Reviews (page 10 of 12)
This kind of hip hop with a hype-man coming in constantly has never been my favorite and this didn't change that. An ok album if it weren't for that. Very of its time.
i definitely understand the significance of this album , the lyrics and the time period it came out. the Dj created amazing mixes but tbh it just wasn't for me .
Me doy cuenta que no me gusta mucho el hip hop. Mira que pueden haber temas buenísimos, pero prefiero infinitamente melodías vocales a versos rapeados que no buscan aportar al tema más allá de lo lírico. Creo que deben haber excepciones, pero por algo el trip hop me gusta tanto (ej: Portishead) y el hip hop no tanto (ej: Eminem). Sin embargo, los discos que estuve escuchando fueron bastante pasados. Quizás aquellos que todavía no escuché (los relativamente actuales) me gustan más, ya que creo que pueden tener una búsqueda mucho más conceptual y melódica (creo).
When to listen: block party. I wish I loved this album. Parts were awesome but the relentless beats and siren-like sounds really stressed me out. Appreciate the art, the craft, and the history.
Not interested.
Not for my ears
Not my cup of tea. I must be getting old. Lively beats, lyrics a bit hard to understand to these old ears. Younger generation's music, they are obviously enjoying it!
I did not enjoy it much
It suddenly clicked while listening to "She Watch Channel Zero?!" that Public Enemy were a huge influence on Rage Against The Machine - it's like a prototype for a RATM track. I was expecting this album to be more gangsta rap, but it's actually more political rap, which I have to say is more meaningful to me, and obviously feeds into the RATM connection. I think what really interferes with my enjoyment and appreciation of this album is the sampling; too many of the effects used are just purely grating to the point that it makes me want to skip the track. The repetitive beeping sound from "Night Of The Living Baseheads" is going to haunt my nightmares. Ultimately, I appreciate the fact this has clearly had influence, but I'd much rather listen to the resultant influences rather than the source. I just can't get into this album.
Incredibly fatiguing over a full multi-track listen.
cool samples pero siento que matchee la energia, 2.5
It was nice of them to let a 2 year old press random buttons on a soundboard in the background of every song.
HipHop, 1988 -> 2
I wonder if anyone ever told Flavor Flav to cool it on the "yeah boyyys". Imagine they did, and this is the result. Like, how many yeah boyyys were there before?!? This is one of those records you gotta respect because of everything that it inspired. But I don't really love it. Or like it. Gotta give it a 2.
imma need my babble translator for dis one
I'm not particularly fond of Flava Flav's voice. Really wanted to like this one because we've been going through non-stop prog rock the last few days (which I'm not big on) so I owed Public Enemy for giving me a break. Chuck D was a highlight for almost every track! It's a shame because Cold Lampin' With Flavor was really good instrumentally. Probably would've been my favorite track (aside from She Watch Channel Zero?! which was awesomesauce) if not for Flav (he says flavor 28 times). Mind Terrorist may be the worst thing I've ever heard. Impressive being under a minute-and-a-half. Some really good stuff here, but not enough for me to not want this album to be over ASAP. 2/5.
I was not impressed at all. The music is silly, the lyrics are corny and the production is outdated. It's not totally rubbish, so 1 star would be unfair, but I expected so much more than this.
yYYYEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHH BBUUUOOOOIIIII
Bekende muziek, niet mijn stijl
Very annoying sounds
1988. Praised its production techniques and its socially and politically charged lyricism.
2026.05.06.
High highs but overall pretty forgettable
not my genre
Not for me
I want to like Public Enemy. I find their image cool, and they have great energy. Flavor Flav is iconic. But their beats are so damn annoying. Repetitive irritating sounds.
Deels geluisterd, niet echt mijn ding of smaak.
Not bad, but not my style of music, and in all fairness I didn't listen to the whole thing
Not my thing.
It's most prominent features, besides the layering of funk samples, are its chaos and political lyrics. I can see why this is revolutionary and admired; but its not for me...
Muchas partes molan pero hay partes muy guineo y repetitivas que te explota la cabeza, no es agradable a veces.
Gillar inte public enemy :( Deras musik passar bättre där man brukar höra den.. Samplad i andra låtar
Фигня полная
Old school Hip Hop but I miss technique and flow.
Just too dated
I know this album is widely hailed as being amazing, but it really just felt like one long song. I feel bad for disliking it lol
Respect to the OGs but this sounds woefully dated
Malo mi je više ušao u glavu od prošlog njihovog. Ništa posebno opet.
not really into hip hop
I know how influential Public Enemy were when they first found success with their albums. While listening, I looked back at anecdotes from that time, and it was fascinating to see how people described the music as something completely new. The creative sampling and strong lyrical messages were unusual for the rap scene, and many praised the imagery and how it expanded their worldview. Now, almost four decades later, I can unfortunately say that the album doesn’t fully hold up for me. It feels like a contemporary piece of art that had its moment to shine and pave the way for music that would later influence my life. With the risk of becoming a Public Enemy myself, I found the album to be a slog. The vocal delivery felt repetitive, and I had to take a few breaks along the way just to get through it. I really liked "She Watch Channel Zero?!"
honestly don't know the history and didn't listen to the lyrics enough to enjoy it. just on the sound, melody, and rapping itself, it wasn't very satisfying to me. definitely need to dedicate some time to understanding the context and i think I would appreciate it a lot more.
