Reviews (page 2 of 12)
They use some really annoying samples.
I get that it is an important piece in Hip hop history but the alarm and whistle sound that are on every godamn beat make it hard to listen today
Doesn’t date well. Flavors “YEAH BOOOYYY”s were a small highlight
Absolutely no. All songs sounded the same.
I tried really hard to like this. It’s just overly repetitive and all the dings sound the same. If flavor flav wasn’t on here it would be rated higher too. He’s just really really annoying.
Couldn't bring myself to waste time listening to this garbage. It was horrible the first time i listened when it was released and I can't imagine it age very well. Less then .0000001 stars
Old and boring.
Gonna be a nooo boooiiiiii from me
Nauseating beats and a rapper who cannot shut up for even a few seconds.
I'll die happy if I've never heard this again. 1/5
never make music again
Oh no ... the second day row this (for me) terribly boring music. No, no, no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beck has an interesting sound. I like it in smaller doses than an entire album.
Obnoxious, infantile, idiotic drivel. All attitude over suubstance.
Headache-inducing clatter of noise and some righteous yelling. It totally rules. Must-listen #371.
We are on a roll. Great production, felt like a live album in a good way, just a great time to be had. Just as strong lyrically as fear of a black planet. I love how often they fade Flava Flav out when he's just refusing to stop rapping.
This is the second time round for this album on my multiple projects. Listening to it yet again I came to realize something: Chuck D rides a wave of carefully constructed, aggressively annoying chaos and in your face provocation like a baritone ballast. From the iconic high pitched wail that the Bomb Squad crafted from a James Brown horn sample to Flavor Flav’s incessant additions and “yeah boi!”s interjected everywhere, every track has a cacophonous maximalism that could simply be “noise,” were it not for the organization of the Bomb Squad’s beats and Chuck D’s precisely delivered flow. The crests and tides of sound continually assault the listener, but Chuck’s balance keeps the listener from going under, and the Bomb Squad keeps just enough of the hooks present from their samples to give the listener something to hold onto. I think it’s pretty amazing. Almost 40 years later. 5 Boolean: True
Manages to be funky AND pissed off, which is a pretty sharp balance. Clearly there's no RATM without PE.
Another Public Enemy album? Yeaa boyeeee! Interesting album to get on the 4th of July, especially the 250th anniversary.
Album #135, Public Enemy, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ One of the most explosive, ferocious, political and powerful hip-hop albums ever made. What else can you really say? It’s an iconic record, with themes that are still painfully relevant today. I think this is one of the hardest hip-hop albums ever recorded. The production on this thing is absolutely insane. The Bomb Squad, aptly named, bring such weight to it. With those hugely compressed, slamming drums, it almost sounds like a heavy metal album at times. It’s so aggressive and in your face, but it’s also very well produced. Everything is perfectly balanced. The vocals sit exactly where they should, every sample has its place, and despite how dense it is, nothing feels muddy. Then you’ve got two fantastic vocalists. Chuck D has one of the greatest voices in hip-hop, full stop. His delivery is commanding and the lyrics are powerful. One thing that really stands out listening back to this album is how well it’s aged lyrically. Unlike a lot of hip-hop from around this era, and especially what came afterwards, it doesn’t lean heavily into misogyny. The anger is directed where it should be (And it is an angry, angry album). It’s aimed at injustice rather than women and that’s one of the reasons the album still feels so relevant. Then you’ve got Flavor Flav, probably the greatest hype man in hip-hop. Does he sound a bit ridiculous at times? Sure. Is hearing someone constantly shouting “Flavor Flav!” a little bit silly? Absolutely. But he’s also one of the few sources of humour and relief on an otherwise relentlessly intense record, and I think that balance really works. At 57 minutes, it is long, just like seemingly every hip-hop album ever made. It can be an exhausting listen simply because the intensity never really lets up. But it can also be a fun listen because it’s so heavily sample-based. You end up playing “guess the sample” the whole way through, which is something I always enjoy with this era of hip-hop. Paul’s Boutique is another album that gives me that same feeling. This album also contains what I think may be the greatest hip-hop song ever recorded: Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos. It’s where Chuck D really shows off his storytelling ability. The beat is actually one of the more restrained ones on the album, but his delivery is so intense that it feels every bit as powerful as everything surrounding it. I also love the little Terminator X interludes that give you a chance to breathe before you’re thrown back into the chaos. In my opinion, this is the greatest hip-hop album of the 1980s.
This album is great. Public Enemy doesn’t ever seem to disappoint.
Public Enemy was my gateway into hip hop as a young teenager that came from a rock/metal background. I think The Bomb Squad's efforts on all these crazy sampling mixes (back when it was legal to sample whatever you want, ohhhhhhh if only those copyright laxed laws were around today we could all be making Avalanches type wonders) while Chuck D was spitting hot fire into the mic with equally bombastic fervor. Along with Fear of a Black Planet, It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back is one of the most important hip hop albums of the Golden Age of Hip Hop as it made white people really like songs regarding black liberation, culture, and some cringe Nation of Islam stuff "that was the style at the time". While I think it deserves a remaster for it to sound nicer in digital distributions, it's still a hard hitting album that acts as a good gateway into the genre, avoiding some of the pitfalls that affected other 80s hip hop in the Golden Age that sound too corny.
Most 80s rap doesn't hold up, this is in the minority. This bangs
Golden age of hiphop ass. Albumet låter mye mer modent enn andre plater fra samme tid. Syns ofte tidlig hiphop kan bli litt medley-aktig med sin samplebruk, men her låter det mye mer naturlig og som en integrert del av lydbildet. Flowen til Chuck D sitter og Flavor Flav er såklart tidenes hypeman
Yeah this one’s a fuckin’ ripper. A real treat.
Another classic hip hop banger that is an essential listen for anyone. Probably my favorite of Public Enemy’s album
Public Enemy were on the fringes of my consciousness growing up but it was their crossover with Anthrax I was most familiar with. "Bring the Noise" made it's way into a few pivotal pieces of media (most particularly need for speed underground). This is an absolute banger of a record. Chuck D is pure power, his vocal delivery is crisp and passionate. Terminator X work on the decks triggers happy memories of turntable led rock and metal that made up a huge chunk of my formative years. Flava Fav is hype "Yeah, boyeee!" and the production by the Bomb Squad is sublime. Several songs will make it into my rotation [Bring the Noise][Terminator X at the Edge of Panic][Night of the Living Baseheads][Rebel without a Pause][ and the seemingly proto-nu-metal [She Watch Channel Zero?!] which without a doubt was my favourite. On the negative side some samples are oppressive and can affect the overall flow of a listen. However taking into account the subject matter - that may be intentional. The social commentary as relevant today as the time of writing. My second hip hop album I've deliberately listened to (After Wu Tang Clan be but). I think I peaked too soon! *****
This list has really got me back into classic hip hop in a big way
How anyone other than a 90-year-old grandmother could give this album one star is beyond me.
Never listened to this before but it's almost as good as Fear of a Black Planet. One of the greatest rap groups of all time
Although I know and love bunch of the songs on this I thought I’d find it tedious to sit through the whole album as they’re a bit samey. But actually it’s awesome. The energy and righteous anger and the production are just awesome
6.15.26 sick as hell in literally every way. really incredible and powerful lyricism, some of the best beats/instrumentals i've heard, and an unrelenting and intoxicating energy. a powerhouse album truly. im kinda floored by how good it is. Favorite Song: Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos/Bring The Noise Rating: 5/5
Immaculate. The way Bring the Noise sets up the themes and callbacks for the rest of the album. The beats are timeless; classic scratching and sampling but not dated. Chuck D as the imposing frontman and Flavor Flav as the gremlin of a hype man who's antics throw you off guard to the seriousness of the message. Nothing but love.
