Reviews (page 5 of 13)
It's a shame that I'm someone who usually doesn't focus on lyrics while listening to music (partly because 99 % of what I listen is not in my native language), as it seems from other reviews that they are the most important component of this album. Not that it's not musically good too. I should listen to more Hip Hop as I know next to nothing about it beyond the 6 or 7 albums I got so far in this list. Maybe for a future re-listen (and I take note that this is one of the albums that I must listen to again) I should search up the lyrics and read them while listening to really appreciate this, as It Takes A Nation To Hold Us Back seems to be widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential albums in music, particularly in the Hip Hop genre. 3.5/5, with a chance to bump up the rating in the future.
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.
Good but not for me
The revolution will not be televised. Is there any line more iconic to the modern protest movement? An album were the message definitely outperforms the music, but still some good tracks. Favorite was Terminator X to the edge of panic
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
May be historic but man is this an annoying album. So fucking same all through.
164/1089 a cool hip hop project. very of it’s time but not in a bad way at all. A lot of it did end up sounding quite similar, based on the repeated samples at least. faves: Caught, Can We Get A Witness?, She Watch Channel Zero?!, Night Of The Living Baseheads 49/100
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.
Hhm...I wanted to like this more, but it was too shouty and abrasive. Maybe I was in the wrong mood to listen...
As essential as Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On?' for social commentary? I think so.
2.0 RYM
Monoton oinspirerande rap. Jag inser att det är bra men jag kan inte gilla det. Tvås
So gangsta
Solides Hip Hop Album, nichts zu meckern
das war überraschend gut. lustige texte und eingängige beats. yeah boyyy
Ganz nett, aber nicht unbedingt mein Fall
3.5
This would have got a 4 if it had the Anthrax collab version of bring the noise as a bonus track.
Favourite Songs: Bring The Noise She Watch Channel Zero?!
I thought this was Public Image so was relieved when it was in fact Flava Flav’s outlet. I just don’t love the genre but I do think this merits a spot I just don’t particularly enjoy it.
4.5
Love this album
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
CLASSIC
All time great album, still a great listen.
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
This is a classic. Chuck d and flava flav might be the best duo in the genre. And they get my white ass with some slayer samples. Its kinda the perfect storm. Im not the biggest flav guy but he works so well in this context. To me hes the dude who had a dumb finding love reality show on vh1 or whatever. Real crackhead energy but as the hype man who throws down a verse or two its perfect. Chuck is incredible though. He has the lyrics and the flow and just the vibe. Its immaculate. The beats are so damn sick too. They mention the producer but I cant remember him now. Shit. He rules though. Its a collage of everything thats good. Classic for a reason
One of the greatest rap albums of all time.
I can solidly remember when this album hit, it was like nothing we'd ever heard in college. It had anger and rage and in-your-face lyrics, it pretty much kicked off the gangster sound and the no-apologies persona of rap from that point forward. They were certainly shining a spotlight on the differences in black and white America, getting the message out and making a new audience aware of the imbalances. "Bring The Noise" (18M listens) was the big hit at the time, but beyond the message, the music and beats just never hit for me, that and Flava Flav ("yeahhh, boyeee") is super annoying to listen to. "Don't Believe The Hype" was another 'hit' that you'd hear at party's, but again, the music, production/drum machine and backbeats/scratching (by Terminator X) are so primitive. "Mind Terrorist", "Rebel Without A Pause", "Night Of The Living Baseheads" and "Show 'Em What You Got" are unlistenable. The only song I enjoyed was "Security Of The First World" because it was an instrumental, and had a catchy beat with no screaming sounds or scratching. The Deluxe version includes "Party For Your Right To Fight", it's kinda fun but sample heavy! I do recognize the impact this album had (at the time). Overall it's a tough album to enjoy, it's 100 mph and it feels like you're being yelled at for an hour straight. It's shallow musically and I can't get past that. I saw Prophets Of Rage a few years ago, very entertaining show, but Chuck D was so much older and a better performer, and the band (Rage Against The Machine) was TIGHT. 2 stars for influence, cuz that's all this one's got.
3.5/10
Don’t believe the hype.
To me, a lot of the songs blur together, with very similar beats. I feel like rap probably needs the lyrics to really land, and without understanding them, it doesn’t fully click.
Wow so much Flava Flav! Pretty good shit though. High energy!
Flavor Flav is all that comes to mind when I hear "Public Enemy". He sure says it A LOT. This album isn't bad, but I kept waiting for "Fight the Power" which is not on this record. This sound is a perfect artifact of this era's rap. All I can think of is the scene in Jarhead. I'm sure 40 years ago this album was groundbreaking and revolutionary. I like this album fine, but I don't think it's going in the rotation. A lot of samples they use in this record have been bitten by EVERYONE now. Childish Gambino, Wreckx-n-effect, Jay-z. Hell, even the loudspeaker tone in "Show 'em Whatcha Got" sounds like Zach De La Rocha. Same thing I've noted for a lot of these records, they are defining sound of the time. If I was a youth in 1988, I would have worn this tape out.