More 80s rap that sounds dated, muffled, and soulless. I grew up around hiphop so I know how hyped or “classic” this album for its political essence and brazen style, but it’s just a bunch of funky, poorly mixed, noisy samples with angry, choppy flows.
Really didn’t like this one. Too long, singer sounded like he was coming from Sesame Street and the yeah boiiiiis just totally ruined any vibe they had going.
Is this better than Dr. Dre? Yes. Could I get through the whole album? No. Not the worst music I have ever heard and I like the idea of learning the lyrics to one of the songs, just to confound expectations, but not my thing.
there’s a loooot going on
Can't deal with Flavor Flav, literally ruins the album.
Too many skips
In the scale of all the rap albums I’ve heard so far, this wasn’t the worst; it just didn’t really do much for me either.
There were some interesting early hip hop sounds on this record. However, a lot of the beats were not mixed very well, and it was hard to hear the lyrics over them. Additionally, several tracks had loud screeching and squealing sounds over them which was very distracting and devastating to the listening experience.
Ugh I wanted to like it but it was just kind of noise to me. Maybe needs another listen in a different mood
Interesting, but not 100% my style, I'm more like melodic samples etc... This got a lot of scratches etc... I did find songs worth revisiting. 1. Don't believe the hype 2. She watched channel zero?! 3. Black steel in the hour of chaos
There’s a few songs on here that are classics and do you like in this album but there are few and far between a lot of noise not really my style of hip-hop. I do love me some flavor flav he met my mom wants at a party city so I wasn’t enough songs. I like to give it to three and then I have to give it to.
every now and then i'll venture into hip hop from the late 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, but it's never usually my cup of tea. this was decent fun, and Flava Flav was entertaining, lol. it's just i can imagine my dad enjoying this more than i did. a lot of hip hop generally sounds the same to me; political messages (though relevant, feel repetitive) mixed with good beats. and that's the point! i know that's what the foundation of this genre is built on, but for now, this was a bit of a miss for me favorite track: Rebel Without A Pause. i can definitely see myself coming back to this one however.
Yeahhhhhhhh boiiiiiiiiiii
Not too big a fan, it's not my taste, but I appreciate the overall album from an 'objective' lens
There is something I like about this but I can't put my fin=ger on it. I can listen to it in the background and find myself engaged in the beats but up close I don't alwyas like the lyrics. Some of the shrill noises added in production are annoying too.
I got my fill of "Yeah boyeeeee's" pretty early on. This is better than a 1 which for me is very complimentary for a rap album. I didn't hate it but rap fatigue quickly sets in. 2.5/5
This Public Enemy’s album is a product of its time to my ears. I didn’t put a lot of attention to the lyrics though, which I’m sure gives it a way better experience. This album is a product of its time, a great time-capsule before the greats got on the scene. It came out 2 months before N.W.A.’s album, which really paved the way IMO of hip hop’s sound. There’s a lot of disc scratches and glitchy effects, which can be annoying at times. It’s not an album for studying, but a great one for some outdoors running. I’d give it a solid 4,5/10, with Cold Lampin’ With Flavor and Night of the Living Baseheads as my personal highlights
Yeaaaaaah boiiiiii, absolutely atrocious production. It’s just not that good, not sure how people like this. Was cool hearing where the sample comes from in Show ‘Em Whatcha Got, only reason I’m rounding this 1.1 to a 2
Time capsule of classic hip-hop.
very 80s-90s rap. not something i would listen to again 🫤
I really don't fuck with 80s hip-hop, the beats are always filled with scratches or screeches or whatever and it ruins it for me. If it wasn't for that, I'd be way more into this album.
It’s a no for me
1.5
Schwierige Bewertung. "Bring The Noise" für mich ein großer Hit, ewig nicht mehr gehört. Der Rest fällt für mich deutlich ab und einige repetitive Elemente stören auf Albumlänge. Insgesamt reicht es knapp nicht für 3 Sterne.
Noyz
Todas iguais Intros engracadas
Rate this one later 2
Every song kinda sounds the same. Definitely among my least favorites of rap from the 80s-90s. A lot of the beats sound like someone spamming stuff on a soundboard and the yeah boyeees get really old
This is definitely of its time. This should be up my street but just feels disjointed
Le rap US c’est pas pour moi
I get this is an important, historic album. But it wasn't something I'd look forward to revisiting.
I couldn’t wait to get this one over with. If I can go the rest of my life without hearing “yeah booooy” again I’d be happy. It would have been better if it wasn’t so obnoxious. I get it’s important, wierdly my kids liked it because I guess it’s stripped back and in your face and kind of funny, even if the lyrics are so serious. Must have had to be there; it’s not for me
Y.. no lo disfrute tanto porque en si no me llama el hip hop, aún así entiendo que sea un álbum importante.
Didn't really impress me all that much even though some songs were super meaningful. Going through it felt a bit like a chore even though there is decent musical production every now and then. I can see that it inspired a lot and the tracks were groovy but I didn't vibe too much with it.