Overall: 4.73 (rounded to 5) Consistency: 4.92 Originality: 5 Enjoyment: 5 Virtuosity: 4 1. Countdown to Armageddon - NA 2. Bring the Noise - 5 3. Don't Believe the Hype - 5 4. Cold Lampin' with Flavor - 4 5. Terminator X to the Edge of Panic - 5 6. Mind Terrorist - NA 7. Louder than a Bomb - 5 8. Caught, Can We Get a Witness? - 5 9. Show 'Em Watcha Got - 5 10. She Watch Channel Zero?! - 5 11. Night of the Living Baseheads - 5 12. Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos - 5 13. Security of the First World - NA 14. Rebel without a Pause - 5 15. Prophets of Rage - 5 16. Party for Your Right to Fight - 5
Oh yes, get in - one of the greatest, if not the greatest hip hop albums of all time - “Don’t believe the hype”
Yes yes yes
My longest yeah boy ever
Don't even need to listen to give this a 5 but I will enjoy every second of this one. One of the best choices so far.
Public Enemy at it most militant. Iconic album. No complaints.
The beats and the lyrics both hit just right. It’s a classic for a reason. Full respect and full five stars.
4.5 stars - was a big fan of the DJ bits and it definitely got me hyped up on the way to work.
Hell yeah, one of the legendary hiphop albums from the 80's. A milestone in the genre and not lost any urgency. 5/5
I've had the reverse introduction to Public Enemy starting with Apocalypse '91 which got some points out of me though the experience diminished over time. Then Fear of A Black Planet - most known by me for its reference on Sonic Youth's Kool Thing - upped the ante by serving more flavorful beats. This, their sophomore effort, is what they're all about. The combination of free jazz, funk rhythms and radio-like sample static is a neutron bomb made to explode. But the difference here isn't that the message is hard-hitting; it's Public Enemy after all. The reason why THIS gets the full-mark is because its message and execution hits just right. The songs don't give me sensory over-load, every sample or sound effect is perfectly placed. It's so satisfying to hear the Yeahs on Cold Lampin' or Louder on Louder Than A Bomb. The rest of the beat gives it character with those chalkboard-like horns and drums. Of course, Chuck D does great as usual, but Flavor Flav comes through and gives his best work on a record probably ever. To bring it all together, they use clips from their London gig throughout the record which creates this felt connection. This is the most complete project they could've assembled - one that packs their message, sound and concept into 57 minutes of undeniable skill. In other words, their best (10/10, 5/5 on this scale)
This album wasn't made for me (white kid from the suburbs) but it's incredible. The glissandos, the alarms, the anger, the message, the diction, the rhymes, the beats, the mixing, the production. It's incredible. Terminator X is incredible. It's all incredible
“Hard, my calling card.” ~ Chuck D This is a groundbreaking album from a foundational pillar of our collective musical identity. Personally, Public Enemy showed me that music and social justice could powerfully co-exist. They shaped what I came to expect from music and defined what I grew to love. Although this is their second album, I came to it after hearing Apocalypse 91 and then, working backwards to Fear of a Black Planet and then to this. Put simply, music didn’t sound like this before PE came and they changed the game for real. To this day, Chuck D remains my favorite Microphone Controller, despite the thousands I have listened to since then. His intelligence, clarity, depth and density when rhyming are peerless and his political activism is among the most successful examples of “speaking truth to power”. Terminator X cuts these samples with an intricacy and deftness that keeps our ears guessing and our heads bobbing. While the album runs long, it’s hard to find fault with any of the individual tracks on this one, except maybe that Flav “bass for your face” song, but that ends quickly enough. Although it lacks the polish and production of their later albums, this is a stone cold original, more honest and forthright than almost any other album on this list, and a classic 5 coming “straight from 88”. Public Enemy. Word. rap rap rap rap rap rap.
Yaaaaaa booooyyyyy! I stumbled on PE by accident way back in the day. Didn't bother to listen at first, hence me discovering this album after fear of a black planet. Chuck D's voice is the real thing, no bullshit tone dropping knowledge with relentless rhymes that flow fast and furious. Flavor flav invented the role of hypeman, looks funny but he's no goof. Flav has a few things to say as well, just in a different style that lends a contrast to Chuck D. The beats hit hard and the rhymes hit even harder. This has always felt very metal to me and I've been down with the PE since my first listen.
This album is great. It was absolutely the wrong day to get this album, as I had a huge headache in the back half of the day, and this is just an album chock-full of bombast, but that's completely fine. So, where should I start? Chuck D's flow and lyricism are both insane. Not just for its time, but just in general. "Bring the Noise," despite repping Louis Farrakhan, who is a nasty-ass bitch, is a perfect example of this. The way he raps is ridiculous, and makes it completely clear that he is a master of the craft. Even the admittedly outdated production doesn't take away from how much of a genius Chuck is. You see this in other songs such as "Don't Believe The Hype" (which is also notable for being interpolated in The Roots' "False Media"), "Louder Than A Bomb," "Rebel Without A Pause,"et cetera, et cetera. Another thing this album does surprisingly well is the beats, which are relentless and aggressive, and often hammer down on you for the song's entire duration, a real nice touch. An album this old, for today it's still incredible. For its time, hell, it's astronomical. Is it long? Yes. Is it beautiful? No. Is it incredible? Absolutely. 9.6/10
Amazing 🤩
Hadn’t listened in full before. A true classic
I got a letter from the government the other day I opened and read it, it said they were suckers They wanted me for their army or whatever Picture me givin' a damn, I said, "Never" Here is a land that never gave a damn About a brother like me and myself because they never did I wasn't with it, but just that very minute It occurred to me, the suckers had authority
With America quickly going back to the pre civil rights movement era this album is sadly more relevant than ever.
Yeah, IDK why it took me quite this long to listen to this, but it somehow did live up to the insane amount of hype. The beats are great and the bars are lifechanging. The whole record is insane. 4.8
This album shows how it’s possible to be political and musical and angry and relevant and still be entertaining as fuck.
This is the album that made me stop dismissing hip hop. 5/5
Punch effectively Power effortlessly 5 star album (for me) Public Enemy
In my mind as someone who is solid Gen X, this is what rap should sound like.
One of the greatest. Chuck D has the best voice in hip hop, Flavor Flav is hilarious, and The Bomb Squad are in a league of their own here. That Slayer sample on "She Watch Channel Zero" is proof alone. There is a bit of a lull when the DJing feels to drag in the middle, but that is just a nitpick when every song is such a banger
racionais deles. importante. legal. inovador. bomb squad gerou 1000 filhos
From bring the noise to don't believe the hype this is vital staggering and swaggering. Perfectly fast paced with chuck d at his threatening best. Even flavor flav who can be irritating is limited in his impact. Night of the living baseheads is innovative to virtually all rap songs that follow with its use of samples. Just an amazing album.
Classic album, I enjoyed it
i was thinking 4 so i could give FOABP 5 but i can't count that one is included
Best of the best. Public Enemy shows that conscious rap can still have an edge and hit it hard. This album represents the quintessence of culture in the 80s. With samples from Slayer to David Bowie to James Brown, Public Enemy shows they contain multitudes and leave nothing out. A must listen.
What can be said about this album that hasn't been said already? It's one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time
An absolute force of an album. Still fresh, still hits like a hammer
Historic album, what else can one say?
Amazing album, probably one of the best rap albums ive heard. 9/10 long yet consistently good
Classic
This album is an absolute masterpiece, and I still think Fear of a Black Planet is even better.
This album makes me want to punch a shitty white guy. Even more than I usually want to punch a shitty white guy.
One of my favorite records. Opened me up to a new world of music.
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back de Public Enemy no es solo un álbum, es un grito de conciencia. Aquí no hay filtros. Hay realidad, historia y resistencia. Lo que muchos llaman “hostilidad”, aquí es supervivencia, identidad y una forma de responder a un sistema que no siempre ha dejado espacio para la igualdad. Es un disco que te hace pensar, sentir y cuestionar todo. No es música de fondo, es un mensaje directo. Desde la producción hasta las letras, todo tiene propósito. Clásico absoluto del hip hop: crudo, inteligente y necesario. 5/5
Top quality rappers bring the noise.
