Reviews (page 4 of 12)
es esto acaso una weezer referencia? Tal vez descendí a la locura, pero es muy bueno (es el cuarto álbum de rap en una semana)
I remember seeing Public Enemy on Yo! MTV Raps when I was a kid, but I was much too young to really understand any of the lyrics, except I knew Chuck D was a little mad about something. I love that I can listen to this now with fresh ears and more empathy towards black American struggles in the 80s, because now it makes more sense. Also, the beats and samples are just fun stuff.
From one classic hip hop album to another. This album does a great job at balancing its anger and political themes while also having fun and being light-hearted at times. I used to think this was the best Public Enemy record but now I'm leaning a little more towards "Fear Of A Black Planet". Both are fantastic of course. Favorite track: Don't Believe The Hype
Never listened to much Public Enemy but I remember “Flavor of Love” from MTV or whatever, and always thought Flav seemed like kind of an idiot. That being said, I do tend to like this era of hiphop a bit more than others. The ‘Yeah Boi’s and the screeching samples were a bit much, but for its age this album was really solid. 3.5/5
Early Public Enemy is never getting anything lower than a 4. This is a pretty good trip back to old school hip hop. That said though my first thought was that the original version of Bring the Noise, while good, is not as the later remixed version with Anthrax. I was surprised to hear how... Held back the production feels on this album. Maybe it's an old rap thing, but it feels like all the instrumentals on these tracks could go a bit harder. Chuck's verses full of social commentary are great as always though. I don't think I like it as much as the other Public Enemy albums I've heard, but hearing where they started to hit their stride is really cool.
É uma experiência elétrica ouvir este disco pela primeira vez e reconhecer inúmeras partes do disco que foram referenciadas por outros artistas ou em outros lugares, como filmes e séries. De cabeça, consigo pensar em vários samples, o icônico “Yeahhh boiiiii”, e acho que as músicas deles tocavam o tempo todo no Todo Mundo Odeia o Chris… Então tive aquela sensação estranha de nostalgia por algo que eu não tinha ouvido ainda. Com exceção de uma das faixas, que tocava em algum Tony Hawk. Esse álbum realmente foi representado constantemente em diversas mídias. Interessante isso. Produção hiper interessante e hiper engajante. O tipo de disco que não te dá um segundo sequer para pensar. Constantemente arremessando objetos pesados na sua cabeça, sem parar. As letras são muito boas também, fiquei impressionado, esperava um disco genérico de Gangsta Rap, mas a realidade é que este é acima de tudo um disco militante, político. Algo que faz falta no Rap atualmente, por incrível que pareça. Esse disco é bem Punk em sua atitude, e o som que acompanha tais noções está à altura. É um álbum icônico e pesado, no bom sentido. Denso, com uma produção bem à frente de seu tempo, e que certamente inspirou incontáveis outros produtores ao longo dos anos. Um disco monumental pro gênero, e uma escuta bem engajante. Gostei. O único defeito é sua duração, um pouco longa demais e acaba causando uma certa fadiga, ainda mais por ser um disco tão pesado. 4/5
Fucking awesome
I was totally engaged; listened through twice.
Something about this record, the barebones production, the rhymes and rhythms, I love it. PE4Eva
chill'd and influencial hiphop that can still be listend too.
Great album I can see it being a critical darling. It's raw and stays true to hip hop roots.
I like Public Enemy but I think this album isn't quite at the top of their game. There's a lot of good turntablism in here and the beats are super varied, which is nice to hear because Terminator X is really the unsung hero of the group. Flava Flav fully embraces the hype man role and Chuck D takes center stage on pretty much every song. The commentary is as expected; there's a lot of sentiment about fighting back against the injustices of our society and the incompetence and outright malice of the people in charge. It's still all valid today, which is sad but goes to show that the record has stood the test of time. I guess my big complaint with this album is that in between all of the great lyricisms and musical talent it's a bit of a let down. I feel as though you could cut the content down by a third and not much would be lost. It's not the interludes or anything, it's more that the songs seem to have these breaks in them where the beat breathes but goes nowhere, or just a bunch of nonsense from Flav; that kind of thing. It's still great but the runtime doesn't really get justified. In any case, it's a small complaint and only because I know they put out easy 5 star albums. For other groups this would be the best they could ever do.
Used the entire runtime to think about how much I hate the corrupt and useless Ontario government
Little too much Flavor Flav for me but I love Chuck D's voice. I could listen to him all day. A classic. Favorite: Bring the Noise Would I listen to it again: Yes
It's nice a classic hip hop sound. Didn't listen to all of it but I liked "Don't believe the hype". The album has great usage of sample sounds and the rhythm is especially nice in this sound, using common tounge twisters in a different way.
👊🏾BASE!!!!
classic
superb
The rhythms and rhymes are tight! The political analysis is (still, unfortunately) on point. These guys come right at you say it to your face — really impressive. But (there’s always a “but”), their delivery & pacing & production effects are largely unchanged across the album. It becomes repetitive as the album goes on. I wish they showed a little (just a little) more range here. Still, this is one for the ages. As 4.
How do they sound almost exactly like other groups of that era yet clearly so much better. I’m not even a fan and never listened to them till this list, but damn, I get it now.
Social commentary bangers but not my favourite style of sound. 3.5/5 but slight bonus points for flavor flav treating female Olympic champions right when the president tries to ridicule them.
Chuck D is such an orator in this. All of his rhymes sound like a speech. Good album and strong message.
Get rid of the 1st track of noise. It's going to be skipped all the time anyway. Again no one like Chuck D, punching you with those syllables and for all of his strangeness Flav is the perfect hype man. I've never listened to much Public Enemy in the past, but the beats are so good on this one. I hope to log some hours in the future. Liked this one a bit more overall compared to the last.
I am not the biggest fan of this genre, but I always like when I get to listen to Public Enemy. I appreciate the social and political messaging. We need more of this energy from musicians.
still in the stylish hip hop trenches, this time we got the politically conscious and high energy works of public enemy. with fat beats, jazz influence, and a firm voice for the nation, this album is very applicable in even today's world. lyrics and rhymes are relevant even in the modern day, and the meaning is strong, but if there's one big thing that's preventing me from rating it a five, it's the repetitive beats and the large reliance on samples of saxophones squealing. just squealing samples. it bothers me. sorry as an autistic i really hate looping sounds that sound like nails on a chalkboard. other people might love it but i hate it. REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
I learned a lot listening to this record. New appreciation for public enemy.
Sweet heavens, am I blessed today This was so fun to listen to, the first political hip hop album. To pioneer like this takes balls, and I'm glad this wasn't made by cowards.
I was very mixed on this but after a second listen I really enjoyed the chemistry and rawness on this record and it’s just so bad ass.
Hugely influential in hip hop and rap! Who knows where the genre would be without it. Yeah boy!!! 4/5
i would be such a good hypeman. they gotta get me on the next public enemy record...
Big Tony hawks pro skater 2 vibes. Very listenable
First hip-hop album I got from here. And this is how I discover where the "my longest yeah boi ever" meme came from lol Favourite tracks: "Cold Lampin' With Flavor", "Caught, Can We Get A Witness?" "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos", "Prophets Of Rage", And I especially love the rock-inspired beats on "She Watch Channel Zero?!" & "Party For Your Right To Fight" So overall, this is some good oldschool NY rap that I want more of!
Very good Album
I was lucky enough to see these guys back in 1992. Unfortunately, they barely registered with me because I was there to see U2 at the Astrodome, and I had zero appreciation for anything outside of mainstream rock at the time. All I remember from their set is that there was a lot of very reverberant bass (like I said, the Astrodome), and at one point, the lights dropped and there was a spotlight on a KKK effigy hanging above the stage. Pretty intense.
