Reviews (page 6 of 8)
The subject matter is still relevant today but man was every song the same. Wasn't much of a difference from track to track.it all became one. Nowhere near as tight and cohesive as Fear of a Black Planet. However the Anthrax and Public Enemy version of Bring tha Noise has bumped it up a star that was great.
Okay
Not too bad, not really my thing but more listenable than much of this genre
I don't have the energy today to even try to listen to this. Ugh, ok, I'll turn it on and see what happens... So this feels like drill sergeant rhythms and cheers for some rebel army to train for war with. Pass. Doesn't feel like music to me at all. Sorry.
Another very repetitive album. Not bad but I probably wouldnt choose to listen to it again
i feel like this one will grow on me. the political nature and energy in this makes it age a lot better than some other early 90's hip hop. glad to finally have a reason to check out public enemy.
It wasn't meant to be this way apparently...lost data for this record sent the group into a more direct approach due to time constraints, I assume. That said I guess it was a happy accident because it's brilliant. Listen with good headphones and you actually get pummelled by the beats. Got to say that I'm not a huge hip hop follower as when I was growing it was kind of frowned upon to listen to this stuff. That's not to say I didn't and that I didn't enjoy it because I sure as hell did but yeah I never deep dived into the genre. We all know how most white boys end up indulging in hip hop and that's because of a certain white man being the goat...that being said I'm certain PE were a source of influence and why not? Honestly this record is seriously good. So much so I went and listened to all their other stuff too. Fear of a black planet is my personal favourite. I do find it surprising the political slant everything has and how intelligent they come across if you read what they're saying. NWA are obviously going to be quoted as the best hip hop group ever but I got to say their beats were more intelligent but PE's lyrics have much more substance in my opinion. I know the genre isn't for everyone but I'd anyone going through 1001 albums to give it go or take a look at the lyrics as poetry if you can't take the beats.
Before listening: I know nothing about Public Enemy other than Flavor Flav. I don't know what to expect but I know from experience I only like a certain era of rap, ie early 00s. After listening: Wow, that was a pretty good album. Really had no idea what I was in for and then I really enjoyed. I can't help but think that RATM wouldn't exist without Public Enemy. I have no idea whether this is widely known or not, but that's what I'm feeling.
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?
01) Lost At Birth - 7,0 02) Rebirth - 6,0 03) Nighttrain - 6,5 04) Can't Truss It - 6,5 05) I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga - 7,5 06) How to Kill a Radio Consultant - 6,5 07) By the Time I Get to Arizona - 6,5 08) Move! - 6,0 09) 1 Million Bottlebags - 5,5 10) More News at 11 - 5,5 11) Shut 'Em Down - 6,5 12) A Letter to the New York Post - 6,0 13) Get the Fuck Outta Dodge - 6,5 14) Bring the Noise - 7,0 TOTAL: 6,39 (64/100) I appreciate it for what it is, but it's really not for me. "I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Nigga" reminds me of "Tennessee" by Arrested Development so I guess it's my favorite track...
You know, after listening to Throbbing Gristle yesterday, all I wanted for today was something that I can actually call music. Fortunately, "Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black" by Public Enemy is actual music. That music happens to be pretty decent. It's not really my personal thing, but I still see the appeal. The rapping is good. It's got a nice flow to it. With that said, I definitely liked Chuck D's rapping a lot more than Flavor Flav's rapping. The writing is pretty solid. Public Enemy has this very direct and punchy approach with how it handles politics that I can really admire. The instrumentals are also good. The album does go on for quite a while, but there's just enough variety to warrant listening to the whole thing. Besides, the last song has Anthrax on it. That's just awesome. Overall, a solid rap album with a purpose. 3/5.
I liked it! Will listen again
Imagine what Bring Tha Noize could be if they were any good
bad
This album was one that shaped my musical life. 5/5
good one
These early hip hop albums simply have some edge that doesn’t exist in modern rap
Yeah, okay...
It feels important. Like kids should learn about it in school. As music itself, I don't know. Some day I'll listen to it again
Not my favorite. I get it's important but it feels dates today.
I can admire this heavily from a production stand point and the subject matter of the songs is ahead of its time. For me most of these tracks just sounded the same
Great all the way through.
This is the second album from Public Enemy reviewed in this compilation. This may be better than its predecessor. Chuck D is a force to be reckoned with - his flow is impeccable and ferocious. Unfortunately, Flavor Flav’s contribution detracts from the socioeconomic commentary. The three worst tracks on this album are credited to Flavor Flav.
Old school and a lyrically rough listen at times, Chuck D is good and Flava Flav sure does have a big clock.
Great album - but not my thing.
# 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.
Just No
Sounds basically the same as the other public enemy album.
Aged like milk. A few songs are memorable, but the rest doesn't stand out and when it does, it doesn't stand out in a great way. It's always interesting to get to listen to parts of music history I wouldn't have listened to on my own, though. 2.5ish?
Anthraxt. So solid as to become cliche. Lostsa horns from terminator x
Like a lot of 80s/90s albums it's a tad bloated, some of the themes have aged poorly - still a decent listen
Classic 80s hip hop. love it
Better than expected 🤭
Horrible. No me gusto
great samples, great beats, hilarious skits, i love some early dated hiphop. flavor flav
Ok
Not quite as good as Fear... and It takes... - but, well, it's still PE
Okay. Interessante wending ten opzichte van wat ik normaal luister. Afijn, heb me best wel vermaakt maar zal het niet snel nog een keer luisteren. 3.5/5 dus netjes naar boven afronden. Herstel. Weet je wat. Toch maar 3/5. Ik laat hiphop naar beneden afronden.