Monumental album for rap and hip hop. Don’t believe the hype!
Music altering
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.
I feel bad for saying it but like.. not it. Revolutionary but sounding old as hell now
Don't believe the hype? Naw, BELIEVE the hype. This is a hard hitting time capsule of the tension, the noise, and the raw energy of late 1980s America. The production by The Bomb Squad is a dense, claustrophobic wall of sound with sirens wailing, James Brown samples colliding with Slayer guitar riffs, and media snippets cutting in and out. It perfectly mirrors the sensory overload of the era and the rise of 24 hour news cycles, the crack epidemic, and the boiling racial tensions of the Reagan years. There is zero filler here, from "Bring The Noise" to "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos", the album moves with the relentless pace and the interplay between Chuck D’s booming authority and Flavor Flav’s chaotic hype-man antics created a dynamic that has never been replicated. This isn't just music for your ears... it's a history lesson for your nervous system.
eh
Hadn't heard this one. Still very good.
Iconic lyrics and beats. Just an incredible time capsule and brutally transgressive.
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.
Very early in my life—I must have been about 10 or 11—there was a phase when I voluntarily listened to hip hop. That was ages ago, but I can still remember Public Enemy fairly well. I don't like the music anymore, but I recognize that “It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back” in particular had a significant influence on the development of both this genre and various crossover styles.
Intense beats, really got that early hip hop feel, kinda cool truly. Rapping about important stuff, art as a form expression shining through. Not my typical music so 6.7/10
Note my vibe
Garbage. Small dick ghetto trash for morons
Yeeeeaaahhh boiiiii!!!!
Have heard of this album! very interestingggggg and grooovy
Some popular hits, but it kind of ran together for me.
What does flava flav do even? I’m not complaining but really?
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.
Fucking incredible. It was amazing listening to this piece of rap history for the first time. It’s awesome listening to an album after being a fan of the genre and realizing where a lot of your favorite artists and albums originated.
not good
I didn’t like this as much as I thought I would. I like most highly regarded hip-hop albums from the 80s & 90s. And I like Public Enemy’s most well known songs. But the record feels hit or miss to me overall. There’s a lot of tracks that are lyrically strong, especially Don’t Believe the Hype. However, I really don’t like the very high pitched squealing sounds looped over the beats on many tracks. Rebel Without a Pause would be a great track if it wasn’t for that. This is definitely a unique record and I appreciated some of it, but the deliver of it all really didn’t land with me.
This was my first time listening to Public Enemy and unfortunately it’s not my cup of tea. There’s too many repetitive sounds in the background that are distracting to the music.
excellent beat throughout
Loved it. Classic P.E.
Yeah, boyeeeeeee! Who doesn't remember/recognize Flava Flav! Brought me back to the days I thought I could Break Dance. Not a bad listen, I didn't skip any songs or feel the need to.
Bring the noise!!
Between 3 and 4 on this, but probably won’t come back to it, so rounded down.
Not my jam…
I’m very familiar with this but I’ve never thought about what I’d rate it, exactly. I told myself that whatever I thought it was leading into the final three songs, which I know to be some of my favorite songs ever, I’d add one to that score to account for those final three. I thought it was a 4 before those, I’m adding one, 5.
pretty sick sounds like NWA or whatever they were called
I found the background music to be extremely grating. Very loud, unpleasant sounds that droned on and on. Alright, back to my nursing home.
I'm old enough to admit that I just don't really like hip hop. I appreciate that according to the hip hop historians that this sits in a special place in the hip hop canon, but it's just not to my tastes. And that's fine.
I don’t know what’s more forceful, the message or the presentation. A sample smorgasbord itself, I recognized so many future samples here.
Great variety
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is an album that hits harder in its intent and influence than it does as an easy listening experience. It is dense, confrontational, and deliberately overwhelming, built to sound like a broadcast from the middle of a cultural emergency. The Bomb Squad’s production is chaotic by design, with layers of sirens, samples, and jagged beats all competing for space. It is powerful, but it can also be exhausting, especially when taken in one full sitting. Chuck D’s voice is commanding and authoritative, cutting through the noise like a public address system, while Flavor Flav provides a strange but effective counterbalance. Tracks like “Bring the Noise” and “Don’t Believe the Hype” still land with force, carrying a sense of urgency that feels rooted in its time but not entirely locked to it. At its best, the album feels revolutionary, like it is actively pushing hip hop into new territory rather than just reacting to what came before. Where it falls slightly short for me is in consistency. The album’s relentlessness can flatten individual moments, and some tracks feel more like extensions of the message than fully formed songs. Its importance is unquestionable, and its impact on hip hop and culture is massive, but as an album experience it can feel more admired than loved.