Classic album! Loved it
Iconic
Absolute classic. Sounds good today, but in its time it was mind blowing. Sadly some of the things talked about are still issues today. First album so far in the project where I’ve added the album to my vinyl wish list.
Sadly, the lyrics are still all too relevant. Never understood Flavor Flav’s overly comical persona paired with the serious messaging. Favorite song: “Black steel…”
i listen to this every fourth of july if only to scream the line from Louder Than A Bomb. truly punk in how it seems to shatter the myth of the american conscience. as cathartic as it is dangerous. deserves to be one of the 1001? duh
funky ahh music, loving it
Para no estar muy aficionado al hiphop, me ha sorprendido mucho. Estoy realmente enganchado y me parece muy nostálgico, ya nadie habla de estos ritmos, así que resulta en una gran bocanada de aire fresco.
Solid album with some classic tracks on it. Massively influential on both hip-hop and metal. She Watch Cgannel Zero?! Clearly influenced a lot of the rap metal/nu-metal that came in the 90s. 4/5 again I feel that some of the hip-hop albums from this era just go on a little too long with some tracks having repetitive features.
I love the meaning of this album, and the grooves and rock elements are infectious. Really impactful and quotable lyrics as well. Unfortunately, Terminator X repeats high pitch squeaky noises waaaay more than is needed which brings this experience down a bit. Still very good, though. 4.3/5 -> 4/5
Preferred this to FOABP in pretty much every way Cold Lampin' With Flavor was my favourite track
This was a nice listen. I forgot all the boyeeeeees, Public Enemy and Flava Flav was really fun. Great energy , great lyrics
What a duo, enjoyed learning about “chuck D”Carlton & William “flavor flav”! Sounds a little similar to Beastie boys.
Highlights: Bring the Noise, Don't Believe the Hype, Cold Lampin With Flavor, Terminator X to the Edge of Panic, Louder Than a Bomb, Night of the Living Baseheads, Propthets of Rage Yeeeahh boiiii!!1!1 Hippity hoppa with nice beats. What more can you ask for? Well actually it would be nicer if wasn't all very formulaic, but it's still great. By formulaic I mean the monotonous vocal delivery, constant use and repeating of vocal snippets ("yeeeah boiii") and looping beat (most noticeable on Caught, Can We Get a Witness). The record is often too predictable on a track to track basis to be a masterpiece. However there were interesting switch-ups, like the metal fusion on She Watch Channel Zero, but it was ruined by the awful looping of the vocal snippet. Lyrically it's exactly what you would expect from a late 80's hip-hop record, so it wasn't all that revolutionary in that regard. I especially enjoyed listening to Flavor - his delivery was the most interesting part of the record and I missed him when he wasn't on a track. As the first third came to a close, he was noticeably absent only to make a return by the very end. The style also kinda felt familiar and they deadass confirmed it at the very end by referencing the Beastie Boys.
Frantic beats an 80s hip hop classic
Flava Flav try not to say “flava”, “flavor” or “flav” challenge: level—impossible Political, funky, high tempo, creative genius!
I’d rather listen to this than any hip hop music produced today. Sure, it sounds a bit dated now, but the social commentary is still sadly relevant.
Muy interesante con sonidos hip hop
Despite sounding quaint by today’s standards, it’s still relevant. As evidenced by the racists idiots who tried to chat me up today.
One of the best albums by the greatest hip hop act of all time. Chuck D has always been my single favorite rapper, both because of his demanding voice but also his flow is practically unmatched. Flavor Flav might be considered a joke nowadays but he's the perfect loose hype man to Chuck D's more serious presentation. An album that's still just as relevant today as it was when it was first released.
Review - a classic hip-hop album. Political while still managing to havea fun, partyable sound to it. Modern conscious hip-hop could learn a lot about being instructive without being avant garde. Rating - 7.5/10 Need to listen? YES
Being familiar with Public Enemy, I knew what to expect, but was surprised at how fresh a lot of it sounded. Very cohesive album.
Great timing on this one (sometimes it feels like the list isn’t random). Super infectious energy on this one, the flow and interplay between Chuck D and Flav is great, and most of the beats hold up despite its age. The lyrics and themes are, again, still sadly relevant today. There were a couple tracks where the beat was kind of annoying and drowned out the vocals, but the album as a whole still holds up. This is socially conscious rap at its best and I wish there was more like it today. Very strong 4/5
An album for the ages, I love the fact ‘Bring the Noise’
dang I really wish I could dance
All I can say is ENERGY. These guys rock and know how to party
Hip hop used to be, for lack of a better word, geeky! I admire the in-your-face politics of this record and the way distinct personalities both compete for time and find balance, which surely inspired my beloved Beastie Boys. Louder Than A Bomb is my favorite track. Some sick rock sampling as well.
Though I think Welcome to the Terrordome is a superior albums, Public Enemy really showed they had staying power with A Nation of Millions. More than that, they also showed they had something to say, addressing politics, racism, and politics.
Bring the Noise is a banger track. The album is a great representation of that era of rap/hip-hop. Chuck D is amazing, and Flav is just the right amount of weird to wrap it all together.
Listening to this album for the first time in 2026, I feel like someone who’s never seen The Wizard of Oz, all like “ohhh now I get that reference”. You mean to tell me charming social media personality Flavor Flav really does say “yeaaahh boyyyy!” just like that, over and over??
When this record hits, it is tough not to get swept up in the passionate delivery of both Chuck D and Flavor Flav's message. Sometimes the music production can sound a little dated; other times (Black Steel, for example) it sounds like the foundation of a still-developing art form. I do think this album drags a bit, though, which is often true of albums on CD, where length and content were pushed to the limit by the new medium. This group's message is important, representing a militant, unapologetic stance for its members being exactly who they are, street philosophers and court jesters alike. There's a lot to like on this powerful record, but its message would have had more impact in a tighter package. Four stars.
I was genuinely surprised when I found out this was the 80s. The beats and energy was unbeatable. Great consistency with a couple songs that just went on a little too long.
I think your enjoyment of Public Enemy comes down to whether you like sample music or not. They're admittedly very hit or miss, and sometimes end up way too repetitive, especially on this album. Honestly, I might give this album too high of a rating since I have a lot of respect for Public Enemy, but even I get kinda sick of the instrumentals.
A great old-school hip-hop album, driven by politically charged and confrontational lyricism from Chuck D. While very well crafted, I personally found the repeated use of the sliding, screeching siren sound to be overdone, ultimately distracting from the album’s overall brilliance. For that reason, I’m giving it a 4.
In grade 7 we were assigned a music project. We needed to play a song for the class, read the lyrics out loud, and talk about what the song meant. The song I chose was Cold Lampin' with Flavor. I remember having to pause and rewind the tape so many times to try to get the lyrics right. And they still didn't make sense or were indecipherable to me. No idea what I said the song was about. Though it's an album I know well, I hadn't listened to it for many years. Funny that the song I liked best as a kid is still the song I like best. Louder Than a Bomb
Pretty sick. I appreciate the passion they bring to this album, beats are old school in the ideal way, lyricism is good.
Liked fear of a black planet pretty significantly more
Proof that hip-hop can be more than mumbling boasts. Powerful words and killer beats, without outright theft of others music.
this is what was scaring white people in the late 80s huh? and to think it brought us the best reality tv show ever.
This was one of the great albums that brought hip hop to everyone. Still seems to holdup for me.
Beyond the first shock, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back reveals itself as a chaotic but fascinating experience. The beats hit hard, the bass feels alive, and everything sounds sharp and crispy, almost like the album is yelling at you on purpose. As a first-time hip hop listener, it can feel like trying to read subtitles while running a marathon. Still, even when you don’t fully catch the lyrics, the energy and attitude come through loud and clear. It’s demanding, a bit overwhelming, but never boring. 7/10
Solid early hip hop album. You can tell that this one really sent waves out into the industry with how much it influenced. The samples kill it, the beats kill it. It's raw, it's aggressive, it's everything you'd expect from a behemoth of late 80s hip hop.