I like the social commentary but the music ain't quite my style. Songs started to feel repetitive. 2 stars + 1 for THPS nostalgia.
Definitely the end of the imperial phase, but still great. Just less essential than the three bomb squad led albums. Imagine only being great rather than game changing, eh...
Pretty good, especially the lyricism.
Who hurt these men?
LOVE
Pretty standard hip hop. The political messaging feels authentic, but I always want at least a little levity when I listen to rap.
Some bangers
Chuck D is an amazing lyricist. Flava Flav sometimes distracts from his brilliance, but this album is as good as it gets.
3.7 - Abrasive and in-your-face as ever. I see why this one is overshadowed by its predecessors, "It Takes a Nation..." and "Fear of a Black Planet." I like it better nonetheless. The beats sound more polished and dynamic especially on the thrash version of "Bring the Noize." Standouts: "A Letter to the New York Post", "1 Million Bottlebags."
Decent album but didn't hold me like It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back and Fear Of A Black Planet. That being said, Bring the Noize i one of my favourite songs ever. LOVE IT.
This is exactly how I imagine hip hop in the early 90s sounds. Not my actual cup of tea, but I don’t complain. I enjoyed listening to the whole album. My picks: Can’t Truss it & Move!
Não curti muito
After the back-to-back genre-defining works of “It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” and “Fear of a Black Planet”, hip-hop pioneers Public Enemy struggle to reach the same level on their fourth full-length record. The passion and the fury remains in spades, but the listenability takes a bit of a nosedive. I was intrigued to hear that this would showcase a more “stripped back” sound to the group, after they lost the disks holding most of their mix and production data and had to rush-release the album. But in fact, “Apocalypse 91” sounds just as dense and loaded as the previous “classic” Public Enemy records. What’s missing is the pacing, or the craft in layering all the sound together: too often this literally sounds like 91 apocalypses squashed on top of each other, struggling to breathe while being scratched all over the shop. Much of “Apocalypse 91” is given over to repetitive beats, loops, scratching and vocals at the exact same level of intensity until it loses its impact. Opening “Lost at Birth” is enough to drive anybody insane: a groaning electronic loop and a single bar of drums stretching across four minutes, with two lines of vocals repeated for half the song like an angry broken computer. The same effect returns in the endless squalling brass of “Can’t Truss It”, the backing “shouts” in “Move”, the sample in “More New at 11”. There are very few prominent basslines, ear-grabbing hooks or intricate, textured samples. So naturally, the highlights of “Apocalypse 91” are when Public Enemy wander slightly from their one-track minds. “By the Time I Get to Arizona” is the best example of this, with its slowed down breakbeat, funky grinding synth bass and featured gospel choir: very inventive arrangement of sound. “Bring Tha Noize” is another example, as the group bring in heavy metal band Anthrax for a unique and intriguing collaboration (albeit one that gave me a massive headache). And the bouncing bassline of “More News at 11” is a welcome, distinguishable hook. The inspiration is still there lyrically, too, as tracks like “I Don’t Wanna Be Called Yo N*ga”, the anti-corporation “Shut Em Down” and “By the Time I Get to Arizona” attest. But musically, it’s really difficult to get through for me and has the feel of a group running out of ideas.
I love the heaviness P.E. brings to the party. I don't love the constant badgering. The audience for this is not going to listen to it anyway. I the end it comes off as complaining more than anything else. Some high-quality socially conscious takes are here though and sometimes those things make for an uncomfortable listen. I like Flavor Flave more than I should though. There's nothing I *don't* like sound-wise on this album. At the same time it's just more of the same. Not clear why it made tis list except for the Anthrax collab which is pretty groundbreaking.
Great tracks -> How To Kill A Radio Consultant By The Time I Get To Arizona Shut Em Down Get The F... Outta Dodge Underrated album! Flava Flav track awful.
Could see it was good, but not sure I actually enjoyed it.
Although the album is quite iconic, I feel it didn't age all that well. The production is fine and the lyrics are still very relevant. The album is just too long and doesn;t beat their earlier work. 6 out of 10
own
Was what I expected
This was not A Letter to the New York Post, that’s for sure, but this album will make you want to Move!
Bring the noise is a favorite
For political hip hop, it doesn’t get much better than Public Enemy, and Chuck D is one of the best there is. That being said, I just wasn’t feeling this as much as I’d hoped. There are a couple standout tracks, “Nighttrain” and “By The Time I Get To Arizona” being my favorites, but the rest sort of blended together. Not bad by any means, just hoped for a little more.
Fuck. Public Enemy always goes so hard. Their beats are always on point, and always intense and gritty. Chuck D somehow manages to be underrated as a rapper despite being one of the most famous rappers in history. Flava Flav is also there. This isn't my favorite Public Enemy album, but it is a stellar piece of work 4/5
This is very much an early 90s rap album. If you asked me to imagine an early 90s rap album, I would probably imagine something like this. I like the lead rapper but god that other guy is annoying.
I can say for certain as a 39yr old white dude driving my Yaris to work on a Monday morning, track 5 didn’t feel right. Didn’t stick the landing like Fear of a Black Planet did. 3 stars
One of the iconic protests albums, this album embodies the frustration of living in black communities in America. The industrial, siren-like samples throughout build your anxiety as a listener, helping you connect with the stress of everyday black life that public enemy wants you to feel. It's a battle, and you are in the trenches. This is not my style of music, but it is must listen. Best track is by the time I get to Arizona.
