It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Packed to the rafters lyrically and musically. Intimidating, angry and militant, but also funky as all hell with its insane twisting of samples into new shapes and hard as nails wall of sound production that bores into your skull like a pneumatic drill. 58 minutes of pure adrenaline that always leaves you needing to catch your breath at the end. Then there’s all the rappers, beat makers and artists who have built careers off the back of ripping this album off, Dr. Dre being one of the most obvious examples. ‘It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back’ is still the sound of an exploding rap supernova whose impact still reverberates 30 plus years later.

“It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” by Public Enemy (1988) This is another recording that must be listened to in context. From a distance of over thirty years it sounds trite, boastful, and limp. But in its day it was revolutionary. The emphasis on the album is not the music (which is mostly out of a can), but the poetry, which is powerful, and powerfully delivered by Chuck D. (rah-rah comic foil Flavor Flav, not so much). Chuck D.’s diction and elocution are good enough so that his poetry can be heard rather than read. That is a huge plus. Only by hearing can we grasp the anger and the prophetic dynamism. This album is political poetry. The message here is the potent assertion of blackness. And the beats, rhymes, samples, and topics are well selected to serve that end. Whatever one may think of the notion of the ‘blackness’ they are asserting, there is no denying that it has coherence and power. And how is it ‘political’? The German political philosopher Carl Schmitt, in defining the conceptual essence of the ‘political’ said: “[T]he specific political distinction … is that between friend and enemy. [and further], The enemy is solely the public enemy” (The Concept of the Political, 1927, 2007 ET, pp. 26, 28, emphasis added). Then, in favorably noting the famous 1853 dictum of Carl von Clausewitz, Schmitt elucidates: “‘War is nothing but a continuation of political intercourse with a mixture of other means.’ To be precise, war, for Clausewitz, is not merely one of many instruments, but the ultima ratio of the friend-enemy grouping.” (Ibid, p. 34, n. 14). Schmitt became a Nazi in 1933, and was very influential in the actualization of the Nazis’ political aims. We all know how the Nazis treated their enemies. The political poetry of this album is radical and revolutionary in that the poet takes up Schmitt’s political conception, and then, with stunningly innovative boldness, defines himself as the enemy—and a very public enemy at that. It’s a marvelous moment of clarity. Public Enemy is a cultural extension of the black nationalist political philosophy of Louis Farrakhan and Malcolm X, not the nonviolent activist liberalism of Martin Luther King, Jr. If you keep all this in mind as you listen to the album, you will be well tuned in to their artistic purpose, unsettling as it might be. 1/5

Really surprised how much I loved this. Like Nick said, there's a kinetic energy and playfulness between the members, but they're able to keep up their politically-fuelled lyrics. It's soulful, the beats are so full and realized, definitely going to be a repeat listen. Fav Tracks: Rebel Without a Pause and Don't Believe the Hype. Rating 4.5/5

The beats on this thing are so freaking good. The Bomb Squad was on FIRE on this one. Way ahead of its time. Chuck D is so charasmatic on the mic, one of the best to ever do it. Flava Flav is a top tier hype man, he never feels like he takes away from the tracks, lots of charisma on Cold Lampin’. So cinematic, it flows together so freaking well, lot of incredible social and political commentary

Obviously an unimpeachable classic but I get even more enjoyment out of imagining what this sounded like to conservative parents in the late 80s. If it sounds like the album was made with a suite of dental tools to us, it must have been like a Victorian child exploding after tasting Doritos.

