It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Probably one the better american rap albums on concept/lyrics alone.

I really liked this. A nice dose of political and social themes, a healthy bad attitude, amazing drumming

8/10

1988 was the beginning of the end of hardcore hip hop fandom for me..Eric B & Rakim and BDP were my faves, but we also had Stetsasonic, Ultramagnetic MCs, Jungle Brothers, Big Daddy Kane, and more. This was the golden age of hip hop. PE were recognized as unique and important right away for the stance and attitude, but the beats are what set them apart and made them as influential as they are.

Strong beats and rhymes throughout but they abused that whistle a bit

Punchy and reckless with a thin layer of musicality that rounds it off into an addictive lure of life changing proportions

Top

I’m into this, I just love the cadence and flow of old school hip hop. I can acknowledge how cheesy it is at times but I love it. The drums always sound so sick. Also wasn’t aware that the star of Flavor of Love was in Public Enemy.

added most of this to my movement playlist

Hard pressed to think of many better 80s rap albums - lyrical content and backing track. Just lovely

Out of the three Public Enemy albums I've heard thisis easily the most ahead of its time. It's got the incessant, bolshy rapping but there's a sense of fun and plenty of pep in the production, which goes surprisingly hard at points. It all comes together as a very vibey, head banging package without any weak spots.

This Public Enemy album was surprisingly my least favourite of the 3 we've had but still pulls in a low 4

Really intense production. So many sounds layered together but the rapping cuts through well.

Raw. Angry. Vicious. This is old school rap at its peak.

Always have time for another public enemy album, has the classic hip hop feel but is smart and interesting enough to not sound dated. I like how they incorporate guitars in their beats, recognised a good few lines in their stolen by other rappers I like. Not an immediate classic but good stuff.

Take note SAULT, this is how you convey this type of messaging. With some anger and purpose. Heard this before and I reckon it's the best public enemy album. Bring the noise, don't believe the hype, black steel in the hour of chaos and rebel without a pause all really good 4

Really enjoyed this. Great golden age of hip hop production and rhymes. Funny to consume Flavor Flav as a serious artist but he and Chuck D made a great pair.

Powerful aggressive social commentary mixed with killer beats and Flavor Flave. Yeah boyyyyy.

Everything I said about the last Public Enemy album I rated applies here. The beats are noisy and chaotic, the rapping is confrontational, the content is radically political. I loved those aspects of that album, and I love them here too. That being said, I think this album is a little more consistent on a song-by-song basis than Fear of a Black Planet. Regardless, it's impossible to listen to this album without getting hyped up. There's so much going on on every single track that it feels like you can't catch every aspect of it on a single listen, especially when it comes to the ridiculous amount of samples going into every beat. It feels very of its time, but simultaneously it's hard to believe that this is a product of the 80s with how forward thinking it feels. Absolutely necessary listening for any hip hop fan.

In more recent years, Flavor Flav’s persona has set himself apart from the history and impact Public Enemy has had in the hip hop world. He will always and forever be one of the greatest DJs and hype men to grace the wax, but the beats alone can’t take all the credit here. Chuck D’s lyricism is equally powerful here. The content is explosive, powerful, direct, and nearly every song has staying power. It’s an incredible album that stands the test of time and is a prime example of hip hop at an all time high.

Just like Bangers and Mash I couldn't get enough of it! Great album

shit’s mad cool even when you’re not in the mood for old head new york rap flows

Prince of Bel-Air vibes from this, made me want to go play basketball. Made me even more pissed of at the government. Overall great rhythm and mood. (3,8/5)

Refreshing hiphop-album. Favourites: Don't Believe The Hype, Bring The Noise and Louder Than a Bomb

There's a fair amount here that can be distracting; it can be jarring and discordant at times, but when they lock in, it's just some solid raps.

fire

Love the sound of these guys, and it still sounds pretty hard hitting and fresh now. Political lyrics, no nonsense attitude, although they say ‘yeahhhh boiii’ and ‘terminator X!!’ in every song which is a bit repetitive.