Undoubtedly one of the most impactful hip-hop albums to ever be released, it really is (almost) the full package). The only thing that stops this from being 5 stars, for me, is some of the production choices across the album. Still, it's about as close to a 5/5 as one can be without crossing that boundary.
Digger denne. Sykt forut sin tid.
Classic for a reason
really liked this
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back is a vital piece of rap history. Chuck D and Flavor Flav are both fantastic presences here. The energy is high, the lyrics are smart, and the flows are creative. There is a lot that holds up really well. But, as this is a hip-hop album from before 1990, it does wear its age very blatantly. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it's kind of unavoidable. This age mostly comes out in the beats. On one hand, this album has a really incredible sampling palette. There is really cool implementation of jagged guitar and dentist drill synths and implacable noise. I think one of the songs where it comes together best is She Watch Channel Zero?! which is built around a Slayer riff. It has tons of texture, and still sounds fresh. And a lot of songs here have great texture and a good feel, so I can certainly appreciate the construction. But when I actually sit down with the whole album, I just don't find myself that into the sound of it all. That being said, the rapping here is amazing, which does a lot for the album. So I'd say it all evens out to be about a 4 for me.
Pretty good but not one I feel the need to listen to again. Fun but nothing really grabbed me from it
I’ve always liked this album
masterpiece
The first big concert I went to had Public Enemy performing and they were a huge surprise to me. I wasn't a fan of rap but they impressed me. I've never listened to this album but I recognize many of the songs on it and really like it.
PE's hits are all great. They sound dated, but that's a product of it actually being dated in many respects. For one, revolutionary as it was at the time, even much of the wokest, most politically-astute rap these days isn't quite as head on as PE's "I'm Black and proud, the system is stacked against me, so fuck you" approach. Chuck's bombastic preacher timbre, the very loud, dramatic production, and even Flav all come together quite nicely. It's not a perfect album, but really great all the same. Would be a 4 for "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" alone.
Great classic rap album 8.5/10
I feel like this must have blown some minds in the 80s! I think my favorite was louder than a bomb
Super cool. The second disc has always been my favorite, but it's all in all a very solid no-nonsense record.
The guys wearing a clock around his neck what more do you want? HIP HOP CLASSIC!
A hip hop classic
Would rate a 3.5, but feeling generous
Tøft
not one to listen to hip-hop or rap but this whole album had me in. I really liked terminator x to the edge of panic. also slayer say what?
Legendary! Great start for a week, absolutely easy 4 stars, maybe even max, we will see what album tracks will be like
An old school hip hop classic. I've heard the big singles, but have never sat and listened to this in full. Channel Zero goes so hard.
Groundbreaking hip hop album that deserves its place on this list
It's really cool to listen to these songs lay the groundwork for the modern rap/hip-hop genre. It's classic, but definitely a product of its time. My favorite song ended up being "She Wastch Channel Zero?!"
Agressive and addictive. Great beats and great flows. That boiling teapot sound is hypnotic.
Classic for a reason and sadly still all too relevant. 4/5
Great
Oh, My. I may never be able to unpack this album. In a good way. Threads of things I would have known 40 years ago intertwined with threads of things that I've come to know that grew from this since it came out.
Really good. The sheer amound of samples used/taken from this album that I recognised on this one was insane. Love the intro and little interludes of a big show in London. Just a great listen on a Monday morning really
I understand why this is a classic album. This group is important for hip hip history.
I really liked this album.
Fun and quick sample of Queen's 'Flash's Theme' at the intro of 'Terminator X To the Edge Of Panic'. 'She Watch Channel Zero?!' is very 'Sabotage' by Beastie Boys. I think the amount of looped high-pitch saxophone throughout the album started to wear me down but it was worth it. My favorite was 'Party For Your Right To Fight' with the two rappers in unison with each voice panned to opposite channels. A dynamic listening experience.
Yeaahhhh boiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Best hip hop album of the list so far. Got a bit repetitive, but overall lots of fun.
A few of us talked about this over a beer on Saturday night: it still feels modern and part of the sound of the world in ways that Let It Bleed doesn't necessary. One of the few albums that announces its presence in such a large way and then delivers on that across its entire hour.
pas forcément ma tasse de thé mais un album nécessaire autant par les sujets qu'il aborde que pour la culture hip hop
Just when I was getting bored, Caught, Can I Get a Witness? came and reeled me back in for the rest of the album.
Love it. Hard to understate the importance of this album, and the way it makes you feel.
My first half-listen I was feeling a 3, as I generally enjoyed it but some of the old school type rapping is not always my favourite, Flavor Flav was distracting, and there were some beats or sound effects that were hard for me to listen to, like what I can only describe as a tea kettle as a main hook for "Rebel Without a Pause". But I paid more attention the second time through and liked it quite a bit despite my small qualms, some great tracks, great lyrics and raps from Chuck D, and obviously influential!
Hadn't listened to much Public Enemy before and really enjoyed the album. Loads of good songs and the album held together well
This album is excellent. It somehow manages to feel like a slice of history but also delivers the kind of sociopolitical, revolutionary energy that feels so needed/relevant now? Super invigorating. Kept turning back to it with enthusiasm all day. Show em whatcha got was an instant favourite
Ahh this is one of those albums where I have to go back and read through the lyrics of each track carefully to give it a proper rating, but I just don't have the time. I'm going with a 4 here because I'd view it more as a slice of history than something I want to return to frequently, but maybe that is miserly. This is the type of album I was hoping to have come up in this project. I didn't grow up listening to rap. But I am well aware of the long shadow cast by the likes of Public Enemy, even though I haven't ever really given their albums a deep listen. Musically this album is almost without modern comparison, extremely frenetic and avant garde. You can really hear the connection between Public Enemy and other Def Jam acts from the 80s like LL Cool J and Beastie Boys, but this stands apart. The samples and energy all add up to something that makes you feel like you are in a specific place and time. It's almost impossible to draw the line between this and popular hip hop from today, maybe like Run the Jewels would be closest?
Lots of fun to listen to - brings back memories. Love that 80's rap.
Someone out there is listening to this saying they don’t make real rap like this anymore They’re right but not because there’s no real rap anymore but because real rap doesn’t sound like this anymore
(Rap/Hip-Hop newbie here) I have never been able to wrap my ears around rap or hip-hop. And while I could not always get the lyrics on this album, I actually started getting into the melodies and the groove. And rather like it.
Public Enemy’s style and energy is like no other. Maximalist beats with tough, fast flows, and political and socially conscious lyrics. I don’t often play Public Enemy on my own, but there’s no denying the power of this music. They influenced a lot of my favorite artists, too. And yet, despite their influence, it feels like no one else has matched this energy (or this volume) in hip-hop since. It’s an overwhelming sound.
I'm so sad that last night I had the choice of wearing a Public Enemy t-shirt or another band's shirt, and I chose the other band. I would have loved to refresh this browser tab, see an album pop up and by chance also be wearing a t-shirt of that act! Oh well. "Bring the Noise" and "Don't Believe The Hype" are two truly standout hip hop tracks. Both maybe top 50-100 in the genre for me. These are really Flavor Flav at his best, he is THE hype man, he is a perfect contrast to Chuck D. He brings so much excitement, enthusiasm, and energy that you can't help but bop your head and jam to it. Chuck D is equally as impressive in his role of grounding the sound of the band while also providing depth both sonically and lyrically. Come to think of it, I think there's a real special grasp of "contrast" in Public Enemy. I don't know if the two very different vocal timbres of Flavor Flav and Chuck D was intentionally planned, but I start to think contrast is intentional when I hear it elsewhere in the production; like in the super prevalent beat style that has drums n bass punching low end grooves while they also incorporated high screechy vocal sample synths that scream like a chimp at the end of beat phrases. Or timbre aside, when Chuck D is hitting you with a consistent and smooth rap flow and Flavor Flav comes in at small pauses and stabs his infamous "yeaaaaa booooyyy"'s. The contrast is so heavy, and awesome!