Classic rap, sound wise. Haven't heard or read the lyrics to make sure of what it is actually about. However this type of music can can tiring and this album is long. Songs like Terminator X that brake the mold are the ones that stand out the most.
Yeahh boiiiiii
Like it more than modern rap but still gets very old after a few songs. Every song is roughly the same, random noise increasing in pitch for 5 seconds and then repeat with drums behind it, some record scratches mixed in, Chuck D rapping the same way every song, then 10-20 seconds interludes in between the verses for Flava Flav to scream yeah boy
Elections prove this statement to be true.
This might be the most powerful album I've ever heard. Social commentary instead of misogyny in rap music? Yes, please! Do you think if Flavor Flav had have insisted he wouldn't sell out a couple more times he wouldn't have made those three glorious seasons of Flavor of Love?
Grest album
One of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Just incredible. Chuck D is one of the greatest MCs ever and surprisingy, Flavor Flave works against him perfectly as a (not so skilled) hypeman. The beats are great too. 5/5
Nippels
First time listening to anything like this. While some of the more explicitly political songs were less enjoyable the album as a whole was solid. I enjoyed the flow despite the length and the samples chosen gave the songs a unique twist.
I just wasn't that into it. I dunno
So that’s where “yeah boyyyyy” comes from. Some decent songs but a lot of the beats kinda sucked. Prob important for hip hop historically tho
Accidentally listened to the deluxe edition and it was too long
Honey, turn on Rebel Without a Pause, I haven't been irritable for a while....obviously the message is really cool but I struggled to jam with a lot of the music. YEAAAA BOIIIII
Rap is maybe the hardest genre to hear in context, and this album is no exception; the Farrakhan shit has aged like milk, for example. But the context cuts both ways, and *my God* has this album been so incredibly foundational to the sound of hip-hop for the last three decades-plus since it was released. Seriously, the samples that have been used by other artists fly by like bullet train scenery, too fast to even begin to catch all of them. The production remains first-rate - clear, punchy, aggressive (you can hear what all those RATM albums were going for). And Chuck D's lyrics remain more relevant than they should, in multiple senses. Do believe the hype about this one.
Chuck D: I’m going to deliver some of the most profound, socially relevant, raps with force and power. Flavor Flav: I’m going to provide so much hype and energy to the whole album. Terminator X: I’m going make some cool drum beats and then add the most ear piercing annoying sound I can find and put it on repeat for every bar.
Incredible album, it’s doing everything to make listening challenging, from the bombastic protest lyrics, to the sirens, screeching guitar samples, and confrontational beats. Yet it goes in your ears without a fight.
Some bangers but feels very of the time it was made
Sounds like beastie boys
Listened to this a lot, listened back when didn’t really like rap. Its driving, kinetic, chuckD voice is Essential. Flav offers the balance, playful and hard at the same time. Rap has explored many avenues, and complexities since but like a Beatles album it kinda beats out what followed and this remains My personal favourite rap album. 5 Star
It was OK but nothing special. Did I really need to listen to this? Is it really one of the Top 100 albums ever (according to Apple Music)?
OK, but I didn't really get into it.
Really good
Could be a 2 but I don’t know. Bad beats
I’m no fan of hip-hop, but as hip-hop goes this is better than most of the rest.
Not for me
At the time this came out, I was firmly on polar opposite poles of the music world. Closed minded? That’s fair. It just what I was listening to in my 20’s. Rock, Pop, Punk, Alt-Country, R&B, Jazz, classical, oldies…. All good. Rap? Not a sniff. Sad I missed out. Wasn’t until my 40’s that I started paying attention. Still not a big fan of the genre, but these guys are fucking excellent! We could use more of this now! Bring it on!
Ahead of its time. High-energy, but its high-energy the whole time. There’s not a lot of dynamics in their actual delivery or flows. The beats are also both the most interesting and sometimes most annoying parts of this album. Some great sampling and DJ work weighed down by repetition.
It’s not my thing
It was so far so competent until Channel Zero. Ugh. Headache inducing. And what is that sound effect on some tracks that sounds like a mouse being strangled?
Not as good as Run DMC
5/9
(6/16 liked songs = 38%) I'm not really into Rap. But this was okay.
One of scant albums on the list that everyone really should hear before they die. An education in a Molotov cocktail being thrown at a wall of noise as Chuck D. word slams you like no one has since Bob Dylan. A perfect hip hop album with only a few equals and even fewer albums that better it (in sound both Licensed to Ill & Yeezus are more enjoyable albums but not better albums) but untouchable when it comes to sheer impact & importance. It very much is the Sgt. Pepper of Rap music in the sense that a better album in its genre will likely never be released.
Good old 80s hip hop
I don’t know if I’m just getting old or what but the musical noises happening in this album were driving me insane. I can appreciate the lyrics but unfortunately the high pitched noises were too much. Maybe I’m turning into a dog…
This is a masterpiece. It's hard to appreciate how it sounded when it came out 37 years ago, but the anger radiating off this album is still palpable and it is awesome. This is peak Public Enemy.