👌

Such a banger of a record

By far the best PE and it's not even close. It's hilarious to listen to this for the first time in a long time and realize that I still use many of flavor flav's throwaway lines in my regular daily speech. We can do this, like Brutus, because we already knew this!

This completes my Public Enemy journey on this site, so soon at album #213. And it's one I'm fairly familiar with, as I've owned it for some time. The interesting thing about PE for me is that I both think they're one of the more important names in hip-hop, and at the same token, I've never fallen in love with any of their albums. Mind you, all the ones I have heard are really good, they just don't quite hit' fantastic'. There's just something in the combination of Bomb Squad beats or Flava Flav hype-manning that prevents them from hitting next level for me. Such is the case here. Important at the time for its social commentary. Great songs like "Bring The Noise", "Night of the Living Baseheads" and "Rebel Without A Pause". Great album overall. But still a 4 for me.

its good hiphop, just its autumn and im gonna save it for next summer, and yes i know TECHNICALLY its not autumn yet, but idc really it is for me

Great beats, great rapping, good hype from Flavor Flav. It's a bit dated, but mostly hold up.

"Your general subject, love, is minimal It's sex for profit" 10/10 Absolute Music... Still 4/5

Decent old school hip hop. First few tracks are strong and it fades slightly towards the end. Love how they throw in slayer riffs though a and it definitely pinoneered a new cross over that later became a major sound of the late 90s and early 2000s

Heard many times before; 4; Really inventive, hard hitting, and inventive music paired with clever lyrics. The vocal delivery and music complement each other so well. I can't say for sure, but can't imagine that any other album uses as many samples as this album does. Feels like no single idea is ever reused. Favorite Track: Don't Believe the Hype

definitivamente pioneros Me sorprendio para bien el ultimo track. Creo que es claramente un album que cimento un genero entero. Muchos detalles que otros replicaron. NO tanto en flows, pero si en produccion. NO le voy a poner en un 3 porque no lo voy a poner al nivel de otros, creo que se merece las 4 estrellas por ser claramente un album influyente, no tanto por lo que podria reescucharlo o disfrute escuchandolo. Es un genero que realmente me cimento en mis gustos musicales y ver como arranco es siempre un evento en si.

Absolute classic hip hop.

Rap/Hip hop is a SUPER blind spot for me and I've always aspired to fix that. I have no business reviewing or rating this. Gonna need to do a deep dive later.

she watch on my channel till i zero

Yeahhhh boyyyyy he sure says that a lot but hell if this wasn't an awesome album. Loved it.

There really was nothing like this in 1989. Hip hop was just starting to take on the form that would be refined and perfected in the decade ahead, but Public Enemy essentially took 5 steps ahead of everyone when this came out. With a high-concept premise and some truly groundbreaking production, no one was expecting hip hop to have its huge innovator album so early in its history. Most of the beats are quite harsh by today's standards, with its whirring, near-industrial machine whirs and mechanical beats, which makes the listener feel every second of their 4 to 5 minute run times. The rapping itself is mostly rooted in the same era, as the production is truly what puts this album ahead of its. Don't let the endless refrain of "yeaaaaaah boooooiiiiiiii" trick into thinking Flava Flav was anything but the greatest musician in the rap scene at the time. In true Public Enemy fashion, there are some radical, violent political propositions being made here, if the title didn't make it obvious enough. Even the interludes tell some kind of narrative as they detail social dynamics, race relations, and media manipulation within the 1 to 2 minute runtimes they're given. While those interludes might have influenced tons of skits in rap albums to come (some more embarrassing than others) there isn't a single one of those tracks that feels out of place on this album. Every track, beat and noise seemingly has a purpose; it's rare to find an album so meticulously calculated and refined, and it was even rarer to find one like that in 80s rap. Most of this still holds up, so I well and truly recommend this one if you ever want to hear where the album that bridged the old and new schools. My final assessment is a resounding Yeaaaaah Boooooooiiiiiiii!! Key Tracks: Bring the Noise, Don't Believe the Hype, Terminator X on the Edge of Panic, She Watch Channel Zero?!