If Mariah Carey is the lowest on the scale of Albums From Here to Run To, this is on the other end. While it runs slightly long in the middle, it’s a solidly enjoyable listen. Ending on Party for Your Right to Fight is *chefs kiss*
I can see why this one is highly rated. If I liked the genre, I would have given it a higher score than I did.
7/10
I dont know how to rate a classic. Ive never listened to a lot of rap, because I felt like I couldnt relate to it, so I cant really compare this to anything else. But as a person who grew up through the ascendance of hip-hop, I can recognize skills when I hear it. It's not something that I would listen to a lot, but I do appreciate the skill and songs.
Chuck D and Flavor Flav were flowing like crazy on here. The production from The Bomb Squad really holds up after all these years. 7/10
This is #day508 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… stepping into the fourth year of continued russian aggression against my country, I just can't stand hearing an air-raid alarm in the opening track. Beyond that, this is one of those must-hear records you're always kind of vaguely aware of but somehow never get around to. Well, here I am. What can I say? It's inventive, influential, and all that, of course. After all, how many artists were rapping over free jazz and heavy funk in the late '80s? This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day509.
Solides Hip Hop Album, nichts zu meckern
das war überraschend gut. lustige texte und eingängige beats. yeah boyyy
Favourite Songs: Bring The Noise She Watch Channel Zero?!
4.5
Being more of a rock fan, I kind of regret the way rock has declined relative to other genres like hip-hop. But this is the kind of hip-hop I would have been happy to give way to - loud, angry and articulate, with a sound as confrontational as the lyrics
A great example of what hip-hop should be like. Great beats, flows and messaging. The influence of this album is noticable immediately by the sampling and how ahead of the time Don't Believe The Hype already was. So many recognisable sounds of other artists trying to copy this style. I have nothing but praise for this monumental piece of music history. "Yeah, boyeeeeee!"
Apparently I love Public Enemy (and so must my dad because so much of this sounds familiar). This is almost another 5 stars for them, but I’m docking a full point for the screeching on “Rebel Without a Pause.” Why did 90s hip hop use that sound so much? Was it well received at the time? Did it just age poorly?
Amazing effort by Public Enemy. I like fear of a black planet more, but that's just personal taste
Don’t believe the hype.
Wow so much Flava Flav! Pretty good shit though. High energy!
My first impression is that this album is on the list because it endures. It's as relevant today as it was in 1988 which is an indictment of our current age. Flav isn't the clown I had been led to believe he was, and Chuck D spends an hour just spitting out truth. The Farrakhan bits are somewhat of a shock. Art lives in the time it was created in, but we can still point how how this didn't age well. Louder than a bomb is incredible as music and a manifesto.
Tää oli hyvä levy ja vaikka puhelaulu ei ole ominta musiikkia, tykkäsin tästä ja oli jopa tuttuja biisejä: ”Bring The Noise” ja ”Don’t Believe The Hype”. Ekan oon kuullut satoja kertoja Anthrax-coverina. Oon nähnyt bändin ainakin kerran livenä.
Not my bag of tea but it was for my old roommate. Heard a lot of their stuff back in the day.
Starting off strong with a Sonic Rush reference. We have to stan. Night of the Living Baseheads ran so The World Ends With You could walk. I said what I said.
excellent beat throughout
Loved it. Classic P.E.
Bring the noise!!
pretty sick sounds like NWA or whatever they were called
No doubt an important and formative album in hip hop’s history. I think they bested themselves on Fear of a Black Planet, but this album still holds up 37 years later while still sounding like a product of its time (there’s nothing wrong with that).
Ts
Epic
As good as rap gets
7/10
Noise, clips, beats, funk, soul in a well-marshalled barrage, with Chuck D blasting out verses. I mean it's revolutionary in at least three or four ways. I definitely like Chuck's tracks more than Flav's and the full hour run time is a lot, but as an album so essential.
Smart, prescient, uncompromising—but also just great beats.
Good but not my style of music
I prefer slightly more technical rap, here it's a bit funky, but that doesn't make it bad. It's fucking awesome — explosive, pretentious, and poetic. I adore hip-hop for the freedom, the skill, the breaking of established rules. This album has all of that; it's a badass revolutionary record that people copied and looked up to. Still, with a heavy heart I gotta admit that listening to it today feels a bit tough and you can really feel it's aged. This is only the first hip-hop album on the list. In every hip-hop review I'm gonna brutally confess my huge love for hip-hop and rap culture and the genre. Right now I wanna drop here a short piece of pizdatiy text from a pizdatiy Novosibirsk (originally) guy who absolutely destroys B2B sales in fucking London — Anton Gladkov: "Вот если пристальнее взглянуть на хипхоп. Когда в 70-х пацаны в Бронксе начали читать под странноватый по тем временам ломанный биточек на вечеринках, весь мир блядь угарал над ними. "Это не музыка", "это ебаная деградация", "это ебучие фрики, обезъяны, широкие штаны потому что они в них обосрались". А сейчас хип-хоп это мультимиллиардная индустрия, и Кендрик Ламар получает Пулитцеровскую премию. Не потому что рэп изменился под мир - а потому что пара сотен свободных ебанатов сказали "нахуй ваши каноны" и продолжили ебашить свой стиль в своем собственном переизобретенном мире. Эти люди подняли силу с пола, где она кстати всегда и лежала, и использовали её по собственному (а не по чужому) желанию." I feel bad giving it 3/5, but it's not the kind of album I’m dying to come back to over and over
A landmark that deserves to be heard by anyone, even people who mostly listen to rock or pop. 𝘐𝘵 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘜𝘴 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 isn’t just a classic hip-hop record — it’s one of the defining albums of modern music, period. The dense production, the political urgency, and the sheer force of Chuck D’s delivery make it impossible to ignore. You don’t have to be a hip-hop fan to feel the impact: without 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, it’s hard to understand why the genre exploded in the 1990s and became a global cultural force. Not an easy listen, not a comforting one — but absolutely essential.
Definitely an important album, probably their best, but not in the conversation for one of best of all time, even for rap. Chuck D and Flav’s flows and rhymes are super basic. The singular focus on their racial solidarity and commitment to not selling out is perhaps more positive messaging than what we have today, but some variety would have made this a better album. The production, heavy on turntables and samples, is great for what it is, but sounds very dated, unlike much of the hip hop that would come out just a few years later. So not quite a 5th star for me but it still belongs here.
I thought this would be so-so but I was pleasantly surprised.
Great memories
Yeah boy!!!! As I get older I appreciate rap more! Solid lyrics and beats!
3.7 I much prefer this to fear of a black planet. Strangely the version I had years back had side A/B the other way round, which I think I prefer. Both sides are similar, an intro track (I much prefer Show em whatcha got, I think the live intro is pointless), followed by 3 cracking tracks before it peters out. So across the album you have 6 pretty stellar tracks. Black steel is probably the best of the lot, absolutely banging tune. The sampling is top drawer, the album lurches all over the place with it yet, similar to Paul's Boutique or outputs from Avalanches, it works, which is something to commend, as it could have easily turned into a garbled mess. I love the Chuck D and Flavor Flav combo, two voices on the opposite end of the rap spectrum but go so well together.