Political, conscious. It's been 30 years and kkk still wearing 3 piece suits. Sounds old. Repetitive samples and very 1991.
Dated
This was better than I was expecting. Or more accurately, I enjoyed this this album much more than I was anticipating.
Better than I expected and always happy to see an Anthrax song.
Angry and dance-y. This is some hardcore hip-hop heroics right here. Flava Flav needs much more credit than just being the “Yeah, Boyyy!” hype-man. He flashes his hip-hop chops something fierce here. The PE-Anthrax duet was the best of the hip-hop-metal mash-ups of the age. Just a solid gold disc.
Not as great s previous PE albums but still excellent.
Decent
Rap is not music
God bless the Bomb Squad. Better than I remember, but no “Nation of Millions”
Vaya cambio entre este y el de Slint. No sé como explicarlo, pero mola mucho el estilo "ruidoso" que lleva Public Enemy.
Liked this one more than the other public enemy album I heard. Rating: 4.1
Souvent répétitif écoutable mais pas incroyable, la 2nde partie de l'album était mieux
Emma vond het een beetje agressief
I'm a fan of rap but not necessarily of this kind. I love the political messages. Chuck D. Has a unique voice. He could be rapping about sunshine and rainbows and still found angry.
Have never understood the hype of public enemy. Did not enjoy.
7/10 - Decent tracks with good beats - Flava Flav is ridiculous Classic 90s hip hop album
I don't dive too deep into hip hop and rap. But I was excited to hear this album. And this album rips! The best song by far is Bring tha Noize with Anthrax. I wish the album was more in this style. Even though this was the only song I was truly familiar with (thanks THPS) it is just well crafted and I could honestly have that song in my daily rotation of music. As for the rest of the album, I appreciate hip hop with record scratches. I don't know why... I wish newer hip hop still had this. I associate the instrument with the genre. Akin to guitar with rock music. Chuck D sounds awesome. When he raps, his voice makes me listen. His flow is great. Flavor Flav... Kind of gimmicky - his look doesn't really help. And I can't get over his awful reality tv show - Flavor of Love. Unfortunately, I have the preconception of him that is hard to shake. But with all do respect, I don't everything that he contributes to the group. I will judge him on his vocals and delivery, which are just ok. Nothing special. At times, annoying and repetitive. I'm sure he can hype up a crowd though. I prefer Chuck D everytime over Flavor Flav 🕒. Probably wouldnt listen to the whole album again.. Didn't hate it. Will listen to Bring tha Noize in the future and I will enjoy every second.
Solid hip hop record - gotta love public enemy - frantic political and militant while being groovy and funky - it’s a good all round album
really good, old school
The old school sound of hip hop. Never been a huge PE fan, but respect what they’ve done for the culture.
Bring Da Noize! 👊🏼
Not their best.
Oh boy. I don't know what year this is actually from but this feels very classic 90s/early 2000s. Can't Truss It is a good , boppy, tune. I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga is fun and has good guitar added . I am not a big rap/hip hop fan but I'm liking this because it's also rock-y I like the title "How to Kill A Radio Consultant" Liked this more than I would have guessed. Probably not getting added onto my playlist but good to go into something and be pleasantly surprised.
lost at birth is very much 90's music with the record scratches and the beat. The lyrics talking about politics and social justice are in real contrast to the fun music. each song has a different and distinct sound to it, but they all have the same type of vibe that makes all the songs work together. by the time I get to Arizona is real cool. shut em down is bumping too, hold on just listened to the end, that is funny! I bet this had a big cultural and political impact at the time, but to me in this day and age, it's just a fun album. Either way, some solid tunes!
This album is very important, and many hip hop songs would not exist without this album. But MY GOD is this annoying. Tough to listen to, the rap isn't really bad, its the horrible backing track. It's really repetitive and annoying. Just straight up annoying. + 1 star just because it's a very influential album.
It's kinda wild hearing the early hip-hop production and flow with the seriousness of topics covered. Like if The Fresh Prince was rapping about race relations. So much that was new on this album is now either a core element of the genre or considered classic. I like the various samples that bring each song in or out. Many songs are connected together and make the album a more cohesive listen. Anthrax on Bring That Noize is pretty sweet. Interesting hearing Flavor Flav when he was more serious (not serious but I can't think of a better word). Not just an old guy with a big clock. This album is a great listen. Hard to not get into the rhythm.
Old school hip hop
Ok
Yeah, this isn't for me.
All the album was a really long radio song.
This album is just tedious. Each song is very repetitive and there’s not much that’s interesting happening in the music besides the lyrics. Obviously this group was culturally important. But there’s little that’s impressive to me about looping a 2-second beat for 4 minutes and rapping about race in America, and then doing that for 14 songs in a row
I'm not an expert on rap by any means, and I do prefer mine to be of the cheeky and insouciant or shockingly self-aware satiric variety, so this is just a bit too austere in its intentions for me. But I do respect artists with something to say, especially those using their music to advocate on behalf of the marginalized, disenfranchised, and oppressed. So even though this album isn't about Fighting the Power, it is about Bringing Tha Noize and I can get on board with that.
Hard to go wrong with PE.
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.
Never listened to this album before. Heard some familiar samples. Good album.
Bad albums can inspire great albums too.
Apparently this was a a leaner production out of necessity and time pressure yet it feels grounded and fully realised. The sound is so evocative you can almost feel the summer heat coming off the city pavement. A stand out for me is By The Time I Get To Arizona - love the chorus in the background, feels very funk/soul-like. I’m not a huge hip hop listener but I do have a soft spot for 90’s hiphop. Makes me feel a little nostalgic but Apocalypse 91 still feels fresh and very alive and perhaps just as relevant today. I need to listen to the previous 3 now.
