not my cup of tea specifically
Public Enemy electrified my consciousness in 1989. I was in college. Daniel & I played them at all the Arts House parties.
I had this album back in the day, but didn't listen to it as much as other PE records. I remembered why while I took this in. For me it started really strong but declines as it goes on. "Letter to the NY Post" troubled me at the time and has aged very poorly, making the 4th "side" of the record unlistenable. It's too bad because the good stuff on here is REALLY good.
Should be ok. But not in the mood for hip hop today unfortunately. Nothing too special stands out. Beats feel repetitive with almost identical bpm throughout the entire album. And it’s looping like there is no tomorrow.
fun old school album. pretty wild for folks of our generation, knowing Flava Flav from his reality show, and not from Public Enemy. overall, Chuck D i think has the better skills than Flav, but it was still a fun listen. shout out to Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 for introducing me to Public Enemy as well.
I wish I were more aware of the cultural and political references made in this album so that I could better appreciate it. I do feel like this second Public Enemy album we’ve had is a better representation of the sound I’d expect from them. It’s also always nice to get that reminder that Flavor Flav is famous for something other than reality TV.
Damn! This album slaps through and through! Right from the start it takes off and keeps on going. All of the songs are pretty similar, but they're consistent in a good way. I'm debating giving this a 5, but the only lyric that I remember hearing is that they beat someone up just for being an f-slur. I'll probably take a star off for that.
This was the peak of their popularity. The album was a behemoth and the videos were nonstop on MTV. Chuck D went hard. The Masters of Funk went hard. Even Aflac went hard. Fun to read up on, tapes lost, etc.
Very political
Man, this hit so hard back in 91.
Alltså bra bara inte min grej. Shut Em Down är min favorit. Lite enformig att lyssna på i ett svep, jag tycker att mycket låter samma. Men det går ju inte att betona nog hur viktiga de har varit rent politiskt, lyfter orättvisor, rasism osv
This was pretty good!
Last of the three Public Enemy albums on the list. A good listen on a long drive. A bit more metal fusion than I expected but that's fine too. 3.5
most of this passed me by without really grabbing me
I found this fun and clever and enjoyed the sudden double bass pedal at the end with Anthrax
Obviously you know Harder Than You Think from Public Enemy but this was a really good intro to some of their wider work that I really enjoyed. Probably just me being daft, this, but I was taken aback by how political a record this is. Clear, coherent, complementary production (the opening track sets the tone for this well) and overall I really enjoyed it.
Really solid, if not their best.
All others are imitators - Public Enemy are #1!
3/5 simpáticos, not 4 me
Look at the album cover... whatever you expect this to sound like is exactly what it sounds like... Just 90s rap, not the worst thing ever, but not great. 2/5
A high 3 for me. The pace needed a slight change up near the end to push it that bit more. The Anthrax collaboration is one of my favourites.
Interestingly the tapes from today’s album were stolen forcing them to re-record with a simpler more robust sound. Some people like it - but I think it’s the main reason that the second and third LPs by Public Enemy are better. High 3
Fans may disagree but the stripped back production sounds more sophisticated to me than the embryonic plunderphonics of Fear of a Black Planet. I l already liked the rapping, but here it comes together as the full package: dancier, looser, more fun. Previously I thought I wanted to hear them go harder, tougher, meaner, but in fact through adding more funk, soul and joy into the mix that they have captured my imagination. A nice mix of politics and humour as well, paving the way for the unrepeatable, hilarious backing vocals on I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo N*. You’d have to be pretty stone faced for this record to not to raise a smile. It doesn’t particularly dip at any point in quality, but if there was any trace of an energy slump, the closing Anthrax rap rock collab certainly wakes you up!
Low to solid 4 for me today, i don’t like the production or vibe as much as Fear of a Black Planet but this is still a great golden era rap album
4/5 dope but not fear of a black planet
Reaaally fire. Just great all around
typowy album z gatunku czarnej muzyki na liscie jest typowy
Pleasantly surprised by this
Saving "It Takes a Nation..." for last, eh? I honestly don't know too much about this album in particular. This is a little rougher around the edges and more straightforward compared to the group's previous albums. Chuck D is still authoritative on the mic and there are still some poignant and memorable tracks here (Can't Truss It, By the Time I Get to Arizona, and the Bring Tha Noize collab with Anthrax). I guess the disks for each track were originally stolen, forcing the group to re-record under tighter circumstances (somewhat explaining the denser production). Still, this can't help but be overshadowed a bit by the group's previous two albums.
yum 3/5
As with a lot of the hip hop on this list, I enjoyed more than o expected to. Not the best of the genre, but very listenable.
Not my style, but I do enjoy their passion—and the rhythm. ★★★
Like Motörhead - fast as fuck, one note as fuck, fun as fuck. Bring the Noize if you listen to nothing else.
5 stars
2.5 rounded up to 3 - not my favorite PE album, prefer the earlier stuff more.
This is, probably, my favorite Public Enemy Album. Can't Truss it, By the time I get to Arizona, Nighttrain and Bring tha Noize are probably the most memorable from this album. The last 45 seconds of Bring Tha Noize are what really do it for me though, that is one of the nastiest drum / drum track transitions that I can recall off the top of my head -- it blew my fucking mind in the early nineties. I would listen to that song again and again just for that transition....