Heard Before? Yes, but not in a very long time. Notes: - Flava Flav remains, oddly enough, intermittently charming. - i have no problem with irritating noises, but even for me there are too many letting-air-out-of-a-balloon samples. - as for the rest of the beats: unparalleled. - Terminator X is the perfect turntablist. he's got skill, but his focus is always musical. - the live tidbits deflate the album's momentum. - that leaves the untouchable Chuck D. i don't know that there has ever been another MC who raps with such vivid authority. whatever he says, i believe it. Verdict: Hiphop has gone in many interesting directions since this album, but rarely with this kind of prophetic urgency. It's an oddly prescient album for something so of-the-moment and concerned with the past. Powerful. Listen Again? Yes, but not for a while.

Need more of this energy in 2026

Another banger from The Public Enemy number 1. Absolutely class.

I listened to this back in the day, I don’t remember every song but some of the songs (the singles) are very familiar. I really like Chuck D’s rapping (powerful oratory in rich baritone without shouting, strongly articulating the rhythm), I like the rhythm tracks (punchy horn riffs, squealing samples approaching the edge between tonality and atonality, snappy lively drum patterns, other samples and scratches but not too much), I like Flavor Flav’s hype-work (the sing-song uniquely winning). I remember seeing them live. I find this absolutely classic, defining of an era, a solid package of political hip hop. I roughly never put on the album for an attentive listen, not even road music, but if I was putting together a classic hip hop list I’d want to include one of these tracks. I respect the style and achievement a lot (maybe more than I ‘like’ the album as a whole, I think the length of album is not quite supported by range of styles. So I like this more than Fear of a Black Planet, but won’t go overboard with ratings - I’ll call it Very Good, 8/10.

Terminator X To The Edge of Panic is maybe my favorite song of theirs.

There's some filler toward the end, but this is pretty good.

4/5 - Flavor Flav is annoying as fuck, and the sound is really dated, but it's hard to deny the impact. This was a more enjoyable listen than I was expecting.

Good album! Very fond of rap if it’s done right. Which it often is

This is one that I never understood the political spectrum this album fires across, but the way each song is laid out, I can't help but want to learn more. The beats are a perfect vehicle to deliver those lyrics, as powerful and angry as they might be at points. I have to listen again, as this was my first time listening through, even as much as I like hip-hop. This album is one you have to immerse yourself in their environment to really feel it. I will take my time and do just that.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince's "He's the DJ I'm the Rapper" came out in 1988. So did Fat Boys' "Coming Back Hard Again." Rob Base was on the charts with "It Takes Two." Thank goodness there were alternatives to this "happy rap." Ice-T's "Power" album and the near perfect "Follow the Leader" by Eric B and Rakim was released this year as well. "It Takes a Nation..." is my fav from the class of '88 with it's agressive activist lyrics. Not afraid to be political, it's brash and straight forward. It's just as relevant today as it was then (sadly, perhaps more so). 4 stars.

Knew this and liked it already. It was good to listen a bit more carefully this time.

Impressive

yeeeeeeeeeeeah booooooi here we go again

Excellent record, sounds like a completely different genre to all rap before it and to be honest after it as well other than like rap rock and rap metal maybe

I have not liked a lot of the Hip-Hop albums I have gotten so far from the generator, but I surprisingly really enjoyed this. I think I just prefer 80's over 90's Hip Hop. Great flow with politically charged lyrics. Sadly still relevant today. Flavor Flav could be a bit cheesy at times, but it kept it fun. Favorite Track - Bring the Noise Least Favorite Track - Show 'Em Whatcha Got ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hey I liked this one! I don’t know why I liked it more than others, but I was engaged and it was fun! Highlights: Terminator X to the edge of panic (fav) She watch channel Zero? Party for your right to fight