YEAH BOI! My solar plexus is in orbiiiit! 💣💣💣💣💣💣💣
the bomb squad es el mejor nombre que puede tener un equipo de producción y el más adecuado para el sonido que tienen vete a la verga
awesome samples, excellent beats
One of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. A great MC with Chuck D laying down revolutionary social commentary, the surreal hype man Flavor Flav and Terminator X laying down sick scratches and beats. Then wrapped all up with the Bomb Squad producing an absolute wall of hip hop sound. The whole album really gets you hyped the f up
Feel 8/10: Personally I love 80s rap and this is the definition of 80s rap Length 7/10: 55 mins, BUT it feels short Musicality 8/10:Some samples are too repetitive for me, everything else peak Flow 7.5/10: Most songs transition arn’t too long and leads well Lyrics 9/10:The lyrics sometimes make no sense but me-oh-my is it great either way Overall 8.9/10: I love this. 80s rap is peak and will be forever
Positively, absolutely love Jake Shears and company. Hoping they'll do another album. They'd do a great Pink Floyd cover album!
Unreal!! I love how much they vocally shout out Terminator X
I thoroughly enjoyed this. It's not my area at all - I'm a skinny white Northern Irish man - but I can relate to the rage. There is nothing throwaway here, it is a really well-crafted album and the production values are very high. These days, when I hear rap, it appears boastful and more concerned with bling and 'look what I've got' - and perhaps there is a deep reason for that - but "It Takes A Nation..." is revolutionary in all senses of the word. The music is funky and jazzy and hits as hard as a metal band. The lyrics are angry and confrontational. It's scary and political. I am not suddenly going to become a hip-hop expert but I can relate and I know art when I hear it.
Mythic album pull, glad to have it.
This is such s good record, delivering on good beats and strong lyrics. I’m not sure i appreciated som of the meaning behind the lyrics as a ten year old kid growing up in Yorkshire, but i loved it then and i love this now. You cant deny that an album that opens with ‘Bring the Noise’ and ‘Dont Believe the Hype’ is not here to play and the quality is maintained throughout. It is however difficult for me to hear the opening refrain without expecting James Dean Bradfield to come in screaming’repeat after me fuck queen and country’ I spent most of this album, thinking was a good strong 4/5, but at the end i realised this couldn’t be made any better and comfortably deserves to be a 5/5
Public Enemy is the perfect hip hop group. This one might not have quite the highs that "Fear Of A Black Planet" has but it's damn near close. 9/10
From a midwest-born middle-aged white guy's perspective (take that for what it's worth), hip-hop has never been better or more meaningful than this.
This is a seismic album in my life. I forget how I came across Public Enemy as an adolescent, but this was their most recent release at the time. To hear everything they talk about on this album (and the liner notes, which I read cover to cover) as a 12- or 13-year-old middle-class white kid from Texas? It blew my goddamn mind. It was provocative, kinda scary, and thrilling, and I can still hear why when I revisit it. "Louder Than a Bomb" remains my favorite, and this album has so much good stuff on it (and a relatively light amount of filler). In short, this rules. What DIDN'T rule was seeing them perform this album in full at the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2008. Chuck and Flav rapped over full backing tracks with vocals. Flav wasn't even there for the first song, but his vocal track was. After he finally showed up, he was booed when he plugged his supremely awful sitcom. Years later I would go onto work with the guy who created it, and he too was supremely awful.
One of the best hip hop albums ever made
More music I heard in video games growing up that blew my mind; Bring the Noise in THPS2 and Rebel Without a Pause in San Andreas. This is a classic for a reason, Chuck D is a killer. Black Steel would have been the best song on Straight Outta Compton.
still hits as hard today as it did in 1988
Revolutionary
> the Beatles
Who among us does not love public enemy?
Hot damn! I loves me some Public Enemy! I had this on cassette and burned it up. Going back to 1988 with this one, and after the little hype track, the album opens with Bring the Noise. A straight-up jam. Fun fact for those who didn't know, the thrash metal band Anthrax covered this song with Public Enemy and released it as a single. The video was on MTV seemingly 24 hours a day. Too black, too strong. Too black, too strong. As much as I disliked The KLF yesterday, today is the complete opposite, as I’m filled with a nostalgic joy as Chuck D is spitting fire. Yo, Chuck, they chillin’ and we dealin.' Track 3 is Don’t Believe the Hype and man, this album had some hits. They probably weren’t Billboard Hot 100 hits, but I remember hearing all the singles as a kid. This was a big single. I realize there were some controversies with Public Enemy, but who knows how serious they were or if it was just fear that caused these controversies to bubble up. As we’ve seen over the years, the establishment gets very afraid of entertainment people and music groups who come to some sort of power. Plus, we didn't have the internet to help debunk conspiracies, or as we see today, to not debunk conspiracies and believe them as gospel as long as the conspiracies support "your side." But I digress... As Chuck D says, don’t believe the hype. I think that’s pretty smart to remember in all cases. Track 4 is Flavor Flav’s turn to shine with Cold Lampin’ with Flavor. I realize Flavor Flav is a bit of a clown, but Chuck D is so serious, the two of them together really work. I always wondered if Chuck D got a little fed up with the clownishness of Flav or if he liked it. You know, some groups have the moron in the group who does ridiculous stuff, but the group loves him so much that they overlook the nonsense. The one thing I really respect about Public Enemy that I don’t get from some of these electronic groups, they can be serious as a heart attack and touch on very important social issues, but the beats still make you want to dance. It’s like, you wrap anything in a pretty package, and people are going to accept it a little better. Though, maybe not in PE's case in 1988. Track 5 is Terminator X To the Edge of Panic and it's just a showcase for Public Enemy’s DJ, Terminator X. In the day, every rap album had at least one song that showed off the skills of the group's DJ. I guess all the music is made on computers these days, so there’s no need for DJs to scratch records and all that comes with being a DJ. This song is great. It also gives Chuck D a break from being so serious. I love this album. Track 7 is Louder Than a Bomb, and it’s about how the FBI and other government agencies are keeping an eye on Chuck D. I think these days, we can see how his paranoia likely isn’t just hyperbole. Plenty of stuff has come out about the FBI keeping files on John Lennon and other socially conscious entertainers. Oh, Track 8, Caught, Can I Get a Witness, is about sampling and how rap steals beats for their songs. I don’t remember this song as much as others. Maybe at that age, I just didn’t understand. I know I wasn’t as informed on the old R&B, soul, and funk songs most beats were taken from. Heck, I hadn’t even heard Aerosmith’s Walk This Way before their collab with Run DMC. I thought both groups wrote that song together. “Caught, now in court 'cause I stole a beat This is a sampling sport But I'm giving it a new name What you hear is mine P.E. You know the time And later, “I found this mineral that I call a beat I paid zero I packed my load 'cause it's better than gold People don't ask the price, but it's sold They say that I sample, but they should Sample this, my bit bull We ain't goin' for this They say that I stole this Can I get a witness?” I like how Chuck D compares sampling to him mining for beats and finding "minerals" he turns into gold. Brilliant. This was a time before sampling really got hit hard by the music business. One of my favorite albums is Paul’s Boutique by the Beastie Boys, and I think it’s all samples. You can’t really do that today, well, I guess you could, but all the publishing would go to other people. Track 10 is She Watches Channel Zero, and it’s about a woman watching nothing but soap operas and living in an imaginary world. This is a brilliant song that can be updated today about social media. People follow and see how these “influencers” live and think that’s something to aspire to, when in reality, it’s all fake. This song was ahead of its time. It’s also got a great guitar riff throughout. I can’t place it, though. Track 11 is Night of the Living Baseheads and is about crack and how it was destroying the black community. It’s a powerful song and had a powerful video. Track 12, Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos, is the most gangsta rap-like of PE on this album. Chuck D is a prisoner on death row who is planning and executing a jailbreak. Chuck D, for as much as he is a social poet, is a great storyteller. He’s still just as great today, almost 40 years later. The fire still burns inside him. Track 14 is Rebel Without a Pause and I listened to this just last night, before knowing this was my album for today, which is weird. It’s a perfect example of PE, Chuck D spitting the rhymes about how radio and record stores are afraid of Public Enemy and Flavor Flav hyping him up. It’s like Chuck D is already angry, and Flavor Flav keeps firing him up. I love this song. Track 13, Prophets of Rage, just a badass title and I’m sure you can guess what it’s about. You’d think you’d get tired of PE after 13 songs, but I’m still just grooving along. I like angry music, always have. The song title is also the name of the supergroup made up of Chuck D, B-Real of Cypress Hill, and Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine. The last track, Party for Your Right to Fight, is, of course, a play on the Beastie Boys hit Fight for Your Right to Party. It’s funny how the Beastie Boys started out as a frat rap parody group, but no one really understood that they were being satirical. They later became important social rappers themselves, if not in lyrics, then in actions. This is a great album and helped a young, dumb, country boy like me learn about other cultures, social issues, and how other people experienced life. It helps you realize that everybody doesn't have the same experiences or help you did through life. This album truly is one you need to hear before you die, and maybe it's just the nostalgia talking, but I think it still holds up today.