I had a very difficult journey getting into hip hop last year, since I had rejected pop rap for the majority of my life. When this generator gave me Raising Hell, it was the first step in grabbing my interest. In the coming months, I tried a few other classic records, but I still struggled immensely. 3 months after Raising Hell, I went on a solo backpacking trip for a few days in the Ozarks, downloading a couple dozen albums for me to play out loud throughout the days, and the two hip hop candidates were this and Paul Boutique's, and I absolutely loved them both. This was the more difficult one. As cheesy as the intro is by today's standards, it actually gave me goosebumps because I had no idea what to expect. What followed blew my mind. Chuck D was a powerful rapper. It wasn't about an impressive singing style (as in R&B), or a poetic rhyme and flow (as in Kanye or Outkast), or even the goofiness and fun (of old school hip hop or the Beastie Boys). This was powerful, abrasive, and in your face. Flavor Flav proved to me that a hype man wasn't just a gimmick, and his light and fun voice served as a light and engaging dynamic to Chuck D, motivating audience engagement. In just under an hour, we get 12 full-length tracks and 4 short supplementary tracks that fit really well and keep the momentum going. I played the album twice during the trip, then at least a dozen more times in the past year on drives and other hikes. To this day it's still downloaded on my phone, and I don't plan on removing it anytime soon. To me, this is their best album, among the best samples I've ever heard in a hip hop album. It's incredibly memorable, with quotes and techniques repeated frequently throughout the album. I love the sampling and record scratching to make each track unique and full of substance. They incorporate funk, rock, and jazz samples to make it accessible and diverse. But really, the samples can be so cold and spontaneous it holds a lot of similarities with industrial music. It's busy and loud but the repetition helps us digest what's going on, taking our time to relax and listen to the lyrics but also just appreciating the music in itself. The production is thanks to the famous Bomb Squad, who put so much effort into making such a genuine sounding record. Despite Fear of a Black Planet feeling more polished and complicated with the samples, I still prefer the personality here. By today standards, there are arguments to be made against its position, such as the overused repetition that makes some songs feel dragged on, or the sometimes primitive or dated raps in certain tracks. I could see the issues, but to me it's still a complete listen with no skips. And on top of it, it gets extra points for being highly influential to both American culture and the genre, kicking off gangster and political hip hop of the late 80s and early 90s. Favorites: Bring the Noise, Don't Believe the Hype, Terminator X to the Edge, Caught Can We Get A Witness, She Watch Channel Zero, Black Steel, Rebel Without a Pause

Excellent early rap album. Chuck Ds lyrics and rap style is among the best. The beats are hard and not overly funky like other late 80s early 90s. This album is far more influential than most other rap albums. Not my favorite rap album but it gets a bump for the legacy. 9.0/10

What an album! Just overflowing with ideas. It's playful, political, and makes really inventive and extensive use of samples. Another bridge record that feels like it's connecting 80s rap to its future directions. Flava Flav's interjections are the perfect counterbalance to Chuck D's hard-hitting lyrics and I feel like makes them even stronger. Favourite track: "Night of the Living Baseheads" among many!

Terrible. Why make a whole album when you do the same annoying things every song.

Raw. The only down beat is Flava talking about all different kinds of flava.

Flava Flav says Flava Flav a lot

Hands down the best hip hope record of the 1980s. Banger after banger and apex Chuck D. Something about Chuck D’s partnership with Flovor Flav cracks me up. It’s like Malcom X teaming up with Chris Tucker. While Chuck D is critiquing tv as the opiate of the masses in She Watch Channel Zero, Flav is like “yo turn that shit off so I can watch the game!” It’s ridiculous

Don't Believe the Hype, indeed! Just foundational, a true template for so much to come (for better or worse). Chuck D-Flavor Flav maybe the Lennon-McCartney (or Simon-Garfunkel) of hip-hop. The grit and energy and edge are true and strong after all these years, even if the beats and tech are dated. Fear of a Black Planet even better.

Aggressive and radical; funky with frenzied pace that doesn’t let up for a second over its 58 minutes. “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” is a game changer that’s just as exhilarating today as it was 35 years ago.

I got a letter from the government the other day, I opened and read it it said they were suckers

I mean, it's one of the core texts isn't it? A music Gospel. The bomb squad production taking James Brown and weaponising it. Chuck and Flava both at their peak. The Panther movement as art. Discordant but beautiful.