It's classic, genre changing rap

Way better than I expected

Ok so I’ve never listened to public enemy before (maybe I’ve heard them but I wouldn’t have known it was them) and so on the intro track I was like wait have they been British this whole time. Certainly I would know they were British. That doesn’t seem right… anyway fun stuff love 90s rap

Countdown to Armageddon - 3.5/5 Bring the Noise - 4.5/5 Don't Believe the Hype - 4.5/5 Cold Lampin With Flavor - 4/5 Terminator X to the Edge of Panic - 4/5 Mind Terrorist - 3.5/5 Louder Than a Bomb - 4/5 Caught, Can We Get a Witness? - 4/5 Show Em Whatcha Got - 4/5 She Watch Channel Zero?! - 4.5/5 Night of the Living Baseheads - 4/5 Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos - 4.5/5 Security of the First World - 3.5/5 Rebel Without a Pause - 4.5/5 Prophets of Rage - 4.5/5 Party for Your Right to Fight - 4/5 YEAAAHHH BOOOOOYIIIEEEE!!!!!!! This album straddles the line between being a breakthrough for hip-hop and also sounding very old-school. The latter part means that this sounds a bit dated today, sounding more basic compared to today. But that doesn't mean this was at the cutting edge of the genre, and a lot of the songs on here are experimenting with what this kind of rap should sound like. A lot of the non-single tracks suffer from feeling like filler, but these guys certainly brought the hype. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Bring the Noise, Don't Believe the Hype, She Watch Channel Zero?!, Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos, Rebel Without a Pause, Prophets of Rage

Thought it was pretty good, if a little cringey at times. Thought some songs were mega tho, like 'She Watch Channel Zero?'

Besides the amazing production - flavor flav’s contributions are always welcomed

Hard to remember this was where Flavor Flav came up.

бате понравилось, тася очень сознательна, мне впринципе зашло

Believe the hype

Quite impressive. The lyricism on here is great, a thorough expression of anger and resistance born out of the social climate they found themselves in. The beats themselves are really catchy and use some great samples. Once or twice i would have wished for a little shake-up within a track, but nonetheless the songs themselves are still banging. Chuck D‘s rapping is so on point, i think he might be one if my favorite rappers on a technical level. Happy to finally have listened to this! My favorite tracks for now are Don‘t Believe The Hype and especially Rebel Without A Pause.

Not the best album but a fun era of hip hop nonetheless. Some bops and a lot of filler songs.

Not my favourite genre however this is a great album!

littt

Can't help but lol at the review sayin this is "unsettling". Just look how f* the world is rn, just look at America more violent than it has ever been shit like this comes as reaction and not unprovoked violence. You don't have to verse on german rhetoric to realize that (and even that is one hell of comparison). Not sayin I agree with Chuck D, but I'll be damned if I don't respect one's right to defend his autonomy, especially when his kind is actively being targeted Public Enemy are straightforward, unbreakable, beat bumps hard with powerful lyrics and an actual meaningful message. Just how I like it

A cultural landmark that influenced many, while meaning to still sound fresh and immediate to this day. The power and assuredness of Chuck D paired with the energy and decisive Terminator X makes for a superb listen every time I put it on. 4.5 stars.

8 / 10

Great album, tad long but really enough the different sounds on this album

7.5/10 - so influential it had to be on the list.

Really great album and great messaging. There are a few beats on here that sound a little too squawky. 8/10

Still fresh, still essential.

Doing the generator I have come to appreciate rap more than my starting point which was hating it and I have heard quite a few hip/hop rap albums on here but this really shows rap at its purest form, rhythmic poetry and I am blown away by how much I like it.

This is some good boom bap, and clearly has had a lot of influence on genre from that point onwards, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't showing its age. Thematically its very good, but a lot of the beats sound kinda same-y. You can't deny the influence of this album, but it lacks that polish that could really put it over the top. 8.5/10

Bombastic, relevant and lyrically important.