Of its era and of today. Fantastic. Yeah boiiiii.
A classic of its genre. Havent listened to this for a while and was surprised that i could "sing along" to everything! Memories!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mandatory listening. Your intelligence and ability to appreciate music will be judged by me harshly if you even think of downvoting or dismissing this album OR this band.
I actually love this album. 5 stars. Chuck D is so fricken great.
Classic. One of my all time favourite Hip-Hop albums ever.
While I know a lot of these songs I’ve never listened to this album in its entirety. It’s still so relevant today - unfortunately. Great album, some songs go on a bit long so 4.5 stars rounded up in this case.
Loved it. Always had a passing interest. But this list has made me a fan.
Ewig nicht mehr gehört und diesmal glaube ich sogar zum ersten Mal mit Lyric-Sheet. Kann jeden verstehen, dem das nicht zusagt. Die Beats sind selbst für die damalige Zeit sehr speziell und ziemlich messy produziert, Flavor Flav geht einem irgendwann nur noch auf die Nerven (wieso muss der auch noch einen eigenen Solo-Track bekommen?) und die ganzen "Nation of Islam"-Bezüge... joa, schwierig. Aber irgendwie ballert hier dann doch jeder Song und lyrisch ist das für die damalige Zeit so meilenweit vor allen anderen, dass man nur den Hut vor Chuck D ziehen kann. Wo bekommt man bitte einen Rap-Track mit Slayer-Sample? Wahrscheinlich ist das mittlerweile eher ne 4, weil gerade die Produktion wirklich nicht gut gealtert ist, aber mit dem Einfluss auf dem Rücken treibt es mich dann doch zur 5.
3
pretty damn good. bopped my head. very very nice :3 fav's gotta be "She Watch Channel Zero?!"
Under hyped at this point.
Back when samples ran wild…and the headphones all transmitted masterpieces.
Armageddon been in effect go get a late pass STEP! Classic, unrelenting and massively influential.
“Armageddon has been in effect. Go get a late pass”
Fuck yeah one of the albums that got me into hip hop
I enjoy some hip-hop, but not my primary genre. Among hip-hop, this isn't the style I usually lean towards. But it is so good and so influential, I've got to give it props. This isn't my thing. I probably won't listen again, but I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it at least once.
Bring. The. Noise! For a 16 year-old British guy living in a country where the popular music was The Smiths and Wham!, this was glorious. For a 16-year-old British guy who is about to move to the US suburbs, this prompted me to ask serious questions about my new country: why would a black man never be a veteran, who was Adam Clayton Powell?
It's in the Pantheon
Naast album 3 en 4 van Public Enemy nu ook album. Ik liet al weten, bij uitzondering geen enkel bezwaar te hebben. Al die albums hadden en hebben enorme impact. Zowel maatschappelijk als muzikaal. Ik ga niet teveel herhalen. Maar om het muzikale te onderstrepen. Dit album lijkt mij het meest gesampelde album ooit. Elke zin is geloof ik wel door een andere muzikant gebruikt. De meeste zinnen door de vele andere muzikanten.
Ik heb niet heel veel meer nieuws te melden over Public Enemy dan ik bij de eerdere 2 platen al heb gedaan, maar die ouwe rap kan ik vaak best goed hebben. En dan is dit wel het beste album van Public Enemy wat mij betreft, met een hoeveelheid aan samples waar je u tegen zegt. Ik had dit zelfs vroeger in de mp3-bak staan. Dus ja, wat kun je dan anders dan gewoon weer eens lekker die 5 sterren uitdelen. Yeaaaaah boyyyyyy!
Public Enemy Pure perfection. Important band with an important and yet brilliant album Flags a little in the final 1/3 but “rebel with out a pause” is an angrier “don’t believe the hype” 5 stars only because I can not give more
Favourite track: Cold Lampin' With Flavor. laid-back, rhymes are fun and hit hard when they want to. yeah boyyyyyyy
One of my all time favorites, from the time of release. Easily my favorite PE album. And always a perfect soundtrack for impending Armageddon.
Banger after banger
Really beautiful Hip Hip- I miss storytelling in songs and think it should be #1 popular again
Of it's time but not in a bad way. I wish more hip-hop now incorporated this kind of sample-heavy style into beats from time to time. You also don't really hear bars with such basic rhyme schemes in the 21st century but I really appreciate it, what it might lack in flourish it makes up for in directness. The overtly political and revolutionary intent behind these lyrics would suffer under more complicated rhyme schemes Favorite tracks: Louder Than A Bomb, She Watch Channel Zero?!, and Rebel Without A Pause
I had to give it 5 stars or Danny will beat me up.
Holy shit what the hell this is the hardest thing I've ever listened to
the dmv was closed so it was a good day to hear this
I hear "Bass! How low can you go?" and I'm right back in my childhood living room playing Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 with my brother. I never thought about it before, but other than the And1 Greatest Mixtape Ever and the Straight Outta LA 30-for-30 I've never seen the connection between sports and music explored much, especially including sports games. I got introduced to so much great music that way. Something I've never really appreciated until now. Reading about this album just now and how Check D wanted to make an album like 'Marvin Gaye's What's Going On', makes me want to make a playlist of social commentary tracks.
An excellent album. Really, really enjoyed it. If I was being ultra critical, the only think that mildly grinds is the constant YEEEEAHH BOIIIII from Flava Flav. It still doesn't stop it being a five star album though. Brilliant
The horn intro to track nine came on and I suddenly heard Flav's voice coming out of my mouth: "Dammmmmmmmnnnnnnn boyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...who knew PE did Rump Shaker!" 😉
When you listen to an album and wish you could go back to that time period and listen to the music the way it was meant to be heard and celebrated. Then that album is a 5.
This was the launchpad for me. I liked music before and LOVED music after this. It's not friendly - it's a wake up call. Get the fuck up! If this is a new listen for you, expect a wall of sound - sample overlays, atonal rhythms, rock riffs layered over killer 4/4 drum breaks and imperious rapping from Chuck D, buoyed up by Flavor Flav's jester-like ad-libs. And this album has superb depth - the message of each song is jacked up with political urgency that demands social justice, black freedom and that the listener learns and knows the African-American man's daily experience in the US of the late twentieth century. All through the slang and street-speak of the time. There is no bling, no drugs or sex. None of the Lamborghinis and capitalist consumerism that oozes out of most modern hip-hop. In this album, there is only the most efficient of messages: black liberation. 36 years later - almost every element of this album has been copied, homaged, borrowed from and paid respect to by musicians, artists and broadcasters across the world and the ages. It is a stunning statement that still shakes the pantheon of all music.
great bars, really fun samples and great instrumentals that set the standard for a decade+ of hip hop.
