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

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

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

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!

Flava Flav says Flava Flav a lot

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

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

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

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

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

More than likely the best rap album ever made.

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.

One of the greatest works of art in American history

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.

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.

Mad sampling. High speed hip hop.

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"

This album and Fear of a Black Planet are the Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets one-two punch of Hip Hop. It's the apex of the game. Just outstanding. Really dig the Bring the Noise version with Anthrax, I missed out seeing their tour together in '91 because of a job I had. Wrong choice, I should've quit that dead end job and went to the gig. This thing hits you with a solid wall of music that is just pummeling with energy, and it never lets up. It's a masterpiece.

Public Enemy was nailing it hard in the late 80’s and early 90’s hip hop scene. Their albums hold way the hell up and will be relevant as long as racism exists. Bring The Noise, Don’t Believe the Hype, She Watch Channel Zero?! and Show ‘Em Whatcha Got are clear highlights. Cool note: Security In The Free World provides the beat for Justify My Love by Madonna.

Chuck D is right, the beats and the rhymes are so dope. Don't Believe the Hype is another great song. There's not a lot of East Coast rap from the late 80s through the mid 90s that doesn't owe a debt of gratitude to Public Enemy. Cold Lampin' with Flavor is better than I remember. I could do without the Terminator X solo song. Louder than a Bomb is the best song on the album so far. Rumpshaker could not be further from Public Enemy, and yet....She Watch Channel Zero?! is the invention of NuMetal! I wish everyone else, other than Rage, had left it alone after this. Night of the Living Baseheads is another great song. Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos is one of the best Public Enemy songs, maybe my favorite, great lyrics. Political hip hop was perfected on this album....every other attempt is still trying to reach these heights.

Landmark hip hop album. If folk was the protest music of the 60s and punk of the 70s, rap had taken on the mantle by the 90s thanks to Public Enemy The beats are great, moving transcending the funk of sound of 80s hip hop into something much more full-on. The lyrics are fantastic and Chuck raps with such intensity and anger that it's hard to ignore. Classic

Top 10 album of all time. It blew us away on first listen. It’s still so fresh sounding. It never gets old. It always hits hard. PE at the absolute top of any game.

This album was amazing when I first heard it so many years ago. It had meaning then, it still holds up. It's kinda sad that it's themes are STILL relevant. Chuck D hadn't even hit his peak with this album. If you liked Bring the Noise from this go look up the version with Anthrax. Hits even harder.

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.

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

such a high energy and exciting album that includes classic hip-hop samples and formed such a fantastic basis for future generations. The high energy beats utilizing free jazz, heavy funk, and other samples are contrasted with sociopolitical rhetoric and dense lyricism at a fast beat.

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.

“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.

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. 🎯🎯🎯🎯🎯

obviously its goated

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

When I was a teenager, I used to ravenously consume the Sydney Morning Herald pink pages every Monday, which had the record reviews, mostly by Lynden Barber before he threw his hands in the air and shifted to movie reviews instead of music. Poor Lynden had clearly heard and reviewed a bazillion records by 1986, and he had jaded ears. He liked records that were genuinely new and different that he hadn't heard before. In 1987, he raved - RAVED! - about the first Public Enemy album, and on the strength of that review I bought a copy, and it blew my mind. The follow-up, It Takes a Nation of Millions, was even better - a masterpiece. 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. For a privileged white boy from Australia, they certainly had some challenging lyrical concepts, which made me think about race and racism in a way that hadn't occurred to me previously, presented with the voice of authority by Chuck D. The music was aggressive and powerful in a way that I hadn't heard before. The density of sound and noise caught my attention and wouldn't let go. The use of samples to create abrasive noise, collaged into a tightly woven musique concrete was just mind-boggling to me. I listened to this record on my walkman a million times. And, to my ears, it still sounds exciting and powerful.

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.

A lot to take in sonically but I’m sure that was the point. I didn’t love most of this but it was so important and the great songs were really great. The partnership of Chuck D and Flava Flav should not work at all but somehow really does.

YEAAAA BOIIIIIIII

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.

⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 66 It Takes Incredible Patience To Hold Me Back From Skipping These Tracks… Nearly an hour of repetitive political beat rap 😳 Produced by the Bomb Squad, the album combines dense, chaotic production with politically charged lyrics from Chuck D and Flavor Flav. Themes range from institutional racism and media manipulation to Black empowerment and cultural pride. Cited as a rap-hop album that refined the genre of rap music for its radical social commentary, while I respect the musical artistry and creative use of sampling, the sounds wear thin to keep me entertained and instead annoyed across an entire album. The album’s relentless political focus, while groundbreaking, risks this monotony if the listener isn’t dialed into its ideological frequency. 🎧 Classic Track: Bring The Noise 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Party For Your Right to Fight 🚫 Skip Track: The numerous interludes, which seem to be mainstays with these types of records regardless of how ‘groundbreaking’ they all are suggested to be! The Bomb Squad created an aural onslaught: sirens, scratches, samples layered with such density that it’s often described as “organized chaos.” For many, this was revolutionary — a sonic match for the urgency of the lyrics. But critically, there’s a risk of fatigue. Some tracks blur together under the weight of their own noise. Unlike later sample-heavy works (like The Avalanches or early Kanye), there’s less interest in beauty or groove — it’s pure friction. For all the accolades this album seems to garner, it is clearly influenced by what the Beastie Boys had created two years earlier with Licensed To Ill, the core difference being these songs acting as a political platform for black culture assertions. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Thug Life The album also has little to say about gender or the role of women, a problem in a lot of golden-age hip-hop. While Public Enemy’s politics are radical, they’re also male-centric, often excluding intersectional concerns. For an album so ahead of its time in other areas, this is a glaring omission. Chuck D is didactic, often blunt — but that’s part of the point. He’s not here to entertain. He’s here to inform, agitate, mobilize. Lyrics like “I got a letter from the government the other day / I opened and read it, it said they were suckers” are militant by design. They don’t invite debate. They declare war. Critically, though, there’s a lack of nuance or introspection. Chuck D rarely turns the lens inward — unlike later artists like Tupac or Kendrick Lamar, who mix political messaging with personal vulnerability. That makes this album feel like a broadcast rather than a conversation. Flavor Flav provides comic relief and unpredictability — but his chaotic persona walks a thin line between balance and distraction.

Here's another one (and my second Public Enemy album) where I have trouble rating it because I personally didn't like it but I understand that it's a very important, very good hip hop album.

Absolutely no. All songs sounded the same.

I tried really hard to like this. It’s just overly repetitive and all the dings sound the same. If flavor flav wasn’t on here it would be rated higher too. He’s just really really annoying.

Couldn't bring myself to waste time listening to this garbage. It was horrible the first time i listened when it was released and I can't imagine it age very well. Less then .0000001 stars

Old and boring.

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.

classic!

Honestly, really solid album all the way through. Really love the energy, the hype, everything that went into this, turns out I actually really love this genre. It was a bit long for me, but I definitely think it was worth listening all the way through.

This is more like it! Absolute nailed on classic and era defining album. Can remember this like yesterday and recall hearing it late 80s Liverpool. Outside of any critical appraisal as far as I am concerned

5/5. Every song blares, Chuck D's vocals are strong and lyrically intelligent, Flavor Flav hypes up every song bringing it down to Earth and making it feel personal. The samples themselves are complex and intricate, and with repeated listens, I find myself focusing on something new in each song. Chuck D sounds like a preacher, like a man 65 years in experience telling me about what we need to do to make the world a better place. There is so much happening on this record, I am going to need many more listens. I can't believe I was sleeping on this for so long, this is what rap, and music in general, should be used for, getting your message across, especially when no one will hear you otherwise. It's hard to ignore when it goes this hard. Best Song: Don't Believe The Hype, Louder Than A Bomb, Night Of The Living Baseheads, Rebel Without A Pause

Banger after banger. Classic. And truly a great display of actual rapping

So angry and vindictive - I always found public enemy very powerful and real, and this is them distilled to their essence. Really great

The first great rap album in my opinion. Beats way ahead of their time that still hold up today. Sharp political commentary. Don't see any reason why this deserves anything less than a 5.

So much energy.

I rate these albums based on the vibes, the energy. A+. The energy is undeniable.

I enjoyed this much more than I expected to boiiiii

Very punk in attitude. Terminator X has almost constant klaxons going off.

Rebellious

5/5

un clásico del hip hop estadounidense, imposible no admirarlo

Amazing listen. Listened the same day I watched Do the Right Thing for the first time during a Bed-Stuy heatwave. Transformative

Best rap album ever made in my opinion

Can't say anything new here - PE IN FULL EFFECT

Greatest hip-hop album ever recorded. No further elaboration needed.

Really enjoyed this

It’s so…

An ambitious, provocative and groundbreaking release, A Nation of Millions hasn’t lost an ounce of its sonic or cultural import. Tracks like the trippy “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” demonstrate that PE was early to the jazz-sampling trend, while they capitalized on the nascent rap-rock trend by sampling Slayer on “She Watch Channel Zero?!” (one of 20 samples on the track). Terminator X is in top form with his scratching and trademark tea kettle/horse-whinny refrain, Flavor Flav plays the role of hype man/street jester (except when he raps, such as on “Cold Lampin’”) with aplomb and Chuck D is like a whole weather system on the mic. There’s so much going on in this seminal release, and I haven’t even gotten to the pointed social and political commentary. Le plus ca change…

Nooooooo

Already familiar with this one but gave it another listen to determine my rating, I was originally thinking giving it just below 5 stars but after another listen it’s definitely higher than that, it’s just that good. Every song is really good, the only ones I didn’t like as much are party for your right to fight which is a little repetitive and she watch channel zero which is a little extreme but I guess that’s kind of the point. This album is also dated but in the best possible way, it’s of its time with the explosive, energetic rapping and flavour flav doing his thing, he’s also got one of my favourite rap verses on this album with cold lampin’. Definitely deserves a 5 as it’s also an iconic album. Overall 9.5/10.

if you don't know then your ass better call somebody. this is the most important rap album of the 80's.

Saw them live on 23 Augustus 2012 in Metropool (Hengelo) with a complete band backing them up. Great concert!