Reviews (page 10 of 13)
I feel like I've listened to some Public Enemy before but they are certainly not a group I've listened to a lot of. Overall, this album delivers some great jams, a decent amount of filler and mediocre tracks but certainly maintains the a steady vibe and I'm not surprised it is included in this list. Track reactions: 1 - I don't really need the intros. Whatever. Future skip. 2 - No question this is a jam. 3 - Another recognizable track. I'm into it. 4 - Decent track. 5 - Not my favorite 6 - Future skip! 7 - Sounds like we're back to the proper jams. 8 - Love the 70's sound in the instrumentation. No idea what that's called but I dig it. 9 - ... 10 - Not really my favorite 11 - Another fine track 12 - Nothing special. 13 - Instrumental... interesting. 14 - Not my favorite. 15 - It's fine 16 - Very repetitive for such a short song.
Well, today I learned that everclear sample from this album for their album Songs from an america movie part 1! I really enjoyed the front half of this album. I had fun looking up a lot of the little samples and found the rap verses and energy to be sizzling! Both times I listened I got some album fatigue and wasn't quite able to stay invested all the way through. I'm sure it I was able to keep the sample list up that would have helped a lot, though - as maybe repeat listens would have.
I enjoy this style of hiphop but boy does it get a bit repetitive near the end. 3.5/5
Son increíbles y recuerdo más estos temas de lo que pensaba. 4/5.
Really wanted to like it. They have the unique voices and I love the rage. You can feel it but not super sold on the sounds or samples.
Not sure there's too much I can add about this album, I'm not a rap fan but this is a total whirlwind. Really does leave the current ego-driven super slick hip hop in the shade. A great album for an grumpy monday morning.
Old skool rap. I like it.
Meh. Not bad. Liked it better than most rap/hip-hop I've heard.
just no
dost naporno mi je ovo bilo iako volim hip hop
One of the best albums ever! My first introduction to hip hop!
Pretty cool and can totally see why it’d be really influential. No songs really differentiated themselves much especially from a beat perspective. Chuck D had pretty impressive command from a flow/inflection standpoint
Meh
solid album!! love the sampling and mixing 3.5/5
Awful. I don’t need bad, loud, hateful, violent music.
Public Enemy displayed a new way of mixing hip hop that was very potent. One of the most densely sampled albums ever made. Hip hop with a punk vibe. I saw them live in 1992, not long after the L.A. riots, and their show was was exciting, with the Black Panther military clad dancers and the massive crosshairs, teasing the potential of explosive social violence, which was fun for a young college student, but is certainly eye-rolling once looked back on through the eyes of a middle aged person. This album , and NWA's "Straight Out of Compton" released the same year fueled the rise of black nationalism and gangster hip hop that the genre would get stuck in for next few years in which artists tried to out anger one another, to quote be more "real" than the next group. Public Enemy also at this time had a ridiculous view of sampling that they extolled as part of their Black Nationalist views that paraphrased went something like, well it was laid down by a black person, therefore its not wrong for me, as a black person, to use it to make myself money. U.S. Law in 1991 would reinforce the legal view that it is not fair to use someone's else work without clearance and compensation. Black polemics aside, this album does groove. Tracks like "She Watch Channel Zero?" rocks, while the single "Bring the Noise" and "Rebel Without a Pause" are aurally top 100 hip hop tracks of all time. Chuck D's rhymes are composed and articulated clearly, which for this aging listener is very much appreciated. And Flavor Flav might be the most entertaining hype man of hip hop. It is definitely an album everyone should hear at least once.
Lots of high pitched whining Jump Around noises. Very repetitive beats and lyrics. Not enjoyable nor interesting. Rebel Without a Pause could be used for torture.
Nope
Not bad and pretty amazing that this came out in 1988. I have heard some of these songs before and am familiar with the group from growing up in that time. I'm not sure that I would listen to it again but I enjoyed it this time.
The most Yeaaaah Booooiiiis per minute of any album so far.
Not for me.
Flav, I love your support of women. I don't like you music that much
Influential album in music history, OK - I'm not a hip hop fan but I respect the work.
Full of lively, angry energy. It did start to feel repetitive, but a solid album overall and an important piece of early hip hop history.
Legendary!
So much going on, but it never feels like too much. Highlights: (So many)… Don’t Believe the Hype, Caught, Can We Get a Witness, She Watch Channel Zero?!, Party For Your Right to Fight.
Some interesting songs on here, but there's a lot of 'filler' and other stuff that feels pretty homogeneous. I love the energy and messaging, but the delivery just didn't hit for me.
Classic
Amazing. Can't believe I hadn't listened to the whole thing before.
Not bad
Full of righteous anger and astute observations on the state of the world and racial injustice. It also rocks hard! Probably one of the best and most influential hip hop albums, but not an easy listen in places.
This is a really strong hip hop album, a masterpiece of its kind, and that was important for the history of the genre. I own this record for years and that's an album I come back to from time to time. The flow is flawless, the beats are strong. But these beats are also slightly repetitive, that keep it from being perfect.
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 …
Believe the hype, this album is fantastic.
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.
Essential ground breaking hip hop. 2nd by PE. It still sounds fresh. Yeah boyyyyyy.
Peak 80s hip-hop. Beats and the attitude is all you need.
Not for me
I've heard this one a few times. Wasn't my favorite "type" of rap music when I first heard it, and I like a few of the songs better now. Solid album but not my favorite.
What's to say? It's Public Enemy. It sounds like Public Enemy. It's awesome!
