Reviews (page 7 of 12)
33. It Takes a Nation of Millions - Public Enemy 16 tracks. This was a real blast from the past and other than the memories it triggered, I could hear the influence from this in lots of stuff since. I don't love rap, but there is no doubting how good this is. I really enjoyed it. 4/5
A huge part of the foundation of hip hop, this inspired pretty much everything that came after. I didn't realize Flava Flav could rap but his track is actually pretty good.
11th October 2021 Listened on the sleepy drive back from Cadiz on Saturday. 80s hip hop! Love it!
Good listen. Favorite track is Louder than a Bomb
Fast and hard af… did anyone read that “black supremacy” review? Bruh you write quite well but quite inputting that boomer frustration energy in here
Listen to this album these days sounds a little bit old, but keeping in mind the importance of public enemy for hip-hop history, it's very easy to note the importance of it. I liked to note how much rock samples were used in these early hip-hop songs. For sure, I'm biased, but I believe that more modern hip-hop songs lost this link with rock songs.
For the love of Flavour
YyyyeaaaaahBuoiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Very nice, will get the album. Quite cool to discover stuff like this
Heard this once or twice before, and I'd heard the metal version of bring the noise first. It's weird listening to it without guitars. Rest of the album is about the same, pretty cool beats and rhymes etc. Doesn't drop off or get old, good album. Flava Flav sure does like talking about himself though lol. Apparently he's a musical genius, like can play any instrument etc. 4/5.
I think if I was judging this album according to its lyrical content alone, I might have a less favorable impression than I do. Rap lyricism has changed so much since this album was released that it can't help but sound dated. It's good, but it sounds very much of its time. The music, however, still feels revolutionary. It's dated in certain ways because of the technology, but they made so many cool, bold choices in making this album. A true classic 4/5
pure raw energy
Party for your right to 4 stars
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Party for your right to fight
Great, amazing sampling. The way each sample really mushes together is great. I recognized some from other songs, so when i went to genius to check i was surprised to see how much each track from this album was sampled. I was a bit underwhelmed by the rappers but they were still good. I liked Chuck D but not too much. Flav had a lot of moments too, like in Cold Lampin With The Flavor. They both have very unique and contrasting voices which i do like. Overall it was as much as 80s hiphop as 80s hiphop can get, which I admittedly like but don't listen to a lot of. 7/10 As of July 12th 2021 Best Tracks: Bring The Noise, Don't Believe The Hype, Cold Lampin With The Flavor, She Watch Channel Zero?!, Rebel Without a Pause, Party For Your Right To Fight Worst Track: Mind Terrorist
boppy
Great beats, great rapping by Chuck D, and Flavor Flav adds the flavor that makes it all go down nicely! There's no filler on this album every track is good to great.
Great old school Hip-Hop
I like this album so really good songs however a few songs I didn’t like, that stop it being 5 stars it’s an album that keeps your attention from start to finish 4/5
Still awesome.
Классные биты, интересный текст, немного не понравилось сведение и биты однообразные
This was very much one of those albums where I went "oh that's where that came from." Truthfully, didn't do this one justice but generally liked what I heard. Their voices pair great together and seem to lay the foundation for rap dues like Run the Jewels that follow.
This was far more familiar than expected, not what I'd normally listen to, but enjoyable.
Yeeeaaaaaaaa Boooiiiii! Loved this
A good upbeat listen.
Never really loved public enemy, that said, a respectable album nonetheless
Had a great time nodding along to this
Public Enemy are always reliably ace
Good album. Bored by the end though.
Niet geluisterd, maar ken dit album goed. Buiten dat het een classic is, klinkt het nog altijd tijdloos. En die mix tussen Chuck D., Flavor Flave en al die samples zijn te gek.
Bring the Noise was actually not as engaging as I would have liked but the other tracks are really good.
Gran disco. No tenía idea de la existencia de Public Enemy. Canciones que más me gustaron: Don't believe the hype porque qué coro pegajoso y Show 'em Whatcha Got porque los beats y loops están del uno. Como siempre con el rap, me falta siempre algo de variedad y yo casi nunca le pongo atención a las letras, de ahí que no le dé las 5 estrellas.
Old school hip hop masterpiece... but not that masterpiece imo... a handful of untouchable classics in any case
Really good, still holds up despite some of the production sounding a little rudimentary by today's post-Rockwilder standards. The lyrics still pack a wallop, and Chuck D's voice simply one of those things I like to listen to. Cool!