The first PE album certainly felt like something fresh and different when it came out, but this second record is where PE really flexed into the iconic outfit that they became. faster, harsher sounding, more political than anyone had been before, this is the Public Enemy that really blew the doors off.

This album is still great. It's wild that this was once considered dangerous music. White people... smh

Mad sampling. High speed hip hop.

More than likely the best rap album ever made.

New form of poetry. Chuck D is a rap god

Dope as hell.

Yeeeaaaahh, boooooyeee! Props to Chuck D, Flavor Flav, and Terminator X for being the bleeding edge of hiphop just as it was truly breaking wide... but this didn't age all that well. The beats are basic, the rhymes are primitive, and the lyrics are more hype than substance. It feels undeveloped... rudimentary. But, at the end of the day, that's okay because this was the golden age of hiphop. The genre was still finding its feet as a mainstream art form. Every track was an experiment and every album a thesis statement. That ethos is prominently on display here which means that some tracks slap while others flop. Ultimately, it's an enjoyable bit of history that's more than worthy of a listen before you die.

Ok beats and noises. Excellent deep voiced authoritative rapping from Chuck D. Some iconic raps. Political, racial and angry, but none of the ugly sweary aggressive nonsense that proliferates gangster rap.

Fun album, pretty wild and aggressive for how early it was released. Not quite my jam though.

Understand their impact

"yeah boiii"

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back I did have this album on CD at uni, I think inspired by watching that Channel 4 series, The Hip Hop years. I liked it a lot back then and like it alot now. It is interesting listening to it after listening to Fear of a Black Planet for the first time last month. Obviously they are cut from the same cloth, both a righteous pummeling of noises, samples, anger and beats that make you feel quite exhausted by the end of the hour. Although it’s an enjoyable, exciting pummelling. I always thought the CD version sounded a little thin, despite the kitchen sink production, and although it does sound much better than I remember and packs quite a punch it doesn’t quite have the fullness of the sound on FOABP. It also perhaps feels less groove-laden than FOABP, with fewer obvious soul samples and more pounding rhythms and quicker tempos, accentuating the lyrics and rapping. The well known tracks, Bring the Noise, Don’t Believe the Hype, Night of the Living Baseheads (don’t think I ever noticed the Bowie sample before, even though it's obvious), Rebel Without a Pause and Prophets of Rage do stand out as the most immediate, but there are great tracks throughout, Louder than a Bomb, Caught Can We Get a Witness, She Watch Channel Zero?! and Party for Your Right to Fight are great, with the same density and aural bludgeon. If FOABP is a 5 star this has to be too, it’s not exactly a relaxing listen but its density and chaotic power are pretty thrilling. 🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯

intensity and cacophony mean back-to-back playthroughs daunt me, almost uniquely among bands I like. They play all channels - city traffic and din, indoor arguments, TV politicians, audience noise, radio, car stereos, the electronic noises of the street - simultaneously, and this city-in-box method is relentless, without pause. I find myself grasping at their strong voices to impose meaning on mad form. Surely no band has a better list of song titles: the track-listing reads like one of J.G. Ballard’s best contents pages. I might like this one the best.

Just incredible - sound, beats, production, lyrics. So many of their best tracks on this (and, by definition, some of the best of rap all-time). Samples from Isaac Hayes to Slayer, fantastic noise - never beaten

Once again an album that deserves 6 stars. This is in my top ten all time albums. Chuck D is a legend.

obviously its goated

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Chuck D’s voice is unstoppable.

Not exactly an easy album to listen to but a very important one. The production really hits you, it's overwhelming in places. Revolutionary in every sense of the word, I can't really think of any other group like PE. This is probably my favourite of theirs, and my favourite 80s hip hop album, even though there are a couple of Flava Flav duds on it. It's pretty nonsensical listening to him rant about trash TV on 'She Watch Channel Zero' considering he ended up running his own reality TV show in the 00s! Chuck D is as great as ever though, Particularly on Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos and the second side of the album.