I get the influence of Public Enemy, but I'm not much of a hip hop person. All flows over beat tracks with little or no hooks just kind of drones on and on in my ears.
Another Hip Hop album, but this album with its emphasis on Politcal Rap is better than most, although I'm still not a big fan and wouldn't buy the album.
Lyrically very good but it all felt quite samey by the end of it.
Annoyed me
meh 2/5
Hip hop is not my vibe apparently
Little bit old school for me, not a fan
May be historic but man is this an annoying album. So fucking same all through.
164/1089 a cool hip hop project. very of it’s time but not in a bad way at all. A lot of it did end up sounding quite similar, based on the repeated samples at least. faves: Caught, Can We Get A Witness?, She Watch Channel Zero?!, Night Of The Living Baseheads 49/100
Hhm...I wanted to like this more, but it was too shouty and abrasive. Maybe I was in the wrong mood to listen...
2.0 RYM
Monoton oinspirerande rap. Jag inser att det är bra men jag kan inte gilla det. Tvås
I can solidly remember when this album hit, it was like nothing we'd ever heard in college. It had anger and rage and in-your-face lyrics, it pretty much kicked off the gangster sound and the no-apologies persona of rap from that point forward. They were certainly shining a spotlight on the differences in black and white America, getting the message out and making a new audience aware of the imbalances. "Bring The Noise" (18M listens) was the big hit at the time, but beyond the message, the music and beats just never hit for me, that and Flava Flav ("yeahhh, boyeee") is super annoying to listen to. "Don't Believe The Hype" was another 'hit' that you'd hear at party's, but again, the music, production/drum machine and backbeats/scratching (by Terminator X) are so primitive. "Mind Terrorist", "Rebel Without A Pause", "Night Of The Living Baseheads" and "Show 'Em What You Got" are unlistenable. The only song I enjoyed was "Security Of The First World" because it was an instrumental, and had a catchy beat with no screaming sounds or scratching. The Deluxe version includes "Party For Your Right To Fight", it's kinda fun but sample heavy! I do recognize the impact this album had (at the time). Overall it's a tough album to enjoy, it's 100 mph and it feels like you're being yelled at for an hour straight. It's shallow musically and I can't get past that. I saw Prophets Of Rage a few years ago, very entertaining show, but Chuck D was so much older and a better performer, and the band (Rage Against The Machine) was TIGHT. 2 stars for influence, cuz that's all this one's got.
3.5/10
eh
Very early in my life—I must have been about 10 or 11—there was a phase when I voluntarily listened to hip hop. That was ages ago, but I can still remember Public Enemy fairly well. I don't like the music anymore, but I recognize that “It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back” in particular had a significant influence on the development of both this genre and various crossover styles.
not good
I didn’t like this as much as I thought I would. I like most highly regarded hip-hop albums from the 80s & 90s. And I like Public Enemy’s most well known songs. But the record feels hit or miss to me overall. There’s a lot of tracks that are lyrically strong, especially Don’t Believe the Hype. However, I really don’t like the very high pitched squealing sounds looped over the beats on many tracks. Rebel Without a Pause would be a great track if it wasn’t for that. This is definitely a unique record and I appreciated some of it, but the deliver of it all really didn’t land with me.
Not my jam…
I found the background music to be extremely grating. Very loud, unpleasant sounds that droned on and on. Alright, back to my nursing home.
I'm old enough to admit that I just don't really like hip hop. I appreciate that according to the hip hop historians that this sits in a special place in the hip hop canon, but it's just not to my tastes. And that's fine.
Yeahh boiiiiii
I just wasn't that into it. I dunno
So that’s where “yeah boyyyyy” comes from. Some decent songs but a lot of the beats kinda sucked. Prob important for hip hop historically tho
OK, but I didn't really get into it.
It’s not my thing
It was so far so competent until Channel Zero. Ugh. Headache inducing. And what is that sound effect on some tracks that sounds like a mouse being strangled?
(6/16 liked songs = 38%) I'm not really into Rap. But this was okay.
I don’t know if I’m just getting old or what but the musical noises happening in this album were driving me insane. I can appreciate the lyrics but unfortunately the high pitched noises were too much. Maybe I’m turning into a dog…
Nene, das isch nid mis ...
Just not for me
Boze zwarte mannen roepen dingen, soms aardig. Meestal niet.
Ok album, couple of decent songs but nothing to write home about, not really my cup of tea so doesn't get me going like some other albums would.
Still not a fan of rap or hip-hop in any way. Some of the beats in this one where down right annoying. Not a fan.
Not in the mood for this today 🤦🏻♀️
I liked some of the social messages but I found the album to be generally not that interesting. I'm just not an 80s hip hop fan. The style of rapping is just not my thing.
infectious rhythm
Rebel Without a Pause, Bring the Noise and Dont Believe the Hype are the stand-out tracks that still hit hard 35 years later
A good hip-hop album with some strong songs, however it is a very early rap album and is very rough in some parts. The DJ is a bit too trigger happy on the sound effects for my taste and also the raps just don't have the depth some later albums do. You do however hear the potential in the group and it is no wonder this group become as big as it did. 2/5
Hard to pay attention to when Flav be shouting "Yeah Boiiii" every five seconds in every song 😂
самый невпечатливший пока что хип хоп альбом, надоедающий повторяющийся визг, текста мало, повторяется много фраз, надоедает
This has good bits and not so good bits, but maonly it's not my sort of thing.