Sh-t album 😂 😂 🤣 😂
After struggling through "Apocalypse 91" and responding more warmly to "Fear of a Black Planet", I arrive at my third Public Enemy album to review: their timeless breakthrough, "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back." Knowing the reputation of this one, I've given it more time and listens than the other two, gradually enjoying it more and more each time. Framed in the 2020's, where America seems to be on the verge of succumbing to the MAGA virus, the ferocious, righteous anger of Chuck D and co. feels more vital than ever. "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" is nothing short of incendiary. After a slightly head-scratching false start in a recording from the Def Jam tour (which, infuriatingly, fades out) we kick straight into "Bring the Noise." I've made the decision that Chuck D's opening verse (you know the one) is possibly the greatest intro to a hip-hop record committed to tape. This first track, and then the classic "Don't Believe the Hype", are two fantastic, high-energy cuts to open with and form the highlight of the album for me. My other most riotous picks are "Caught, Can We Get A Witness", "Night of the Living Baseheads" and lead single "Rebel without a Pause", while "Security of the First World" brings some strong messaging with a compelling, narrative-driven portrait of a prison-break. Other members of the group have their own moments to shine, too: "Cold Lampin' With Flavor" is a feature for the relentless, about-to-have-a-hernia hype-man Flavor Flav, which surprisingly doesn't outstay its welcome. And "Terminator-X to the Edge of Panic" is a great showcase for the member who "only speaks with his hands": DJ Terminator X. The production, masterminded by Hank Shocklee of the Bomb Squad, is just as iconic as any other aspect of the record, inseparable from the songs themselves. Every grinding groan, high pitched wail, boiling kettle, is perfectly woven in and out of the up-front drums and funk guitar to create a fearsome, formidable barrage of sound which takes some getting used to. Other live elements are mixed in throughout the album, after the group were influenced by the energy of Earth, Wind and Fire. In contrast to Public Enemy's later albums, which I felt often collapsed under their own sonic weight, "It Takes a Nation of Millions…" strikes the perfect balance of clarity and chaos. The most disposable parts of the album are its two interludes, "Mind Terrorist" and "Security of the First World", the latter simply a drum loop and the former an irritating sample run. Later, "She Watch Channel Zero?!" feels a little more dated in its commentary, with a particularly irritating chorus… and "Party for Your Right to Fight" isn't quite the nuclear closer I'd have hoped for. But all in all, I fully believe the hype. Aspiring to the blueprint of Run-DMC's "Raising Hell" as a hip-hop landmark, in my view this record more than exceeds it.
Superb!!!
Not my jam, fear of a black planet was more enjoyable imo
Definitely not my cup of tea. Very repetitive and frankly annoying songs
muy old school, de acá salió el yeaa boiii jhsdjshd
Still passing on rap......
Good gor what it is
🔥
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.
Et album der tager et fast greb om dine boller, masserer lige på grænsen mellem fornøjelse og smerte og holder din opmærksomhed fast rettet på sig
Could not finish. Just not interesting.
que le hago si no me mola este estilo
No es mi estilo, por lo que la puntuación puede ser errónea.
Good album. Not what I’ll seek out though.
So good!
Chuck has decent delivery for this old school style of rap. Flava is flava. One song I skipped because I heard "Yea boiiiiii" one too many times. There is so much music here it feels like they really left it all in. I gotta respect their craft here even though Flav is pretty much just a hype man.
Hey it's got a song that was in a Tony Hawk game, nice.
Flava Flav pisses me off
Classic album with political lyrics/messages that are still relevant. Chuck D shows his knowledge of politically charged music history with how he helped craft this album. There's a reason this album is so influential to so many rappers, especially those that came through in the 90's.
iconic rap
Hmm, didn’t enjoy as much as I thought I would
Hip Hop von Public Enemy ist wohl ein „Muss“…. Aber absolut nicht mein Geschmack
Some great, high energy hip hop here
Fun
I like chuck d’s flow & delivery. While I respect the groundbreaking status of the album and what the political lyrics might mean to some, I can’t say I actually enjoyed listening to it. Probably would be a 2 ⭐️ if it weren’t for that talentless hack flava flav interjecting his annoying “yeah boiii”s enough that it made me want to turn it off. EDIT 8/19/26: upgrading to a 2 as this was only my 9th album generated and i hadn't calibrated my system yet. graded too harshly compared to other legit 1s.
They make valid points
Awesome
Chuck D’s voice is unstoppable.
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.
Um álbum que denovo não faz muito meu estilo, com umas coisinhas que eu achava meio esquisitas e não gostei muito de alguns beats mas não foi a maioria porque esse álbum tem beats muitos bons também como Night of The Living Baseheads, as letras são bem marcantes e obviamente a melhor parte do álbum com o rap muito bem feito, gostei muito de algumas músicas como Louder Than A Bomb que foi a minha favorita e também curti bastante Seh Watch Channel Zero por conta da guitarra de fundo.
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
old shit
Solid album.
Me aburrí.
first listen i don't like the beat style as much but it's good
da bomb
Taladreo cerebral
Prior to this album all popular hip-hop was all bravado and no bite. When this album hit our young ears it opened a our mind to what the genre could be and we loved it. The Bomb Squad production gives the music a sense of alarm - like an air raid siren punctuated with Chuck D’s booming voice. It hit hard with meaning and message that was easily understood even by us suburban white boys. We couldn’t get enough.
it was pretty good!
Full of famous samples
Schlimm
This album from Public Enemy was great! I don't listen to rap or hip-hop a lot, but this was very interesting. I like the political messages in their music, and I can see similarities to Rage Against The Machine. I highly recommend this album to rap fans! Favorite Song(s): "She Watch Channel Zero?!", "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos", "Bring The Noise",
Sicherlich ein hörenswertes Album. Aber nur bedingt mein Geschmack.