When asked about the significance of the clock on his neck, Flav responded: "The reason why I wear this clock is because, you know, time is the most important element, and when we stop, time keeps going." profound words indeed
Мне не хватает контекста оценивать все культурное значение и отсылки и знания языка, чтобы оценивать тексты) Но один тречок себе добавила А вообще достаточно агрессивно, очень экспериментально, намешано, напутано куча всякого, одна большая суп солянка
Wel aardig, maar niet hoe ik hiphop op z'n best vind. Ik hoor volgens mij wel veel dingen waar andere artiesten later mee aan de slag zijn gegaan, dus invloed zal het zeker gehad hebben.
Public Enemy remains to me a group where I love the message in the lyrics, but just don't enjoy the delivery. There's a cadence to the way that Chuck D and Flavor Flav that doesn't appeal to me. It's a two line combo where there's added attack in their vocal delivery and it seems to be the same in every track. Sample beats don't flow well with the lyric delivery. Public Enemy is just not my kind of hip hop. One of the groups that I know are the kings of the genre and paved the way for much of the conscious rap I love, but just not my cup of tea.
Thanks I hate it
I don't care for the style on most tracks, but they undeniably speak truth to power and the flow is well constructed.
I really need to listen to more Public Enemy! Such energy and style...I can understand why they are such an important artist. 4.5/5
Même si ça reste que je suis pas trop fan du vieux hip hop et de PE en général, c'est définitivement l'album j'ai le mieux aimé d'eux. Je l'ai trouvé un peu plus agressif, un peu plus mélodique. Un peu long par contre. 7/10
solid album
Usual
1/1 Enemy publicized
Toujours sympa. Pas leur meilleur du haut de mes vastes connaissances de leur discographie, mais toujours accrocheur, rageur et jamais chiant. "Can't truss it".
Love Public Enemy. This album is so raw and heavy. More intense and immediate feeling than some of their stuff which I love.
Nul mais attendu
jai oublié de noter 😖😖😖
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
Not totally against this type of music. There are rap and hip hop bands I like but these generally also have music, something that was completely missing from the first few tracks here. Also my personal feelings are that there should be no place in music for politics.
There’s bits of this I like, but it’s all a bit too much in one album.
Loved Being the Noise back in the day, the rest? Ok in places. A low 2
Can't Truss It still goes hard, track 5 also solid. Aggressive beats. Bring Tha Noize with Anthrax is fun.
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!
not the epitome, but still public enemy
Great sound, but I have a hard time hearing the lyrics over the beat sometimes.
Wow, this was honestly a HUGE improvement over It Takes a Nation in my opinion. Every track was great and filled with energy.
ok 6.5/10
HL: "Can't Truss It", "By the Time I Get to Arizona", "Bring The Noise (feat. Anthrax)" Public Enemy No. 1 (No. 2) Some bands demand some historical context, and I feel that growing up in a Canadian suburb in the 2000s means that I still lack context listening to Public Enemy. What now happened in Arizona in 1991? Who are the S1Ws? I’m learning, but ignoring all that, I didn’t enjoy this album like 'It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back'. I’m not sure why yet. One of my favourite songs here is the Anthrax version of "Bring the Noise" from that earlier album. And I'm not even sure I like Anthrax. The beats in "Shut 'Em Down" and "Lost at Birth" are some of the heaviest I've heard in a hip-hop album. The skits were actually interesting, like the Harry Allen, media assassin stuff & the KKK advert that comes out of nowhere. Overall, having 2 plus hours with this album (had to give some tracks an extra shot) was draining August 12, 2023
It has now been 5 days in a row that the generator has given me an album from an over-represented artist (3+ albums on a list when 1 at most should be satisfactory). Of course, the history of hip hop, the history of modern music even can not be told without mentioning Public Enemy, but in mentioning them, do we really need to mention this past their prime release where they demonstrate just how quickly they ran out of fresh ideas, and just how reliant they are on a sound that is best exhibited in their earler works anyway? One glass of expired milk out of five 🥛
Classic feel with the messages to back it up, that unfortunately ring true even today. Lessons that haven't been learnt are can steel be heard in the lines even today, so an automatic add to my hip hop playlist and will listen again.
Solid album, good listen
Yeah this is good, they produce a sound that has the conviction of their content, the beats are a bit dated now but not so much that they feel hard to listen to, just solid stuff. 3.
Not as good as the previous PE album we had, but still decent. They're really good, political storytellers, but it has dated a fair bit (in the mixing and the style more so than in the lyrics, sadly). Fun range of styles and beats, but just doesn't grab you as aggressively as their other work. 3/5.
Rating:8/10 Best songs: 1 million bottlebags, More news at 11, Bring tha noize
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.
I just couldn’t get into it. Sure it was revolutionary at the time of its release, but not for me.
another great album filled with great samples, ample amounts of bass, and social commentary on the effects of u.s. governmental policies on black people. in fact, the song “by the time i get to arizona” calls out the politicians in the state directly for their lack of holding martin luther king day as an official government holiday (the album was released in 1991, a public vote was finally passed granting the holiday in november 1992, thus making arizona the last state in the u.s. to recognize the holiday). quality album with lyrics that pull no punches. highlights: “by the time i get to arizona”, “1 million bottlebags”, “bring tha noize”.
This was tough. A lot of the samples were grating. This ended up being a DNF for me. It sounds like there's some good messaging in there and I liked a couple of the songs like Can't Truss It (although it irritated me that they were clearly saying trust instead of truss) Overall, not my jam.