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).
3.5. I like what they are doing. Just have to do it in small doses
This is a classic.
Ts
I really like rap you can understand. I recognized Flavor Flav and didn't realize he was from Public Enemy. This might be the first time I have ever heard Public Enemy. Some of the sounds are getting pretty annoying.
Epic
As good as rap gets
Nene, das isch nid mis ...
Their second album. Hip Hop. In your face, militant and loud. Some thoughtful, funny, silly and poetic lyrics. Chuck D sounds particularly good. I think overall I liked Apocalypse 91 better but Yeeeeaah Boiiiiii ...
Not for me
7/10
What is it about Flava Flav that's so compelling? There were actually 3 seasons of Flavor of Love. Yeaaaah boy.
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.
Definitely has a dated sound, but this was very interesting to hear. I could here a lot of samples that popped up in other hip-hop songs that came out after, so that was very interesting to hear. Great energy and strong messages throughout.
Brilliant. A glorious cacophony of noise. I think some of the tracks here are the pinnacle of hip hop as an artform, the content, flows, production and heavyness are second to none, and hearing PE for the first time was one of those "What am I even listening to?" moments. Not perfect - a couple of tracks are filler, and Chuck doesnt have an endless number of flows, but at least 6 or 7 tracks are classics - Bring The Noise, Don't Believe The Hype, She Watch Channel Zero, Black Steel, Show em What U Got... also avoids the misogyny and macho posturing that puts me off some 80s/90s rap. A middling 5, but definitely a 5.
10/10
Fun anger! ★★★
Good but not my style of music
Album review 008 It Takes a Nation of Millions… by Public Enemy (1988) Rating 3/5 I get why people love this album and can see how relevant it was back when it was first released. Almost 40 years on and Chuck D’s delivery remains as powerful as ever but It takes a Nation… is an album that just doesn’t do it for me.
Have definitely heard of Public Enemy, Flavor Flav, and their music before, but wouldn’t consider myself a fan.
Make America rage again
Angry, tough, poetic
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
Not a fan of hip hop but the lyrics of this album are great.
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.
hell yeah
Another hip-hop album I can really appreciate. Kudos for The lyrics are quite alright (of well at least it's not full of the cliché pussies and bitches). Musically, a bit of a one-trick pony. I think this was quite an important band and album back in the day,
3.5, the boom-bap style was not my favorite, but the album grew on me while listening. Catchy hooks and bouncy feel, I can see why this album was so popular when it came out. Flava Flav "yeeaaah". Standouts: Don't Believe the Hype, Terminator X to the Edge of Panic, Louder than a Bomb, Mind Terrorist, Rebel Without a Pause, Show 'Em Whatcha Got.
Turned this off so I could put some music on.
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.
Just not for me
"It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" is the second studio album by American hop hop group Public Enemy. Hip hop, political rap, sampledelia and boom bap are the Wiki-listed genres. Public Enemy intended to make music at a higher tempo than their debut album due to the response at their live shows and, also, set up to create the hip hop equivalent of Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On" with social commentary. Chuck D (Carlton Douglas Ridenhour) and Flavor Fav (William Jonathan Drayton Jr.) are the primary vocalists. Terminator X (Norman Rogers) and Johnny Juice Rosado operate the turntables. The album was produced by Chuck D, Rick Rubin and other Bomb Squad members (besides Chuck D) including Hank Shocklee and Keith Shocklee. The album reached #42 on the US Billboard Top LP's and #8 in the UK and had wide-spread critical acclaim and cited as one of the most influential albums of all time. The album opens with "Countdown to Armageddon" in which a guy introduces the band taken from a London shown. A sample of sirens as Flavor Flav sets the stage and repeats the Gil Scott-Heron line "The revolution will not be televised." Chuck D comes out strong and fast in "Bring the Noise" as calls for racial solidarity and empowerment. The band accomplishes the fast pace. Flavor Flav takes his place as the ace hypeman. Background noises. The beats and Chuck D are in the forefront in "Don't Believe the Hype." They get their squeeze sound going. Flavor Fav brilliantly echoing and stuttering the song title. Don't belief the misinformation and think critically. A spoken sample of Black Panther and national of Islam spokesman Khalid Muhammad opens "Night of the Living Baseheads" in song about the 80's crack cocaine epidemic in Black communities. A horn repeating sample from the JB's and even a sample of David's Bowie's "Fame." A very busy song and the point is made. In their first single, "Revel Without a Pause," Flavor Fav beat continuously on a drum machine for the entire song getting that fast pace. There's scratching. A screeching and eerie horn sample. Chuck D preaching to resist oppression. Flavor Flav echoing and ad-libbing. The band undoubtedly achieved their faster beats and their "What's Goin' On" social commentary. What I found unique in this listen is the sampling. There's scratching, eerie whistle sounds, random noises and the constant beats which sometimes bury the sampling that's going on. That's on purpose and I think it works making the sampling almost cryptic. Chuck D's rapping is in your face and authoritative which is counterbalanced by Flavor Flav's random ad-libbing and echoing giving a pyschedelic vibe. The lyrics are serious but the music can lighten it up with a funky groove. There's a lot to like and hear on this album. An obvious classic album and a strong recommendation.
YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHH BOIIIIIIIIIIIIII
I thought this would be so-so but I was pleasantly surprised.
hard with just a hint of jazz
Boze zwarte mannen roepen dingen, soms aardig. Meestal niet.
Just no. So awful in so many ways.
Pretty good album, good flow to it all. First few songs are great.
Ok album, couple of decent songs but nothing to write home about, not really my cup of tea so doesn't get me going like some other albums would.
Great memories
Yeah boy!!!! As I get older I appreciate rap more! Solid lyrics and beats!
Righteous!
De piepgeluiden waren 40 jaar geleden misschien cool, maar nu toch eerder vervelend. Desalniettemin zaten er wel wat platen tussen
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.
Old school too.
Ground breaking.
You have to like flow of the rappers in order to enjoy hip-hop & rap. There's always been gimmicks in rap when it comes to rap. Flava Flav has a such a gimmick with "Yeeeaahh Boy" & I'm ok with it. Cuz dude knows how to spit. The rest of their flows are old skool & I dig it. Their choice of samples are quite unique, I liked the Bugs Bunny sample on one track. Though old school & goes long on some songs. I give it a 3.
Still not a fan of rap or hip-hop in any way. Some of the beats in this one where down right annoying. Not a fan.
pretty good
How great was Public Enemy. Chuck D has a voice of god quality. Flavor Flav would be too much on his own, but is a great foil to Chuck. This is probably their masterpiece.
I like this hip-hop album, it is full of nostalgic bits 3/5
Moj streak of goodness se kr ne neha! Še en stari znanec. Začetek je kul, k je kr en British tip k napove band (I guess s koncerta vzeto?) in sirene. "Bring The Noise" je prvi proper komad & it's fuckin great. Sledi mu famozni " Don't Believe The Hype". Ful mam rada ta obdobje hip hopa, ko je blo še dovoljeno oz. boljš rečen, ko še ni blo prepovedan samplat. V "Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic" loh tko na začetku slišmo odlomk iz komada od Queen ("Flash's Theme" ), najljubši mi je pa sample trobente k se pojavlja throughout (iz komada "The Grunt" od The J.B.'s). Chuck D ima rahlo agresiven način rappanja, ampak in the best way possible. Ve kva ma za povedat in to nardi odločno in učinkovito. "Show 'Em Whatcha Got" in "She Watch Channel Zero?!" mi mata tud ful dobre primere samplanja, kjer drugi komad sampla Slayer (fak, če bi tko nu metal pol dejansko zvenel...). V samem številu pa zmaga "Night Of The Living Baseheads" (ki je o epidemiji crack cocaina), ki ma 20 samplov, med drugimi tudi Bowieja in pa, kar mi je najljubša fora pri samplanju, Public Enemy same. "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" ma mal bl počasn ritem k ostali komadi, mi je pa tud en ljubših. Ha, pozabila, da se v "Rebel Without A Pause" spet pojavi ta sample trobente (pardon, wiki pravi, da je saksofon!), k mi je všeč. Toj to, political hip hop at it's best.
Not in the mood for this today 🤦🏻♀️
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.
Party for your right to fight!
Lowkey incendiary.
I liked some of the social messages but I found the album to be generally not that interesting. I'm just not an 80s hip hop fan. The style of rapping is just not my thing.
I guess I just "Don't Believe the Hype" as I found this totally unlistenable. Way too obnoxious and in your face with no pockets of breathing room, riddled with irritating noises and the beats were fairly rudimentary/unvaried. I appreciate that the lyricism could be seen as cutting edge for the time, but it's all delivered in such an unpalatable way for my tastes.
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.
infectious rhythm
I am no expert here. But this engaged me from start to finish. 5 stars.
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.
cool.