Standout Tracks- "Cold Lampin with Flavor," "Terminator X to the Edge of Panic," "Mind Terrorist," "Louder Than a Bomb," "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos," "Party for Your Right to Fight" Lyrics/Vocals- 5/5 Instrumentals- 2/5 Vibes- 1/5 Overall- 2/5 As another review mentioned, this album is really a product of its time and does a lot better with context. I highly recommend reading that review as I will not be going into it, but reiterating one of their main points: This album is heavy on the lyrics. When just listening to the album I felt very disinterested and did not care for it. But watching the lyrics and taking in the message that they are trying to convey is truly the best way to listen to this album. In terms of its sound, I was not overly impressed. The mixing and tracks were good, production as well, but it didn't feel outstanding. As I said earlier though, this is a product of its time. This album, and Public Enemy in general, were extremely influential to many hip hop groups and musicians over the years, and that influence cannot be understated and you can really see that in this album. Overall it was a good listen and I understand why it is on this list, but it wasn't really for me.
Inesperado, en directo tiene pinton_8,5
Nice
Solid rap record. Love the political messaging and I love the snippets that sound like they're from their concerts. The sampling is so solid on this record. My biggest beef with this album and with Public Enemy in general is I don't love Flava Flav's hype man stuff. It feels a little annoying and cheesy at times. I'd like it a lot more if Flava Flav just stuck to the regular rapping instead of the hype man stuff.
I love this album. Chuck's rhymes are solid, the lyrics are striking and the beats and bass lines really groove. It feels really punk rock, especially the political nature of songs. I really like the keys in a lot of the songs. It adds kind of a cool jazz element to an otherwise raw sound. Even though it feels like "old school" rap, it doesn't feel old. It still feels relevant and still slaps. Also shoutout to Rick Rubin and Def Jam Records. Stoked to have 2 Def Jam albums back to back.
Not for me but good
listened 2x, cool to hear some earlier hip hop, but still 3.2/5
I liked it. The words matter.
YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHH BOIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Enjoyed listening to this as I walked around Edgewood on MLK Jr Day. Quite nice! I have this on cassette I think. Maybe a CD too. Aged a lot better than Snoop Dogg but a better album to start with too.
I know this album and agree it's groundbreaking.
Yeah boi
I was thinking I would like it more. Has some good songs that I would listen to, but the whole album defitely went by without a whole lot that gripped me. Will I listen to again: 15%
This one’s a weird one for me. The message is still as pertinent as ever, but the beats feel incredibly dated. That high pitched looping squeal on 90% of the beats is INCREDIBLY annoying when you listen to everything back to back, and some of those samples get pretty repetitive. A song like Bring The Noise is timeless, but I can’t say the same for a lot of the rest of the album. Love Chuck and Flava, and the little mixes of rock-rap but this definitely isn’t anywhere near my favorite hip-hop album.
Aftur. Rapp. Ekki eitthvað sem ég fíla en mér finnst þetta samt áhlustanlegra en margt annað rapp sem ég hef hlustað á. Nær pínulítið betur til mín en ég ætla seint að segjast vera aðdáandi né hlusta á plötuna aftur.
Yeahhhh Boiiii!
Sometimes I forget how dope Chuck is
No
Ein Album mit einem Namen, von dem man schon gehört hat.. Druckvoller Start mit Bring The Noise, gefolgt von Don‘t believe the Hype - ein Klassiker! Mir gefällt‘s: klare Beats, druckvoller Bass - eine neue «Wiederentdeckung».
Cooler Rap, leider ziemlich nervöser Hintergrund Sound
Hip hop von bester Qualität! Mir gefällt der aggressive schnelle Rhythmus. Aber nicht zum endlos hören.
Duplicate
maybe, but just maybe, i'm living in the wrong time period to appreciate this album to the fullest. i still liked it, don't get me wrong, but in this space and time it feels like something I've already listened to and it being kinda repetitive didn't help. it just comes to show how influential it was overall. i liked the raps, the production and the feeling of a cohesive piece of work throughout the album (if it wasn't so repetitive though). in retrospective, iconic, i get it, but not my cup of tea when it comes to hip hop.
Las bases utilizan un poco mas de recursos que The Notorious B.I.G. por ejemplo, bases que varían de géneros musicales entre canciones. El RAP me parece malo y SIN FLOW.
The good protest stuff. Flava flav keeps from gettong to serious. Terminator x occasionally makes it dound like kettles boiling
Sounds like OG old school rap. Not my thing but the lyrics were a voice for under-represented Blacks in the U.S.
Not my preferred music.
This was a fun one. The old school hip hop style is good. Some of the sounds and samples for a little repetitive, but I really liked this.
Bring the Noise! Pretty great album
Flavor Flav is hilarious and it's hard to take him seriously. I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected.
Not my type of music
Chuck D is just so good on this. He’s got so much to say and he says it in such a cool way. I like Flava Flav as contrast and comic relief. The production is a bit more problematic though. I’ve had an argument about how messy PE beats are before- compared to say Prince Paul, Eric B, E-Z Rock etc. But Ruff Rugged Raw tracks do kind of make sense with the urgency of the lyrics. A little bit more filler than I remember (I guess I used to just skip over the boring instrumental loop tracks) but still one of the most important recordings of all time.
Almost confused this with ice ice baby. I know. I’m embarrassed.
4.5/10 Yeah boyy?
Another indisputed classic
I'm not usually a rap person, but the first song on this album seemed unusually promising. A more playful style, a second voice adding interest, and, dare I say, hints of a melody in the background. As the album progressed I tried to stay hopeful, but was quickly driven to insanity by the repeating high-pitched noises in the background of Every. Single. Song. I turned this one off halfway through.
I miss the music.
Was good, but 3 stars because it just reminded me of a 90s movie, don’t think I could just listen to this regularly.
aweful
Fresh Prince flair...yeah boyeee...bumpin'
great album
Love it
Own
Zählt zu den Sampling-Giganten im HipHop und wurde seinerseits auch in unzähligen elektronischen Tracks etc gesampelt.