Too repetitive to be good, but some decent stuff buried in there
Hmm I wanted to like it more. Simpsons: Yes
Some good tunes on here
Damn good. Maybe not as immediate as FOABP or ITANOMTHUB but still enjoyable and Chuck D sounds absolutely LOCKED IN HERE.
This album goes hard lol, I probably haven't understood a big number of the references, cool to listen to a Public Enemy album though and hear songs from Flavor Flav
pretty fun
Ok 3.4
mostly fun but some clunkers
Played it twice and was never able to carefully listen to it or extract anything that I'd like to listen in the future. 2.5
Pretty good. Really like By the Time I Get to Arizona.
Not the best album for a white woman in a Subaru to listen to while driving into the South Side of Chicago 😅 appreciated the Alexander Hamilton reference
(89/100)
Not for me
PE is excellent but this album is great but probably an A tier, not S tier. It’s still charged and Chuck D still has force but I didn’t believe it was as focused and tight as the other. And Flava Flav still annoys me
Not bad at all. Good stuff!
Two days, two early 1990s East Coast Rap albums Really hard to not be biased when we got Wu-Tang yesterday, but it’s really easy to compare the two and see the shortcomings it has. To start with the good: the themes of injustice, poverty, and media coverage are very well conveyed and it’s definitely a lot better organized than 36 Chambers. There’s a couple of good sounding songs in there, but I think the problem is the album gets a lot more repetitive when most of the vocals are done exactly the same. Some songs really get on your nerves after the third verse and it makes it hard to get through. It’s not BAD, and I can definitely see myself liking it significantly more on a different day, but I was definitely burnt out by the end.
This one is interesting. I do like the early 90's style of rap for the sheer energy it has that a lot of other music just doesn't quite hit in the same way. Although at some point I have to admit the siren-type beat is too much. Solid 3 star album, kind of interesting, kind of rough, might listen to it again.
Surprising. Gritty. Tough. But good messages other than bitches and 40 ounces. Black pride, MLK holiday strong. The liquor companies preying on the black community were DEFINITELY unexpected. Good not great.
No matter how many times I listen, this is not my thing. But for some reason, I liked it more than Wu-Tang and Kendrick. That doesn’t mean I’ll listen to it again, but I didn’t wish it was over the entire time. Overall, didn’t particularly enjoy it but didn’t really hate it either.
Once again, Public Enemy demonstrates that sounding rebellious does not mean it sounds good. Sometimes musical molds are good to break away from. Other times, when the melody is ignored in favour of complaining about how much your life sucks while swimming in cash from your previous album releases, I think you should stick to convention. This kind of 90s hip-hop sound is very dated and I'm convinced the 5-star ratings are primarily nostalgia based rather than how good the music sounds. Apocalypse 91 is even worse than It Takes a Nation of Millions and Fear of a Black Planet, because there's a lack of radio friendly tracks. Instead, the listener experiences 51 minutes of noise and near identical beats with a few moments of fresh air to remind the listener that this group is capable of making good music. They just don't want to. I wish Public Enemy would experiment more with a rock sound, maybe add some interesting melodies to replace the agonising loops. Because, despite their obvious influence in the 90s, they've got very little going for them. Public Enemy just does nothing for me. Did I need to hear this before I die? No, but apparently some did.
3.29
0.6/5 The only half decent song was bring the noise and that's only because anthrax played on the track. The rest hurt my ears.
Bring the noise, tony hawk classic. Definitely enjoyed this more than the last public enemy album we had, it's got that 90s NY hip hop sound that crosses over with the punk of the time so well. This album clearly influenced RATM a lot, lot of lines and words made it into their lyrics. It's just not varied enough to be a 5 for me, though it is definitely more interesting than pretty much all other rap of the time.
How To Kill A Radio Consultant and Bring Tha Noise were catchy, but the rest didn't land for me. I prefer Public Image, but only marginally. Lead chap has solid voice, can hear the groundwork for later groups, just not my cup of tea.
Could repeat what I wrote for their previous album largely. Chuck D has a great voice for a front man. Some important themes which sadly are still relevant today. Got to mention "bring the noise" which is burned into my brain from THPS2. 3.5 but 4, for bring the noise
Great Songs: How To Kill A Radio Consultant, Lost At Birth, More News At 11, I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga, Can't Truss it, Bring Tha Noize Good Songs: Nighttrain (Pete Rock Strong Island Mt. Vernon Meltdown), Move!, A Letter To The New York Post, 1 Million Bottlebags, Shut Em Down, By The Time I Get To Arizona, Nighttrain, Rebirth Mid Songs: Get The F... Outta Dodge Bad Songs:
This ain't bad Some good beats and good lyrics. 3/5
I’ve never enjoyed this group
Kind of a downgrade after great of a black planet. Still pretty sick production. Steve keeps calling me and singing track 5 which makes me uncomfortable.