Fantastic album. A wild, loud, and politically charged message with fierce flow and a bit of comedic relief. I thoroughly enjoyed this album and completely understand its importance. Chuck D’s flow is undeniable on this, but the sampling and production is what really elevates it.
The German philosopher Carl Schmidt said "Damn, this shit straight fire, son." Without sounding too cliche... I'm a simple man; I see Public Enemy, I give 5 stars.
This review would definitely not be televised, but at least we know Terminator X was on to something with the sounds of the future.
16 songs • 57min Eighteen year old me was unable to hear this album for what it is trying to do. Too mired in the belief that America was the land of the free and home of the brave. And fairness was evenly distributed. The sound IS 90s gangster rap. 4.5/5
As essential as Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On?' for social commentary? I think so.
So gangsta
Love this album
CLASSIC
All time great album, still a great listen.
This is a classic. Chuck d and flava flav might be the best duo in the genre. And they get my white ass with some slayer samples. Its kinda the perfect storm. Im not the biggest flav guy but he works so well in this context. To me hes the dude who had a dumb finding love reality show on vh1 or whatever. Real crackhead energy but as the hype man who throws down a verse or two its perfect. Chuck is incredible though. He has the lyrics and the flow and just the vibe. Its immaculate. The beats are so damn sick too. They mention the producer but I cant remember him now. Shit. He rules though. Its a collage of everything thats good. Classic for a reason
One of the greatest rap albums of all time.
Music altering
Don't believe the hype? Naw, BELIEVE the hype. This is a hard hitting time capsule of the tension, the noise, and the raw energy of late 1980s America. The production by The Bomb Squad is a dense, claustrophobic wall of sound with sirens wailing, James Brown samples colliding with Slayer guitar riffs, and media snippets cutting in and out. It perfectly mirrors the sensory overload of the era and the rise of 24 hour news cycles, the crack epidemic, and the boiling racial tensions of the Reagan years. There is zero filler here, from "Bring The Noise" to "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos", the album moves with the relentless pace and the interplay between Chuck D’s booming authority and Flavor Flav’s chaotic hype-man antics created a dynamic that has never been replicated. This isn't just music for your ears... it's a history lesson for your nervous system.
Iconic lyrics and beats. Just an incredible time capsule and brutally transgressive.
Have heard of this album! very interestingggggg and grooovy
Fucking incredible. It was amazing listening to this piece of rap history for the first time. It’s awesome listening to an album after being a fan of the genre and realizing where a lot of your favorite artists and albums originated.
I’m very familiar with this but I’ve never thought about what I’d rate it, exactly. I told myself that whatever I thought it was leading into the final three songs, which I know to be some of my favorite songs ever, I’d add one to that score to account for those final three. I thought it was a 4 before those, I’m adding one, 5.
Great variety
Elections prove this statement to be true.
This might be the most powerful album I've ever heard. Social commentary instead of misogyny in rap music? Yes, please! Do you think if Flavor Flav had have insisted he wouldn't sell out a couple more times he wouldn't have made those three glorious seasons of Flavor of Love?
Grest album
One of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Just incredible. Chuck D is one of the greatest MCs ever and surprisingy, Flavor Flave works against him perfectly as a (not so skilled) hypeman. The beats are great too. 5/5
Rap is maybe the hardest genre to hear in context, and this album is no exception; the Farrakhan shit has aged like milk, for example. But the context cuts both ways, and *my God* has this album been so incredibly foundational to the sound of hip-hop for the last three decades-plus since it was released. Seriously, the samples that have been used by other artists fly by like bullet train scenery, too fast to even begin to catch all of them. The production remains first-rate - clear, punchy, aggressive (you can hear what all those RATM albums were going for). And Chuck D's lyrics remain more relevant than they should, in multiple senses. Do believe the hype about this one.
Incredible album, it’s doing everything to make listening challenging, from the bombastic protest lyrics, to the sirens, screeching guitar samples, and confrontational beats. Yet it goes in your ears without a fight.
Really good
At the time this came out, I was firmly on polar opposite poles of the music world. Closed minded? That’s fair. It just what I was listening to in my 20’s. Rock, Pop, Punk, Alt-Country, R&B, Jazz, classical, oldies…. All good. Rap? Not a sniff. Sad I missed out. Wasn’t until my 40’s that I started paying attention. Still not a big fan of the genre, but these guys are fucking excellent! We could use more of this now! Bring it on!
5/9
This is a masterpiece. It's hard to appreciate how it sounded when it came out 37 years ago, but the anger radiating off this album is still palpable and it is awesome. This is peak Public Enemy.
This is a classic.
Foundational hip-hop.
Classique.
A true hip hop classic. With so many tracks such as "Prophet's of Rage" "Rebel Without A Pause" and "Bring the Noise" it's easy to see why this is on the list. Chuck D was at his lyrical best here
Great record. Probably the best album I've listened to on this journey so far. Just an all around great hip hop record with a political punch to the gut. 18/19
They lowkey cooked up the whole conscious hip hop thing ( or at least made it popular ). Sections of the album definitely sound aged, but the flows are way too good for the '80s. I don't really want to write a full review because lsimdog got it covered. Top 3 tracks, in order, Black Steel Bring the Noise Rebel Without a Pause I'd put it in the 9.4-9.7 range (Flavor Flav sounds like he could be westide gunn's dad)
I really like this album because It manages to be a fun listen (mostly because of flava flav) while also being deeply political. With amzing lyricism and Flow From Chuck D. Chuck D and Flava Flav have weirdly good chemistry The production is Amazing and insanely ahead of its time from bomb squad, The samples are so weird but the beats just work. I particularly thought the beat from louder than a bomb was incredibly ahead of its time Chuck D is like really good at rapping Top songs: Don't Belive the Hype, Louder than a bomb, Night of the living baseheads, black steel in the hour of chaos, rebel without a pause, Party for your right to fight flava flav is like the original swamp izzo 9.5/10
Hoewel hip hop vanaf deze release écht het politieke universum ingeschoten werd, deed niemand het ooit met hetzelfde charisma en militante houding als Public Enemy. De energie is unmatched. Het is net zoveel hardcore punk als James Brown, en net zoveel Martin Luther King als Malcolm X. Die attitude in rap, op dit niveau, wordt nog altijd genoemd als voornaamste reden waarom deze plaat in de hip hop hall of fame gebeiteld is. Maar het is ook zeker de productie en 'sampledelia' van The Bomb Squad en Rick Rubin wat zorgde voor een aardverschuiving eind jaren 80, want niks in de scene van voor 1988 voelt zo rijk aan als 'It Takes A Nation'. Helaas hebben ze zelf later ook niet meer dit niveau aangetikt, en is dit activistische schilderij van een album een unicum gebleken. Ik twijfelde tussen 4 en 5 sterren, maar toen het powertrio 'She Watch Channel Zero?!', 'Night Of The Living Baseheads' en - wat mij betreft één van de betere political poëzie - 'Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos' langskwam was ik verkocht. Wat een tour de force. Ben an sich geen fan van dat genre, maar het samenvoegen van Slayer en James Brown tot de creatie 'She Watch Channel Zero?!' is ongekend, wat een krankzinnig nummer, in de goede zin van het woord. En dan heb ik het nog niet eens over de signature tracks 'Rebel Without A Pause' en 'Don't Believe The Hype'. Flavor Flav is volgens mij hyped, en ik ook. 9/10 Highlights: Don't Believe The Hype She Watch Channel Zero?! Night of Living Baseheads Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos Rebel Without A Pause
PEAKANUMA SAMPLE SPOTTED BLACK EYED PEAK SAMPLE SPOTTED
Perfect album. Beats/Samples are killer. The lyrics are meaningful. I didn't appreciate Public Enemy back when this came out. I really missed out. 5 stars.
This goes HARD. Can we talk about the samples?