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is a groundbreaking masterpiece that marked a creative leap forward for Public Enemy and the entire hip-hop genre. The album's self-empowerment and Black power messages, combined with Chuck D's rapid-fire delivery and Flavor Flav's hype-man antics, redefine hip-hop both lyrically and musically. The innovative production, featuring faster beats and layers of samples, cements this album as a cultural force that challenged norms and pushed the boundaries of the genre. Public Enemy's impact is undeniable, making this album a timeless and influential classic. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 4 STAND OUT TRACK - She Watch Channel Zero?!
Dated, but an absolute classic for how it moved the genre of rap and hip hop music.
I'm obviously not this albums intended demographic being a middle aged white woman. I can't connect with this being 30 years removed from it's time period. I really only liked Louder Than a Bomb. I can appreciate how this influenced other artists in the genre. At the end of the day, it's just not something I enjoy. Flava Flav really adds nothing to this. Yeah boi.
Für die damalige Zeit wegweisendes Album. Für seine Zeit revolutionär heut immer noch gut.
What you think when you think old rap-great 90s sound 4/5
2.7 - The screeching...
Quality isn't consistent throughout, but there is no denying it's classic status
favourite song: she watch channel zero!? im a sucker for 80s hip hop it turns out, really enjoyed this album.
Not as funky as other Public Enemy stuff. Good, but a little harsher.
Respectfully, I hated this.
One of the top hip-hop albums of all time, carried by the strengths of Chuck D’s lyrics and Terminator X’s beats.
This one does a pretty good job of being very direct in its social message, while also being fairly accessible and interesting. Musically it's strong, there's some really nice moments like the beginning of "Louder Than A Bomb" which is fairly subdued, or the newscaster overlaid at the beginning of "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos", or the jazzy start to "Show 'Em Whatcha Got". And then "Rebel Without A Pause" is pretty iconic near the end. Flavor Flav is kind of a ridiculous hype man, but I found myself enjoying him more as it went on. Also Chuck D likes to wear a Pirates hat because he's a big Clemente fan, so I can get on board with that. Favorite song: Show 'Em Whatcha Got Other: Bring The Noise, Don't Believe The Hype, Louder Than A Bomb, Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos, Rebel Without A Pause 12/30/23
Na ja
You ever wonder what a punk rock album made by hip hop artists would sound like? Well here you are. Fun fact Kurt Cobain called this one of his 50 favorite albums of all time. Chuck D and Flava Flav are fully throat telling you what they’re about and what they think of the world at large. Brilliant.
Yeah, Boy-eeee! Maybe seems somewhat diluted after all this time, but no doubting the originality, influence, etc.
Reminds of childhood, but it’s too rough
It was fun to hear Flavor Flav's - Yea Boi! on a song. Flav came into the public light for me during his second career as a reality star/doofus. Anthrax is mentioned on their first track, Bring the Noise, who returned the compliment by creating their own version of the song. This led to a collaboaration and world tour of two VERY different groups, preceding Aerosmith/Run DMC. It was cool taking a peek at an 80s political rap album that was infuential to so many artists in all genres of music. I'm not world's biggest rap fan, but I can respect good lyrics and a head-banging 80s beat.
Timeless classic. Way ahead of its time and influential up to this day. Must listen - must own album!
Average: listened to Public Enemy quite a few times now and each one felt exactly the same. Just solid Hip-Hop. If anything it has gone down in rating due to how painfully average it is and how much better stuff there is out there. A solid album but nothing to outstanding to come and listen to again.
Another great example of the creative and experimental 80's. Something that influenced us decades into the future through influence, sampling and even modern day memes 'YEAH BOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'- Flavor Flav. An interesting use of metrical complexity for sure!
Interesting and political, with less misogyny than I expected from rap of this era.
- not super my thing but the message is real
- I appreciated the heavy guitars on some of the beats - definitely some good lyrics but otherwise the album didn’t really stand out
Awesome hip hop album, classic.
Actually loved it. Pretty sure there’s a sample from sabotage by Beastie in this album
banger of an album – but maybe a few songs too long
All timer. I know this album word for word.
I was dreading the day, the first HipHop/Rap album would show up. Turns out, it was justified. Did not enjoy.
Been a minute since I spun this one. I have trouble with these iconic albums, how do they actually hold up? I enjoyed it, but definitely not as much as I once did. Still deserves credit for its place in the pantheon.
I’ve tried a couple times but never really gotten into PE. Chuck D has a great voice but is only an OK lyricist and Flavour Flav kind of sucks, but I think it’s mostly the production that I don’t like. NY rap is 2 or 3 years away from golden era Primo/Rza/Pete Rock beats and the bomb squad doesn’t quite measure up. Black Steel in the hour of Chaos was the highlight for me, and of course tons of credit for the influence on conscious rap in the decades to come.
3.4. Yeeeaahhh Booooyyyy!.
Always thought Flava Flav was a joke artist, pleasantly surprised he has cared to back himself up. The album seems to predate a lot of the hiphop I’d listen to from the 90’s but carries the same energy! 3.9
Feels a little dated but thrives off of energy 🐉 Favorite song: She Watch Channel Zero?! Least favorite: N/A P.S: YEA BOIIIIII
The only thing that sticks out to me is some kettle sound, but thanks for getting me back into Marvin
One of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.
This was so good! I heard how it influenced so much of the music I love. Full disclosure I never pay attention to the content of the lyrics, just the feel of the music.
I paid near zero attention to the lyrics because I had this on in the background while doing deep work. I get the feeling they were talking about doing terrible things to other people and committing crimes, but the beats and samples were great. I'mma give this a 3 based on the lyrics not pulling in any interest from my brain, but it'd be a 4 if it were instrumental.
Solid. I'm glad we're getting a variety of rap in the 1,001 as I liked this more than most of the rap we've heard thus far.