Good
Just about everything by Public Enemy is important, but I liked the music on this album a bit less than their other work. It is still high-quality, hard-hitting hip-hop. Favorite track: "Nighttrain"
I find that a lot of rap in the early years hasn't aged the best and sounds dated rather quickly. Thankfully I didn't have that issue with today's album. It sounds fairly fresh and the things they rap about are still sadly relevant as it was back in 1991. The line about KKK now wearing three-piece suits knocked me back as how well its aged in today's messed up political climate. Chuck's vocals are demanding and he has a great flow. Flav serves well as the group's hypeman and even gets time to shine on 'I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo N***', one of the strongest tracks here. I was aware of 'By The Time I Get To Arizona' and 'Bring The Noize' due to my time with the Tony Hawk video games and they hold up from my childhood. Although the latter song is drilled into my brain at this point, it must be weird to see how a band like Anthrax collaborating with Public Enemy must have been when this released. There is a fair bit of filler on here that brings down my overall rating. Despite the bloat, I had a good time and I'm intrigued to hear more from these guys.
To me just more average Rap. 2 stars or D+.
I liked it, it was good rap, good rhymes, good spins. It is a little rough for me to listen to regularly but I don't mind it .
While I’ve found that I like Public Enemy quite a bit through this project, we’re on their third album. This is overkill. I find myself having to state this on so many albums these days. On merit alone, of course this album is good. It highlights racial injustice and the rap is thrilling for the time period. 3.5/5
Loved the lyrics and messages throughout, and these guys drop the funky beats! This style of hip-hop isn’t totally my thing, but it’s still a great album.
I am becoming increasingly cynical about hip-hop, which is too bad because there's some good stuff in there. But I need to be honest with myself and admit that my least favorite part about rap songs is almost always the rapping itself. Here we have one that is not even the biggest offender, but how many albums like this one do we really need? It sounds pretty much like the other two Public Enemy records on the list, but not as good. Key tracks: Lost at Birth
One of the better ones from this group. Some of the tracks are goofy but the message stands
Unhinged production
No private session used. I like the anger and energy of Public Enemy and when you listen to the lyrics you get why they are angry. Some of the songs have way too much ironic racism and the use of the n word for a white man to feel comfortable listening to.
Yeah, this one's not really doing anything for me. Old school style rapping never really has unless the band is named Beastie Boys. Just sounds dated in a way that I can't get into. It's fine, but not for me.
I never listed to rap / hip hop - not really my thing, but if I ever want to, - which I may now- I’ll go to this.
Not my thing. Not why I listen to music. I get why it works for others.
Surprised at how much I liked this
Not my regular genre but the album has some merit. It's lyrical & rhythmical, if i was a different person this could rate much higher
Hip Hop ist nicht meins 1/5
i really liked this!
this album somehow manages to be very serious and pretty fun at the same time. some of the samples and backing tracks were kind of grating and annoying, but there's enough good stuff on here that i'm willing to give it a pass. the bring tha noize collab with anthrax is huge and is such a great album closer. not sure if i like this album more than fear of a black planet but they're both good inclusions on this list. favorites: nighttrain, can't truss it, by the time i get to arizona, move, more news at 11, bring tha noize
Excellent beats and groove.
Good, and with some powerful songs, but nothing quite at the level of their previous.
As relevant today as when it was written.
Enjoyed, but didn't feel the same impact I did from "it takes a nation," so if I were to listen again it wouldn't be this album
Hardcore hip hop at it finest - love them.
This album gets better as it goes on. There some good instrumentals. Still, a little early 90s hip hop goes a long way.
Solid! These are some very angry men, and even though over 30 years have passed since then, this record could be released today and it would be just as fitting. Great spin!
Again, not for me
I really like Public Enemy, and this is just more of them. Lots of great beats here, some very strong verses and hooks and a fun album in general. I feel it's a bit too self-referential though. There are a lot of throwbacks to older songs here, making it feel less like it's own thing and more like a greatest hits. I also don't think it's quite as sharp as their previous 2 albums.
Good better than other from the same time that basically sounds the same.
Feeling myself angry and resentful this morning, Chuck Ds anger and resentment comes across authentic and cathartic. Flavor flav brings some outlandish comedic relief (even if that wasn’t the intention). I don’t typically go to Public Enemy for this era and style of hip hop, but may add to the rotation after refamiliarizing myself. You still get some of that corny 80s hip hop sound that makes it sound a bit outdated and ultimately the groups importance outrides its everyday listenability (for me).
Fun
More old school rap
Flavor Flav has got to be the worst rapper of all time
Another PE masterclass, especially love "By the time I get to Arizona" and "Letter to the New York Post" Ending on a version of Bring tha noise featuring Anthrax is an incredible crossover that works like a sonic PB&J Also shoutout to track 5 for being the new king of "songs a white guy CANNOT do at karaoke"
3.5, some full on epic tracks mixed in with some that sound cheap and rushed 'cos the originals got stolen! ...what it could have been …
Didn't love it.
It’s not quite on a par with It Takes a Nation of Millions or Fear of a Black Planet, but they are still very much bringing tha noize.
5.5/10
Of all the styles of rap, I seem to like these guys’ combination of aggressive lyrics and pumping bass and vibes better than others.
Great rap
I quite liked the 90s hip hop type beat plus the radicalism. The black cnn
Quite good
Faktiskt helt ok, fortfarande. Det är ändå rätt daterat vid det här laget, men jag hade en rätt njutbar stund. Det kanske inte når särskilt höga höjder men ändå. Skönt gung. Men det känns ändå amatörmässigt idag, med den utvecklingen hiphopen haft.