YEAAAAAH BOOOYYYY

I want to start by saying I absolutely love this album, and I respect it for what it represents in the evolution of hip hop. With that said, the a lot of the samples and lyrics really hold up and are amazing still- on the other hand the pacing of the album is somewhat choppy and the lyrics can be pretty corny/dated sometimes as well. Def worth being on this list, but it’s not my #1 choice for old school hip hop. So close to a 5, but alas

The second half of the 80's marked a turn for hip hop. Though Run DMC was the first touchstone group for hardcore hip hop, it would be groups like N.W.A. and Public Enemy that would get especially aggressive in their delivery, effectively popularizing the subgenre. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back is an undeniable radical energy, with MC Chuck D giving hard-hitting lyrics with a tough-as-nails delivery, alongside hypeman Flavor Flav who elevates the music. While rapping is certainly good on here, it occasionally comes across as a dated and even a bit corny. Rapping has evolved a lot since 1988 and I'll be hones tin saying I'm not a huge fan of Flav's presence. The real shining star is the timeless production. Hank Shocklee, who would go on to be a member of The Bomb Squad producing Ice Cube's solo effort AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (also a great record). We also have the legendary Rick Rubin credited as an executive producer, though to what extent he's involved in the album, I don't know. Either way, the sampling and beats on this album are superb. Overall great album. Holds up well and it's almost all bangers.

So damn good. The beats, the socially conscious lyrics, the talent. They hype man with a giant clock necklace. Great hip hop album all around

I have to admit I wasn't in the mood to listen to this during an already stressful and hectic Monday work morning, but surprisingly it fits very well with the chaos of the morning. Separate from my listening circumstances, I found myself drawn in by these tracks. Really cool layering of rhythms and harmonies from the drum loops on up through the vocal mix. Heard some nice influences, samples, etc., from R&B and funk, including some great guitar and bass lines. I definitely want to give a few re-listens along with the lyrics in front of me. I heard some good strong commentary in there and want to dive deeper. Strong, strong album.

I have a distinct memory of seeing PE t shirts for sale at the old Toowoomba Target. They kind of broke through as fashion before I could get a handle on their music. Again another album where I've only really listened to the hits. I recommend everyone watching the doco 'Welcome To The Terrordome'

This is one of the most important hip-hop albums of all time. "Bring the Noice" continues to be an anthem for standing up for the greater good. Chuck D's vocals grab your attention with his aggressiveness, but hold your attention with the message he's providing. This isn't a personal favorite of mine, but it is an absolute pleasure to listen to.

The rappers press on dramatically and paroxysmally in a patchwork of rap noises, casual bandisms, scratch improvisations (Terminator X, aka Norman Rogers, the scratch wizard) and electronic disturbances. It's a classic, an overwhelming and sophisticated sampler of revolutionary music. (7/10) Favourite Tracks: Terminator X to the Edge of Panic

Good and important but repetitive AF. A lot of times the samples are OVERBEARING

While it was a really good album some songs seemed repetitive or samples sounded weirdly placed. Not a favorite but still really excellent.

Gonna be a nooo boooiiiiii from me

Nauseating beats and a rapper who cannot shut up for even a few seconds.

I'll die happy if I've never heard this again. 1/5

never make music again

Oh no ... the second day row this (for me) terribly boring music. No, no, no!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beck has an interesting sound. I like it in smaller doses than an entire album.

Obnoxious, infantile, idiotic drivel. All attitude over suubstance.

++: Countdown to Armageddon, Bring the Noise, Don't Believe the Hype, Cold Lampin' with Flavor, Terminator X to the Edge of Panic, Louder Than a Bomb, Caught, Can We Get a Witness?, Show 'Em Watcha Got, She Watch Channel Zero?!, Night of the Living Baseheads, Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos, Security of the First World, Rebel Without a Pause, Prophets of Rage, Party for Your Right to Fight +: Mind Terrorist 9,7/10

If I had to rank the top 100 hip hop albums of all time - It Takes a Million is a top 5 for sure and perhaps top 3. There is a magnetic energy and charge to Chuck D's lyrics that make this an important album for the ages.