I believe it was Cinderella who said, "Don't Know What You Got, Till It's Gone." BRING THE NOISE is an all-timer song, but without Anthrax it feels toothless. The whole record falls into the same hole as other early hip-hop records. It is well made, but since the genre was still a toddler when this record came out it had growing pains. For a test I listened to the Public Enemy albums NOTHER IS QUICK IN THE DESERT, from 2017, and MUSE SICK-N-HOUR MESS AGE, from 1994, and there is enough growth in hip-hop to make is more engaging to my ears. Also, Flavor Flav has always sort of irritated me.
bars
Bring The Noise, Don't Believe The Hype, Rebel Without a Pause are all classic tracks that even a casual rap or hip-hop is going to know and appreciate, but this record has more to offer on some of the so-called lesser cuts: She Watch Channel Zero?!, Louder Than A Bomb, Night Of The Living Baseheads, and Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos which are absolute bangers. And yet, since the whole thing comes in at about an hour in length for 16 tracks I think the impact of the work suffers. It can be hard to hear that cutting things out can make more of an impact. I think it's the case here, so I'd cut Countdown To Armageddon, Mind Terrorist, Show 'Em Whatcha Got, Security of the First World entirely. I'm on the fence about, Cold Lampin' With Flavor — if I didn't cut it I'd at least move it to the back half of the album. For me this is an important, but ultimately flawed record, despite liking it a lot and recognizing its greatness.
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 for me
I like when Chuck D goes off spittin' truths, but not big on the Flavor Flav contributions. Got a lot of respect for Public Enemy, but this isn't one I'm likely to return to.
Must have been a game-changer back in the day, but now it just blends in and feels pretty meh.
Timeless. It's worth reading a bit about The Bomb Squad's production work on this record because some of their innovations are now so ubiquitous (the density of sampling, in particular) that it's hard to imagine their invention. It's like explaining to fish that water had to be invented. It's a gem even without the context. Certainly the rapping style is different from contemporary (I write this in late 2023) trends, but it doesn't feel old -- just distinct from today's trends. Exceptional. Entirely deserving of the reputation of Public Enemy.
Notreally my thing but pleasant enough
Love these essay reviews that can be summed up as "I don't like the educated angry black man" yall bootlickers for real. Classic hip hop album thats definitely a product of its time. Normally 3 star but bump it up one to counter these bigots, yall know you can tell this to not do hip hop right?
I recognize the historical significance but the mid 80s up tempo early hip hop has never been my favorite sound.
This is one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Its use of samples is astounding and it incorporates everything from funk, to glam rock, and electronic music. Chuck D has such an iconic delivery that Public Enemy is recognizable almost instantly and the socially conscious lyrics push them a step above their contemporaries. Chuck D's criticism of much of modern hip hop as over commercial feels especially potent juxtaposed with Public Enemy's lyrics that are concerned with blackness, police brutality, the crack epidemic, and more.
Samples sound old and clunky now. It resembled a game of bop-it at times. Might have been influential but we've come a long way.
Alright but of its time and sounds a bit dated now.
I thought I would like it more than I did.
Absolutely gripping from the very start. I know they were influential across a whole load of genres, and I also know that the Manics cited them, along with The Clash and GnR, as their biggest influence. I really get it, not so much in the music, but in the righteous anger of the lyrics. Musically, I enjoyed it, despite not being my normal cup of tea. It probably relied a little heavily on effects like scratching, foghorn etc, but that's probably only a cliché because Public Enemy made it so! A really enjoyable affair, all told. London, England, consider yourselves...WARNED!
i assume this album was praised for its political content because the music is alright but not special
Man I hated this album for real. Flava Flav sucks. Chuck D was good though. This album pissed me off though.
Don't find it as direct as its more bold successor, but a great, incredibly energetic listen. Chuck D is commanding as a frontman and the album has aged remarkably both lyrically and sonically. A argument could be made that the album is a little too long, but when the sound is this stark and memorable, maybe it doesn't matter if it sounds similiar.
Didn’t realize how much of it was a live album. An undeniable capsule of American history
Bring the Noise, Terminator X and Black Steel are highlights. Classic 80s rap beats.
Meh, same sound through whole album.
Well it’s definitely not boring
I don’t profess to either like or understand (the former normally a consequence of the latter in most walks of life) hip hop but I can respect the cultural impact and importance of this record. But I do like the concepts adopted. Two sides of exactly 30 minutes to avoid dead air on a pirate C60 cassette copy? Very anti-Napster decades in advance. I know the singles and I feel the confidence and focussed assertiveness. But there is naivety too. Starting the album with an RP English accent with a live recording from the inventors of colonialism? I don’t think it’s irony. Maybe it’s reflective of their needing to go to a developed and multicultural place where black isn’t feared (as it remains to be in the US.) if so, then after Brixton and Toxteth the UK likely was a fragile choice for such a statement. As said, beyond Flash Gordon I have little insight into the samples used. I find the music repetitive and the lyrics drift in and out of consciousness. But i know the singles and understand the appeal. Though not to me.
I think '80s rap is the best rap. It's tuneful with an edge. Angry, but not hateful. While there are a few F-Bombs here and there, it isn't the profanity-laden tripe that we see these days. Thank god.
Felt like a pimp. Kinda weird music though
This album just made me racist
I normally like older rap but this was just kinda meh. They are not making it out of the hood with this one
This is an excellent album all around. Its not going to be everyone's cup of tea but the talent here is really undeniable.
Loud, abrasive and in your face. This album is a piece of art.
AJ: talented and angry. Dangerous.
olddd school. very hype and fun album but i don’t think it’s for me. i’m more into the lyrics of a song and their meaning and i think with this album i was just too distracted but everything else. i love songs where the lyrics and the beat balance eachother out. 5/10
Nmg, casi todo ruido.