A lot more listenable than the other album of theirs we got.
Not bad, actually quite good. Flava flav is always entertaining. The anti booze track was cool and their commentary on the black community is always poignant. It’s just more of the same stuff though, not much musical evolution.
I love this album
Hard to rate. Since english is not my first language the lyrics do not always register as sentences in my brain. There were some good beats and i like the style of rapping 3,5/5
Ahh, this is the kind of hip hop that I like. The album is a great listen from go to woe but Bring Tha Noize just brings a smile to my face.
Wasn't too familiar with this one at all. Quite like the more stripped back sound - "Lost at Birth" almost sounds like a progenitor for industrial hip-hop - I dig the siren noise.... Fave track - As well as "Lost at Birth", also liked "By the Time I Get to Arizona", and of course the teenage metalhead I was likes the Anthrax collab "Bring Tha Noize" 🤘
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
Public Enemy are still the GOAT hip hop artist. I've enjoyed all three of their albums on this list. This, the most recent (released 01/10/91), is my favourite. Still sharp, engaging, exciting and combative, but a *little* bit more subtle and less combative than it's predecessors. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Can't Truss It Date listened: 03/07/23
This bopped
Lembrando que eu normalmente não escuto as letras das músicas, então qualquer mensagem que eles estejam passar vai ser despercebida por mim. Surpreendentemente, é bom. Gostei. 8/10
If I never hear another Public Enemy album...
Politically charged early 90s hip hop. Chuck D and Flava Flav are excellent MCs.
I like some of the songs but rap albums are super long which kinda ruins their quality as albums as there’s a good bit of filler 3/5
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.
Good energy but like most rap albums, I wish it had more varied instrumentals, not loops.
Ilahdutti lopun Anthrax-fiitti niin paljon, että yksi tähti tulee siitä. Tykkäsin myös läpi levyn teemasta ja sopivasta määrästä huumoria. Yllättävän monipuolinen taustoilta vaikka ei kokeileva ole. Mutta teki tiukkaa kuunnella koko levy
Erityisesti kitarataustat toimivat ja, mikä tärkeintä, kiinnittävät huomion. Valitettavasti aika suuri prosentti menee yhdestä paikasta sisään ja toisesta ulos.
A solid PE album but nothing much compared to the legendary previous two, and only one standout track right at the end
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
Had to skip a few tracks due to high levels of annoyingness.
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.
First 3 albums PE was fairly consistent and this albums seemed to have aged much better than some others at time.
Pretty much every track on here is good. Unexpectedly I found the Anthrax collaboration to be ok, but not as good as I remembered.
I'd listen to this again. Noize and Arizona were the stand outs for me. Some of the commentary seems a little dated and on the more depressing side is how relative some of the commentary still is.
It's pretty good. I still could do with a little less Flavor Flav, but Chuck D makes up for it.
I have to say it wasn't as bad as I originally thought: found it more enjoyable that some other albums I've listened to. Felt very much like classic hip-hop BUT there was a lot going on and a little overwhelming. Still not my favoured style, shame there is no MF DOOM on this list bc I'd be in heaven. Back to the point, it wasn't awful but I doubt I'd listen to it again.
Alright, good bars and beats but just couldn’t get into it
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
8/10 public enemy is awesome! love these guys
LP
I owned their previous album when I was a teen. Never heard this except for "By the Time I Get to Arizona" and "Bring tha Noize." I would have liked this more back then I think, but it's not bad. Chuck D is a good rapper. Flava Flav is good when he's the hype man or comic relief, but kinda sucks as a rapper, which thankfully he doesn't do a lot of here, just two tracks I think. Public Enemy was always good about spreading around the criticism, not only against the power they were fighting, but also rapping against people in their own community bringing them down (drug users/dealers, thieves and other criminals). Favorite track is probably "Bring tha Noize" since I'm a fan of that era of Anthrax, even though Scott Ian is not the best rapper.
As expected from Public Enemy, a masterclass in hip-hop. At their peak, only Public Enemy can be better than Public Enemy, and somehow this one, as great as it is, isn't near of their magnum opus.
I'm gonna hate this
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.
Didn't get a great chance to listen to this. Superficial impression only was that I could easily pass on it.
In 91, we had NWA, Beastie Boys, Run DMC already rolling and Wu-Tang was only 2 years away. The public Enemy live shows were a blast but this recording doesn't do it for me.
This was literally the first album I bought on CD. This might be THE most political of the band's releases. It starts off hitting like a hammer and the aggressive pace doesn't let up for about 5 or 6 songs. Another great record from an incomparable group of artists. The completely unnecessary Anthrax duet prevents this from being a true classic.
Can’t Truss It, By the Time I Get to Arizona, 1 Million Bottlebags. These might not be the biggest singles from PE but they are as good as anything they released. The production on this album isn’t as hard as the other albums but it flows really well track to track.
Boiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
I wish this had been my first exposure to Flavor Flav instead of Flavor of Love.
The fact that THIS record is considered lesser than Public Enemy’s three previous releases says all you need to know about the vital group’s ridiculous run from 1987–1991.
Some old school rap, let's go! Never heard it before but this was during my montana years, and I wanted to be a black mun, lol the time of cross colors. I would pick old school rap over new rap any day. Rap now is weird. Wow, the intro to Bring the Noize surprised me. It's metal, and the vocals are similar to Limp Biskit. It's Anthrax in the background
Hell yeah. The fattest beats. Love
Influential but not exactly my style.