I like flavour flave and that’s about it
C’est rough. Très dissonant, très anxiogène. C’est probablement le but mais ça fittait pas mon mood hier. On est loin du beau Jazz Rap de Tribe Called Quest! Par contre props à Bring the Noise pour me ramener de la nostalgie de Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
She watch channel zero is a banger but the rest of this album doesn’t hit for me at all. I don’t like hip hop much at all until the 90s tbh
cool melody, but i couldn't vibe with the beats and lyrics
si ok
real old school hip-hop
Sounded goofy. Like a parody album.
I am not a fan of "that" 80's rap flow, especially when it is so repetitive with feigned bombast... Plus, not nearly enough Flava Flav, surprisingly!
I didn't mind this, which was unexpected. Still didn't like it, but it deserves more than the one star.
dont believe the hype
I really wanted to like this. We're talking #15 on Rolling Stones top 500? The fact that it was ever considered so high speaks of its historic value. If only I didn't feel so negatively about drum machines and choppy production. By the time it's switched up, I've grown tired of Chuck D's blocky vocals. Nothing to criticize, I place the entire positive aspect of the project on his bars, which are frequently way above standard, packing a punch that does fit well with the music. 2.3/5
Not for me but appreciate their influence
I'm going to say it again. I don't enjoy rap for the most part.
Bring The Noise // 2.5/5
HipHop, niet bijzonder. Leek allemaal een beetje op elkaar, ook niet echt slecht maar niet mijn smaak
Classic hip hip sound, not for me
Not really my type of music. I didn’t really like the album. I would not buy it.
Wasn't for me tbh
Wie immer, irgendwie gut und cool, aber einfach nicht mein ding
Not actually as bad as I was anticipating
Eh. Not a rap fan.
Feeling so far hip-hop isn't for me.
Pretty enjoyable, but then I wouldn't repeat to it, I cannot tell hip hop and rap albums apart, and it's very samey at some point.
Dragged on way too long, the general vibes were good though.
Not for me, man
here we are again. Oldschool-hiphop wo niemert me lose chan hüt zu tags, mit allne komische trötene und grüsch wos gfunde hend. Da wird me gscratched wie grapped. 2 scratches vom Scratchy McScratchsten
Jajajaj De early rap isch irgendwie so unverfrore aber halt au alt gebacken. Eifach es guets bispill für schlecht galteret. Ich chan mir das züügs leider nöd geh. Obwohls sehr wegwiesend und innovativ isch. Aber 2025 naaah, gad nüm. Leider mussi 2 disc scratches geh, i’m a so sorry
6/10 personally not my thing but i recognised loads, not bad, really liked passing by, loved the vocals, but all sounded a bit simalaer
I was never able to get totally bought into Public Enemy. They have some great songs in their discography and perform with politically-fueled fire, but many of their songs utilize repeating samples that get grating to me over time. That said, we all need a hype man like Flavor Flav in our life. I’m leaning toward a 2.5/5 here. Favorite tracks: - Don’t Believe the Hype - Louder than a Bomb - She Watch Channel Zero?!
I was torn what to rate this. The songs were alright - I really liked the beats though. But it was so repetitive and too long! Oh, and did I mention how repetitive it was? 2 ⭐️
Musicalement interessant mais alors pas du tout ma came
Furchtbar, hört sich einfach nur nach Lärm an
# 546 : It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back – But Just One Skeptic to Say “Eh.” #15 on Rolling Stone’s Greatest Albums of All Time? Bold. I still don’t get rap, hip hop, or whatever this sonic riot is. Chuck D sounds like he’s narrating the apocalypse—authoritative, iconic, and kind of terrifying. The beats? Wild. The energy? Unmatched. My enthusiasm? Missing. It’s political, angry, and refreshingly free of gangster rap’s usual swear-a-thon. But despite the fire, it’s just not my jam. More like a history lesson shouted through a megaphone. Verdict: Respect the impact. Avoid the replay. If you have to listen to this, look out for : Bring The Noise Listened : 14/08/2025
Por gusto musical le pondría un 1, pero se nota que es icónico para el Hip hop de "la época". Los beats suenan tan 90eros que me ganó la nostalgia. El guiño a Queen en Terminator X to the edge of panic, y el beat usado en She watch channel zero!? me hicieron sonreir. Aproximado a 2 pero es un 1.5/5
I wanted desperately to like this album more than I did. The mixing was horrible. The sound effects are louder than the lyrics. Also the sound effects sounded a lot like a squeegie on a window.
Probably important to the history of rap, but not important to me.
Didn't make that much of an impact, maybe because of the egregious victimization of blackness
Still amazed Flavor Flav was somewhat of a Black Panther-esque rebel in a past life
i found the beats to be quite repetitive and the high pitched noises in the background of some of the songs drove me crazy
Not today
yeahhhh boiiiiii! Parts of this I liked, but other noisy, heavily repeated parts drove me a bit nuts
This one took a while for me to get through...