I recognize the value of this piece, however it's not my cup of tea. It was fun listening the samples and recognizing a few from Sonic the Hedgehog or Pizza Tower
It is amazing to me how well this album holds up for being hip-hop from 1988, but it shows how ahead of their time they were. My only gripe with the album is that it feels like a compilation. I think it is too long and doesn't feel like the albums fit together well. However, that is also not surprising for the time it was released. Overall, it's still a really great album and such great songs. "Prophets of Rage" is still so powerful and better than most hip-hop today...and also as good as anything from the "golden age of hip-hop."
real good bars and production but feels a bit on the long side
not my style
I expected to hate this, I’m not a hip hop fan. But, I only disliked it, so that’s something I suppose. But I’m barely 2/3 the way through, and not sure if I can make it through the whole thing. I tried pulling up the lyrics to see if that helped…. It didn’t. The Wikipedia article says they “set out to create the hip hop equivalent of Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get On”. I think I’ll pull up that classic to flush this one out of my brain. 1/5
Such a strong and interesting album I used to have it on cassette and missed hearing it. I like how there are different voices and levels of seriousness waving through each song it makes each one a unique discovery as you listen.
Pretty decent. Flavor Flave kind of annoys the hell out of me though.
Pretty fun, really different to all the others on this list so far
Listened to this album as a kid. It's drastic how you can tell the difference between analog and digital recording. Wow! Lots of songs that i used to spin back in the day. Don't really know if they hold up the way my brain would like to remember them. Still remember almost all the lyrics.
Alright this album kicks ass to hell and back and is hugely influential but holy shit why does that squealing noise on Don't believe the hype, like oh my god it's awful please make it fucking stop, like I can't stress enough how terrible this sound is Jesus Christ
Listened Before? Yes Album Art: 5 / 5 (I like everything about this cover. Iconic shot of Chuck D and Flavor Flav behind bars with the Public Enemy logo in a rasta color scheme) Opens on a live-sounding hype track intro, then turns over to Bring The Noise. Originally heard this song in Tony Hawk as the Anthrax remix (which is arguably better). Even still, the original is pretty dope, even if less "in your face." Bring The Noise is followed by the second single off of this album: Don't Believe the Hype. Instant classic beat with a solid drum sample and awesome instrumental layering. Chuck D just flows effortlessly through the entire track. Cold Lampin' With Flavor keeps things running with a squealing beat that might annoy some. I personally really enjoyed it and how Chuck D's flow contrasts with Flavor Flav's grainy interjections. Same can be said for Terminator X -- standout with a beat that sounds like a bomb screaming on approach and some sick mixing work on the boards (a lost art). This fell into the background while working, but I enjoyed it start to finish. I would assume there is cultural significance to this album that I am missing because I wasn't there at the time. Even today, this has a lot of appeal and stands up well. I'd say this is a high 4 / 5. Added to Library? Yes Songs Added to Playlist: - Don't Believe the Hype (Skate Mix) - Cold Lampin' With Flavor (Skate Mix) - Terminator X To The Edge of Panic (Skate Mix)
The name of this album and the intro made me think this was a going to be a very serious, hard hitting album. Then Cold Lampin' with Flavor played... I think Griz has played the saxophone sample from "Show 'Em Whatcha Got" at concerts before. The transitions between songs aren't very great. I had to double check I wasn't on shuffle a couple of times. This album is too long and none of the songs are particularly good. I was ready for it to end about 15 minutes in. This is teetering into the 1 star category.
I know every word for Bring the Noise because of Tony Hawk 2. Flava flav and the other singer have a great back and forth and their very different voices complement eachother very well. The scratching background noise on a lot of the songs got old pretty quickly. This is my main gripe with early 90s rap is that all of the crazy over used sounds really throw me off. Ah that annoying noise comes back in Rebel without a Pause The whole album gets pretty repetitive and is a little long for my liking. Still a good album. Solid 3
Flavor Flav has to be the best hype man of all time. Funny cuz I first knew about him on VH1 on those talking heads shows about the 90s and shit. Dude seems nuts but hypes me tf up. Chuck D has such a distinctive voice as well. Really solid stuff I think this might be the first Public Enemy album I've listened to in full. This album reminds me of the sample Beastie Boys album which I really liked. Going with a 3.5 but I'll round up since I was boucning around cleaning my house to it.
I can't do this genre.
A classic for a reason
I can't tell if I genuinely like this album more than the other hip-hop selections so far, or if I wan just lucky to have discovered it when I was younger. Either way, I think it's a really solid one.
This is probably the weakest of the three classic Public Enemy albums, but it's still more than worthy of a five star rating. There's just so much going on here, such variety, so many samples, some amazing scratching, and memorable tracks.
Had the same sound consistently throughout the album but weirdly I enjoyed it rather than being bored of it. Was a fun listen
Mah
Lot of fun record scratches. So far the first three songs sound very similar to each other. Fun hearing early Flavor Flav! The Queen samples are rad. The longer this goes, the more it just sounds like one singular loooooooong song. I always love some good horn/sax backing a track. I think I was born a bit too late to be into this era of hip hop. I certainly recognize bits and pieces that inspired the work of future musicians. Like I've heard chunks of \"Rebel Without a Pause\" in countless mashups. Love the message of the album, though! It's just a lot of the same sound - not necessarily a bad thing, just not a noise I'm personally into.
this album has such relentless pace and energy, with a few quieter interludes, and saves two of the best songs for the last few tracks. the middle of the album dragged for me a bit in terms of the repetition in the production but that's typical of this era, and the lyrics are a treatise and need the time. these songs have been sampled so widely that even though i haven't listened to this album through before, it felt familiar. i love the interplay between chuck d's intensity and flavor flav's hype. great album, glad to have heard it at last.
It was great
It was actually pretty good. I can tell that this album was hugely influential in hip-hop in the late 80s. I wish they would have less of that screeching noise that is in many of the songs.