🔥
This is a seismic album in my life. I forget how I came across Public Enemy as an adolescent, but this was their most recent release at the time. To hear everything they talk about on this album (and the liner notes, which I read cover to cover) as a 12- or 13-year-old middle-class white kid from Texas? It blew my goddamn mind. It was provocative, kinda scary, and thrilling, and I can still hear why when I revisit it. "Louder Than a Bomb" remains my favorite, and this album has so much good stuff on it (and a relatively light amount of filler). In short, this rules. What DIDN'T rule was seeing them perform this album in full at the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2008. Chuck and Flav rapped over full backing tracks—with vocals. Flav wasn't even there for the first song, but his vocal track was. After he finally showed up, he was booed when he plugged his supremely awful sitcom. Years later I would go onto work with the guy who created it, and he too was supremely awful.
I suppose it's my age and background, but hip hop has never sounded so good and important as it does on this album. In fairness, I think rock and pop from the mid to late 80s is also the greatest thing ever. Why is there no Public Enemy movie?
Well. There’s a lot that can be said about this album and this group in general. The heavily layered samples, relentless, scratching, dense, and poetic lyrics, and the fact that when you get to the end of the album, you are still hearing legendary song. That’s really unusual. Most albums load up their best songs in the first five or six track and by the time you get to the end, they really lost the thread and are just filling in space. But considering the last third of the album contain night of the living bass heads, rebel without a pause and black steel in the hour of chaos, this is crazy. There are better, public enemy, albums, but that doesn’t change the fact that this album for its time was near perfect.
Genius, start to finish. Every time I listen something new jumps out at me. The hits from this album deserve their flowers but the non-hits may be even better.
Raw, visceral, unrelenting for an entire hour. The interplay between the beats, samples, scratches, Chuck D's verses, and Flav's hype is all controlled chaos, proof that music is organized noise. Its political and cultural statements still resonate today-- sadly, this is a testament that not enough has changed, and because of this it's both a powerful time capsule and a prophecy for modern times. That is to say, it's timeless despite its distinct 1980s sound. It's one that should be required listening for every single human. YEEAHHHHH BOOOIIIIII
5/9
One of the greatest rap albums of all time. Super influential and iconic, full of hits, and super memorable and unique. This is literally my favorite public enemy album.
Again, I am hopelessly under qualified to give an informed critique. I’m going on pure enjoyment and the album’s wider cultural significance beyond its intended audience. It’s possibly the fist album I have listened to so far on this list that has made me want to press play again immediately upon finishing.
Favourite - Bring The Noise
It wouldn’t be crazy to call this THE founding hiphop album, and it just so happens to be great as well.
A stunning album. Such a striking, groovy and exciting collage of sound. The funky drummer loop is all over this and was everywhere for the next 3 years! Chuck D is amazing, one of the best voices in modern music. What he says and how he says it, so cool and so important. And if that wasn't enough I've just been looking at Chuck D's amazing artwork. Some people are almost too talented! For me the best hip hop group ever. Listen loud.
I'm not sure what's sadder; the fact that this album is more relevant in September, 2025 than it was in June, 1988 or that political albums just don't get me as hyped these days.
Best believe the hype: ignorance remains at an all-time high, and Public Enemy’s been in effect, sucka.
A top three 80’s hip hop album. Great beats, great lyrics. It’s just fucking awesome.
Foundational rap album, truly legendary
Favorite album of the list so far. Absofuckinglutely incredible. Chuck D’s rhyme schemes and breath control are still thrilling. Flav’s ad libbing has become essential to modern rap, and their chemistry of style and substance is unbeatable. And the production somehow steals the show from them, over and over and over again. How does it still manage to sound so avant-garde almost 40 years later? Fucking brilliant, in every way. Favorites: Bring the Noise, Terminator X To The Edge of Panic, Don’t Believe the Hype, Rebel Without a Pause, She Watch Channel Zero?!, Caught, Can I Get a Witness Least Favorites: I guess Show Em Watcha Got, but only because Jay-Z stole it? Maybe Security of the First World
The ultimate diss album. They cover everything from music critics and mainstream love songs to TV soap operas and copyright lawyers. Amazing.
Solid fimma. Eldist mun betur en flest rapp frá þessum tíma.
Great record
I didn't need to listen to this as it's an album I own and have already listened to hundreds of times. It was one of a handful of albums that were the soundtrack of my years as I moved into adulthood. Quite simply, I can't find a single fault with it. The word is often overused but this album was groundbreaking. No other artist was making music like this. It inspired countless imitators but none of them came close to this. An easy 5 stars, yeah boiiiiiii!!!!
Great early hip-hop with a true political edge. It is instantly familiar- not least because so much modern hip-hop pays tribute to it. A great album.
One of the best hip hop albums of all time. Chuck D is brilliant, Flava Flav’ got flavor, and Terminator X was one of the all time best DJs. Too bad he turned out to be an antisemite. Rhymes were great and excellent use of samples. Bring the Noise is, as the kids would say, an absolute banger. PE was able to give a pointed political viewpoint while still making excellent music. This is what rap was when it was good and it proves that you don’t have to be incredibly profane the whole time and by misogynistic to make a rap album. No one would ever say Chuck D was be anything less than honest about the life of a black man in this country despite limited profanity. The only thing I don’t like about this album is that it makes me sad for what is considered rap these days. It had suck promise.
This album is like a force of nature.
Because this still sounds like a bomb going off, I can’t imagine what it was like to discover this in 1988. It does sound precisely like 1988 hip hop, but somehow it also feels like it exists outside of time. Nearly every impactful rapper from the last 35+ years has a lineage back to Chuck D, and Flava Flav remains the all-time greatest hype man.
The best of HipHop!
Highly influential and a core album to listen to for those who enjoy hip-hop.
Absolute classic album
Love Public Enemy! Their beats and lyrics are some of the best ever.
Yeah boi
All time favorite, regardless of genre
Iconic. From when black rap was still comprehensible to white guys from Canada.
First off, is is the greatest fucking album from Public Enemy! Really needs no notes but I'm going to give them anyway. Listening to this album now as an adult and reflecting back on what Hip/Hop Rap was in the 80's and what it is now is shocking. Back in those days, it seems to me, that if you wanted to be taken seriously as a Rap Artist you needed to have a DJ that you could shout out, Public Enemy (PE) had for this album Terminator X and the samples and scratches on this album are beyond amazing. She Watch Channel Zero might the best, just listening to Chuck D rap over clearly a heavy/hard rock guitar riff and drum beat with Flavor Flav doing all the best that a hype man can do. That brings me to my next point, Public Enemy was more than just Chuck D, Flavor Flav, and Terminator X. You also had Professor Griff and during this time S1W the dance crew that dressed like a paramilitary group out to protect the Public Enemies. My partner was blessed enough to see them when she was in college and they performed at her college and she said it was the greatest show that she has ever seen. This is a 20 out of 5 stars album.
First four songs
ammazing
Hell yeah 5 stars
One of the GOATs.
I saw Public Enemy live with Anthrax, Primus, and Young Black Teenagers. It was 1991 or 1992. Amazing show. Absolutely a blast. All the bands were amazing. I’ve never listened to a full album though. I know the two opening tracks. I love how heavy they are with just beats and horns. “Bring the noise” will always be favorite no matter what version. Those lyrics are poetry and should be studied is schools. “Cold lampin’ with Flavor” is the most I’ve heard Flavor Flav say anything more than his accent lines. He’s great. I should have listened to album years ago. “Edge of panic” is great. “Mind terrorist” did exactly what it was supposed to. But not my favorite track. 😂 I love that tracks like “Louder than a bomb” have meaning but still make you want to dance because the groove is so strong. “Caught can we get a witness?” Just grabs you from the start. These guys are like the Bob Dylan of hip hop. There’s deep meaning to the lyrics, but the music still moves you. “She watch channel zero” has a Slayer sample. How has this not been talked about more? It’s so dark. This album was so far ahead of its time. “Black steel in the hour of chaos” this groove is hard and swinging while simultaneously sounding like a horror movie sound track. I need to find a list of all the songs sampled for this record. The composition here is phenomenal and I want to study what they built from. “Security of the first world” is such a great groove. I forgot I knew “Rebel without a pause”. Last two tracks are just so good.