8/10 On first listen to this, I was worried that the production techniques and standards had aged this too much for me and, while that was a slight issue in places, the general feel of the album sucked me in and kept me engaged enough to largely let that slide. Sure, there were moments when the slightly aged scratching techniques and drum fills that lack dynamic nuance did stick out a little, but as a whole, I found myself swept up in the vibe. The strong moments on this album really are super strong. Bring Tha Noise, Louder Than A Bomb, She Watch Channel Zero?!, for example were excellent tracks. The production was full and interesting, there was a lot of range to the different sections of the songs, there were some quality hooks and the delivery of the rapping didn’t settle into anything too formulaic. But there were also some weaker moments, many of which were tracks that suffered from that old hip-hop chestnut of the ‘prominent, repetitive and annoying sample’. When this happened, I did find my attention wandering a little, particularly on the longer examples. There were also a few interludes that seemed a little pointless. I’ve noted in the past that albums of the late 80s and early 90s seem to lean much more towards the hour mark and beyond, presumably the advent of CDs allowing more space to fill, but I feel like this often ends up with a looser collection of tracks than would have otherwise happened. My focus on music is largely on the music itself, so I can’t comment too much on the lyrical content. The bits I did pick up sounded decent, and it’s good too hear some political and social focus in the content, but it was also a nice blend between that and some slightly less serious stuff, which was nice. I’ll likely give this a few more spins here and there in future and it may grow on me a little more. Cultural importance probably knocks this up a mark too. Countdown To Armageddon - It’s an intro, but it’s also quite funny that it’s recorded in Hammersmith for the BBC. Bring The Noise - It’s a classic. There’s a bit more of a melodic edge to it than I remember, with the horn samples across both the verse and chorus. The back and forth between Chuck D and Flavor Flav are great and there’s some decent depth to the production too. Don't Believe The Hype - There’s a cool rolling groove to this, and I like the way that Chuck D drags the emphasis of the beat around with his vocal delivery, not always sticking to a simple, flat approach. The verses maybe drag on a little too long, but that’s probably a personal thing with my focus on music over lyrics. Cold Lampin With Flavor - The sporadic depth of the piano samples in this one adds some great melodic flavour, and there’s some clever little bits of cutting to the beats. It’s got a really good, body rocking beat to it. The siren type sample is perhaps a little overwhelming and relentless for me. But again, there’s quite a lot going on underneath that to give it extra interest. Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic - Bringing the DJ to the forefront cool, and this is pretty good for the age it is, but the precision of the mixing and scratching is not up to the standard that later DJs would hit, so it feels a little dated. The groove is solid, despite that, and it keeps your toes tapping. Mind Terrorist - This is just a bit repetitive. I like the beats, but it’s just basically the same thing over and over for a minute and a half. Louder Than A Bomb - There’s a nice funky edge to this, not just from the sample choice, but the cutting of the beats enhances it too. And the vocal delivery is quality. It’s so thickly layered and dense in places, but it allows space for the vocal to breathe as it builds too. The production is some of the best on the album thus far. Great track. Caught, Can We Get A Witness? - There’s some great pace to this one, it positively shifts, but it’s still got a really funky edge to it. Some of the funk guitar samples are so good. The transition into different sections is so smooth and adds plenty of variety as the track progresses. It moves so much that it never gets the opportunity to get stale. Another solid entry. Show 'Em Whatcha Got - This is another that is almost an interlude track. It’s more or less the same thing round and round for a couple of minutes. The vibe of it is good and the lyrics are important, so that’s the purpose of it, but it’s a little too repetitive for me. She Watch Channel Zero?! - This is solid. The Slayer riff is solid and adds some great energy to it. Who knew the Funky Drummer break would work so well with Angel of Death? Some great moments of production in here and it’s a proper head bopper of a groove. There’s a nice mix of input from Chuck and Flavor here too, which is nice. Great little bits and pieces of other effects samples too. Fantastic track. Night Of The Living Baseheads - This album is at its best when it changes things up and isn’t too focused on a couple of prominent samples that dominate the mix. This has a nice break in the middle and again at the end that add a bit of range, but it’s a bit relentless with that horn sample otherwise. There’s actually quite a bit of range to this, but it’s just too overloaded by that sample, which is a shame, because it detracts from what sounds like decent work underneath it. Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos - The piano sample is subtler here, so doesn’t dominate the mix in the same way, which allows everything else space. This has got a nice, driving groove and some of the break chopping is really solid, particularly working well with the bass line, which is great. There’s that depth to the production again that there’s quite a lot going on that reward close listening. The little moments that are almost sample collage are really nice too. Security Of The First World - It’s a nice enough beat, but that’s literally it. A pointless inclusion. Rebel Without A Pause - The transitions on this one are a bit jarring and the high pitched sample is pretty tuneless and annoying. It’s kind of hard to concentrate on anything else because it just overwhelms everything else. There’s some nice scratching in the second half, but it is, as mentioned previously, a fairly old school interpretation of the art. Prophets Of Rage - This is much better. Variation between sections, good momentum to the beats and lyrical delivery and some interesting layering of samples. There’s some nice bits of scratching that are more subtly used to enhance the song and some more good audio collage sections. Party For Your Right To Fight - Some great sample choices here. There’s a good flow for a lot of the track and it’s a really nice twist on the Beastie Boys song with a strong political point. It’s got a solid bounce to the beat and has a decent amount of depth to the production too. A decent way to end things.
I'm surprised I'm rating a Hip Hop album so highly too, maybe I'm just in a good mood today. But I can't fault it.
Great.
FLAVA FLAV! Great production and lyrics - fun, strange, and bold. Some shrill production (one sample of a kettle scream) but this is not a comfort album after all.
Loving the attitude and delivery on this album, and can only imagine how this went down in the 80s - it’s hardly a surprise how influential it seemingly is on hip hop acts that followed. The samples & production are super interesting, and the vocals are punchy & charged, making the hour-long listen feel like it’s attacking you from all angles. Out of context of the political environment it was released in, I’d give it an 8/10 for how much I enjoyed the album in it’s entirety. Bumped to a 9/10 for just how immense this must have sounded when it was released.
Boss album, and I'm not a huge fan of the hippety hop
Iconic. It's on my shelves. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ ★★★★☆ (7/10)
I only knew Bring The Noise (which I love), but hadn't listened to anything else. Just a consistent iconic sound. I can't believe this came out in 1988.
When you add up a slick DJ like Terminator X, the ultimate hype man in Flava Flav, and the top tier flow of Chuck D you get a hip hop stew that is not to be missed. Favorite track: Bring the Noise
This could be a top tier album if it wasn’t for Flava Flav. Sorry, I said it. The hype man stuff is one thing, but they give him one track, “Cold Lampin’ With Flavor”, and it’s the absolute low point of the album. You know the big hits, so I’ll skip those. My surprise tracks include “She Watch Channel Zero?!”, and “Party For Your Right To Fight”.
Second instance of me sitting down to listen to this front to back. Gave it a few spins, definitely enjoyed it more than last time. Definitely the type of albuk you put on and not really the kind of album where yiu can pull any random single out of. Ofc it has its hits but its definitely more a whole experience. 8/10
Not as good as I remember. But an amazing album nonetheless.
Public enemy is as relevant and insightful as ever with this timeless hip-hop classic
Such a strong and genre-defining album. It's excruciating that some topics still exist after decades.
Super upbeat I really enjoyed
BRABO DEMAIS
Undeniably important and influential to all hip-hop that came after it. The funk samples and scratching feels a little bit dated to me, placing it firmly in the late 80s and holding me back from loving it like I do my favourite rap and hip-hop albums, so it’s more of a huge appreciation than a deep love.
Great album 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Very cool. Especially like the slayer riff
I listened to this back in the day, but I didn’t appreciate it enough. Chuck D’s voice and words are so powerful. I like the beats better on Fear of a Black Planet, but the production fits the bombastic lyrics well.