Not their best
It's good, but a bit much to listen to a whole hour of it. I prefer 'it takes a nation..'
Something about this album feels claustrophobic. All the songs have the same flow. All the beats are barely 2 second long loops. The songs that aren't boring are downright annoying. Hype men are pointless and Flav's voice is grating. Gonna be a no from me.
The third in an excellent run of Public Enemy albums. Hard-hitting as always, with incredible verses from Chuck D and hype from Flavor Flav. Sadly, this would be the penultimate release from the group to include the talented Terminator X, who's turntablism has left an impact on all of hip-hop. By the Time I Get to Arizona is also an all-timer song with a killer beat-switch.
Sounds like something out of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
not bad
Although I’ve listened to a lot of 80’s and 90’s hip hop I never was especially into PE. I own “It takes a nation..” on CD but it never really beacame a recurrent play. Apart from stand out tracks “By the time I get to arizona” and “bring the noize” I hadn’t listened to this. Born in the mid eighties PE always was a thing of the past for me and I never really got into them as I did with other contemporary rap groups like Run DMC, Eric B and Rakim, Beastie Boys, De la soul, NWA etc. Still, it is abundantly clear that a lot of my favourite artists have been heavily influenced by PE. Rage against the machine, el-p, wu tang and countless of rappers. In some parts Apocalypse 91 sounds dated but in other parts it still sounds forward thinking and fresh. The brash, harsh and alarming beats are in a way singular and unique for PE. They really were doing their own thing and although they inspired a lot of artists their sound was maybe too abrasive to really become an ongoing thing. Take for instance A Tribe Called Quests “Low End Therory” which also came out in 1991. That album feels considerably less dated because their style of beats and rapping became a dominating sound in nineties hip hop. With that said, the uniquely rough and alarming sound is both the appeal and the difficulty with Public Enemy. Apocalypse 91 is a great album but it’s not easy to get through. Stand out track: By the time I get to Arizona
Legendary.
When it's good, it's excellent - Bring tha Noize, get to Arizona etc. But damn, the discordant wailing sirens in the background of some songs are SUPER annoying. That first track is one hell of a way to start an album. Truly awful.
ja tak!
I quite enjoyed this one. Fun, energetic, slightly chaotic hip-hop.
Ganske gode greier, men ikke 100%
High energy hip hop, ikke for monotont eller gjentakende slik hip hop fra den tiden kan være. cool!
Enjoyed listening to this more than expected. Didn't make it to the end of the album though
Not a Public Enemy album for me this.
Enjoyed this one more than the album with hella horns, whistles, and sirens and that’s about all I can say about that right now
Very noisy and thought this was heading straight to a 1 star… but it grew on me. 2 ⭐️
Lots of filler tracks that are pretty mediocre.
Talking about monotone music...
Old people rap
Good meaningful album, just not really my style.
C-rap Beats me how this genre exists
Couldn't get through this one. Did not like it...
Ooh. It's been forever since I've heard any Public Enemy. I've never heard this one through. Nighttrain has some great energy. Loving the controlled noise on the first track, Lost at Birth.
Tony hawk vibes
Didn't enjoy this as much as It takes a nation.... but still solid. Bring the Noize is immense
I mean, it's public enemy. Political, making a point. This feels a bit more raw than what I know of their work. I can appreciate why they are so influential, but this isn't really my vibe.
This album is killer and feels urgent and has so many great tracks. It feels raw and focused and just delivers so pointedly. Still super relevant today.
still sounds classic
This is a great record. It definitely sounds like you'd expect early 90s rap to sound, but that doesn't mean it hasn't aged well -- this sound is still great even though it's very of its era. The biggest strength of this album is some really hard hitting, politically charged lyricism. Its biggest flaw is just that Flavor Flav is obnoxious as hell. I would give this a 5 if not for the track where he whines about being criticized for assaulting his girlfriend. That was extremely jarring, what the fuck dude? Favorite track: By The Time I Get To Arizona
Aggressive, powerful, lairy hip hop. Absolutely enjoyed it! Loved it? No, enjoyed it? Oh hell yes. But then, I like hip hop. It’s fun to hear the original hip hop masters and I hope to hear more like this. I’ve got “A Nation of Millions” and have probably listened to it maybe twice in ten years! Need to get back to it! This is great! Definitely won’t be for everyone though! Very polarising record I would expect! A three star album, but a BIG three stars!
2.5 es decente pero me aburrí rapidísimo, probablemente porque no es algo que suelo escuchar y un disco entero era demasiado para mí
Solid album. You can totally see the roots of hip hop.
It was fine, very dated as far as hip hop goes and not in the “The Message” way. Sounded like a beat mixtape with mostly adlibs over it. Bring the noise is goated though, worth it entirely for that finale.
I just love the djing and this style of sample. And figuring out what exactly flav does.
really liked this one
Nighttrain is good. Bring the noise is a classic.
I don't think I have ever actually listened to any of the songs but I'm pretty sure I have heard samples of these songs in other songs. If that makes sense.
I thought I would hate this but I didn't. So what does that say about society.