Även om de två föregående albumen från PE är de ”stora” så föredrar jag ändå detta. Mer utvecklade beats och produktioner, även om rapen fortfarande bitvis är lite primitiv. Har heller aldrig förstått storheten med Bring Tha Nooze. Stark trea blir det ändå.
The rapping and lyrics were great but some beats sound like they were made by DJSigma
I mean yea it’s a good album but a lot of kkk references which kinda turned me off
Ich inna płyta, która mi się wyładowała tu była lepsza. Ta jest trochę monotonna i wtórna. Brakuje mi jakiegoś hitu, który osadziłby ją w pamięci. 6/10
Really enjoyed this. Didn't know much public enemy stuff but get the hype.
un po’ troppo rumoroso
Public Enemy is awesome. Good politically charged lyrics. Not their strongest album though.
Not too bad. I can sit through it. Rap's not my bag, but anything I can listen to and not just suffer the whole time is ok in my book.
Flava Flav is rapping and a-rockin!
качает, но я не особо любитель такого репа.
A bit dated, but a decent enough listen
Solid 90s hip hop. Bring the noise is the highlight.
I did in fact turn it up and bring the noise and it was quite delightful
6/10 – Decent
This was great! There's a tempered anger here, at both an institution and those who inadvertently support it. Really catchy beats and interesting lyrics
Kinda too much
A few songs I liked quite a bit but I found some others super annoying with overly loud repetitive noises, and overall just too much going on in each one. My brain couldn't figure out what to focus on.
Not something I ever want to listen to again.
Good beats fucked away by all which surrounds.
Was klingt wie ein Google Translate-Unfall, hört sich leider auch so an. Zwischen wirren Beats und Texten wie aus einem Fiebertraum bleibt nur eine Frage: Warum? Wer hier Musik erwartet, bekommt eher eine akustische Nasendusche.
Я розумів, що It Takes a Nation... та Fear of a Black Planet тут будуть 100%, вони навіть в останньому списку пічфорка були чи не єдині, хто мав більше 1 альбому. Але Апокаліпсіс 91 я точно не очікував тут побачити. Хороший альбом, Чак розповідає як жити, Флейвор показує чому він кращий хайпмен евер. Але все ми це чули до цього і трохи яскравіше та сильніше.
Хороший альбом, дуже качає як завжди в них, відомий мазафакерський фіток з антракс, коротше що сказати - тверді 4.
I like this album enough but feel it's unnecessary to include on the list since the other 2 albums are already on there and absolutely need to be
No. 78 Great album, amazing production and flow. Makes me want to explore the rest of their music . Will definitely revisit at some point.
"Now the KKK wears three-piece suits." Ain't that the truth. Except now, we also have rappers cozying up to maga and no one seems to care about anything anymore. Full disclosure: I am not the target audience for this and I am not a rap fan. That's all ok. I can still see how important this album is. Fear of a Black Planet is better, but I'm still glad this exists. What I said for Fear of a Black Planet also fits for this: We need protest music and righteous indignation now more than ever. I feel like we've gone from “fight the power” to “chase the clout.” Consumerism coopted rebellion. I prefer rebellion.
Not my thing
Cool but not my cup of tea
Hip hop a hippity hop
Got into a good few songs on this. Fun listen.
4.20 / 5 This is a certified banger and nobody can tell me otherwise. The flow these guys show in every single song on this album is incredible.
Not for me
This was great. Amazing power, anger and focused message. I'd only heard It Takes a Nation of Millions before, but I think I'll be looking up their other albums now,
This was good. Not as impactful as Nation of Millions, and perhaps a touch more generic, but it was still a blast of samples, scratching, visceral vocals and big beats.
bring tha noize
Pretty good. Not normally a hip hop person and generally prefer the more old school side of it where the funk and soul samples and influences are more apparent, but there were some solid grooves here and lyrics were very good. Very much a product of its time though and not sure I'll come back to it
What this record lacks in the earlier PE energy it makes up in polish and consistency. The Bomb Squad is all over the place on the production, shifting tempos and vibes song to song. Flavor Flav gets some killer rhymes on his hand too, and of course we get the mashup with Anthrax that melted parents’ minds in 1991. Urgent as ever and melting minds - this one is still pretty great even if it doesn’t have the same highs as their earlier stuff.
Same thoughts I have on most early hip hop. I love what hip hop became in the late 90s and early 2000s, and I'm forever grateful to early hip hop for paving the way, but I just don't enjoy people talking simple rhymes on basic beats. Most of the tracks were just eh. Nighttrain had some good rap in it though. Best song: Nighttrain
Before: Rap again, or hip-hop or whatever you call it. At least it's something I like a little. I used to listen to Public Enemy and a few similar artist back in the late 80s'/early 90's but eventually lost interest. I have the first track, "Lost At Birth" ranked 52 out of 84 tracks on my 1991 playlist. Maybe I'll find something else to add. | During: Four tracks in is "Can't Truss It", I'll add this to my '91 list, maybe at the 64 spot between "I Love You" by Spacemen 3 and "Smoke Signals" by The Magnetic Fields. I like it's but is a little too long. Now "By The Time I Get To Arizona", it's getting a little tiresome. I was toying with the idea of giving the album a 4 but I don't think that's going to happen. I'm ready to stop listening now. Help! I guess it's time to start skipping through. | After: I made it through, skipping through only a couple tracks, as I was preoccupied with other tasks. I do realize this is an important album but I found it tiresome after only a few minutes. I'll give it a three as it is mildly enjoyable to listen to but I would never choose to listen to the whole album unless it was for a specific purpose such as this. |
I'm sure it was good for it's time, just doesn't quite hold up for me
I liked the (now) retro horn sounds and old school delivery and beats. Maybe 3 or 4 songs on this album I’d listen to based on first listen. Some of the stuff a bit too antic, percussive, and unpolished to my uneducated ear.