Really good, except for the usual filler. Don't know why I didn't listen to this as a teenager.
The beats on this album are very fun and funky. The rapping is really strong and even though I admit that I ended up paying more attention to the music than the lyrics, there were no really bad lyrics that jumped out to me. 4/5
Good musically and they have something to say with some passion. Kept me happy
Il y a des maudits bons grooves et le rappeur avec la voix plus basse a un bon flow. Par contre, l'autre rappeur avec une voix à la beastie boys et les loops de 1 mesure avec des bouilloires qui sifflent, des montres timex qui beep et des aiguilles dans un disque, c'est carrément obnoxious. J'imagine que c'est volontaire.
It was great to hear this again. I could relate to the lyrics and content when previously my pallet muddy
finally, music from when I was a kid which, coincidentally, is the only time music was every good. 4/5
An album with a reputation preceding itself, and managed to live up to the hype for the most part. Great lyricism, beats, and energy. Sounds a b it dated, but obviously very influential and relevant still.
Amazing production. Brilliant sampling
B+
I liked this much better than the other Public Enemy I listened to in this project. I’ve heard snippets from all over this album in popular culture and I did enjoy from front to back. Would likely do 3.5 but I’ll round up.
De context voor een revolutionaire plaat als dit sluit niet helemaal meer aan bij het huidige tijdsgewricht. Een album als dit enkel beoordelen op muzikale kwaliteit is daarentegen ook niet eerlijk. De politieke, intimiderende raps van Public Enemy zijn hard maar hartstikke funky. Ik vind het niet zo'n schreeuwplaat als andere hiphop uit deze tijd. Misschien ook wel door de beetje droge tweede rapstem en het gebruik van geinige samples en geluidjes. In veel nummers zit een alarm-achtig geluidje (Cold Lamping With Flavour) wat enerzijds irritant is maar je als luisteraar ook een beetje opfokt. Precies wat deze plaat (en de live shows) moet doen. Ik heb mij beter vermaakt dan gedacht! 8/10 Highlights. Don't Believe the Hype Caught, Can we get a witness?
I'm impressed enough with it for a 4, which is really unusual for me since I've avoided most hiphop in my music listening. It's got really high energy and great samples, plus poignant lyrics that must have been hugely influential in 1988. Flava Fav was kind of cringeworthy most of the time though. I went back and revisited "Bring The Noise", "Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos", "Caught, Can We Get A Witness" and I really liked the harder rock of "She Watch Channel Zero?!"
Such a great album. Really took me back. Definitely one of the soundtracks to my sophomore year of college. 😊
It takes skill for a group as politically charged as Public Enemy is to make an album that not only says a lot but presents its message in a fun and funky package. Few can pull it off and Public Enemy pulls it off expertly. I may prefer Fear of a Black Planet just a little more to this one. But that doesn't take away how great and innovative this album is.
Yep
This one commandeered my tape deck in the summer of ‘88 and held the top spot for weeks despite stiff competition from Guns ‘n’ Roses, INXS and the Cure. As a stupid suburban white kid, PE punched me awake to the anger and energy of rap beyond Run-DMC. I couldn’t believe you could say these lyrics, and make it sound so good. And damn funny! All power to Chuck D and Flavor Flav now and forever.
Great classic rap album! These guys have always been great! This is probably one of their best albums!
Sorti en 1988, "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back", le deuxième album de Public Enemy n'a pas seulement défini son époque, il l'a dynamitée. Il a pris le hip-hop, alors encore dans une relative adolescence, et l'a transformé en une arme de conscience politique massive, un mur du son contestataire qui résonne encore avec une pertinence effrayante aujourd'hui. Pour être tout à fait honnête, en me replongeant dans ce disque, je m'attendais à une expérience similaire à celle de "Fear of a Black Planet". Un respect immense pour l'oeuvre, pour son importance capitale, mais peut-être un peu de distance, la sensation d'écouter un document historique plus qu'une pièce musicale que je ferais tourner en boucle en 2025. Et sur certains points, je n'avais pas tort. La production, signée par la légendaire Bomb Squad, est un maelstrom sonore, un collage frénétique et abrasif de samples, de sirènes, de fragments de discours et de rythmes martelés. C'est dense, c'est agressif, et ça peut, par moments, fatiguer l'oreille non avertie. C'est brut, c'est frontal, et ça ne fait aucun compromis. Pourtant, et c'est bien là toute la force de l'album, il s'en sort mieux que son successeur. Il y a une énergie brute, une urgence palpable qui transcende le poids des années. "Bring the Noise", "Don't Believe the Hype"... ces titres ne sont pas de simples chansons, ce sont des manifestes, des slogans scandés avec une conviction qui vous prend aux tripes. Chuck D est au sommet de son art, un prophète enragé qui mitraille des rimes complexes et politiquement chargées avec une clarté et une force de persuasion incroyables. Il n'est pas là pour divertir, il est là pour éduquer, pour provoquer, pour secouer les consciences. Et à ses côtés, Flavor Flav, avec ses ad-libs déjantés et son rôle de "hype man", apporte une touche de chaos et de folie qui, paradoxalement, ancre encore plus le discours dans une réalité tangible, celle de la rue, de l'urgence. Ce qui frappe à l'écoute de "It Takes A Nation...", c'est son ambition démesurée. Chuck D voulait créer l'équivalent hip-hop du "What's Going On" de Marvin Gaye, et d'une certaine manière, il y est parvenu. L'album est une critique féroce de l'Amérique de Reagan, une dénonciation sans concession du racisme systémique, de la brutalité policière, et de la manipulation médiatique. C'est le "CNN noir" dont parlait Chuck D, un bulletin d'information enragé et sans filtre, directement depuis le cœur du ghetto. Et cette dimension politique, loin d'être un simple habillage, est au coeur même de la musique. La production de la Bomb Squad, avec son utilisation novatrice et massive du sampling, crée un sentiment d'oppression, de chaos, qui reflète parfaitement la violence et la tension des thèmes abordés. Alors oui, l'album a vieilli et la production, si révolutionnaire à l'époque, peut sembler datée aujourd'hui, à l'ère du son ultra-produit et léché. Certains des samples, si percutants en 1988, ont perdu une partie de leur pouvoir d'évocation et pourtant, "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" reste un monument. Un monument d'une importance capitale dans l'histoire du hip-hop, et de la musique tout court. C'est un disque qui a prouvé que le rap pouvait être bien plus qu'une simple musique de fête, qu'il pouvait être une force de changement, un outil de contestation et de prise de conscience. En tant que vieux disquaire et animateur radio, j'ai vu passer des milliers d'albums. Et je peux vous dire que ceux qui ont cette force, cette capacité à vous secouer et à vous faire réfléchir, sont rares. "It Takes A Nation..." est de ceux-là. Il ne caresse pas l'auditeur dans le sens du poil, il le confronte, le bouscule, le force à ouvrir les yeux et les oreilles. Et c'est précisément pour ça qu'il est indispensable. Je lui accorde un bon 4 sur 5. Il n'atteint pas la perfection intemporelle de certains de mes disques de chevet, mais il possède une puissance et une pertinence qui lui assurent une place de choix au panthéon de la musique. Un classique, un vrai, un de ceux qui vous rappellent que la musique, parfois, peut être bien plus qu'un simple divertissement. Elle peut être une arme et Public Enemy, en 1988, a forgé l'une des plus redoutables qui soient.
A real revelation for me. Should have listened to this a long time ago
Really, really strong, and undeniably a powerful album top to bottom. Not to mention, it's a ton of fun. Very cool to hear the OG spots that other artists sampled/imitated in the years to come. It has that quintessential early-hip-hop-DNA which is phenomenal, but I think it perhaps reached a more diverse/nuanced/enjoyable iteration in the years and groups to come (my own opinion). Either way, I loved this.