Respeito, mas não é noooossa coisas que amo ouvir não
Great record. I don't know if i ever got deep enough into this one before to notice Slayer's Angel of Death sampled in one of the songs
8/10
Numbly piece this album together as one of the greats. Another I grew up with surrounded by older brothers.
Public Enemy is rad. Love the metal community crossover with Anthrax they ended up doing for Bring The Noise, and sampling Slayer was sick. Feels quintessentially late 80's hip hop. Love the big beats and big respect they make sure to give the DJ. Chuck D is cool as hell, Flavor Flav is...well, Flavor flav.
Great album, classic hip-hop
don't believe the hype 👌👌
I can't be anything but a tourist in this genre which brings up all kinds of... feelings. I think I can appreciate it and respect the foundations it represents but it's not what I'd choose to listen to in the car.
Very good album. This isn't typically my speed, but I really enjoyed it.
Tony Hawk!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pretty good rap album
An essential hip hop album that fits nicely in the history of the genre. This album makes strong political statements that are still poignant today. Their new york sound is clearly an influence of major groups like NWA and Wu-tang. -Draper
A solid 4 stars, reminiscent to Run DMC for me, but a little on the long side!
Solid bars and classic beats
Don't Believe The Hype
Good sound. Good Music. 4
Sick
Solid!!
OK, so this is where I first notice "it" in Public Enemy. I had heard it indicated in Apocalypse 91, and believed in it, but didn't clearly see it. This record is what deserves that 4, and my esteem for it might grow as I learn more about this classic era in rap. The centering of the DJ is great, and it's sad that that has mostly died. There are skits that actually make sense, though the live show conceit seems to fade on the second half. The strongest bits are the moments of sonic experimentation, and the cheeky lines and song titles.
Top notch angry political tub thumping musically pioneering rap
Public Enema Number One, siltähän se kuulosti. Yeah boy and whatnot. Aivan jees, mutta ei itselle kolahda sen enempää.
You could merge a lot of these songs and you wouldnt notice the difference. It's the message, not the music, or the vocal why it's applauded by many.
Overall Rating - 3.14/5 (6.29/10). Solid album, even if it's not my style.
Good
Powerful and aggressive but hard for me to find the line where I think an album falls too much into a narrow genre Highlights: "Caught, Can We Get a Witness?", "Show 'Em Whatcha Got", "Party for Your Right to Fight"
High 3. I liked fear of a black planet more, but this still rules
Chuck D's rapping just isn't that good. And Flavor . . . I'm not sure what he brings to the table. I'll round up for the message and the influential-ness.
This came out 3 years before Nevermind and, in comparison, feels so very dated. I just don't like this one from PE...
Historically significant, and musically quite entertaining. I just have some issues with Flavor Flav's style clashing with the hard rocking production and the otherwise serious blast of lyrics. But yeah, this seems half-way between old school and gangsta.
Who didn’t want to wear a two foot clock around your neck. It reminds me of middle school.
Classic rap album. Heard before
I am slightly familiar with Public Enemy having 8 songs already liked by them on Spotify - with 4 from this album - "Don't Believe The Hype", "She Watch Channel Zero?!", "Security of the First World" and "Prophets of Rage". I actually saw some of these songs performed live when Chuck D was part of the supergroup called Prophets of Rage - along with some of the guys from Rage Against the Machine and B-Real of Cypress Hill. This was in 2106 as part of their "Make America Rage Again Tour". Twas a great show. So I'm excited to find some more songs by going through this whole album. I definitely noticed the influence/sampling of James Brown stuff on some of these songs. I think I generally like the songs where Chuck D is the lead singer/rapper more than the ones there Flavor Flav is the lead. For example, the song "Cold Lampin' with Flavor" is the worst song on this - like how many times does he have to mention his own name?? I also have realized I just don't like the rap songs (in general, from any artist) where they brag about their rap/beat abilities. So, a song like "Terminator X to the Edge of Panic" just doesn't do it for me. It just seems like pointless filler to me. Show us, don't tell us. Ok - I ended up liking 6 more songs on this - "Bring the Noise", "Caught, Can we Get a Witness", "Night of the Living Baseheads", "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos", "Rebel Without a Pause", and "Party for Your Right to Fight" This is a new high for me for # of songs liked on a rap/hip hop album! Liked songs on Spotify: 10/16 Rating: 3/5
I like it, but I can't handle the screechy background sounds.