Is anyone else uncomfortable with how racially charged these songs are? Extra star because Black Lives Matter ✊🏿
"There's no place for gays. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, it was for that sort of behaviour" "If the Palestinians took up arms, went into Israel and killed all the Jews, it'd be all right." "Jews are responsible for the majority of the wickedness in the world" "I told him about the history of him and his people about the Ashkenazi, the Ashke-Nazis, and when I laid it on him he couldn't handle it and I'm like, all right, which is common knowledge today everybody talking about it, you understand what I'm saying people are making books about it." Fuck you professor Griff you antisemitic piece of dogshit. Fuck you public enemy for being spineless cowards. Talking about your own struggle while stomping on the struggle of others'. Proceeding to have your "minister of information" (you goofy assholes have the same group organization skills of the klan) spread more misinformation than trump did during the election and biden did during one of his sundowning speeches is actually the best thing you could've ever done, discrediting your dumbasses. Oh, let's mention the fact that y'all are "unified" and tried to bring the group back together with prof. griff but the people rejected your racist asshole friend and you ditched him and proceeded to make bank whilst publicly distancing yourself from him when in reality we all know he was chillin with y'all at every chance he could. Go fuck yourselves.
Public Enemy walked so the Brookline Public School System could run.
nice sound, one of the best hip hop albums ever
Somehow I never warmed up to Public Enemy.. a shame but listening again still didn't change the fact
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.
Not their best lp Fight The Power was much better
You could've grabbed any of the first few PE records for this list. Bring Tha Noize with Anthrax tho, a solid track that was also featured on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video game, cementing the legacy of Public Enemy in skate culture, video game culture, and music history.
Rap at it’s best!
It is music with a lot of rhythm, but not for all occasions. I think I would listen to this album when I need a lot of energy or when I don't have to be very focused.
It’s a brilliant and important album but I can’t go 5 because I have to be in the right mood to listen. It’s best on headphones for me, and when I’ve got a march on, heading some place.
feels a bit black panther movement, but some of the clips criticizing black people are interesting generally not that interesting musically mainly a political statement
Not their best, still absolutely great.
I know I mentioned that I like public enemy except for the vocals but this album was almost the opposite. I liked everything except for the beats which started out cool then got grating by the end of the song. Can’t truss it is the worst example of this while by the time I get to Arizona is the best example. Still good hip hop all around but starting to make me wonder if the issue I had with this was what I really had with the last one. Btw listened to this during a big fight with Chloe so that might’ve skewed my opinion idk.
might be more enjoyable if I listen to this album while looking at the lyrics. That's what I always think when listening to hiphop/rap. Read a bit about the background. Seems like the main theme is about American politics and media.
Here come the drums... Alright, alright. I haven't heard this album since Can't Truss This was bouncing house parties. Since then I'd generally pull out It Takes A Nation for my Public Enemy fix. I forgot how great this album is. There's a lot of funk infusion here. It is dated, but only in a good way... vintage.
I once had a dishwasher that sounded like the first track on this album. Lost at Birth - like so many oppressed people. This album hit me during my early teens and opened up a world of empathy and compassion for people who had been subjugated for generations. So with fond memories and painful realisations ebbing and flowing I relive real world experiences when I listen to this album. It was a decade before I realised the implications of these themes on my own shores. Terminator X on the cross fader and Chuck D on the inhale is a thing to behold. Time for some cold lamping.
I enjoyed this quite a bit, I kind of wish I could go back to 12 year old me and try again, this time actually giving rap a red hot go.
Not my kind
Ah good they got one without professor griff lmao Over solid early 90s rap album and a very public enemy sound
I'll admit I was only introduced to 90's hiphop in the last 5 years so my ignorance is still quite real The beats on this one hit hard with even more powerful lyrics. Would listen again 4/5
I've never been a big rap fan, but Public Enemy has always been an act that I've respected. Their flow, their lyricism, their sampling, always great. Powerful yet funky. Their collab with Anthrax here is a great forward-thinking mashup.
It's a bit long. I appreciate when the bears switch up, but the boom-bap style eventually gets warn out. Hard to keep the energy up this long. Favorite track: "Nighttrain"
very good, just a specific genre that i wasn’t 100% vibing w in the moment
I enjoyed this album a lot. I loved the lyrics and loved working out to it!
1/30- Driving to school
9/10 - Great album all around, not my favourite genre but enjoyed it nonetheless
I don't know what to say anymore. It wasn't bad. How's that?
They maintain the same high energy as their earlier efforts but the overall sound isn't as high impact because they'd been around for 1/2 a decade or so by that time. I like that the message is targeted at specific events and issues. The fact that it's free of F-bombs means 3 is my starting score.
I can’t say this was fun to listen to. An assault on the senses.
I gave this album 3 or 4 pretty decent listen and I found it quite consistent and not much to complain about. But none of the songs stand out to me. The album is strong but the individual songs have blended in to one another for me. Without at least on standout track I have to give it 3 stars
Classic Album. Nevertheless does not compare to 2Pac. Songs are way too similar. All is in the text.
A decent hip hop record but not their best and overstays it welcome a little
I was too young to have listened to this as a kid but still feel like I slept on it.
90's Hip Hop in its purest form. Man, these dudes had something to say! Bonus for Bring tha Noize being featured on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.
Enjoyed the album. Preferred the fast beat and lively tempo. How to kill a radio consultant favourite song and bring tha noise. Good album
I like this. Almost 5 stars.
The intro/first song was not rly my style and I think neither is most of the album. However I did enjoy the energy of the album I rly liked nighttrain and the activist music. By the time I get to Arizona has a nice blues-y feel to it which I really like, and the rock feel on bring the noise made these two my favorite. After listening through more of it I started to really like the album. The end of the middle of the album probably had my favorite songs.