Good political album
just cant get into d or flav’s voices man…
Prior to this, I was really only aware of the singles from this album. This is pretty great. The beats and production are great. Chuck D is an unrelenting firehose of rhymes. I'm gonna add this to my list of albums to listen to again.
Listening to this album, I realized what I like about songs. It's the development of a song in a certain direction. In some case to any direction. This genre doesn't really offer that at all. Despite this, the first part of the album was a good feeling until boredom hit.
After wading through a truly heroic amount of BS earlier on the list, this was… refreshing. I like hip hop, but Public Enemy has never really worked for me. The genuinely great songs are rare, buried under a very loud, aggressively ’90s sound that just doesn’t do me any favors.
I wanted to like this. I get that it was influential and that Flavor Flav is iconic, but this has got to be the most irritating collection of beats I’ve heard on a hip hop record. The first track was almost unbearable, but nearly every song had some element that made me irrationally angry. It was like attending a bbq with your spouse’s coworkers, where it’s absolutely swarmed with mosquitos. Like, I know these people are important for you, but I’m getting eaten alive here!
This is what rap sounds like in my Gen X head
I'm sure this album was pivotal at its time. Love the mix of samples and the messages in the songs. The collab with Anthrax was a surprise.
Didn't enjoy it.
Pretty fun album. Very classic, but not my thing. 4.2/10
Liked this more than I thought I would. Thought it would sound really dated, but it had some good beats and Chuck D is a much better rapper. Need to listen to more PE. 7/10
Not a favourite for me 2-3
Respect for Flavor Flav. Overall I liked this one and thought it compared favorably to other late 80s/early 90s hip hop albums that have come up here. "When the quiet storm comes on, I fall asleep." - Me too.
Amazing album other than a couple of meh songs.
Public Enemy really were a force to be reckoned with. Four all time great albums in a row is something any group would aspire to and Public Enemy did it. Forgive me, I was not familiar with their game before this project. As for this album, it’s not as great as their previous work, but pretty damn good nonetheless.
This is easily the best of the three Public Enemy albums I've had on this list so far (or maybe I'm just warming to them?). In any case, worth it for Anthrax and "Bring Tha Noize" alone. 3.0/5.0: Good
two classics with by the time i get to arizona and bring tha noize but the rest is pretty mediocre
Flaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaav
One thing about Public Enemy it’s always interesting music
Been a while since I listened but solid album, nice samples
Funk, anger and power. Enjoyed a lot more than expected. Shut em down the pick?
3.5
Rowdy
Not a terrible rap/hip-hop album. Not really my thing, but I could tolerate it and not hate myself. 3/5
> The Beatles
They’re quite cross, aren’t they.
Best listened to on Vinyl or CD, streams cut out a lot of the character of the release. Great stuff, especially impressive when you know they lost (they were stolen) the original masters and had to recreate all this material fast before someone leaked the release. Such great energy, such flow and power.
One of the benchmarks for politically aware rap. The authority of Chuck D's delivery is unmatched.
Today this was exactly how I needed to start my day man
This brings the noize. I can get with the bringing aspect of it, however, I am not so happy about the actual noise. 2.5/5
Classic 90s hip hop
The last track doesn’t suck. Good luck making it that far.
Great old school rap album! So poignant even today!
Pretty solid tunes - love the production!
Socially-conscious, anti-racist lyrics, which would probably be called woke today. Good stuff.
7/10 Favourite: Can't Truss It Least Favourite: Move!
I don't mind this album, it's certainly a strong offering and very much worthy of the list. Hip hop isn't really my genre, but I recognise the greatness in what's going on here. This album is probably objectively worth a 5 for what it is, but my own taste and enjoyment still has to factor in. I went back and forth for a while on whether this was personally a 3 or a 4, but in the end, the thing that tipped it over for me is "By The Time I Get To Arizona". I love that song, and not just because of all the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 I played growing up (but it sure helps).
Old school rap. Lots of social commentary and songs flow into each other
I’ve come to realize I like slower rap a lot more. It can be interesting to listen to rap like this that’s just a constant attack of words, but I prefer having space to breathe. Another album that I can appreciate it for what it’s doing more than I can personally enjoy it
I just don't like East Coast hip hop. Nothing against it as an art form. It's definitely made a huge impact on American music, but it doesn't do anything for me personally.
I liked this, but I really just feel like it comes across a little dated now. Rap has come such a long way since this, and it just doesn't match what the genre is now. I think I could learn to like it more with relistens, but it just didn't click with me. Favorites: Nighttrail, More News at 11, Bring tha Noize (feat. Anthrax)
An incendiary lightning bolt of an album. A tad short of their first two, but a worthy and important listen nonetheless.
Back in time, in the good way!
Beats are insane in this album. Lyrically is all you expect from from PE. Would de definitely be more praised and popular if not because of the past albums.