Et helt album med Flavor Flav blir litt mye
Started strong then tailed off a bit
Good album bit compared to other hip hop not sure it is as good
Hit and miss
Liked this more than the later album. A bit less samey
when the beat sounds like a dying mice 😍
So many of these pre-90s hip hop albums are historically important but just sound really dated
What a classic NY sound. I love East Coast hip hop the most, but this album was not addressed to me. I had a hard time relating. If I did I bet the score would be higher
Decent album - enjoyed it - not really my thing a bit embarrassing at my age but decent album
This started as a 4, length dropped it to a 3.
Can't lie I couldn't hear some of the songs over the drone of the motorcycle engine in My Summer Car but this was really good regardless
Likes: Propulsive beats; stand out lyrics; interplay between Flavor Flav and Chuck D; samples that sound fresh and distinct from their sources Dislikes: 80’s hip hop isn’t my favorite sonic aesthetic; Overall, a good jam that’s just not for me
I had a lot of fun with this one
Can’t stomach anything that comes out of Flavor’s mouth. The rest is good.
3.5
88’s hood classic
buen álbum
Idk it was fine ig. Fav track: Louder than a bomb
Nothing about this really blew my face off. It’s 90s rap, slightly different vein, just good enough. Don’t hate, dont love. A perfect three. I will say, some of the samples in there are wild. I know them, I like them, I won’t skip them whenever they come on.
Much better than the last Public Enemy album. Good production, especially the drums. Still not worthy of having two albums on this list when Mobb Deep or J Dilla are snubbed
This is an interesting one, a little dated was my first impression, but as the album went I thought more of it as a good representation of a time period, and the beats were growing on me. Specifically Louder Than A Bomb, Night of the Living Baseheads, Caught - Can We Get A Witness?, and Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
I didn't previously know Flava Flav was in Public Enemy but boy did it become obvious partway through lol. His "yeahhhh boyyyyyy"s eventually started grating on me but I'm glad he was having fun. It was also weird hearing Bring the Noise without Anthrax doing its thing on top of it but I'm glad I know what the original sounds like now. All in all it was a fun listen but I was fine with it being over eventually.
Groovy beats, though somewhat of a consistency between tracks that invites a little dullness
6/10 Very good rap all the way through
Great old school hip hop. Good listen but also didn't blow me away.
Public Enemy - It Takes... Very in your face. Less 'musical' than Fear of a Black Planet, and for that reason, not as engaging and far more repetitive. Still some great tracks here though. Best Track - Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos Worst Track - COLD Lampin with Flavor 7/10
oh shit, there were two public enemy albums? wtf bros. Will have to edit this review ffs
I'm not a hip hop head. The closest I got to being in touch with hip hop/rap was a window of time in high school over 12 years ago. That said, this album surely falls squarely in the camp of "old school" I'd have to guess. Maybe I will Google that. Maybe I won't! I enjoyed the song that talks a lot about flavors through out the day. Lunch and dinner and such. I also enjoyed the scratching and the use of samples. And actually oh wow this album really picks up in the second half. The samples become more complex and interesting. Thank you!
I think I may be a bit harsh, but some.of the samples are annoying. I found the political discourse engaging, and it hasn't aged to badly
ja ganz gut aber nh
really good stuff. i had no idea all these names i recognized were in one big group at one point, feels like learning about a cultural pillar that influenced a ton of stuff since i kept recognizing traits of other works in this one
Красотки на капоте прыгающего лоурайдера. Абсолютно весь альбом пропитан нарочитым требованием к поклонению и признанию их превосходства. Впервые почувствовал разницу между рэпом поздних 90-х, который я слушал довольно долго и много с вариантами старше. На удивление разница большая, хотя вполне эта особенность присуща исключительно конкретному исполнителю. Это чрезмерная повторяемость и нулевая изменчивость в читке. Новые исполнители стараются не задерживать один темп и флоу на весь трек, здесь же наоборот музыка и исполнение направлены на "кач" и вводят тебя в транс. Лично мне это показалось скучноватым. Что понравилось чрезмерно это звуки. Настолько живого звука конкретно в рэпе я не слышал ни разу. Как ни странно альбом мне не сильно понравился для внимательного прослушивания или ,например включить часть композиций на вечеринке будет достаточно уместно ,чтобы это сделать, но ожидаемый эффект разобьётся о реальность - композиции очень долгие и монотонные что может подойти только для фоновой музыки. Оценка альбома 5/10.