Whilst this is a classic rap album and the vocal carries a real threat and aggression, the constant siren in the background really set my anxiety on fire and i couldnt listen to it with anything other than a wince on my face.
Great album with great lyrics! Loved listening to it but will not reach for the songs when wanted to listen to music.
Chuck D is sick but Flavor Flav sucks.
Many people have tried to persuade me this is essential, personally I’m not convinced. Rap / Hip - Hop doesn’t resonate with me. I can get there’s a creativity to it and get that things like this have a certain political stance but the end product just doesn’t move me
Eh Worst Song: Don't Believe The Hype Best Song: Bring The Noise Added to Liked Songs:
All sounds the same. Not for me
2/5 Not my kind of music but I understand that this is important in the history of rap. I was surprised by how many of the songs I recognized.
Just more rap.
Not bad, but not really my thing
This was ultimately a bit of a meh album in my opinion. Another rap album that wasn’t dreadful nor overly profane but it went on SO long. It honestly took me about 3 attempts to get through and has put me behind in this grand album exercise. I just feel like they have one speed/style and it’s not for me but I’m sure others would enjoy.
Yeah Boyz...Another example of something I cant help but think is excellent music. Just wrong target (me). Least it didnt make my ears bleed like some examples which are literally torture. I can listen to this without being on edge so I commend them for that against a tough audiance.
For any fans of hip-hop I can see the value in listening to the early albums of the genre. I always find with these early hip-hop albums that they now sound quite simplistic and very repetitive. That said, the energy and lyrics are great and it's interesting to hear how far rap music has come since this sound of the late 80's. Also, this album is just more fun and positive sounding music than a lot of it's derivatives. A fun listen but not an album I'd listen to for anything other than academic reasons.
Not my style of hiphop. Appreciate what it did for the culture and the movement of hiphop, but I am bored. The old school flow, and production, mixed with the anger and message of young men from the hood is surely a time piece, but not one ill revisit often.
Just not that great, sorry.
Don’t believe the hype! Lolz One star for the activism, but I do not enjoy listening to this. The mixing in the live concert intros was cool.
Sometimes I wonder, if you added it all up, what would the total real world impact of all the world’s great ‘political art’ be? Feels like anti-communist art produced in Russia or the eastern bloc countries probably gets the most bang for your buck. Gulag archipelago, darkness at noon. Or maybe the American anti-war movement - apocalypse now, Bob Dylan. Or actually, it was probably the abolition era w the most impactful art. Those guys really did some damage. Anyway, this sucked.
Thinking that if you mention Flavor Flav to a random millennial, their cold association will be with Flavor of Love, and not with Public Enemy. The vibe and hits on here are somewhere between tolerable and fun - Bring the Noise, Louder than a Bomb - but an hour of this is definitely way too much. Other than Beach Boys, feel like we're in a bit of a slump.
The opening intro track was very obnoxious and I bet it’s supposed to instill a feeling of fear in you but it just wasn’t for me and it really stressed me out ha ha. The song “don’t believe the hype” has a really annoying sound effect in the background that sounds like a squawking bird that’s really obnoxious in my opinion. “She watch Channel zero?!” Reminds me of a black version of this Suicidal Tendencies song I know from high school. There is some other weird noise in the background of “night of the living Baseheads” that I cannot get past. I can hear nothing else unfortunately.
Ass tbh, two good tracks
p604. 1988. 2 stars. Rap, so wrong audience. Seems well done of its type though.
Louder than a bomb and she watch channel zero - quite good. Chuck D - super blowhard.
It all sounds very similar and I found none of it particularly galvanizing, unfortunately…
just feels deflated and weak
Going in to this I knew that Public Enemy is not really my thing, I listened though and heard a Queen "Flash's Theme" sample which reminded me that I have a pretty great Queen Favorites playlist I made. I promptly put that on when the album was over - yes this is much better!
Lyrically it's great, but musically this just isn't good. 2.0/5.0: Disappointing
This lowkey gave me a headache to much repetition in the songs, I did not like one song to put on my playlist. Just not my album but I'm sure its someone's.
Tried to appreciate it as someone in the late 80's hearing this for the first time, but simply couldn't get into it. Not a fan of the vocal delivery, felt dated unfortunately
Black
Except for a cool backing track on one of the tracks this was a pathetic album.
Je vibais bien au début, me pensais un homme nouveau, un véritable papillon mélomane émergeant d'un cocon de rock archaïque et de funk usé. L'ennemi publique a eu raison de moi et de ma patience à la longue, m'écœurant à la longue à coup de «YEEEAAAAAAH BOI» et de beats des plus basic. Ils ont tués le papillon en moi, les monstres.
106/1089 - Take out the repeated sax/trumpet/nails-on-chalkboard/tea-kettle sample and all the interludes with absolutely nothing going on and it goes up a star or two. Annoying as fuck to listen to.