2.5
Accidentally listened to five bonus tracks/versions off the deluxe version because they're all good. I could do with fewer Flavor Flav shouts/ad-libs on a lot of the songs though.
realized I never gave my rating for this, I don't remembering adoring or hating it so it gets a 3
Classic hip-hop, Rebel without the pause especially good
Really like the heaviness of this. Chuck D's voice has power, and FlavorFlav is really entertaining, especially "Cold Lampin'." Love the socially conscious lyrics throughout. Great disc!
My dad loves public enemy, it’s the classic rap, I liked the album a lot
I’m just past the half way point of this album when I’m writing this but I think I have my rating decided. This sounds like the perfect blend between 80s and 90s wrap and I had no idea flavor flav was from public enemy but what a nice surprise he’s such a good gent I used to love his show on mtv. The rapping is so different than todays and so much more digestible of my little boy ears, just shows how impressive people like earl are when I feel like I gotta decipher his albums and still sometimes don’t know what he’s talking about (ik embarrassing 😔🤘). But yeah beats were cool samples were cool especially a surprise metal sample wasn’t expecting that just wasn’t blown away by anything would much rather listen to 6ix9ine -B (aby boy ears)
Really enjoyed it. Sometimes when you listen to an old hip hop album like this you can find things to like about it and sort of appreciate it from afar with the recognition that it sounds dated. This album certainly is indicative of the period but does not feel dated or corny to me at all. In fact I would have to say the flows and lyricism is at times much more modern sounding than NWA. Cool to hear the hip hop tapestry in here, you for source material for MF Doom to Black Eyes Peas. Legit very good album I will be coming back to and pretty easy to see how this was in a sense the beginning of modern hip hop
Quite possibly one of the best Hip Hop albums I’ve ever heard. The catchy, and awesome lyrics and beats are endless on this thing. The commentary is very well said and acts as a call to action. I can very well see the influence this had. A must listen for anybody who likes / wants to get into Hip Hop. Party for your right to fight!
2/16, 13%
Was expecting a bit more from such a ‘seminal’ album. Beats were a bit bland and got repetitive. I appreciate the lyrics and the aggressive style, just not my cuppa.
BASS! Some good stuff here albeit pretty dated rhyming and beats. Chuck D has a great voice and some really good perspective in his lyricism, plus Flava Flav isn’t too annoying on here. Night of the Living Baseheads is probably my favorite but shout out Bring The Noise Remix with Anthrax (way cooler than Run DMC and Aerosmith) (3.5/5)
Yaaaa boy
Powerful hiphop with tones of rock and not taking themselves too serious
Another hiphop shit show.
It's ok
A lot better than the previous Public Enemy album. A lot less shouting, a lot more grooves
High energy and fun
ehh mixed bag for me. I think fear of a black planet is better. Some of the samples were pretty grating sounding to me
Surprisingly good
Not my music genre. The tracks sound too repetitive.
Very solid late 80s rap, similar to Wu-Tang/ A Tribe Called Quest. Personally found it slightly more shallow than offerings from other rap collectives of a similar era, roughly 3.8/5.
Anthrax x Public enemy is better than the OG. Not a big fan.
This is maybe the most important hip hop record of all time. The power and rawness this album brings to the table combined with Chuck Ds groundbreaking lyricism and the countless samples used makes this a one of a kind experience. I mean they sampled Fame by David Bowie on Night of the Living Baseheads. And Bring the Noise, Don't Believe the Hype, Black Steel and Rebel without a Pause are some of the most important rap songs EVER! This is near Perfect! favourites: Bring the Noise, Don't Believe the Hype, Black Steel, Rebel without a Pause, Cold Lampin' with Flavour, Louder than a bomb, She Watch Channel zero?, Night of the Living Baseheads least favs: Show 'em watcha got Rating: strong 9
Exceptional. Not my usual thing but the golden age of hip hop has really stood out for me on these list journeys.
Not really my genre of music so I didn’t listen to the whole thing.
Didn’t fully listen. Classic 90s rap album tho
Strong
Classic.
Yeaaaaa boiiiiiii! It holds up pretty well after all these years for the most part. the "yeah boi" does get a little tedious about half way through the album, but overall it's still fantastic. Lyrically wonderful and some great beats throughout. I'm kind of on the fence between 4 and 5. Either would be fair, I think. ... "YEA BOIIIIII" ... Yeah, four stars it is.
I feel indifferent to this one, it's not that bad, but its also not what I would normally listen to.
Solid album. Great lyrics. Didn't get into the beats as much as I wanted.
The rhymes hit hard over old school hip hop beats. Yea boii
Fine. I won't seek out more, but I'm happy to listen to it if the algorithm gods decide I should.
Always a fan. I had tickets to see them live in Boston in the late 1980s but the show had to be canceled due to a problem with the venue. (If I recall correctly, the afternoon of the show they announced that a sewer line had collapsed and the venue had no working bathrooms so the show couldn't happen.) These guys were smart, hard working, and talented. The material still holds up today.
Definitely a rating based on my level of enjoyment of the music. This album has important themes related to oppression and violence against black people not calculated in my rating.
Oldschool at its best
Classic hip-hop. A little early for my taste but solid album all around.
Good. 3.5
While I did enjoy this album, I don’t think I would revisit it. It has had an obvious influence on hip hop and there are a lot of high points and low points on the record. All in all, low 3.
Pretty solid, lots of sample references, set up for others in their genre to follow suit
So dated it’s bordering on unlistenable… this is the sort of thing that should never see the light of day outside of musical museums. I get it, it’s historically an important album but I would be surprised if this didn’t already sound pretty dated by 1992… maybe even before
An entire album of blaming others for their own broken culture: what a novel concept. Musically, there were no hooks to this. Lyrically....blah blah blah.
Not a fan of some of the instrumentals (whistley-sirens are not my thing, quite prominent in tracks 4 and 5). Pacing is also a touch slow, but this is back from 1988...