A blast of energy and attitude. One of the great albums and certainly a milestone of the genre.

So confusing. "Don't Believe the Hype" they tell us. But what do I do if the hype is entirely justified.

Yes. The best by the best. Although being in the same room as either Flava Flav or Professor Griff for more than two minutes seems like a nightmare.

Bring the noise! Yeah Boyyy! etc etc......USA and the World could really do with a Public Enemy in this nuts time! Iconic, ground-breaking with some serious f'kin attitude. Chuck D has that perfect dominating voice that perfectly matches the message. Awesome....silly Rabbit!

As powerful and poignant now as it was then.

Ебануто крутое звучание! А еще говорят что и тексты заебись, верю на слово

Sensational! Ahead of its time. Still holds up.i like Fear of a Black Planet More. But that takes nothing away from this being a great as it is. One of the best 1-2 punches in hip hop history

This is what I’ve been looking for. So happy to have committed the time to listen thoroughly.

Me right now in 2025 is thinking that this album is the most classic 80s-90s rap sound, but that's in retrospect, and apparently this album started it? Hats off to the creators of a sound that I love. I just love how funky and high energy the hip hop is from that time. Being Canadian my first exposure to this sound was with Maestro Fresh Wes, and this album taught me that Wes shouts Public Enemy often in his music so that's cool. Wes sound clearly inspired by tracks like Night of the Living BaseHeads, so funky, so clean. Can also see how they influenced RAtM sound and Zack's rap style, especially from She Watch Channel Zero?!. Can't stand the repetitive aggressive stuff like in Mind Terrorist. Love the lyricism and beats on most other tracks. Overall a very interesting and intense album, they clearly went in with a vision and executed it perfectly.

One of the greatest works of art in American history

The reasons are sev-er-al…. Stabbing horn siren amongst them

Amazing display of sending a political message through art with this album. They made an album you can bump to while also speaking on the American social and political climate in America at the time, although a lot of it still applies today. Chuck carries the whole thing, Flava Flav doesn’t add enough for me to consider him part of the music

Game changing music that both encapsulated a moment in time and still brings that moment into the present. This is music I feel every time I listen.

“I got a letter from the government the other day. I opened and read it, it said they were suckers.” Is the greatest line in the history of lyrics. And more relevant now than it was back then. This is one of the best hip hop albums of all time. It’s long, but unlike some of PE’s albums this one does not feel bloated. Everything on here works and feels necessary.

If you were around in ‘88, you can’t even imagine how big this album was. Groundbreaking.

I remember some of these songs and specifically a remix from the tony hawk video games. I definitely liked the original song more!

Fantastic production in this breathtaking hip-hop album, especially for the 80s. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is an iconic and genre-defining record with incredible lyrics.

Its amazing to finally listen to this album and recognizing so many small, throwaway lines as the basis of songs by other artists in completely different genres. *That* is influence.

9/10 Some of these foundational albums disappoint, this one didn’t. Sounds great still. Potent message, excellent delivery, great production. Sample selection is on point. Nobody sounds like Chuck D. Best: Caught, Can We Get a Witness?

• 5/5 • exhausting sustained energy and breakthrough production - a great album • especially enjoy Don’t Believe the Hype, Bring the Noise, and Rebel Without a Pause

This is one of my favorite rap albums of all time. It just goes so hard. I can never listen to just one song, it's gotta be the whole thing. I would also give anything for a whole album of songs like She Watch Channel Zero?! rapped over a Slayer sample. But it also works so well as a kind of one-off to break up the rest of the album while not interrupting the flow.

Great lyrics, and cool flow. The beats are nice.

Essential hip hop.