Absolute banger of an album. There's something about paired down beats and samples that scratch a musical itch. Maybe it's the way it lets the lyrics flow over the top without hiding them behind anything over produced. Maybe it's the message.

i can imagine this playing in my wired headphones while walking down downtown new york’s streets

So, when Flava Flav said he wasnt ever going to sell out, that wasn't like a forever promise, eh?

Not feeling this one *as* strongly as Apocalypse '91, but still a very strong debut album. Not hard to see why Public Enemy has 3 listings here. 8.5/10.

8.5/10

One thing I've learned from this project is that I like Public Enemy.

One of the best rap albums of the 80s. The music, beats and lyrics are top notch. Yeah booooooy! 8/10 Top song Don't believe the hype

I haven't listened to this in a long time. It's almost a five but not quite.

The early hip hop stuff on this list continues to be consistently great.

This album would likely get a 5 on another day. But by the endless high pitched whaling throughout Rebel Without a Pause, I wanted to shoot someone. 4 Boolean: True

Not my first listen. Still good.

This is dope.

Yeahhh boyyyy

Very fun I was able to move to this.

Ive heard too much of stuff like this but old gold either way

First time hearing Public Enemy and this was awesome. Fun beats with some great lyricism. I knew of Bring the Noise thanks to the Anthrax remix, but Night of the Living Basehead was my other favorite.

Good

The first hip-hop album I listened to fully and regularly. I was first really drawn to the power and fury which reminded me of the metal I listened to. But what struck me when I listened today is how funky it is too. It’s full of righteous anger but you could dance to it to. An album that’s rage has never diminished. Truly timeless

First encountered this years ago and the song i listened to was Bring The Noise. My fav ever since but never had the feeling to actually listen to the entire album. Discovered that this is where Madonna sampled for Justify My Love. I did appreciate the usage of samples of old songs in the rap songs. and i like the inter connection between the first three songs. nothing too special for me but it is indeed a classic. is it the best public enemy album? i don't think so and maybe it's because i dont know much about public enemy.

Oloco, uma música do Tony Hawk, nostalgia que deu. Cara, o álbum todo me pareceu muito familiar, como se meu irmão tivesse esse cd e eu tivesse ouvido muito na infância. Que estranho... Esses YEAH BOOOYYY muito clássico uhauhauhuha. Muito bom o som deles, faz mexer a cabeça no ritmo.

Some of these songs show their age a little bit, but you can’t argue the social impact of a group like Public Enemy. Many of the cultural criticisms brought up here are all too relevant today.

Flavor Flav going on about garbage tv is a funny kettle meet pot moment in retrospect. In all serious though there's some great samples and beats here and the messages are good too. Not a daily driver genre for me but this was pretty enjoyable.

This is how I like my hip hop. Funky and political as fuck. This is such a classic, and I don't understand why there's (relatively) so few listens on Spotify.

To not only reject a racist, violent Reagan-era government but to label YOURSELF a public enemy takes stones. I don't believe music leads people to violence (or video games, for fucks sake) but listening to this made my heart race and my teeth grit. They aren't the most varied or lyrically dense rappers (though they have their moments) but their anger is so goddamn potent that it all goes down smooth. Don't believe the low reviews (anti-hype?) (Man, Flava Flav used to be cool!)

This is an album that I am glad to have listened to, even if it isn't my favorite type of hip hop. Chuck D's lyrics are great, and Flavor Flav adds some comic relief as the hype man, but there was so much screeching on every song that annoyed me just enough. However, this is a very important album, and among 80s hip hop, it is definitely one of the better ones I have listened to.

This is excellent. Great music. Good lyrics. No misogyny or tons of swearing. Just straight up fight the power.

YEAH BOYEEEEEE

Don’t….Don’t…Don’t. Don’t..don’t believe the hype. Loved it.

What I’ve come to expect from Public Enemy. Great beats, Chuck D bringing his iconic flow, and Flava Flav being a goofball. A fun album with deep lyrics.