This album was hard to listen to, because both the beats and the rapping felt far too abrasive and in-your-face. While I understand that this is kind of the point of the album and that it’s not *supposed* to be easy to listen to, but it does raise the question: at what point have you gone too far in trading listenability in service of a political statement. Favorite Track: Party For Your Right To Fight
kann man machen, bisschen monoton
I thought it would be hard to take this seriously (because Flavor Flav is to me a goofy vh1 personality), but actually it wasn't. He hardly even says "Flavor Flav" (although he does say it)! The worst part for me is the frequent noise that sounds like a squeaky toy making an ambulance siren. What is that? A record scratch? A modulated kazoo? I don't know, but I hate it passionately. The actual lyrics are fine, but the beats are, imho, wack. Speaking of beats, "Beat is for Sonny Bono (Beat is for Yoko Ono)" is a line that holds multitudes. 'Don't Believe the Hype' was inspired by Noam Chomsky, but I don't think it was "Syntactic Structures" that did it. Slur count here is low (just one carefully deployed n-word, by my estimate). Fun wordplay in the song titles too. I didn't at all enjoy listening to this but I can respect it! But, this isn't a respect ranking, so it's a 2 from me.
I'm just not into Public Enemy.
Some groovy backgrounds but just cannot enjoy the 80s rap style; too goofy.
Whatever. Hip-hop's not my thing. Some of these tracks are pretentious and self-important, some sound okay.
Terminator X go go go go ! Black steel in the hour of chaos got me moving my head ! I enjoyed more the last part of the album, first songs weren't for me
Not my cup of tea. Got interesting towards the end.
Ну репчик не мое, хотя вроде все качественно, и атмосфера таких вечеринок из фильмов начала 90х. В качестве исследования пойдет
I like rap even but this wasn’t for me.
It's cool and better than the other Public Enemy record I've had from this, but it's dated.
Don’t think I was in the right mood for this.
Boring
Those repetitive horn and whistle sounds are excruciating
Ummm....I really wanted to like this and I did enjoy it more than most of the genre, but in the end, it's hip hop, so for me, no.
Decent. I know that this album was much more influential than I am giving it credit for, but I just wasn't feeling it necessarily.
this pmo just a little idk
classic hip hop, too long
2 out of 5. Solid album just not for me.
Maso
Glad this is over.
I like Chuck D and think he has an excellent, distinctive voice. I just feel he'd be better outside of the gangsta rap stuff. The Flavor Ice dude's voice annoys the shit out of me. Just not a fan of this stuff. There were a couple tunes with some good rock backgrounds music, Channel Zero comes to mind, but just couldn't get into this and the more I heard the flavor dude, the more I wanted to punch him in the face. Chuck D is very good. He's the only reason I can go as high as a 2. 2
Man.. The lyrics.. "You wanna hike get a back pack, get out the whack sack." What a burn, if someone said that to me I'd probably cry. I'm pretty predisposed to disliking this era of rap. Only a few artists were doing it at this time where I feel it doesn't strike me as corny. The production is exceptional, especially when you consider how they had to use samples back in the day, so I will give them that. I doubt there will be any pulls for this project. Man, I really wish I liked this more. I do think that seeing this live in their prime was probably wicked. It's just not translating for me.
I respect the lyrics very cool social and political commentary and such. Cool aggressive beats and cool mix of sound. The singer guy is not holding back bro means business which I respect very confrontational type singing yknow. However for me personally this all gets old before the halfway point of the album and it was a chore for me to finish the rest. LOWWWWW TAPERRRRR
While is not totally my thing, I appreciate this music and what PE did for music. Chuck D was and is a force. That being said, much of these songs sound very similar.
Not a fan of this era. It’s not held up well at all
This album cemented Public Enemy’s place in hip-hop history, but I’m realizing that their sound just doesn’t work for me. Chuck D’s delivery is solid and commanding, but Flava Flav’s nasal tone remains a constant irritant, making it difficult for me to connect with the music. The sampling, while groundbreaking for its time, feels repetitive to my ears, which further detracts from the experience. I can appreciate their influence and the significance of their message, but ultimately, Public Enemy’s style isn’t one I enjoy. Score: 2/5
Songs seem nothing special. Plain Rap
Outstayed its welcome by track 3. A time capsule made not for me … moments of brilliance almost utterly lost in the tones of the time.
More of a historical interest than a fun listen for me. Sampling and effects were pretty basic. Flavor Flav got tiresome. Rapping was good though. The Slayer sample took me by pleasant surprise. I don't see myself returning to this album.
No lo terminé de escuchar
These dudes were MC's. The style was fresh and the DJing was something to behold at the time. These guys were political, tough, but not the braggarts about women and drugs. MCs with a purpose. But out of the context of the times it's tired. The album sprawls and doesn't have the original bombast.
I don't think I'll ever consider RAP as legitimate music.
I’m sure this was groundbreaking at the time but doesn’t really hold up in my opinion.
Not my thing but I didn’t hate it.
Sounds really dated now.
15. Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988) I appreciate the commentary but I found this quite irritating to listen to. Maybe the background samples were groundbreaking (I'm guessing because it sounds futuristic) but they are tough on the ears and mind. Sounds coming all the time and some very annoying choices for those sounds. I find the rapping better than most old-school rap albums I've heard though. I liked the heavier guitar in "She Watch Channel Zero" but that chours was rough. I thought the "Flash, saviour of the universe!" sample was funny. 2.5 stars.