I mean, it’s PRETTY good but a lot of this is an exercise in “how long can you tolerate this very high pitched sample that plays throughout the WHOLE SONG”
I think I prefer Fear the Black Planet to this one, but I can't deny this is an instrumental early hip hop/rap album that sets the stage for what's to come. I'd never been the biggest fan of 80s rap, but you can see how 90s rap builds off of what is laid out here
some of the sound fx were a bit repetitive it kinda pmo but overall a vibe some of them went hard
Public Enemy er kult, men de er også en one trick pony. Beaten går hardt & monotont mens Chuck D rapper over med sin karakteristiske, lite varierte flow. Noen tracks stikker seg ut. På denne skiva er det Bring the Noise og She Watch Channel Zero (å rappe over riffet til Angel of Death er utrolig based). Tror det er flere irriterende momenter her enn på Black Planet? Elementer som den jævla Cypress Hill pipinga på Rebel Without a Pause kunne jeg klart meg uten.
It's good. It's what I want hip hop to sound like. I do not, however, want to listen to hip hop. This is probably as good as it gets
Thumpin
Expected way more given my knowledge of the band and that era, but either the mixing and/or random skits were just too much, best I can give is 3
Helt ok. Något tjatigt att lyssna igenom hela på en och samma gång. Mycket upprepningar. Men Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos är en favorit, Bring the Noise samma sak. En hel del klassiker förstås och politiskt vilket jag gillar. Men som sagt... Lite tjatigt är det.
WAYYYYYY TOO MUCH SCRATCHING ;-;
Liked it generally but at times it felt noisy or as if I was being yelled at.
Definitely unique group among rap of that time.
Take a shot every time he says Flavor Flav. Very cool and apparently historic hip-hop album. The chaotic, funk and jazz inspired backing tracks created with significant sampling sound awesome, abrasive in the coolest and catchiest way. It feels a little repetitive at points, but is mostly just enjoyable. As with many of these albums, I’m sure I can’t grasp the full impact it had, both solely musically as well as culturally amidst the political climate, upon release since I have never experienced 1980s New York. Not an album I’d have likely experienced without this generator. Some tracks feel overly self-referential as someone who had no idea who Chuck D, Terminator X, or the S1Ws were before this (though Flavor Flav unambiguously made himself known…). There are several tracks that center around the racial and anti-institutional themes the album is known for that I can imagine being quite controversially received at the time, especially coming from these established ‘Public Enemies’. Chuck D is a powerful rapper, and Flavor Flav grows on you too. I don’t see it being a lasting favorite, but it’s a great-sounding, cool, and effective album. Rating: ~6.5/10 _____ Album 2 / 1001+
This is not an album built to please you. It is built to overwhelm you, agitate you, and force you to pay attention. That is exactly why it is one of the greatest rap albums ever made.
этот альбом как конфета с твердой оболочкой. понравится не сразу, но по итогу амамам. хотя.. для меня шумновато. троечко
I don't have any formal thoughts on this album. It was kinda just background noise.
A tale of two halves for this album. I didn't connect with the first 30 kins at all, some of the least interesting and under-mixed hip hop I've heard. Dramatically increases in quality after the midpoint, but still misses the mark for me in spots. Solid individual songs, very uneven album. Top tracks: She Watches Channel Zero?!, Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos, Rebel Without a Pause
this album was actually pretty mid in my opinion. Bring The Noise is forever GOATED from being in tony hawks pro skater, but the rest of the album doesn't hold up to that really fun track. a lot of the rhymes get repeated from song to song, and a few of the beats where folks are screeching on them aren't the most fun to listen to. not sure how much i would come back to this album as a whole, but definitely would cherry pick around on it
I've discovered that I like Public Enemy, but this album got old pretty fast. It might have been my mood, but it felt really repetitive and long. I would say a 3.5 album.
5/10… hip-hop / rap / *1988
quite good, not rly my taste but still groovy. im not 1 2 lisn 2 lyrics, but from what i understood, i do agree w em.
Early Public Enemy is still tuff music even though it was before they went global. Chuck D is dominant on the mic in every song and his authoritative tone demands immediate respect. Flavor Flav keeps things light and adds some grounding power to PE’s music. Bring the Noise is a great track but the collaborative version with Anthrax is much better. Not PE’s best album but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Good ass 80s hip-hop.
Not bad by any means, but definitely not my favorite classic hip-hop record. I really don't find it reaches anywhere near the highs of Wu-Tang or Cypress Hill. Also I find flava flav kind of annoying to be honest.
Good
pretty fun
This may be my preferred album of theirs. Good samples and catchy hooks.