Nooooooo… This is horrible! Listened through the whole album with no skips, and I can definitely still determine that I really don’t like hip hop. Normally when I listen to music, time passes faster.… When listening to this album, time went by so slow…
Down with the PE, needed that. I do like the story from Hank about how they lost their "data", shows what a painstaking process it was for the Bomb Squad in creating these tunes. This is a big Flav album too, he's all over it, which can be a good and bad thing. That said PE need the Flav as the foil, and he's having a good one on this record. Chuck is in fine voice, Arizona, Shut Em Down et al all hit, love that Isaac's epic By The Time I Get to Phoenix led to this. Chuck's politics hold up, he's been consistent in his position all the way through his career even allowing for the creepy influence of Griff who'd been expunged by this stage. Garvey/Du Bois/Ellison/Ridenhour. Fear of a Black Planet is my go to PE album, but this is a close second.
You can always tell if you’re listening to Public Enemy, but sometimes I wonder if that’s a good thing. Still, I love Chuck D & I love the band’s politics, which are on full display here. And any band who can name a song Get The Fuck Outta Dodge deserves huge credit in my book. Not their best album, but worth the trouble, all the same.
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).
Je sais que je dois écouté les paroles attentitvement pour bien aimé le concept etc. mais pour moi le Rythm and poetry n'est pas la pour un album de rap. Il n'y a pas de flow et les beats on dirait que c'est toujours le meme. Peut-etre a cause du fast pace de l'album. Je n'ai pas aimé mon écoute. 2.
CAAAAAAAAAAAALICKED WITH THIS JUAN.
Listened to about half of the album before turning it off as I really wasn’t liking it. Hiphop/rap is just not a genre for me and while I prefer an album with a political message over gansta rap, a quick google search for Public Enemy gives me results of antisemitism, domestic violence and homophobia. Which at times is reflected in the lyrics. So while I appreciate (part of) their political & social message, I'm left with a bad after taste.
Even better than I remembered
Hip Hop. 1/5
Some funny shit. 3/5 hoppers
Awesome record! I saw this tour!!
PREFS : Lost at Birth, Nighttrain, I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga, How to Kill a Radio Consultant, By the Time I Get to Arizona, 1 Million Bottlebags, A Letter to the New-York Post, Bring Tha Noize MOINS PREF : Get the Fuck Outta Dodge
YEEEEEEAH BOYYYYYYEEEEEE! 3.5 stars
I can definitely see how this is an important album to rap as a whole, and I did enjoy it, though I think the beats and sonic aspects are a bit outdated.
Don't even want to listen. Yes, you're angry and you might have dope beats, but life is too short
I preferred the first Public Enemy album that I found on this list.
Public enemy the beat is so big sounding and the energy in it. Some trippy stuff with reverb and panning. Some crazy dissonant sounds. I like how some samples are so warped they are hardly recognizable. I think Nighttrain was my favorite. 3.5
Fav song was by the time I get to Arizona, cool fuzzed out riff and choir sample. I don’t wanna be your n*** had a sort of cool guitar sample. Some kind of cool production on this album but a lot of the songs sounded the same and it was kind of repetitive/forgettable. Probably won’t listen again
I had a hard time with the repetitiveness of the sample/beat in each song.
Great energy; loved the hard rock elements.
Chuck D's relentless delivery is really something. Not my style but he commanded attention from the second track to the end.
Social commentary mixed with great hip-hop and rap. Delicious.
One of the things I've learned through this list is that a lot of these early hip hop acts that i always assumed were corny actually go pretty fuckin hard. Looking at you pharcyde and queen Latifah. 4
Not my kind of music (also, thanks but no thanks for destroying a nice streak of albums here)
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.
I thought PE didn't do anything good after Nation of Millions...man was I wrong
I enjoyed this album slightly more than It Takes a Nation but that's not saying much since I wasn't a fan of that album. I think the production on this album is a lot more enjoyable. The lyrical content is basically the same on both albums. The production on this was reminiscent of all of the fun boom bap that came out in that era however not much of that boom bap era has aged very well. Public Enemy are culturally significant for the time they were in but I don't understand the need to put more then one Public Enemy album in this list, or maybe i'm just mad that i've gotten Public Enemy albums two days in a row. My enjoyment: 6/10 Need to be on this list: 5/10
Very good. Just not my cup of tea.
Old-school in the best way. There's a directness and seriousness that sets PE apart ... the black CNN indeed – see "NY Post" and "Arizona" which are the top cuts within a very cohesive and fully engaging whole.
Very surprised I haven’t heard this before. Incredible and aggressive. 4/5
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.
Some old school hip-hop that seems appropriate to be on this list and you can't deny the influence and importance of this release, but I can't say I blown away. It was good and I enjoyed most of it, it's just that I can't see myself listening to this regularly. ***1/2
I’ve put this on hoping it would incentivise me and I want to inject a little impetus. What it did was make me hunker down and not wanna move. The lyrics still have pertinence, but I found this very repetitive. I hankered for other public enemy songs. Bring the noize – no thank you.
Most late 80s/early 90s rap hasn't aged well. This album is perhaps a quinessential example of that statement. While I'm sure Public Enemy is important to annals of rap history, this album just isn't good. The beats are super lame often verging on annoying. The rapping is just whatever. And though lyrically it's interesting, it's not profound or anything...just dated. Really did not enjoy this one.
Alla som känner mig vet vilket betyg jag kommer att ge. Varför terroriseras jag med sådant skit. Ge mig Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Einstürzende Neubauten......
Good shit
Enjoyed this more that I thought I would.
The last of the PE golden run of four amazing albums. Perhaps the least-heralded and its a little less blitzkreig than its predecessor. None the worse for a little more space and possesses mighty hits in the form of Arizona, Shut It Down and Can't Truss it.
Even better than A Nation of Millions...? Probably.