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back — второй студийный альбом американской рэп-группы Public Enemy, выпущенный 14 апреля 1988 года на Def Jam Recordings. Пластинка заняла 42 место в американском чарте Billboard 200 и восьмое — в британском хит-параде[1][2]. К августу 1989 года её тираж превысил один миллион экземпляров, и она получила сертификат платинового диска от Американской ассоциации звукозаписывающих компаний Участники обратили внимание на восторженный приём своих живых выступлений и решили записать альбом в более быстром темпе по сравнению с предыдущим Yo! Bum Rush the Show. Альбом был весьма положительно принят музыкальными критиками и появился в списке «лучших альбомов» многих изданий. Музыкальные авторы рассматривают It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back как один из самых значительных альбомов 1980-х годов и один из величайших альбомов в жанре хип-хоп всех времён. Работу высоко оценили за технические приёмы, а также социально и политически окрашенные тексты основного эм-си группы Chuck D. В 2003 году диск занял 48-е место в списке «500 величайших альбомов всех времён» по версии журнала Rolling Stone; это наивысшая позиция в данном рейтинге для альбома в жанре хип-хоп Отметив восторженную реакцию на свои живые выступления, Public Enemy намеревались сделать музыку для альбома в более высоком темпе, чем их дебют в 1987 году. Группа также намеревалась создать хип-хоп-эквивалент альбома Марвина Гэй "What's Going on", известный своими сильными социальными комментариями. Через свою продюсерскую команду Public Enemy представила агрессивное звучание под влиянием фри джаз, тяжелый фанк музыка конкрет в качестве фона для ведущего рэпера Чакf Д, который использовал в своих социально-политическую риторику, революционные взгляды и плотный словарный запас
BELIEVE THE HYPE
Rebel Without a Pause, Bring the Noise and Dont Believe the Hype are the stand-out tracks that still hit hard 35 years later
"This had more production range than I was expecting. I liked the samples and even the one song without words at all. However, the topics they cover are intriguing and thoughtful. I liked the album. I could have used fewer ""Yeah, Boii"" inserts but eh I know it's Flavor Flav's thing. "
Chuck D’s voice is the voice of a generation of hip hop!
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.
Damn! Complete smoke show! Sadly relevant given what’s going on but this is an absolute must listen. Fantastic!
Not great, but good.
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”.
great lyrics
I certainly don't deny that this is one of the most culturally significant pieces of art to ever grace hip-hop, and it really did define what hip-hop was and was to be at the time. But, being groundbreaking in a genre often leads to it showing its age - and boy does this thing show its age. Chuck D really does carry Public Enemy - every moment I enjoyed on here featured him. The other cunt seemingly just keeps screaming "YEAAA BOIIII" and it got really annoying. That being said, this thing is backloaded as fuck. The last few tracks really make this album. Good listen, but not as good as people rave on about honestly.
I liked it better than the other public enemy album we got but I really don't gel with this era of hip hop production wise. I also think flava flav sounds like he has a TBI.
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
Full of energy albeit a bit dated. This was probably groundbreaking on release, the production and lyricism here definitely paved the way for the next three decades of artists that came after it. Which isn't to say that the production and lyrics are only good for their time, it still holds up today. There is some great sampling and at times the album is very catchy, but other times it gets a bit repetitive and I feel the album is longer than it needs to be. Shoutout Louis Farrakhan Highlights: Terminator X to the Edge of Panic, She Watch Channel Zero?!
3.5 Probably one of the most important recordings in East Coast Hip Hop - but my rating scale is a 4.0 is an album I want to return to and just don't see me returning to this album. I did enjoy the album, Flavor Flav is extremely repetitive (maybe this is intentional) with the 'yeah boy' and 'cold medina' stuff but Chuck D is excellent.
The time has come, at last. I will give my 7th review of a 1 star. This was SHIT
Powerful
Getting in to rap! Some great sounds but breaks the 1 hour rule on albums.
Not as good as I remember. But an amazing album nonetheless.
Political and sonic sophistication meet in perfect collision. The Bomb Squad conjures a chaos so intricate it becomes order, a mosaic that shouldn’t work but swings with purpose. Chuck D transmits like a prophet behind the mic, calling out the FBI, COINTELPRO, and the media decades before “surveillance state” or “fake news” became household terms. It's the sound of rebellion mixed, mastered, and made immortal.
Decent
A good hip-hop album with some strong songs, however it is a very early rap album and is very rough in some parts. The DJ is a bit too trigger happy on the sound effects for my taste and also the raps just don't have the depth some later albums do. You do however hear the potential in the group and it is no wonder this group become as big as it did. 2/5
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.
Hard to pay attention to when Flav be shouting "Yeah Boiiii" every five seconds in every song 😂
Absolute banger.
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.
A monumental album with meaning that holds up well. Musically, a bit less interesting than I was expecting listening from front to back.
I know this one! I get the strong message behind for sure and returning to it now in these 2025 times makes it even more relevant.
самый невпечатливший пока что хип хоп альбом, надоедающий повторяющийся визг, текста мало, повторяется много фраз, надоедает
NAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH BOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Great album 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Tgoh, I am not that much of a fan.
I mean, one of the best lyrical hip hop albums of all time, surely
Very cool. Especially like the slayer riff
Probably needs more listens to fully appreciate - but enjoyed a lot. Knew the singles which are killer but needs more time. 3.5
This has good bits and not so good bits, but maonly it's not my sort of thing.
Somehow both terribly dated and never more relevant than today. Fight for your right to fight, boyyyyyyy
I like flavour flave and that’s about it
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.