Ei meinaan ropissut juuri yhtään. Lajissaan varma klasari, mutta se laji ei ole minun laji.
I’m not into rap that much tbh. At least not this kind of rap
поставлю двоечку хоть и тречки неплохие и некоторые акапелла читки меня удивили, но я что-то ничего себе не добавила и опять же сложно с языком
Not really the type of music I normally chose to listen to, but I appreciate how this album was new and significant when it was released.
I think this album has the disadvantage of being the third rap album from the same time period I've listened to in the last 10 albums. Everyone's flow and production sounds the same! This isn't bad, but I find myself zoning out. Also, some of the slang is so out of date its hilarious.
YEAHHH BOIII
Rap. It’s ok but not go to for me. Not as bad as ithooight
This album feels very long, and a little samey with generic sounding beats while he raps. Many songs are also repetitive which I did not like at all.
I don't like Public Enemy I've learned. Maybe it was crazy at the time but it's like not good at all
A pioneering and classic rap album , sounds dated on maybe the other side of raps peak. still, chuck D grabs your attention and the production is interesting. Not a fan of Flav, his solo track is a hard skip A few listens got me used to the sound and made it enjoyable but i don’t see a lot of replay value here , not in 2024 … i bet if it was 88 though id have this on repeat
I'm sure in the development of rap, this album stands out as important and groundbreaking in context. But it doesn't have the musical production and artistry of modern hip hop so without context, the value must be in the lyrics. But I don't have time to analyze the lyrics although I will say that it is easier to hear what they are saying than usual. So i did listen to some lyrics and I appreciate its not the pure dickswinging and uber shock of other more recent hip hop I've heard.
I'm a big hip hop fan, but these guys just don't do it for me. Not interested in listening again.
Don’t really get it, loved their version of Bring the Noise with Anthrax though.
Ok. So this sounds like a parody of 80s rap. I mean I guess that shows that it's super representative of the genre at the time, but it is really dated. That's not a bad thing though - I still contend that hip hop is pretty much all terrible and has just gotten progressively worse since the inception of the genre. So while this is not great music (to my ears) it's not as bad as almost any hip hop record that came after. Absolutely the best thing about this is Flavor Flav in the background making nonsensical and random rhymes or else throwing in the 'yeeeah boyyyee' at every opportunity, it's sort of endearing. Plus one star just for that. But don't get me wrong, this music is still bad. I appreciate the politics behind this, the social commentary, the perspective that they bring, but I just can't get on with hip hop at all. 2/5
I can't say that I like this album, but it is less annoying than most of the rap albums so far. 2 stars or D is my rating.
La misma base repetida una y otra vez. Al no entender las letras se queda en nada.
Not my cup of tea...
Some of the tracks blended for me. There were aspects I really appreciate especially in context of its time but not very memorable for me and I wouldn’t return to listen.
Didn’t finish but who can forget cold lampin’?
Another never ending hour of hip hop without anything remarkable.
I like Chuck D but this album is almost exclusively incredibly obnoxious beats over even more insufferable ad-libs from the worst to ever do it.
Flavor Flavs voice is grating, his rapping sucks, and he’s an annoying hype man. Chuck D was great though.
The music doesn't really suit my taste.
I as a rule do not have a closed mind to rap, if it's done intelligently, and with a good backing track. I saw this come up and thought oh dear. Public enemy were certainly at the beginning of, if not the ones who who started it all off, as social commentary on the lives of young blacks in America. And I have to say they did a good job of it. The more modern exponents of what is now known as gangster rap could learn a listen or two here, but mainly, that it is more powerful, and people when you use words like fuck and nigger sparingly, rather than every other word. I find myself wanting to give this a 3, but as my acid test for scores is would I buy it, and as much as I can appreciate this a very competent piece of work. No, I wouldn't buy it. So it has to go down as a 2.
#281. Don't worry, I don't believe the hype. This shit is terrible. Flavor Flav is just as annoying as you'd expect, and almost all of the songs have some annoying high pitched squal as part of the beat. No fucking thanks all round. 2/5: noon, boi
Dated
1. armageddon - 0 2. noize - 1.5 3. hype - 1.5 4. flavor - 1 5. terminator - 1 6. terrorizt - 0 7. bomb - 1 8. uuitnezz - 1.5 9. got - 2 10. zero - 0 11. night - 0 12. chaoz - 1 13 firzt uuorld - 14. rebel - 1 15 prophetz - 1.5 16. party - 0
3/10 - I did not enjoy don't believe the hype, the background moaning like thing was just so bad (huheheah). The intro to terminator X and Mind terrorist were both kinda cool but the rest of the songs I did not enjoy. The screaming sample in caught can we get a witness was not very enjoyable. Night of the living baseheads had a part that I enjoyed. I can't tell if party for your right to fight inspired fight for your right to party by beastie boys but i feel like it did. Overall an album I did not enjoy listening to
Some good
Yeaaaaaaaaa boiiiiiiiiii That ab lib was used ad nauseum. Overall the beats are nothing special. The skits on this album don't add much but at least they aren't too drawn out. It's a mix of crowd work (odd for a non-live album) and brief setups for upcoming songs. Most of the songs are really similar. Standouts for me are Bring the Noise and She Watch Channel Zero for the sick guitar. This album comes in an era of hip-hop where the bar for originality is still set pretty low. Between NWA, Cypress Hill, and Public Enemy would the untrained ear really be able to tell the difference? It's high energy, in your face rhymes with an emphasis on violence and rebellion against white America. I wanted to like it a lot more than I did but I really don't think this album stood up to the test of time.