Solid! Some iconic songs

Old school 80s rap with a relentless aggressive beat in every song and I mean that in a good way. Chuck D has a great in your face delivery on some heavy subjects with Flavor Flav serving as the quintessential hype man and comic relief. The timing and chemistry between Chuck D and Flavor Flav is tight and in sync. To me, the beats and scratching sound classic, not dated. They still serve their purpose and hit the way they’re supposed to. Great choice for this list.

What a great album. I've always know of Public Enemy, but I had never listened to an entire album before this one. They are very much for the culture, for the cause, and politically and socially charged. It's deep, but also hard, edgy, funny, and full of great commentary. Terminator X's beats are fire, blending old and new school sounds with brilliant sample choices. YEAAAAAH BOOOOOY!

a classic

Bring the noise had me making the STANK face. This album is the epitome of revolutionary. Black steel in the hour of chaos contains early sounds of gangsta rap. This album as a whole is powerful. It had me reflecting on the motivation behind the birth of Hip-Hop in general. This is the very foundation. Every non-Black “so called” fans of Hip-Hop should binge and study this before ever attempting to argue about the genre itself. Honestly, everyone should. Power to the people. ✊🏾

I'm not often a fan of the grittier/urban-ier rap. But this fits nicely next to my appreciation for 90s rap without offending my white suburban sensibilities. :)

Amazing vibes,really liked the yeah boys

Damn the intro absolutely sucks. So boring to introduce such a perfect record. Chuck is an absolute killer on the mic. Flav has gotten a lot of flack for being goofy since his reality show but damn he’s got some chops and is the best hype man.

Šiaip labai patiko. Terminator x ziauriai geras dj.

Man muss in der richtigen Stimmung sein aber wenn man das ist, dann merkt man wie sehr das album seiner Zeit voraus war.

Noisy, chaotic, layered beats and samples that still sound great today. The conviction in Chuck D’s vocals really sell the messages. I like the raw sound compared to the polished production you usually get now.

"I got a letter from the government the other day / I opened it and read it, it said they were suckers" Yep, Chuck D still on point with that one. Is this PE's overlooked masterpiece? Fear of a Black Planet is great, but I think this one is just a little better.

This is a great album almost all the way through!

two discs of Fuck the Man. Hey if Public Enemy is your thing this is one hundred percent for you. Tons of samples and I have "Yeahhhh Boy" from Mind Terrorist stuck in my head. Its hard rap with a message. Aggressive social commentary is a good way to put it, and considering the time it was released it must have been a breath of fresh air. While a lot of the issues I cant even relate to, its still cool to hear how hard they go from start to finish. My only gripe is its just a little too long for my taste.

Pretty standard Public Enemy. It was cool that everyone got a feature song. Terminator X was a beast on this album! Overall if you like PE you’ll like this one

Yeeeeeeahh boiiiiiiiii!

Really good. I liked how "sketchy" this one was. The concert snippets made it very collage like

Counterculture. Antiestablishment

One for the “yeah boiiiiiiii” enthusiasts. It’s not my fave Public Enemy album but it’s still good! You can hear how their sound is very much in conversation with the likes of The Beastie Boys and NWA. A 3.5 rounded up I think!

- The production is great - Energy is on point - Lyrics are still relevant to today's issues - New hip-hop is mostly garbage now, this was like a proper reset to my rap taste. - The tracks "She watch channel zero?!" and "Black steel in the hour of Chaos" are a couple of standouts for me. Those were a lot of fun. - This is real artistic expression that I think a lot of the media at the time didn't comprehend. It was new, it was different, and it was real. Some weren't ready for it, but for those that embraced it they were rewarded with awesome music. - Another grateful listen.