Ts is good, but it ain't peak
6/10 I'm not sure if I just missed it or not, but it felt like the hyper-political lyricism Public Enemy is known for was largely missing from the first half of the album, only to be taken up in a big way in the second half. I found much of the first half to be quite trite, a lot of "Flava!" call outs, and lacking meaning; the second half talks about systemic racism and powerlessness experienced by the Black community. Not quite sure what is up with this dichotomy (was I not paying attention???), but needless to say, I enjoyed the political half far better. The music is typical late 80s hip hop, but the production is a definite standout. Overall good but not great album.
I can appreciate many things about this record. But feel like I can't appreciate the most important thing- the lyrical content. I'm just not in the right mood for that today. The production is really killer, maybe a bit single sounding, but considering it's 35 years old, I appreciate it a lot. The flows sound fire as well. Most of this is great. But I don't know what else can I say now. Sorry about it. Ill come back to it at some point. It's a part of this game, days like this... It'll be a 3 today. It will make me sad at some point I know. Tough day
Me imagino que es icónico
Took me a little bit to embrace because I was resisting its of the timeness sound for some reason, but once Louder Than a Bomb dropped I was in. Not enough “?!” in song titles
Halfway between good and bad
Okay.
I had high hopes for this album and it kinda disappointed me. 3
Liked this a lot more than I thought I would. 3.5
I liked, didn't love
Альбом расцвета рэпа старой школы. Опять же, как мне кажется,у них есть куда более сильные альбомы
Too long but has some great moments
3,0 Highlights: Don't Believe The Hype, Cold Lampin' With Flavor
Didn't like this as much as the others. 3/5
Does it maybe take a nation of millions to make an album that's not the same ad-libs, the same drum loops, and what ultimately feels like the same track over and over again?
I’m not the target audience for hip-hop, but this is an exciting listen and a good ‘80’s rap album. I enjoyed it but wouldn’t necessarily return to it.
M.M?
It was good. I wasn’t disgusted at all
The weakest of their three albums on here. Chuck D was great, so was the Bomb Squad per usual. They were great. But why is Flavor Flav even a part of this group. He does nothing but detract from the album. He sounds like an idiot every time he speaks. If I never hear "yeah, boyeee" again it'll be too soon.
still. not my favorite style of music, but this was much better than several others in this genre. lyrics had depth & meaning. pleasantly surprised
Angry. Beats into the emotion. It gets to me.
Believe the hype. Igual, escuchar más de 5 temas seguidos me queman un poco la gorra
Hippity hop
me gusto bastante, algunos beats son muy pesados en cuanto a la cantidad de sonidos repetidos. Particularmente me gusta el rap, asi que lo volvería a escuchar.
Начуваний про них) Послухаємо) Ну таке)
While "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" is frequently cited for its lyrical depth and social importance, my own appreciation of an album is often driven more by its sonic impact than its message. Take 'Don't Believe the Hype' as an example; I recognise the significant reputation this track holds, but the musical arrangement ultimately feels somewhat underwhelming. It is by no means a poor composition, but it fails to resonate with me on a level that would encourage repeat listens. Much of the record follows a similar pattern. It's a solid effort, but no more than that. Three stars. Side Silver 1 "Countdown to Armageddon" (Intro) (3/5) 2 "Bring the Noise" (4/5) 3 "Don't Believe the Hype" (3/5) 4 "Cold Lampin' with Flavor" (2/5) 5 "Terminator X to the Edge of Panic" (2/5) 6 "Mind Terrorist" (Interlude) (2/5) 7 "Louder Than a Bomb" (3/5) 8 "Caught, Can We Get a Witness?" (4/5) Side Black 9 "Show 'Em Whatcha Got" (Interlude) (3/5) 10 "She Watch Channel Zero?!" (4/5) 11 "Night of the Living Baseheads" (2/5) 12 "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" (3/5) 13 "Security of the First World" (Interlude) (3/5) 14 "Rebel Without a Pause" (4/5) 15 "Prophets of Rage" (3/5) 16 "Party for Your Right to Fight" (3/5) Total - 48 Average - 3.00 318/1001 172/318 albums reviewed were new to me.
Good album. She watches channel zero was by far my favorite. I’m not a huge fan of 80s rap beats but they’re were some really good ones in there. I like the political messaging inbetween songs.
Je moest er bij geweest zijn
Politically charged fast paced Rap Classic. Chuck D has one of the coolest voices in Rap as far as I am concerned.