Political and managed to land. Although I enjoyed it, every song felt a bit same-y which gets exhausting after an hour.
This is hugely influential on modern hip-hop and has some real highlights. Some elements do not age so well (the scratching, wearing a massive clock) but I did enjoy revisiting it.
Grabs you from the outset and shoves it in your face. Likely a game changer in hip hop at the time but is much more socially conscious than some of the other rap and hip hop listened to as part of this process so far and the better for it. Some of the beats sound a little dated now but I think it gives it that nostalgic ‘old school’ vibe which has been emulated by so many since.
нормально качает. а тексты понимать мне как всегда лень...
coincidentally got this back-to-back with straight outta compton. i actually preferred this. great beats and creative lyrics. sometimes hip-hop can get repetitive but this album didn't - every song felt fresh and innovative. i can only imagine how good this would have been to listen to 30 years ago. still a great listen today and is definitely one of the best hip-hop albums i've heard.
No doubt this is a groundbreaking album that assisted Gangster rap assessing the mainstream Risk taking and with great beats. With that said the anger expressed is not what I feel I need to listen to in these troubling times.
Cracking record. Fantastic energy, lyrically brilliant, awesome production. I get why there's a reason it often appears around the top of all-time lists of rap or hip-hop records, though it's just a smidge below full marks for me. Fave track on this listen: Rebel Without a Pause
this is some good ass shit!
It’s a classic for a reason. I take away 1 star because of Flavor Flav.
OG rap.
Fully charged and raw. This album has so much energy and depth to it. I particularly enjoyed the way that the group interacted with one another through the tracks. The instrumentation is crisp and particular to its time.
Obviously a super important album and I enjoyed it. BUT some beats a little annoying
There's some whinyness in a few songs which makes listening a bit offputting. Still a classic
Nice
Very good album, but... It's not the best rap album ever. (Not sure what I would put first, but I would put Stankonia, To Pimp a Butterfly, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, The Message, and Run-DMC all ahead of it.) There's only 50 or so albums I would give 5 stars to, and this isn't one. I get that it was lyrically significant with its focus on social issues. But Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel had already done that half a decade earlier.
Nothing crazy but I do see the appeal on this. Hell, technically it has the first ever nu-metal song "She Watch Channel Zero?!" on the album. Especially with that Slayer sample. Overall innovative but there are some complaints. There is a decent amount of filler on this and it does seem very overdrawn. Also, I want to say that the constant saying of "Terminator X" does get a little annoying. It is more so a nitpick if anything, but definitely a complaint. And I am not against producer tags, there are some ones that I like alot. But it is annoying especially on this album. Overall, I feel this is a must listen album for rap and metal fans, I will give this another listen in the future. I do recommend this album.
Damn. This is just pure and glorious rap. I don't exactly know what makes it less than a 5*. And I really don't understand why Public Enemy was ever targeted. 4.75*
One of the most significant rap groups of the era, and perhaps their most significant album. Fantastic beats, excellent political perspective, Public Enemy had a big part to play in educating this South Dakota white kid to what was going on in the world. Tracks still slap, and the Chuck D-Flava Flav contrast is so perfect.
Hell yeah!
vibing the whole time
this got me hyped up from the second i heard bring the noise but it's so funny to me there's a track on here berating women for watching soap operas and not watching real tv like....football....i need us to be so serious right now
omg this was fun!!! i really liked this!
Cracking album with some hooks that stood the test of time.
Absolutely packed with beats, each song distinct in its sound and story, and an absolute party at that. Imagine hearing this in 1988 🤯
Really interesting album progression. Feels like the first songs are the strongest, and then the album wanders into more experimental production and hard-hitting (but rhythmically challenged) lyrics. The top 5-10 songs would earn a 5-star rating, but the rest of the songs are just not at that level. A STRONG 4, but the quality wavers too much to be a 5. - I have never heard this before... The flow is impressive - Sounds like groundbreaking lyricism for the time. The production was either pioneering or fits rap of the time - 3rd song less enjoyable. Not enough to knock off a 5 though, and the 2nd half of the song is still strong - 2nd half of the album is dragging on. I like the lyrics but the production is... eclectic - Easy 4, want to listen to the top again. Don't think it's enough to make this a 5 - 'Black Steel...' is another good song. I think this is a STRONG 4 but not tight enough of an album.
Fun album, and it connected the dots on a lot of hip-hop references I didn't know about before. It wasn't my favorite Public Enemy album, but was solid enough to escalate above a three.
A classic
Very good
Another revisit - had forgotten about the live show framing throughout.
Bra skit! Roliga samples och feta flows.
Pretty funky, didn’t focus on lyrics too much and I got the feeling that most songs on this album sound similar but I enjoyed this vibe.
Classic. Bring the Noise / Louder Than a Bomb added to Liked Songs.
iyi
A nuclear bomb when it was released. I have so many fond memories of this album. In hindsight, I think Fear of a Black Planet is slightly better, but this is still my favorite by them.
Pretty powerful stuff that holds up really well decades later.
Great early hip hop record. It really set the tone for everything that came in the 90's. I liked it.
Definitely some bangers on here but all the beats are very similar and the album is a bit too long I think. If it were shorter would be an easy four potential five. Hard to argue the impact of this and straight outta Compton. These records defines the sounds of the following decade. High three low four for me
Сирена виє на інтро так само, як і за вікном. Поважаю Чака Ді і Флейвор Флев топовий хайпмен. Але на мою думку він занадто одноманітний по бітах і не всі діп катс на альбомі класні. Тому 4 мені видається справедливою оцінкою.
This album has to be one of the hip-hop records with most attitude that I've ever heard. I loved how Chuck D's serious character and impressive flow combined with Flavor Flav hyping persona and angry style of delivery. I did also find very funny every time the guy screams 'YEAH BOY'. It is thanks to the powerful perfomances that I've coming back to this record several times. Not that it is the only reason to return to it. The production is also insanely good, specially for an album that came from the early stages of hip-hop. My only problem with this album would be that I find some of the beats to get a bit tedious sometimes. An example would be the high-pitched "scratching" in 'Rebel Without a Pause' (I don't know what to called it, but I hope you understand what I mean). Fortunately, this doesn't apply to all the beats. I think how they used 'Angel of Death' by Slayer in 'She Watch Channel Zero?!' is absolutely incredible and fits very well with this record mood. In conclusion, this was a great hip-hop project.
Very good but the production being dated holds it back from being 5 stars.
I was a little afraid to listen to this Album, that I was growing up with, 25 years later. But what can I say...still one of the best Hip Hop albums I know. The Beats are brilliant and raw, Chuck D one of the best MCs. Flavour Flav annoying at times, but without him it would not be Public Enemy. Fav: She watch channel zero?!
Important.
A classic. Not much to say here about it. I wish it were a little shorter. But awesome nice the less.
3.5/5 Still a menace, 30 years later. Fave Track: Prophets of Rage Anchor: Terminator X I firmly believe Chuck D and Flav still have some of the best voices to ever grace the genre. No one will say Yeahh Boi like Mr. On Time himself. Bring the Noise is an all timer, and songs like Cold Lampin with Flavor, Louder than a Bomb, and Show Em Whatcha Got, and night of the living baseheads surely were direct inspiration for the Jet Set Radio soundtrack. For me, the boom bap style of the project, while still feeling fresh almost 30 years later, is abrasive in a way that gets in the way of the rhymes. Also cool seeing the metal influence on The Watch Channel Zero?! That latwr got picked up for the Anthrax version of Bring the Noise. Hip hop at this time was rebellious and counter culture, and this shows in spades, with scratches and sparse vocals adding depth to the bassy samples the always have you toe tapping. When it all works, it makes a relatively repetitive song structure get carried for 4 minutes straight. Songs like Terminator X, Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos, and Rebel Without a Pause do outstay their welcome with their abrasive backing samples. I understand the intention with these tunes was to be loud/in your face/abrasive, but they're so much so in a way that underserves the artistry on display otherwise.