Fairly solid entry on this list, some of the erratic vocal samples I could do without though 4*
Not as good as the first album
Not my usual but this had some nice beats!
Not as much fun as Fear of a Black Planet.
Decent instrumentation for the most part, but sometimes there were annoying sounds. The rap is a bit aggressive, but flows decently.
I didn't realize Flava Flav was so political before he became a reality TV guy, but this album is pretty good. 4/5
Þessi var miklu betri en sú á undan. Var ekki aðdáandi á sínum tíma, þótt Bring tha noize hafi nú kitlað smá. En nú er þetta nokkuð skemmtilegt pólitískt hiphop. Svona þroskast fólk.
good album
Kings!!! Great album.
decent, but then again only listened once. would listen to it again!
As always, writing is top-notch and poignant. Damn shame they lost their originals when producing this. I bet there would've been some more phenomenal stuff here, but instead they had to rush and stick to their usual script. I do like the funk/rock n' roll inspired beats, but wish the song structures were a little more varied.
Inventive, creative, musically sound, it ticks all of the boxes, but somehow it's just not for me. It's like a gentle but constant enjoyable sparring with a competent opponent. My ears feel like they're getting a gentle battering. I was glad when it finished.
I preferred the previous Public Enemy album I listened to but still a decent listen. And I learned something new, I hadn't known Arizona pussyfooted on MLK Day for so long
Actually some of the lyrics on here aren't that bad. Ok so there’s a lot of whining, but I think that generally comes with the hiphop territory. ‘Letter to the New York Post’ was a particularly memorable whine. But where this let me down was the sonics. With a lot of hiphop I hate the lyrics but can dig the beats; the lyrics on here were ok, but the music was just monotonously repetitive. Pity.
So, what I liked about this album is that Public Enemy really knew how to bring that jumpy party vibe to their music. It definitely has energy that runs through you. I also enjoy the old-school turntablism that used to be such a big part of hip hop, but sadly, technology has really changed the DJ element. It was also cool to see the collaboration with Anthrax. Now, I have to admit that even though music like this used to affect me differently, I think I’ve just moved past that stage and outgrown it. It will always be important in history, but if I said I was totally feeling it while listening, I’d be lying. I pretty much just played it to get through it.
Good, not great.
Uno de sus mejores albumes. Imprescindible
Yereeaaaahhhhhh boooooiiiiii. Iconic. Influential. Not one of my faves, but I appreciate what Public Enemy have done for rap music. Love the Anthrax collab. 3/5
The first track did not fill me with hope. An annoying siren blares loudly in the background throughout. Some of the other tracks are pretty good though. It's a mixed bag.
Same as every other hip hop album from this era: Some tracks are hype and some are just annoying
Hard charging rap. Strong message. Not the best ear candy.
Good old school rap
I loved NY rap when was rap and not hip hop
Fantastic album, amazing production and flow. Makes me want to explore the rest of the discography. Will definitely revisit at some point.
love me some early 90s PE
Great album but compared to Fear of a black planet and it takes a nation…, it just hit the same chord
This was probably the last truly great album put out by Public Enemy, and it's slightly imperfect. I never realised that they had their music data stolen, which explains the slightly sparse sound. It has some fantastic tracks, but the second half isn't quite as good. I actually dislike the Anthrax collaboration for some reason; even though I loved seeing Anthrax perform this live, the version here just seems a bit lacking somehow. Four stars.
The opener, Lost at Birth, is a fucking banger. Rebirth had a nice flow into it. It's a short interlude, but gets the point across about what they were about. Nighttrain reveals that rebirth serves as a nice in between. Has some blues undertones in the voice. By song #4 I get the point of it. To serve as a nonstop locomotive of energy.
Maybe I had too high of expectations but this was a let down. Felt too all over the place and didn’t feel cohesive.
Wow for me that was horrible.
Álbum muito divertido e bem feito de Hip Hop. QKZxHBB Khan.
Tutto l’album insieme è allucinante, nel senso negativo. La struttura dei brani fatta di un unico beat che si ripete fino alla fine è troppo ripetitiva per me, però è tipico del genere. Pezzi che si salvano sono I don’t wanna be called yo nigga, e l’ultimo di cui non ricordo il nome con gli anthrax
This album is aggressive. It is a fun style, just not really for me. I feel like this album is iconic and I can see why. Combining with Anthrax is wild. Actual rating...3.5 Liked Songs: "Lost At Birth" , "Nighttrain" , "Can't Truss It" , "I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo N***" , "Move!" , "Shut Em Down" , "A Letter To The New York Post" , "Get The F... Outta Dodge" , "Bring The Noize"
liked songs: 1 Million Bottlebags 2.5
Their fourth album. Hip Hop. Whoa ! This takes me back. A friend at school loaned me this one on cassette and I played it over and over and over again. I'm not even a Hip Hop guy but this album is so good. My favourite track is Can't Truss It but the whole album really jumps along. Great production too.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Chuck D and Terminator X as much as the next guy, but it is absolutely wild to me that we have 3 Public Enemy albums on this list and not a single Tupac, MF DOOM, or Jay Z record (so far). That said, this is a really solid album. "Conscious" rap before that was even a thing, with songs serving as commentaries on the self-destructive nature of Black communities feeding into the desires of racist America (Shut Em Down, 1 Million Bottlebags), discomfort with using the N-word loosely given its destructive past (I Don't Wann Be Called Yo Nigga), and corporate slavery (Can't Truss It). And the messages are delivered forcefully from Chuck D's muscled, but effortlessly flexible delivery. Flava Flav provides a fine foil, but the songs where he takes a more significant role fall flatter. Favorites on here are Shut Em Down, Can't Truss It, By the Time I Get to Arizona, Get the F... Outta Dodge, and a crossover masterpiece -- Bring Tha Noise. For the most part the production + beat selection was solid, but the high-pitched clarinet(?) squeal on 1Million Bottlebags really sucks. Falls in at a soft 4 for me.