80's hiphop. Felt cool and geng geng when I was listening to this on the bus.
Can I give this 6 stars?!?
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988) is like being hit in the chest by a megaphone powered by righteous fury and turntable smoke. This isn’t an album—it’s a news broadcast from the frontlines of late-80s America, delivered over beats so tight they could cut glass. Chuck D doesn’t rap, he declares, and Flavor Flav… well, Flavor Flav is the chaotic spark in the Molotov cocktail. ⸻ 🔥 Rating: 5 / 5 🎯 Short Review: The sonic equivalent of a protest march with a block party at the end—dense, unrelenting, essential.
Someone had put me onto this album 5 years ago, and I remember listening to it, enjoying it. And then, never listening to it again. I'm not sure why. This time round, I really enjoyed it. Particularly for the variation in backing music, sampling and the vibe it was giving off. It wasn't lazy hip hop. In fact, the lyrics are particularly clever within the raps. I think if I'd been a teenage when this came out, I'd have been a fan. Sadly, I was born this year and broke my soul on down strums and moody music instead. Funny how that happens. "Yeah, boy!" (or something to that effect) makes it's presence known throughout the album, and it's cool to hear a motif (or catch phrase) without finding it to irritating. I actually really enjoy his (Flava Flayv? right?) voice on this album. A lot of the rhymes sounded familiar, had they been used since and there were some really clever lines in there. I also like how the sampling was used to the extent that I vaguely recognised what they sampled at points, but then it was changed straight away before you had time to pinpoint exactly what it was. Don't believe the hype. 5 Stars.
Immense. So quotable. Spans lots of moods and feelings, but fundamentally just great songs and interesting, exciting production.
Was good. Angry. Strong. You know, fun.
Great fucking album Rate every second of this
Before listening to this album, I was only familiar with Public Enemy by name only, especially Flava Flav and his dope ass clock. After listening to this, I’m a big fan. They have 3 albums on the list, so clearly they’re pretty revolutionary, in more ways than 1. Every time I hear a “Yeeeeeeeeeeah Booooooyyyyy” or a “Terminator X”, it gets me more excited. I’m hearing familiar samples and some lyrics that I had no idea stemmed from, or at least were popularized by this album. The beats, fire. The lyricism without relying on heavily using the gamer word every second, fire. The way every band member plays off of each other, fire. This is a good ass album!! Best songs are “Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic”, “She Watch Channel Zero?!” and “Party For Your Right To Fight”. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeah Booooooyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!
The bars and flows on this are out of control good, production is on point, and there is powerful social commentary throughout. Setting aside how impactful this album was and the place it will forever hold within music history, it still holds up amazingly well, and is a truly fantastic listen.
Oh yeah !
Believe the hype. Farrakhan is certainly not a prophet you oughta listen to. Thing is, neither is Public Enemy. They didn't predict anything: they documented, they related, they integrated, and they funked the fuck out. D wants you to analyze and go deep: 'Listen for lessons I'm saying inside music / that all the critics are blastin' me for.' But they're also 'louder than a bomb,' and got blasted b/c people heard the raw and frighted. Freedom fighting has never been as organized as this, or straight-up weird. Underrated: The Bomb Squad, protagonists of the avant-garde - the grab you by the brain cells, or not, avant-garde.
classic!
Honestly, really solid album all the way through. Really love the energy, the hype, everything that went into this, turns out I actually really love this genre. It was a bit long for me, but I definitely think it was worth listening all the way through.
This is more like it! Absolute nailed on classic and era defining album. Can remember this like yesterday and recall hearing it late 80s Liverpool. Outside of any critical appraisal as far as I am concerned
5/5. Every song blares, Chuck D's vocals are strong and lyrically intelligent, Flavor Flav hypes up every song bringing it down to Earth and making it feel personal. The samples themselves are complex and intricate, and with repeated listens, I find myself focusing on something new in each song. Chuck D sounds like a preacher, like a man 65 years in experience telling me about what we need to do to make the world a better place. There is so much happening on this record, I am going to need many more listens. I can't believe I was sleeping on this for so long, this is what rap, and music in general, should be used for, getting your message across, especially when no one will hear you otherwise. It's hard to ignore when it goes this hard. Best Song: Don't Believe The Hype, Louder Than A Bomb, Night Of The Living Baseheads, Rebel Without A Pause
Banger after banger. Classic. And truly a great display of actual rapping
So angry and vindictive - I always found public enemy very powerful and real, and this is them distilled to their essence. Really great
The first great rap album in my opinion. Beats way ahead of their time that still hold up today. Sharp political commentary. Don't see any reason why this deserves anything less than a 5.
So much energy.
I rate these albums based on the vibes, the energy. A+. The energy is undeniable.
I enjoyed this much more than I expected to boiiiii
Very punk in attitude. Terminator X has almost constant klaxons going off.
Rebellious
5/5
un clásico del hip hop estadounidense, imposible no admirarlo
Amazing listen. Listened the same day I watched Do the Right Thing for the first time during a Bed-Stuy heatwave. Transformative
Best rap album ever made in my opinion
Can't say anything new here - PE IN FULL EFFECT
Greatest hip-hop album ever recorded. No further elaboration needed.
Really enjoyed this
It’s so…
An ambitious, provocative and groundbreaking release, A Nation of Millions hasn’t lost an ounce of its sonic or cultural import. Tracks like the trippy “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” demonstrate that PE was early to the jazz-sampling trend, while they capitalized on the nascent rap-rock trend by sampling Slayer on “She Watch Channel Zero?!” (one of 20 samples on the track). Terminator X is in top form with his scratching and trademark tea kettle/horse-whinny refrain, Flavor Flav plays the role of hype man/street jester (except when he raps, such as on “Cold Lampin’”) with aplomb and Chuck D is like a whole weather system on the mic. There’s so much going on in this seminal release, and I haven’t even gotten to the pointed social and political commentary. Le plus ca change…
Nooooooo
Already familiar with this one but gave it another listen to determine my rating, I was originally thinking giving it just below 5 stars but after another listen it’s definitely higher than that, it’s just that good. Every song is really good, the only ones I didn’t like as much are party for your right to fight which is a little repetitive and she watch channel zero which is a little extreme but I guess that’s kind of the point. This album is also dated but in the best possible way, it’s of its time with the explosive, energetic rapping and flavour flav doing his thing, he’s also got one of my favourite rap verses on this album with cold lampin’. Definitely deserves a 5 as it’s also an iconic album. Overall 9.5/10.
if you don't know then your ass better call somebody. this is the most important rap album of the 80's.
Saw them live on 23 Augustus 2012 in Metropool (Hengelo) with a complete band backing them up. Great concert!
I see the impact, even if this isn't fully to my tastes.
I consider this to be the best rap album of all time. I remember the day I got this on CD and just listening to it over and over again. I'm sad because I don't think people who are listening to it for the first time in 2025 are going to recognize it for what it is. Some of the sound effects do not hold up. There is some self-referential stuff (the S1Ws, etc.) that don't make sense if you don't know what's going on. But Bring the Noise is an incredible track. I generally listen to the PE/Anthrax cover these days, but the original is amazing. Don't Believe the Hype is tremendous. It's been a while since I've listened to Baseheads and Channel Zero. But it's so nice listening to music with meaning and a political message. Black Steel, Rebel Without a Pause and Prophets of Rage are just the best way to end an album. The number of listens this has on Spotify is criminal. This is the GOAT.
My favorite rap album of all time, timeless and important.
One single word - Classic.
One of the great ones.
Masterpiece.