First listen was 10 years ago and yeeeaaahhh boiiiii this still rules

Only one of my favorite albums of all time and incredibly influential for me at 17 when it came out. Chuck D’s furious and righteous lyrics helped stoke my political and social consciousness, which led to a political science major in college and now a lifelong career in mission-driven work. It exposed me to the sonic wonders of superlative production, bass, and absolute jams, which brought me to glorious bass-heavy dance floors and electronic music scenes and a huge appreciation for hip hop. P.E. - ahead of their time, right on time, and still relevant now.

Love this album. Great energy. Didn’t hear it the first time around but by 90 was enjoying it

A classic for a reason. Political poetry and funky beats

I first heard this when I was about seven years old. My brother had a tape, and I saw the Tipper Gore naughty lyrics sticker and could not resist. What was inside this that made it so risky, dangerous, and taboo to have that magical sticker? The cover was strange. Why are these dudes in a cell? Why is the album name a paragraph? It's loud, filled with sirens, bass, and amazing samples. The samples on this disc are amazing: Angel of Death on She Watch Channel Zero!?, that's just rad. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is one of the most innovative and listenable hip-hop records ever recorded. The first four PE records are essential, and everyone should own them, except those who wish to limit speech; you can go fuck yourself; that includes the PMRV ringmaster Tipper Gore and all who wish to tell us how our freedom of speech should work.

Well I can unabashedly give this album all the stars. A record I absolutely devoured in my youth. And still return to often. These guys were my absolute favorite in high school. I drug Sharon to a concert and its a fun memory. We had second row. Cant say enough about the influence this album had on popular music. Ugly soundscapes, found sounds and a sampling masterpeice that can never be made again due to music lawyers. Sampling is a lost art crushed by litigation and this record is the pinnacle. Along with Pauls Boutique and 3 Feet High And Rising. Gotdamn!!!

Kay, why on earth have I never listened to Public Enemy until now??? They’ve been in my general awareness since like, middle school? But somehow I had never heard this before and it is SO good! Unreserved 5/5!

Legendary album and more relevant than ever

This is a certified classic. Mindbender. Innovative production as is always the case with the Bomb Squad. Lyrics are intelligent yet accessible too. Early Public Enemy is top tier.

Hell yes.

a lot bouncier than rap tends to nowadays, so sonically vibrant and layered

Great lyrics, great beats. Standout songs: Dont believe the hype Louder than a bomb Rebel Without a Pause

C: 8/10. Loved this! Honestly way better than expected. I was so engaged by all the sounds and textures. It was so much more avant garde than I anticipate. I was a little surprised at how politically ambiguous it was at first, but it kind of eased into more explicit messaging which seemed intentional, as if to cast a wide net. K: 7/10, good, noisiness not all my preference

Just damn. Unlike some classics of the genre - there is so much meat on this bone. Musically - the wall of sound uses a ridiculously diverse mix of samples to underscore the armageddon - narrated by two of hop hops most distinctive MCs. Hooks galore with beats to match. Preacher and jester bring the truth and have a damn good time doing it.

Superlative - first album listened to in 2025. A banger!

Not just hype, not just 80's rap... this is a national treasure.

Masterpiece. Favourite tracks are Night Of The Living Baseheads and Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos, which alone makes this album a 5/5

Word

Absolutely banging. Like a sledgehammer to the base of the spine.

A true game changer for hip hop. It definitely sounds a little dated, but I love it.

I've never really been a big fan of rap but I remember listening to this when it came out. It was amazing then, and it still is.

“It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” by Public Enemy is not just an album; it’s a cultural milestone that (re)shaped hip-hop . Released in 1988, this album became the blueprint for political socially aware hip-hop This album has since become an undeniable classic, influencing generations of hip-hop artists who use their music to speak on societal issues. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back transformed hip-hop into a platform for social justice, proving that music could be powerful, thought-provoking, and a force for change. Its legacy in hip-hop is unshakeable, marking it as one of the genre’s most essential and impactful works. Ps let’s not ruin it by talking about Professor Griff 🤔😱

5 stars