I know most of the songs on this album but I've never fully listened to it before (1). It was pretty good, better than I expected. The Bomb Squad were really something in those days.
So glad I gave this a proper listen. ThisThe only thing that didn't work for me was Flavor Flav sounding like the weasel from the Riverbottom Nightmare Band.
Cool album, high energy with a lot of noise. Some really clever lyricism as well
A great album and innovation of the genre
Great example of socially conscious rap. I really enjoyed Terminator X’s use of sampling and his deft application of various DJ tricks. Chuck D’s flow is really something else (I’ve always had a soft spot for this older style of rapping that existed prior to the 2000s). The strident tone and overtly political messaging was revolutionary for its time and I think that makes it worthy of being an album worth listening to. That said, the glowing references to Elijah Muhammad, Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam, while keeping with a long running tradition of black nationalism, are cringe inducing.
probably legendary. i think
Really good :) sampled slayer made my day :) 4.6
Every time I hear Flava Flav rap I’m impressed. Public Enemy has some great beats and bars. Don’t sleep on em.
Great production
Main detractor from this album is how comical reality tv made "yeah boooyyyyy"
Dobre. 4/5. Kilka do zapamiętania. Fajny agresywny wyraz buntu.
This is the first Rap album on the list that I actually liked. Flavor Flav added just right amount of humor to make the serious topics on this album more tolerable. Chuck D has a commanding and clear voice that makes the listener stops what ever else they are doing and pay attention. Also, it kind of refreshing to hear songs with not a lot of curse words. Songs with too many curse words make the swearing less effective. Great album!!
Great impactful album
Hardcore rap, cuando transicioné desde el rock este fue uno de los primeros
E det her hevn fordi æ synes to Public Enemy-album på samme lista va litt i overkant? Alle gode ting e tre? Og for all del, det e jo ikke dårlig, men det har ikke akkurat vært en overveldanes mengde hiphop på lista så langt, så litt mer variasjon hadde kanskje gjort sæ.
Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Don't Believe The Hype, Night Of The Living Bassheads "Brothers and Sisters!" Believe the hype. Public Enemy is the real deal. East coast, politically-motivated rap and hip-hop music. Great lyrics, awesome sampling and decent relatively minimalist beats (though, there are one or two that are really annoying); the result of which is a totally solid sophomore album. My only real complaint with this album is Flava Flave's wildly excessive use of "Yeaaaaa Boyyyyy".
I really enjoyed most songs here, which I'm a little suprised by, since from my experience 80s hip-hop has felt very inconsistent. The whole album is filled with memorable lines and beats that feel a bit ahead of their time.
A hip hop classic
heavy stuff
years ago, high school students used to draw band logos on their notebooks. being one of those bored students who wanted to be a record cover designer I particularly followed through with this trend. when one day one of my fellow metalhead asked me WTF I would be drawing that 'rap crap' on my book next my YES and Led Zeppelin logos I only came back with 'its a cool effing logo'. back then a lot of hip hop and PE in particular were over my head even though they came from down the road from me. However, now looking back after really listening to this music, I now get why so many people were put off by PE. Well good on PE, they innovated and spoke the truth. 4.5/5
I really enjoy the sound of this, it's very chaotic. There is so much going on. Chuck D's rapping has a great rhythm too. I think for a first listen it was so crowded I can't say I took a lot from what he was saying and since it's supposed to be quite a political record I might have to give it another go. There were bits were it cut to live audio from gigs which jarred a little, but overall it was pretty good. I think I'll be listening again.
Listen to a lot of these guys in high school. In fact, one of my senior pictures, I’m wearing a public enemy T-shirt.
Really good album.
Really enjoyed this
Very good album. Groundbrwking and raw. Lyrics are top notch and angst and inequakity are touched and raged about.
tough, bold and uncompromising
Great early hip hop
classic hip hop
I miss this style of hip hop.
J'aime les paroles, le flow. Mais niveau beat, c'est moins à mon goût.
Fresh as ever
Awesome hip hop album. I think they refine their style a bit more on FOABP, but this is still dope.
Political rap in true Public Enemy fashion. Definitely deserves another listen at some point but really nothing bad to say about this one.
classic hip hop. reminds me of a track from tony hawk bring da noize. cant help but laugh at flava flav being the hype man the whole time
Incredibly iconic, insane flow and great samples. Rated a four because I didn't like some of the beats but the rapping was great.
Hell yeah! Litt monotont i lengden, men fungerer fortsatt.
Overall: 8/10 So 80s hip hop tends to feel very "barbaric" in a way. It's the same as any new movement really, and most 80s hip hop albums tend to be bare bones and basic. This album suffers from that slightly but it's saved by the fact that Chuck was the most gifted lyricist of his time and he actually had something to say. Top that off with Flavor Flav's hype work and baby, you got a stew going! The beats also occasionally dip into some interesting sounds that other hip hop artists weren't really producing at this time. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that this album feels like an important stepping stone in the evolution of hip hop, and that alone makes it worth listening to. Fav Song: Bring the Noise Least Fav Song: Cold Lampin' with Flavor
La creatividad de instrumentales y cortes y como se entrelazan con el ritmo de las canciones. Los mensajes relacionados a una crítica política, social, de medios, de artistas y sus letras.
Have not been a Hip Hop guy - but the energy and power of this album is undeniable. I will continue to listen to fully absorb it.
Powder keg of an album that’s radical in its lyrics, sonics, and coolness. Chuck D is a relentless and proficient rapper who delivers valid social-political criticisms, particularly with race consciousness, with authority, power, and authenticity. He’s bringing you to school. The beats provide the backdrop to Chuck’s intensity, with head-bobbing groovy rhythm samples that often have noisy, abstract, or abrasive instrumentation on top. Flava Flav brings some comic relief. It reminds you to stay woke and stay angry, but still have a little fun.
Actually pretty good.
Really great. Maybe not quite as awesome as Fear of a Black Planet. Overall really wish I had listened to Public Enemy far more in the past. 4.5/5
I love old school hip hop, always have and always will. and this one is GOOD. I love the style of the 80's hip hop. You can hear the funk influences. I can tell that this was the blueprint. It's so good! Very political, which I like, it's what rap was intended for. To make a statement! Only thing is that sometimes the beats can be PIERCING. like very uncomfortable to listen to. Especially in Rebel without a Pause.
Old school rap, aaaawwwww YEEEEAAAAhhh. Good stuff.
Some classics and generally undeniable energy
Never listened to Public Enemy before. I didn’t know any of the songs, but I liked it!
8.5/10
Erste Überraschung, das war wirklich gut
Bit of a slog, but undeniably powerful
Absolute classic. One of the best rap albums released pre-91. D and Flava had such a good thing.
They brought the noise.
Top-shelf old-school hip hop… Flava Flavvv!
Any album that samples the Flash Gordon theme song is an automatic 4 for me
dont believe the hype!!! esse é meio clássico demais pra falar qualquer coisa negativa a respeito a nível de beat e flow não me agrada tanto, mas as letras são brutais
fortíssimo esse hein!! curto bastante os beats e as letras! brutal demais como eh bem atual 30 anos depois dito isso não me agrada o flavor flav gritando YEAAAAH BOIIII a cada 20 segundos
Revolutionary album; dated, but great for its time.
Nobody has had to carry the weight of a hiphop band like Chuck D. He is consistently phenomenal whilst having to deal with the clownshoes Flavor Flav cheesing up every song he gets his hands on. But D manages to bring home classic after classic after classic, just the best that old school hiphop has to offer.
Stenhårt. Politiskt. Tungt sväng.