It's a toss-up between this and Licensed to Ill for my favorite 80s hip hop album, but this one's so good and definitely takes on some added heft with the social commentary.
yeahh boiii
Легендарный альбом. Звучание для того времени невероятно революционное. Любимая песня She Watch Channel Zero, затем Black Steel...
Nice balanced vibe of funk, beats and rap. Such a classic sound as well
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
Foundational hip-hop.
Good musically and they have something to say with some passion. Kept me happy
Classique.
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.
C’est rough. Très dissonant, très anxiogène. C’est probablement le but mais ça fittait pas mon mood hier. On est loin du beau Jazz Rap de Tribe Called Quest! Par contre props à Bring the Noise pour me ramener de la nostalgie de Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
Me gustó, clásico y sin embargo igual de vigente. Lucha racial, social, cultural.
She watch channel zero is a banger but the rest of this album doesn’t hit for me at all. I don’t like hip hop much at all until the 90s tbh
A true hip hop classic. With so many tracks such as "Prophet's of Rage" "Rebel Without A Pause" and "Bring the Noise" it's easy to see why this is on the list. Chuck D was at his lyrical best here
Great record. Probably the best album I've listened to on this journey so far. Just an all around great hip hop record with a political punch to the gut. 18/19
Boring
Nicht mein Fall
Dope. Will always make your head bop.
It was great to hear this again. I could relate to the lyrics and content when previously my pallet muddy
cool melody, but i couldn't vibe with the beats and lyrics
They lowkey cooked up the whole conscious hip hop thing ( or at least made it popular ). Sections of the album definitely sound aged, but the flows are way too good for the '80s. I don't really want to write a full review because lsimdog got it covered. Top 3 tracks, in order, Black Steel Bring the Noise Rebel Without a Pause I'd put it in the 9.4-9.7 range (Flavor Flav sounds like he could be westide gunn's dad)
I really like this album because It manages to be a fun listen (mostly because of flava flav) while also being deeply political. With amzing lyricism and Flow From Chuck D. Chuck D and Flava Flav have weirdly good chemistry The production is Amazing and insanely ahead of its time from bomb squad, The samples are so weird but the beats just work. I particularly thought the beat from louder than a bomb was incredibly ahead of its time Chuck D is like really good at rapping Top songs: Don't Belive the Hype, Louder than a bomb, Night of the living baseheads, black steel in the hour of chaos, rebel without a pause, Party for your right to fight flava flav is like the original swamp izzo 9.5/10
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.
si ok
Far more enjoyable to listen to than the other hip-hop related albums that have passed me by so far.
It's hip-hop, it's not my genre. It's not horrible to listen to so it gets a neutral score; 2,5/5
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.
I don’t know if this isn’t quite as good as Fear of a Black Planet or if I just like Fear more because I’m more familiar with it but this album doesn’t connect with me to the degree that Fear does. I appreciate what they accomplished with this record but I don’t personally enjoy it.
Las bases del hip hop ochentero me ponen un poco nervioso
07/10/25 #14 Favourite Tracks: bring the noise; party for your right to fight Rate: 5/10
Can't help it, but the hip hop sounds here are dated. The breaks, the scratching...just doesn't sound as good to me as it did when I was growing up. And in some places, it's just downright annoying. Really do like Chuck D's voice. Wouldn't see myself returning to listen to it again but I respect P.E. a lot.
real old school hip-hop
Doesn’t date well. Flavors “YEAH BOOOYYY”s were a small highlight
6/10 I have all this anger now. 10-06-2025
Personally I like my hip hop a little more jazz influenced instead of just over drums and record scratches, but there’s no denying their influence or their cultural impact
I assumed this was going to be gangster rap from the name. Turned out to be rather rad 80s hip hop. Pretty fun album. 👍 Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos, Rebel Without A Pause
Hoewel hip hop vanaf deze release écht het politieke universum ingeschoten werd, deed niemand het ooit met hetzelfde charisma en militante houding als Public Enemy. De energie is unmatched. Het is net zoveel hardcore punk als James Brown, en net zoveel Martin Luther King als Malcolm X. Die attitude in rap, op dit niveau, wordt nog altijd genoemd als voornaamste reden waarom deze plaat in de hip hop hall of fame gebeiteld is. Maar het is ook zeker de productie en 'sampledelia' van The Bomb Squad en Rick Rubin wat zorgde voor een aardverschuiving eind jaren 80, want niks in de scene van voor 1988 voelt zo rijk aan als 'It Takes A Nation'. Helaas hebben ze zelf later ook niet meer dit niveau aangetikt, en is dit activistische schilderij van een album een unicum gebleken. Ik twijfelde tussen 4 en 5 sterren, maar toen het powertrio 'She Watch Channel Zero?!', 'Night Of The Living Baseheads' en - wat mij betreft één van de betere political poëzie - 'Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos' langskwam was ik verkocht. Wat een tour de force. Ben an sich geen fan van dat genre, maar het samenvoegen van Slayer en James Brown tot de creatie 'She Watch Channel Zero?!' is ongekend, wat een krankzinnig nummer, in de goede zin van het woord. En dan heb ik het nog niet eens over de signature tracks 'Rebel Without A Pause' en 'Don't Believe The Hype'. Flavor Flav is volgens mij hyped, en ik ook. 9/10 Highlights: Don't Believe The Hype She Watch Channel Zero?! Night of Living Baseheads Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos Rebel Without A Pause
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?