2 stars, 2 long. The hits hit, hit or miss for the rest. Three stars tho? Huh?
Not my favorite type of beats but I can see it’s major influence on the genre - produced in ‘88 alongside Rick Rubin and Shocklee. Truly a pivotal record created with intent from its themes and lyrics to production techniques
Any trope of 80’s hip hop can be heard in this album. Entertaining but repetitive. Recognition is due for its lyrical themes rather than its sound.
Yeah booooi
Good.
I appreciate the impact and the message but have never been a fan of the messenger. Flavor Flave just annoys me.
Sounds like an alarm clock going off through most of the songs, I guess that’s how you bring the noize?
Solid album
Not my usual genre to listen to so I’m excited to see what this is like !! So far it’s really great I love the early rap/hip hop sound. They have some sick beats. I love the lyrics too I like how they’re protesting against the backlash rap got at the time.
#? 16th April 2026 heard of public enemy before but never listened to them properly. beats are insanely good, but i think it's something i'd not necessarily listen to on a daily. track mentions; caught, can we get a witness?
“yeah boi haha” y “public enemy” cómo mil veces repartidas en 1 hora
Сара 2 Марко 5
The reviews on this record split almost perfectly between 1s and 5s, which tells you something important — this is music so uncompromising and specific in its vision that it either fully claims you or leaves you at the door. Landing in the middle with a genuine 3 is actually a more nuanced response than either extreme, and it feels like the honest one. The Bomb Squad’s production is unlike anything else in hip-hop history — dense layers of samples, sirens, and scratching stacked so tightly the whole thing sounds like controlled chaos. The disorienting quality is the point. Chuck D isn’t making background music or party records. He’s making arguments, dense and urgent and delivered with a rhetorical force that’s closer to oratory than rap in any traditional sense. The sonic discomfort is the message made physical, and understanding that makes it easier to respect even when it makes the listening experience genuinely unnerving. The honest data point is personal history. Straight Outta Compton — same year, same cultural moment — embedded itself in adolescence in a way this record simply didn’t. NWA’s visceral street-level anger connected where Public Enemy’s more intellectual and political urgency didn’t quite reach. That gap isn’t a judgment about which record is objectively more important. It’s just honest information about where the personal connection actually lives. A strong three that sits close to the four border — fully respectful of the ambition, the politics, and the historical weight, without pretending to a personal connection that isn’t there.
A good album, I don't like a lot of rap but I do enjoy the way Public Enemy raps.
Dober
I think if you hear one you hear them all. classic sample-heavy public enemy.
No es mi tipo de música para nada pero encanto, muy buen disco.
Classic, but I don’t *think* it’s aged the best ever? Loads to rave about, but I don’t think I’ll be coming back
Es bueno
Accessible
soft shock was my fav politically relevant
Absolute classic, super important, but there are musically more interesting versions of all the great songs on here. The old school production just does not offer the kind of variety of sounds and vibes that keep me interested for a whole album.
Lead man has great presence. Another decent entry to the 1001
Synth whistles frying my brain and I'm here for it. This one also has the tracks a mere casual like me recognizes.
Dense!
meh
Yeahhhh boyyyy BASS HOW LOW CAN YOU GO DEATH ROW? WHAT A BROTHER KNOW Also, Slayer sample, hell yeah ANGELLLLLL OF DEATHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hoewel ik zelf niet naar OG hiphop zou luisteren is dit wil een legendarisch album en wordt dit album beschouwd als een meesterwerk
🕙
Veel potentie maar verouderde geluiseffecten en samples
YEaaaaasaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh BooooooooooIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Alright album, a little long for my liking. Some of the later beats were a bit irritating, but overall it was alright.
hard with just a hint of jazz
I recognize the greatness, but it's not for me
This was good stuff.
oder der VfL-Jesus reicht auch
The rap I wasn't supposed to listen to as a kid, wasn't all that bad.
Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? Completely unfamiliar How do I feel about this artist? Flavor flavor seems like a cool guy but I don’t really know much about Public Enemy Favorite song(s)? Night of the Living Baseheads, Rebel Without a Pause Overall Thoughts: Parts of this were really fun, other parts of it really dragged on, some parts of it were way too fast and I was running out of breath just listening. But not a bad way to spend an hour at work.