Angry and energetic. Good stuff. I think I liked this the most of the Public Enemy albums we have had.
The creme de la creme when it comes to 90s hip hop sounds is what I think of with Public Enemy. Luckily this one was way more bearable for me compared to Fear of a Black Planet. Not in my top 10 when it comes to genres I would choose to listen to but this album was really fun to listen to. Bring Tha Noize was a song of my childhood being in both Tony Hawk and WWE Smackdown vs Raw!
After listening to now our 3rd Public Enemy album (why?), I will say Chuck D deserves his flowers and is one of the better MC's we've had on this list. Shut 'Em Down is used as a sample in Biggies Ten Crack Commandments. Hell yeah. Holy hell Bring the Noise scared me for a sec with Anthrax. Honestly pretty badass. Had this one on in the background while working and it was pretty solid.
This is my second Public Enemy album, and to be honest, although the beats are awesome, it is easily to get annoyed with the sirens sometimes. I understand it should be their big album but...not for me 2/5
That' the first tape I can remember buying woth my own money. I was 11 or 12.
Man, I memorized "By the time I get to Arizona". Great PE album. Only gets a 4 because Fear of a Black Planet is a 5.
Four incredible songs on here. Even a slightly lesser PE album is a damn good album.
I find some of these difficult to rate. Clearly this is a fantastic album and deserves to be on this list. But I am so far removed from New York hip hop culture in the 80s that I can't really relate
My kind of rap - feels like it has a message.
That was ok. I like older hip-hop.
I liked bring the noise because it was on Tony Hawks Pro Skater . But it was a forgettable album otherwise
Aggressive and in your face, paving the way for what was to come. True pioneers. They also, created what would essentially become nu-metal by collaborating with Anthrax. Can’t say that I thank them for it, but it’s interesting.
Not my genre, not my style, but I listened twice and appreciated it. Unlike the vast, vast majority of rap artists, PE has something to say and they say it effectively.
Ultimately a fairly good rap record. No tracks that were nearly as good as anything off ITANOMTHUB except Shut 'Em Down (in particular the Pete Rock remix), which is top 5.
This album did not age well.
Tja, tja, tja. Ook hiervoor geldt: misschien is het aardig gedaan, maar ik zal het hierna nooit meer opzetten. Er is variatie, er is wat humor, de heren hebben ongetwijfeld talent maar mijn genre is het gewoon niet. Onrust in mijn hoofd in plaats van muziekgenot. Nog een mild cijfer omdat ik weet dat het erger kan.
Ik word gelijk gelukkig als ik Public Enemy in mijn luisterlijst zie verschijnen. Ik heb hen al opgehemeld bij het album Fear of a black planet. Ik zou bij dit album hetzelfde kunnen schrijven. Het is ook rond dezelfde tijd gemaakt. Bij uitzondering vind ik dat eens prima. Zeker na een flink aantal opnames van rap-schijven in de lijst die puberaal 'stoer' en/of geforceerd hard zijn, denk ik dat iedereen moet horen dat het ook met balans kan. Public Enemy heeft een boodschap, en laten hun boosheid, zowel met klank als met tekst duidelijk overkomen. Maar de stevige geluiden zijn creatief en de teksten zijn functioneel. En vele malen stoerder dan de kleuters die hun problemen compenseren met teksten over geweld en libido. Om dat stoere te onderstrepen sluiten ze af met een hele fijne mix van Anthrax. Twee stevige muzikale werelden vallen prachtig samen. En ondanks dat ik dat ook bij andere albums heb geconstateerd, dat was zeker niet gebruikelijk.
Dit is de 2e notering van Public Enemy, die we voor onze kiezen krijgen, maar niet de laatste. Public Enemy hoort absoluut in de snoblijst, maar ik zou er geen 3 in opnemen, al heeft elk album wel zijn iconische tracks. Maar goed, ik zit niet in de keuzecommissie van de snoblijst, helaas. Qua muziek is er weinig dat ik niet had verwacht van dit album. Het is rauw, uptempo, en met een lekker breakbeatje. Daardoor heeft het nog steeds gelijkenissen met harde rock en is de afsluiter met Anthrax niet eens zo'n vreemde eend in de bijt. Sowieso zijn die crossovers met hardrock, hardcore en nu-metal stiekem heel gaaf. Zo heeft Ice T ook een bekende metalband "Body Count". Het past gewoon goed bij elkaar. Ik vind het wel tof gedaan en ik kan Public Enemy wel goed hebben. Ik denk dat ik hier meer plezier aan heb beleefd dan Fear of a Black Planet, dus mag hier een sterretje meer.