Sounded goofy. Like a parody album.
I am not a fan of "that" 80's rap flow, especially when it is so repetitive with feigned bombast... Plus, not nearly enough Flava Flav, surprisingly!
Classic
PEAKANUMA SAMPLE SPOTTED BLACK EYED PEAK SAMPLE SPOTTED
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?!"
Perfect album. Beats/Samples are killer. The lyrics are meaningful. I didn't appreciate Public Enemy back when this came out. I really missed out. 5 stars.
Such a great album. Really took me back. Definitely one of the soundtracks to my sophomore year of college. 😊
This goes HARD. Can we talk about the samples?
🔥
I still prefer Chuck D's raps to Flavor Flav's.
This is a seismic album in my life. I forget how I came across Public Enemy as an adolescent, but this was their most recent release at the time. To hear everything they talk about on this album (and the liner notes, which I read cover to cover) as a 12- or 13-year-old middle-class white kid from Texas? It blew my goddamn mind. It was provocative, kinda scary, and thrilling, and I can still hear why when I revisit it. "Louder Than a Bomb" remains my favorite, and this album has so much good stuff on it (and a relatively light amount of filler). In short, this rules. What DIDN'T rule was seeing them perform this album in full at the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2008. Chuck and Flav rapped over full backing tracks—with vocals. Flav wasn't even there for the first song, but his vocal track was. After he finally showed up, he was booed when he plugged his supremely awful sitcom. Years later I would go onto work with the guy who created it, and he too was supremely awful.
I suppose it's my age and background, but hip hop has never sounded so good and important as it does on this album. In fairness, I think rock and pop from the mid to late 80s is also the greatest thing ever. Why is there no Public Enemy movie?
Well. There’s a lot that can be said about this album and this group in general. The heavily layered samples, relentless, scratching, dense, and poetic lyrics, and the fact that when you get to the end of the album, you are still hearing legendary song. That’s really unusual. Most albums load up their best songs in the first five or six track and by the time you get to the end, they really lost the thread and are just filling in space. But considering the last third of the album contain night of the living bass heads, rebel without a pause and black steel in the hour of chaos, this is crazy. There are better, public enemy, albums, but that doesn’t change the fact that this album for its time was near perfect.
Genius, start to finish. Every time I listen something new jumps out at me. The hits from this album deserve their flowers but the non-hits may be even better.
I didn't mind this, which was unexpected. Still didn't like it, but it deserves more than the one star.
dont believe the hype
I really wanted to like this. We're talking #15 on Rolling Stones top 500? The fact that it was ever considered so high speaks of its historic value. If only I didn't feel so negatively about drum machines and choppy production. By the time it's switched up, I've grown tired of Chuck D's blocky vocals. Nothing to criticize, I place the entire positive aspect of the project on his bars, which are frequently way above standard, packing a punch that does fit well with the music. 2.3/5
Im not gonna try score this /10. I hate to say it but as a piece of music this album does not hold up. It means a lot more as a political statement than an album. Overall it's aight
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
i dont like hip hop
Raw, visceral, unrelenting for an entire hour. The interplay between the beats, samples, scratches, Chuck D's verses, and Flav's hype is all controlled chaos, proof that music is organized noise. Its political and cultural statements still resonate today-- sadly, this is a testament that not enough has changed, and because of this it's both a powerful time capsule and a prophecy for modern times. That is to say, it's timeless despite its distinct 1980s sound. It's one that should be required listening for every single human. YEEAHHHHH BOOOIIIIII
5/9
I totally get how influential this was and I enjoy some of th music and the samples. But, very much like the Beastie Boys, it’s all a bit strident. Which is likely the point but it does not make for an enjoyable listening experience
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.
There a number of good songs and iconic lines here (ya, boi) but not something I’d listen to regularly. Appreciate it for its place in history but that’s about it. 3/5
Respect for Chuck D. Solid album with a couple solid bangers on it
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.
One of the greatest rap albums of all time. Super influential and iconic, full of hits, and super memorable and unique. This is literally my favorite public enemy album.
Political and managed to land. Although I enjoyed it, every song felt a bit same-y which gets exhausting after an hour.
This was a good album. Flavor Flav was quite dominant on many of the tracks.
I didn’t hate this! Pretty good!
Again, I am hopelessly under qualified to give an informed critique. I’m going on pure enjoyment and the album’s wider cultural significance beyond its intended audience. It’s possibly the fist album I have listened to so far on this list that has made me want to press play again immediately upon finishing.
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...