Loved the one sampling Slayer, how is that not as big as the Anthrax one 3.5 rounded down
Number: 80 Date: 03/23/2026 Artist: Public Enemy Album: It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back Year: 1988 Genre: Conscious Hip Hop Rating: 3 Notes: Before: The is my second Public Enemy album. It looks like they have three on this list which is 2 too many, imo. They should definately have one album here but I don't think any artist should have more than one unless they are very different from each other and/or masterpieces. I don't see that with Public Enemy's work. They have some great songs but most of their music that I like has pretty much the same sound. During: 3 Countdown To Armageddon 5 Bring The Noise 4 Don't Believe The Hype 4 Cold Lampin With Flavor 3 Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic 3 Mind Terrorist 3 Louder Than A Bomb 3 Caught, Can We Get A Witness? 3 Show 'Em Whatcha Got 4 She Watch Channel Zero?! 4 Night Of The Living Baseheads 3 Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos 3 Security Of The First World 4 Rebel Without A Pause 3 Prophets Of Rage 3 Party For Your Right To Fight ----------------------------------------------------- 3.50 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After: 4 my personal rating 2 suitability for this list 4 impact ----------------------------------------------- 3.3 composite rating
Standouts Bring the Noise Don't Believe the Hype Party for Your Right to Fight
Second Public Enemy album during this project and another album where I got to enjoy playing spot the sample. I particularly enjoyed Fame by Bowie, the Flash Gordon theme and Son of Shaft turning up. And the intro being from a BBC DJ was a surprise. And sampling Slayer! I keep saying it, but sampling is such an impressive skill to me - creating a completely new thing from disparate scraps of other songs and it sounding like it always should have been like that. I really appreciate the topics and Chuck D's style of rapping too. As a whole, I think I liked it a tiny bit less than Fear Of A Black Planet, but it's still very much worth: 3/5
Respect but didn’t care for
drum and sample loops. got it. Would I listen again: no Deserves to be on this list: nah 3.1
Not my cup of tea as a 39 yo white woman, but I can hear that they were ahead of their time.
Not my fav style/era of hip hop but I respect it and appreciate it. A banger or two on here, not a bad album whatsoever!
A little dated but the energy is great.
funky fresh for suresies. not rlly my style of rap. it kind of gives me joey valence & brae vibes but like older school. the og
I enjoyed this for the most part. It got a bit repetitive, but I was expecting that. I was only familiar with a couple of the songs. Chuck D has a great voice, however, Flavor Flav is annoying.
It was an interesting time. Rap went hardcore and political Has lost much of its impact
some high peaks but id take enter the wu tang anyday over it
I can see why it was impactful. Recognized a few samples.
I'm not a rap fan at all, but this early stuff isn't actually too bad. It has a nice beat to it and I can understand what they are saying, so that's nice.
TIL I don’t like Flavor Flav.
Great record
Me encantaron las baterías creo que siempre Creo que en otra epoca hubiese disfrutado mas, me mayo que sea tan largo, bo estaba en el mood, pero esta bueo los samples y eso tambien.
7/10
Solid.
I liked it more than expected. Songs were different from each other w/diff music and patter.
I liked the political messaging
Solid Public Enemy. Exactly what you expect. Upbeat. Kept my attention.
This album sounds like an upgraded version of Run-D.M.C., with very similar production style of early sampling. Just more politcal urgency mixed into the lyrics and Chuck D's authoritave vocal delivery. Beats wise, it's what I expected for an 80's Hip-Hop album with that very distinct whirring sound in some songs. I liked the track "Prophets Of Rage". Great beat composition and vocals lead by Chuck D with Flavour Flav adding nice backing/interjections. I can see why this album is influentinal for its revolutionary production and politcal commentary. However, it isn't something I'd listen to again entirely. Solid album otherwise.
So old school. Definitely an album from a time, looking at roots for sure. Not exactly my thing, but I was head bumping through all of it. Rebel Without a Pause. Solid 3/5.
I really enjoyed the production in this record. Favourite Track(s): Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic, Rebel Without A Pause Least Favourite Track(s): Cold Lampin' With Flavour
I love hip-hop mainly 90s but still some of the 80s stuff, but honestly, they need to cut the high-pitched whirring sound effect, it was really distracting and stole the focus from the vocals and other beats and just didn’t go in my opinion. When it wasn’t playing the music sounded so much cleaner and I could get into it a bit more. This was present in my standout song ‘Louder than a bomb’ it didn’t contain that sound effect. I’m a bit disappointed tbh I expected something better from Public Enemy but maybe it’s just not for me. I can appreciate the lyrics and that they helped paved the way for 90s hip-hop, but just wasn't too keen on this album.