“Yo! Bum Rush The Show” (1987), “It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back” (1988) y “Fear Of A Black Planet” (1990) son tres discos (sobre todos estos dos últimos) imprescindibles. Por eso este cuarto me hace dudar si también calificarlo del mismo modo. By The Time I Get To Arizona o el temazo con Anthrax “Bring tha Noize” presente ya su disco del 88... son puntos álgidos. ¿Más de lo mismo? Sí pero no. Aquí ya no hay un saqueo de samples sino que son los propios PE quienes los elaboran o usan incunables (o fragmentos tan pequeños que no requieren permisos ni royalties). De nuevo anticipando el futuro y liderando la escena. Un grupo que estaba en la cumbre. De ahí no se puede subir ya.
Chuck D could sing a phone book and it would be worth a listen. That being said, this isn’t their best. But it’s hard to beat their best.
pretty nice hippetihoppeti. not their best album
You can't stop the train ... or the groove. Early 90s Hip Hop is great!!
I lwk think that Public Enemy is on this list just out of respect, and nothing else. 4/5
I like it, it's not the best PE album and is probably the end of their epic run but it has enough heat on it to keep coming back to
Yeaaaaa boiiii
After suffering through Dr. Octagon it was good to get back to some excellent hip hop.
Chuck D is great, not a huge hip hop fan but really enjoy his style, album hits hard, lyrically very strong.
Not bad
A wake up call still relevant today
i liked it! but it won't become a go to
Good old 90s “protest/conscious” rap. I miss PE
Decent old school rap. 2,5
This was good but also it’s not really my style of hip hop and I wouldn’t reach for it again - the classic case of the museum piece.
This album is relentless and normally the same vibe gets tired to me, but I think this must be some apex of old school. How can this not be a 5
Still dig the message, but it's missing some of the artistry of the previous two in terms of songcraft and delivery.
This isn’t on the same level as Fear of a Black Planet or my personal favorite It Takes a Million… so this would be a 4, but I was in the gym while playing this and it added an extra star
too grating on my ears, but there's something about it
It may be just this album, since I'm not familiar with any of their other work, but I enjoyed this and the political messages it was getting out.
Was excited to listen to my first full Public Enemy project having been aware of the group through their classic hits. Unfortunately, this didn't grab me in the way I thought it would. Middle of the road on this one, didn't hate it, didn't love it. Favourites: Shut Em Down Least Favourites: Honestly don't feel that strongly about anything on this album, not crazy on the Bring tha noise re-release. Rating: 5/10
Funky visceral liberation
I enjoyed this! It sounded dated, of course, but that was to be expected. Loved the beats and mixing. My favorites were "Lost at Birth," "Rebirth," "By The Time I Get To Arizona," "Shut Em Down," and "Bring Tha Noize."
Yeah - Very PE
So far this is the best work I've heard from Public Enemy.
Radioactively 90s, bitingly political, and overall banger
Hip Hop, 45eme album =>1/5
Alright
When I saw this today, I thought, "Ugh, not another rap album," but listening to it on my way to work, I was surprised to find that I really liked it.
3.0 - Ok
Not my fav but respect to the guys who were there first with rap. Not a bad album for the old stuff!
I haven’t heard of this one as much as their previous 2 so wasn’t expecting to be up to that level, it definitely was though albeit slightly worse as there are a few duds here (in my opinion). Mostly the Flav solo ones, I really like Cold Lampin’ with Flavour in their 2nd album (and is actually one of my favourite P.E songs) so this was a bit surprising to me but I only really liked the diss track to the New York post one of the 3 Flav ones on here. It could be cause the others are more slower paced which doesn’t fit their style as well or maybe just the style of the rest of the album. Chuck D is amazing as always on here though, definitely one of the greatest and most influential MC’s of all time. The beats on here are crazy good as well and the drum samples even better to be honest, they’re so powerful and carry a lot of energy and mixed with great rapping to top it off. Forgot to mention the great lyricism and political commentary as well. Not only is this album influential to the genre, I would argue it’s not even dated as some people say it is, almost every song is pretty much as timeless as early 90’s hip hop can be. Favourites: almost all other than ones mentioned + By the time I get to Arizona snd the Anthrax one). Overall, 8/10 (very close to a 9 though).
Classic rap. Not my genre but I appreciate the talent.
SHUT EM DOWN. Everything that PE did with their albums is amplified here. Bigger production, tighter lyrical delivery by Chuck. This is a rocket launcher of an album.
Bought this album the day it came out and still listen to it regularly. Production is sparse compared to Fear Of A Black Planet (arguably the pinnacle of The Bomb Squad's work). I only learned recently that had more to do with lost digital recordings than it did a conscious choice. Whatever the reason, it works. Chuck's voice is on display here with no distractions, and it broadcasts a powerful and direct message. Even Flav's humor is laced with an obvious anger. I could go on for days about this album, but suffice to say it gets my vote for one of the '90s all around best.
Brilliant. Confrontational, angry, and sadly, still relevant.
Bring the Noise is right up my alley. Weird we're still talking about the same shit 40 years later. Of course Public Enemy is great.
Social commentary and aggressive old school rap is a great combo. Warning to other white men: Don't listen to this at work on your speaker.
Pretty good. Enjoyable, but not an album I can listen to while driving around with the windows down. I’m more familiar with their other two bigger albums, but this one also seems very worth exploring.