This was one of my favorite albums as a teenager and it still is one of my favorite albums. My favorite favs are: Bring the Noise, Louder Than a Bomb, Caught Can I Get a Witness, Black Steel, Prophets of Rage, and the last song... Party for Your Right to Fight. So cool the way they did the stereo mix with Chuck D in one speaker and Flavor Flav in the other. And the message is pretty right on. Some fight for their right to party. Others are partying for their right to fight. She Watched Channel Zero is a pretty cool song but wasn't Flavor Flav on a season of The Real World?.... you're watching that garbage baby, pure garbage... just sayin.
this album flip flops between paid in full by eric b & rakim for my fav 80s rap album, stellar shit right here
Interesting hip-hop album. Can see the message and mvoing nature of the album overall.
social commentary, bops, good beats
Yeah boy
Public Enemy's second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, is a seminal album in rap's early history. PE used an extensive array of samples in this engaging sonic assault; Chuck D's focused, pointed social commentary made for an album that is as much a political statement as a musical release. The album is regarded as the best rap album of all time, and sits near the top of most "best album of all times" lists. Public Enemy set standards for hip hop sampling and rap with singles like "Don't Believe the Hype," a comment on media in politics.
Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhh boiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
++: Countdown to Armageddon, Bring the Noise, Don't Believe the Hype, Cold Lampin' with Flavor, Terminator X to the Edge of Panic, Louder Than a Bomb, Caught, Can We Get a Witness?, Show 'Em Watcha Got, She Watch Channel Zero?!, Night of the Living Baseheads, Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos, Security of the First World, Rebel Without a Pause, Prophets of Rage, Party for Your Right to Fight +: Mind Terrorist 9,7/10
So confusing. "Don't Believe the Hype" they tell us. But what do I do if the hype is entirely justified.
Yes. The best by the best. Although being in the same room as either Flava Flav or Professor Griff for more than two minutes seems like a nightmare.
Bring the noise! Yeah Boyyy! etc etc......USA and the World could really do with a Public Enemy in this nuts time! Iconic, ground-breaking with some serious f'kin attitude. Chuck D has that perfect dominating voice that perfectly matches the message. Awesome....silly Rabbit!
As powerful and poignant now as it was then.
Ебануто крутое звучание! А еще говорят что и тексты заебись, верю на слово
This is what I’ve been looking for. So happy to have committed the time to listen thoroughly.
The reasons are sev-er-al…. Stabbing horn siren amongst them
Amazing display of sending a political message through art with this album. They made an album you can bump to while also speaking on the American social and political climate in America at the time, although a lot of it still applies today. Chuck carries the whole thing, Flava Flav doesn’t add enough for me to consider him part of the music
Game changing music that both encapsulated a moment in time and still brings that moment into the present. This is music I feel every time I listen.
I remember some of these songs and specifically a remix from the tony hawk video games. I definitely liked the original song more!
Fantastic production in this breathtaking hip-hop album, especially for the 80s. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is an iconic and genre-defining record with incredible lyrics.
Its amazing to finally listen to this album and recognizing so many small, throwaway lines as the basis of songs by other artists in completely different genres. *That* is influence.
A classic.
9/10 Some of these foundational albums disappoint, this one didn’t. Sounds great still. Potent message, excellent delivery, great production. Sample selection is on point. Nobody sounds like Chuck D. Best: Caught, Can We Get a Witness?
• 5/5 • exhausting sustained energy and breakthrough production - a great album • especially enjoy Don’t Believe the Hype, Bring the Noise, and Rebel Without a Pause
This is one of my favorite rap albums of all time. It just goes so hard. I can never listen to just one song, it's gotta be the whole thing. I would also give anything for a whole album of songs like She Watch Channel Zero?! rapped over a Slayer sample. But it also works so well as a kind of one-off to break up the rest of the album while not interrupting the flow.
Great lyrics, and cool flow. The beats are nice.
Essential hip hop.
First listen was 10 years ago and yeeeaaahhh boiiiii this still rules
Only one of my favorite albums of all time and incredibly influential for me at 17 when it came out. Chuck D’s furious and righteous lyrics helped stoke my political and social consciousness, which led to a political science major in college and now a lifelong career in mission-driven work. It exposed me to the sonic wonders of superlative production, bass, and absolute jams, which brought me to glorious bass-heavy dance floors and electronic music scenes and a huge appreciation for hip hop. P.E. - ahead of their time, right on time, and still relevant now.
Love this album. Great energy. Didn’t hear it the first time around but by 90 was enjoying it
A classic for a reason. Political poetry and funky beats
I first heard this when I was about seven years old. My brother had a tape, and I saw the Tipper Gore naughty lyrics sticker and could not resist. What was inside this that made it so risky, dangerous, and taboo to have that magical sticker? The cover was strange. Why are these dudes in a cell? Why is the album name a paragraph? It's loud, filled with sirens, bass, and amazing samples. The samples on this disc are amazing: Angel of Death on She Watch Channel Zero!?, that's just rad. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is one of the most innovative and listenable hip-hop records ever recorded. The first four PE records are essential, and everyone should own them, except those who wish to limit speech; you can go fuck yourself; that includes the PMRV ringmaster Tipper Gore and all who wish to tell us how our freedom of speech should work.
Well I can unabashedly give this album all the stars. A record I absolutely devoured in my youth. And still return to often. These guys were my absolute favorite in high school. I drug Sharon to a concert and its a fun memory. We had second row. Cant say enough about the influence this album had on popular music. Ugly soundscapes, found sounds and a sampling masterpeice that can never be made again due to music lawyers. Sampling is a lost art crushed by litigation and this record is the pinnacle. Along with Pauls Boutique and 3 Feet High And Rising. Gotdamn!!!
Kay, why on earth have I never listened to Public Enemy until now??? They’ve been in my general awareness since like, middle school? But somehow I had never heard this before and it is SO good! Unreserved 5/5!
Classic
Legendary album and more relevant than ever
This is a certified classic. Mindbender. Innovative production as is always the case with the Bomb Squad. Lyrics are intelligent yet accessible too. Early Public Enemy is top tier.
Hell yes.
a lot bouncier than rap tends to nowadays, so sonically vibrant and layered
Great lyrics, great beats. Standout songs: Dont believe the hype Louder than a bomb Rebel Without a Pause
C: 8/10. Loved this! Honestly way better than expected. I was so engaged by all the sounds and textures. It was so much more avant garde than I anticipate. I was a little surprised at how politically ambiguous it was at first, but it kind of eased into more explicit messaging which seemed intentional, as if to cast a wide net. K: 7/10, good, noisiness not all my preference
Just damn. Unlike some classics of the genre - there is so much meat on this bone. Musically - the wall of sound uses a ridiculously diverse mix of samples to underscore the armageddon - narrated by two of hop hops most distinctive MCs. Hooks galore with beats to match. Preacher and jester bring the truth and have a damn good time doing it.
Superlative - first album listened to in 2025. A banger!
Not just hype, not just 80's rap... this is a national treasure.
Masterpiece. Favourite tracks are Night Of The Living Baseheads and Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos, which alone makes this album a 5/5
Word
Absolutely banging. Like a sledgehammer to the base of the spine.
A true game changer for hip hop. It definitely sounds a little dated, but I love it.
I've never really been a big fan of rap but I remember listening to this when it came out. It was amazing then, and it still is.
Just like anything I listen to by Public Enemy, they're better poets than they are musicians. Their songs can use better production, rhythm, and beats, however, this album contains the absolutely greatest lyrics for a hip-hop album ever. Favorite Song: "Night Of The Living Baseheads"
“It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” by Public Enemy is not just an album; it’s a cultural milestone that (re)shaped hip-hop . Released in 1988, this album became the blueprint for political socially aware hip-hop This album has since become an undeniable classic, influencing generations of hip-hop artists who use their music to speak on societal issues. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back transformed hip-hop into a platform for social justice, proving that music could be powerful, thought-provoking, and a force for change. Its legacy in hip-hop is unshakeable, marking it as one of the genre’s most essential and impactful works. Ps let’s not ruin it by talking about Professor Griff 🤔😱
5 stars
✊🏽
I don't know much about hip hop, but that was incredible. The lyrics are dense, powerful, and masterfully delivered. Cold Lampin' with Flavor was the weakest track, and was still pretty fun, if nowhere near as good as the rest of the album.