-YEAH BOIIIIIIII -80s rap feels prehistoric to me, I can’t say I’ve listened to much -Admittedly not really my thing but I really like the political commentary and experimental sampling -Favorite is Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos
Scratchin & Sniffin
Not my genre…
Flava flav just gets annoying as a hype man after a whole album 2.5 stars
I understand why this makes the list. Very influential on the hip-hop scene. Chuck D speaks of revolution and social turmoil while Flava Flav keeps the hype going. Problem is, It just sounds corny and Terminator-X beats aren't that engaging...a bit annoying in fact. Although poignant lyrically, Chucks rhymes a bit weak and Flav jumps around like a crack addict. I respect it's place (and Public Enemy) in music history but I just don't really like 80's hip-hop. So a Naaaaahh Boooyyyiiee from me...1.7.
Found the constant use of those shrill squeaky noises in the background and all the record scratches very annoying, and I found it hard to focus on anything else once I noticed them. Sampling songs like Flash just made me wish I was listening to something better, which is not to say that Flash is particularly good. The social commentary is commendable and the album is interesting as a piece of musical history; it’s just wasn’t enjoyable for me.
un pò troppe canzoni uguali
2.5 yeah boi
While I'm glad to have listened to this from a culture/music history standpoint, this wasn't overly my thing. I did like a couple songs but found myself to be glad when it was over.
This was unbearable but Public Enemy's influence was huge.
Not the worst hop hop I've had, but this just bored me.
Als 57 minütiges Album ist es mir zu viel. In kleineren Portionen ist dieser Hip Hop sicherlich geniessbar.
I love old school hip hop, but this album was so bland. It feels like it uses the same 3 or 4 beats for different songs and there's a lot of phrase repetition. Sad to say because I like some other Public Enemy content, but this was a stinker. 2/5
Not bad, I remember my buddy in junior high listening to this all the time. I didn't get it then, but can understand and respect it a little now.
>Yo, man, what do you mean by suckers, man? :( Laughed out loud Good old old-school hip-hop. Probably as good as it gets Nvm too long
Got old fast
58 minutes of headache inducing beats and Flava Flav ocassionally shouting YEAH BOIII
i hate flav a flav’s voice
We’re gonna get that Beastie Boys album, right?
It was a mistake listening to this in the car because I couldn’t tell if it was the music or my windshield wipers
Classic but didn't touch my soul
Public Enemy certainly had a lot to say on this album. I didn't delve too deeply into the lyrics but it sounds like they had some interesting points especially on political and social commentary. I am giving this album a rating of 2 stars based on my personal enjoyment, not because I believe it is a bad album. To me the style of rapping and the production just sounded very dated and I didn't find enjoyable to listen to. I would probably like this album better if I heard it in 1988, but from a 2024 perspective I found that it aged poorly.
first listen in entirety. i know its a very good and influential album in general but at the end of the day i don't think I'll come back to it.
a solid rap album, but i think i just like experimental hip hop more?
I postponed listening to this for two days (it showed up on a Friday) because it's an hour of basically the same type of music. I am not old but this is not really my type of music. I know that this was very popular for its time but I was listening to the rap music that came out 15 years after this. It sounds alright but it's definitely not something distinctive.
Ok
Revolutionary and original. Normally I like 'original' but rap has always repelled me.... even rap as brilliant as this.
Eh…very old school hip hop. Iconic for the time but very boring to my ears.
it's fine, just not my taste
I have nothing good to say about this.
just no
dost naporno mi je ovo bilo iako volim hip hop
Not for me.
Hip hop has never been my preferred genre, but I gave it a try again with this album. For me, it's too repetitive. After I listened to half of it, I had the strong feeling that I already knew all of it. That didn't change in the second half …
Tracks I already knew = None Tracks I liked = None Best I can say about this album is that it didn't suck as bad as most of the Hip Hop crap that was produced... which incidentally is another point about this album, the production is really poor, and that repetitive chalkboard screech that they play throughout every track gets to be extremely annoying.
Not my jam, fear of a black planet was more enjoyable imo
Definitely not my cup of tea. Very repetitive and frankly annoying songs
Alright, but didn't really like the Flava.
Jyeiiiirrr boooii.. She watch channel zero car et højdepunkt. Her mangler jeg teksterne, og tiden til at følge dem for at kunne nyde det, for selve musikken, beats, tempo, og flow siger mig ikke meget. Tydeligt at det er i hip hoppens spæde start.
que le hago si no me mola este estilo
Flava Flav pisses me off
This album grew on me. It reminds me of the rap I used to listen to as a little kid or the songs my dad would tell me about. I was bopping my head at points 2/5
Energy