Its fun to dive into old school hiphop and this is the best era of it. Gonna listen to this one once or twice more
kind of hip-hoppy? gen x rap
Enjoyed this album more than Beast Boys Ill Comm, better distored vocals, loved the samples and more afrocentric
So good, I think I prefer Fear of a Black Planet as a listening experience but this is such a jolt. The Bomb Squad's wall-of-noise production weaponising it's samples into something genuinely thrilling with Chuck D and Flavor Flav capturing lightning in a bottle. Best intro track ever too
Nice rap album. You can feel the I fluency it had to other rapper to this day. Nice raw beats and you can feel the political rage in the lyrics.
Some good tracks (don't believe the hype was a favorite). More flava flav than I expected. Kind of exhausting to listen to the whole thing.
Meh
aggro, nicht mein geschmack, aber okay
A bit too much happening in each song for my taste.
Entirely unrelatable
I used to listen to a comedy album by MC Pitman called 'It Takes a Nation of Tossers', so this record basically reminds me of that (listen to that record by the way; it's amazing). This is all very sonically similar but there are some cool tracks here. Favourite tracks: Bring The Noise and Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic (with the cool sample cutting).
It's so heavily over-produced that it's really hard to listen to. The lyrics seem really good! At least when I can hear them. Unfortunately, it just kind of sounds like bad, over-produced hype music, though.
Eh. Chuck D is sick, but flava flav ruins it along with the not pleasant to listen to beats. Must be a had to be there kind of thing.
Great album, big inspirations for a lot of Hip-Hop
The first album that I was familiar with prior to starting this. Definitely one of the most impactful early hip-hop albums and overall it holds up pretty well. I find Flavor Flav to be mostly annoying which holds Public Enemy back in my opinion. Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Don't Believe the Hype Other Songs Going On My "1001 Albums Savelist" Playlist: Bring the Noise, Night of the Living Baseheads, Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
In die tijd waarschijnlijk een vooruitstrevend en toonaangevend hiphop/rap album. Kan prima op de achtergrond aanstaan, maar de beats en raps springen er niet uit. Vaak één urban beat, waar dan een beetje op wordt gerapt en/of geëxperimenteerd met scratchen, MC’en, drops, spoken word etc. Geen nummer waar ik voor zou terugkomen.
2.5/5 - I wasn't the target audience 35 years ago upon release and I'm probably further from the target audience 35 years later. The bar writing on the whole is good but i find a lot of the other musical choices abrasive (which may be the point). I preferred the 2nd half of the album but apart from the odd song (SWCZ & BSitHoC) I cannot see myself relistening.
Lyrically inconsistent but pretty good at it's high points like the track Louder Than a Bomb. The music for me meanders over the line from enjoyable music to just organized sound frequently and many of the audio samples, particular the high pitched horn sounds, were overused to the point of being irritating. I think this album is too much product of it's time, that it is so much in lockstep with the time and place it was conceived that it loses much of what attracted contemporary audiences listening to it today.
4. I was suprised at how much iliked it
My longest yeah boy ever
Helt ok
Deze plaat ooit als rockliefhebber ontdekt via de versie van Bring The Noise met Anthrax. Jong Filipje was helemaal nog niet klaar voor deze plaat in zijn geheel. Rap en hiphop moesten nog wat meer in mijn smaak doorsijpelen. Nu hiphop wel een permanente plek heeft gekregen in mijn muzieksmaak is dit niet direct het soort hiphop dat ik zelf frequent aanwend. Nu ze toch opstaat, is dit het dominante gevoel: supercool, maar waarschijnlijk nog cooler in zijn tijdsgeest. Wel weer een plaat waarvan de invloed moeilijk van de muziek te onderscheiden is. Een zwart statement. Zonder deze plaat zou hiphop er gewoon niet hetzelfde uitgezien hebben. Stel u voor, geen Kanye. Hiphop naar een nieuw niveau verheven. Ik ken jammer genoeg niet genoeg van de rap history om de hele invloed ervan te kunnen vatten. Hadden de zwarte, sociale en politieke boodschappen rechtstreeks op mijn leven van toepassing geweest, had ik de lyrics ongetwijfeld als anthems in mijn hart gesloten, maar ik ben slechts een simpele geprivilegieerde white cis-male. Mijn leven heeft meer raakvlakken met pakweg Pretty Fly For A White Guy. Al breekt dat voor mij niks af van mijn appreciatie voor de muziek zelf. Ik ben op zich minder te vinden voor het net iets te frequente gescratch, de typische eighties productie en de 'live recording' tussenstukken. Wel spek naar mijn bek zijn het constant frisse ritme van het rappen, en de meest funky schijven vol James Brown beats en bakken plezier. Chuck D rapt gewoon fantastisch en vol overgave. Schijven als 'Caught, Can we Get A Witness?' 'Night of the Living Baseheads' en 'Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos' gaan hier een paar playlists opwaarderen. Die baslijn in combinatie met het pianosampletje op dat laatstgenoemde nummer zijn toch wel een persoonlijk hoogtepunt. Een dikke 4, om voor gelijkaardige grote hiphopgrootheden uit de jaren 80/90 zoals N.W.A., Beastie Boys of A Tribe Called Quest ruimte te laten voor de 5.
SLAYEEEER sample gebruiken? Yeah boiiii! Cool, maar een heel album is nog steeds teveel.
Voor de meeste genres vind ik de 80ies altijd de minst luisterbare periode, en hiphop spant hierin wel de kroon. Ik kan begrijpen dat dit album in zijn tijd misschien wel indrukwekkend was, maar het klinkt nu ongeloofelijk gedateerd. Not a fan.
My reviewe
Hard af uneasy listening. Excellent!
Show em whatcha got is a fucking banger one of the first to do gangster rap
Beetje chaotisch, wel lekker energiek. Je moet er zin in hebben. Wel chill om beetje op te viben. Wel een Solid keuze als je zin hebt in old school Hip Hop
sonic assault, this shit goes hard soooo many samples
Millions?
Was decent. Never heard it before.