Pre Listen: Haven't heard of these guys before, but this will be the first rap/hip-hop album reviewed on here. For that reason, I'm looking forward to listening to it. Notable Tracks: Bring The Noise - Incredibly solid start to the album. I dig it. It's funky, the sample mixing is solid. BRING THE NOISE. Caught, Can I Get a Witness? - My favorite track. I love the beat, I love the samples, and most of all I love the lyrics. Good shit. Night of the Living Baseheads - Weakest song on the album. Solid lyrical work, good beat, but whatever sounds like a broken clown horn in the backing track got to go. Slightly headache inducing. Post Listen: YEEAAAA BOOOIIII. I absolutely loved this album. It was a fun listen, the sample work is incredible. The lyrics got several laughs out of me, and has some decent political commentary too sprinkled about. Nothing crazy deep, but I always appreciate a good call to action. Terminator X is a clown, one I can appreciate. This is classic Hip Hop, and I can recognize their influence in several more modern artists I like, that I never knew was there. I'll definitely be revisiting this album, and will likely add some tracks from it to my playlist. I may revisit this review and bump the score after a couple more listens. I believe the hype, 4/5.

How not to take Chuck D's delivery seriously? Classic band, classic album. Even though it's a bit dated musically, the strong lyrics and powerful singing more than make up for it.

This was an interesting selecton the day after I got the Dizzee Rascal album which in many ways was similar in a lyrics and message stand point, but from a musical standpoint I fare prefer Public Enemy. Maybe it's because I'm an old-o. Also, it's always very sad when a 30+ year old album seems to be responding to issues of today.

I have respected Public Enemy from the first time I heard them (or read their lyrics). They have things to say worthy of your attention, and it's almost all political, not saturated with bragging and misogyny like a lot of later rap. But I've never really liked the underlying tracks. The beats are solid, but the sampling is often distracting and too often random-feeling to me.

At times this was extremely repetitive and there were some whiny samples that just hurt my ears. This was the first time during this project that I’ve actually skipped anything on the album. That aside, this album was great! I will definitely be re-listening soon. 4/5.

Maybe it has been the other rap albums on our list recently, but this album is rather enjoyable. I would listen to PE and probably sold them short back in the day.

I adored Fear of a Black Planet when I heard it a few months ago, calling it my "favourite hip-hop album" - something which as a non-hip-hop-listener shocked me - and while I don't feel quite as strongly about this album, I do feel like it once again has this depth and gravity to it that is magnetic and arresting. Chuck D and Flava Flav are both perfect on this record, bouncing lyrics between their distinct vocal performances, the group as a whole is working like a well oiled machine and the passion for their cause is unmistakable.

This album is definitely one of the 100 greatest hip-hop albums. Loved it!

Not too bad and not too blend

Don’t believe the hype, decide for yourself that this great

fav songs: bring the noise don't believe the hype rebel without a pause confrontational, energetic, aggressive 70/100

Really like how they padded tracks between interludes from live concerts

Great production and very influential for years afterwards.

8/10

Production is rough sometimes but still good energy and chuck d is awesome

Chuck D' powerful protest lyrics, Flavor Flav's court jester persona, and the bombastic production by Terminator X and The Bomb Squad make It Takes A Nation... the statement that it is. Packed full of black power and anti-government sentiment. It's hard not to feel some amount of revolutionary spirit when listen to Public Enemy.

Brill - loved it then love it now

The samples on this album are crazy. This is an album that stands out ahead of all the lame 80s rap that was coming out...I'm looking at you beastie boys Highlights: Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos, Don't Believe The Hype

Of all of hip hop's foundational albums, this may be the one that sounds the least like where hip hop went in the 90s. The chaotic, sample-heavy production is much busier and less beat-driven then their contemporaries, and this sometimes sounds more like rock than hip hop. Despite this, or maybe because of it, this has aged well and retained its power. Chuck D's booming voice delivers compact, clever rhymes, and while his flow is a bit limited his presence makes up for it. Flava Flav plays an important role as hypeman. The lyrics are still relevant today, standing out from the typical boasting or wordplay of the time (I could do with fewer Farrakhan references, but Public Enemy are hardly unique in that regard). While this could use a little variety, the fact that so many lines from this are still referenced in rap shows how much of an impact it rightfully had.

Я бы даже сказал репчик

This is my favorite brand of hip hop and arguably the best representation of it. The only thing keeping it from a 5 is that wears a little thin by the end.

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.