Pretty good
Classic late 80s rap.
høydepunkt: Don't Believe The Hype, Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic, Caught Can We Get A Witness?, She Watch Channel Zero?!
Beats and flows are fine. Too long.
I'm not overly familiar with rap, it's never quite been my thing. I get why this album is important but it definitely feels dated.
Countdown to Armageddon 2/5 Bring the Noise 3/5 Don't Believe the Hype 4/5 Cold Lampin' With Flavor 2/5 Terminator X To The Edge of Panic 4/5 Mind Terrorist 2/5 Louder Than a Bomb 4/5 Caught, Can We Get A Witness 3/5 Show'Em Whatcha Got 2/5 She Watch Channel Zero?! 4/5 Night of the Living Baseheads 4/5 Black Steel In the Hour of Chaos 4/5 Security of the First World 2/5 Rebel Without a Pause 5/5 Prophets of Rage 3/5 Party for You Right To Fight 3/5 Overall Album 3.19
I could see the reason this was so shocking and refreshing at the time but now it kind of feels lost. But I think being one of the first mainstream artists of a genre that is inevitable. I found it quite repetitive as an album but it had some great sample choices, lyrics and sounds.
Enjoyed this, but I found it became a bit repetitive towards the end. Maybe that's the point but it didn't really make for an effective album for me. I probably wouldn't listen again.
very bold and distinctive
The rap verses being exchanged between Chuck and Flavor make this a unique album. Some great samples too. The flash one used in Terminator X was amazing. Will definitely be back to this one
Good
ci sta, nel suo genere è sicuramente un ottimo album
Just a loud and fun album
It's ok
Best Track - "Don't Believe The Hype"
pretty good
Not bad.
Decently enjoyable without being too self-interested
Public Enemy is undeniably cool, but I just don't enjoy their deep cuts that much. Too much record scratching and Flava Flav's off tempo interjections start to get old after a while.
Primo album hip hop che mi ha passato, tutto ok
Man for 1988 this is insane, intro track is so nutty. Songs can def be shorter but it was a different time and this album was revolutionary in many ways so mad respect
Album #38: It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Public Enemy Genre (W): East coast hip hop, political rap, sampledelia, boom bap Singles: Rebel Without a Pause, Bring the Noise, Don’t Believe the Hype, Night of the Living Baseheads, Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: Well, even though I may not like hip hop’s lyrics, I love the wordplay in the lyrics, especially those from Chuck D. The members’ flows are pretty awesome, and Terminator X’s scratches are killer. I love when scratches are used in an insane way, like that! The Bomb Squad’s production is awesome too! Favorite songs: Bring the Noise, Cold Lampin’ with Flavor, Louder Than a Bomb, Caught, Can We Get a Witness?, Night of the Living Baseheads, Rebel Without a Pause*,
Classis old school hip hop. I had heard of Public Enemy for so long, great to finally get to listen to them. The rock one is rlly unique! Fav song is ‘Don’t Believe The Hype’.
Still good, that sax though -
Lyrisch größtenteils sehr stark, Beats sind halt ein Zeichen ihrer Zeit. Vieles für meinen Geschmack etwas zu sehr outdated mit einigen Ausnahmen aber. Alles zusammen eine solide und starke 2,5, sprich 3
Классные биты, наверно, крутые тексты. Ощущается, как что-то настоящее.
Yeeeeeaaaah Boiiiii... Don't believe the hype, literally. This album is good, but not as people go on about. Chuck D is amazing but Flava is super annoying to me.
they said my longest yeah boi ever
Fun and frustrated. Tons of energy. Cool beats. Good duo
"DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE."
Fun album and I love that old hip hop style but this is a bit mid
Yeahhhhhh, boyyyyyeeeeee
Not a big hip hop fan but really enjoyed this and had me bouncing
I wanted to love this, cool effects and the production is not half bad and the political messages hit hard but the rapping delivery is so bad. I really find old school hip hop hard to stomache. I mean it’s not strictly bad it’s just not good enough and sometimes it gets pretty cringe. Three stars for notability and overall package but old school rappers are not my cup of tea.
A tour de force of boom bap beats, hardcore sampling, DJ scratching, full blast raps from the machine gun mouth of Chuck D, and hey booiiiii hype. They've absorbed and remediated a political textbook in Black rage and radicalism. Sonically innovative when it came out, it now feels extremely dated, samey and overlong, albeit very exciting in small doses.
Album is great, its beats, rhyme and lyrical content hold well. It has awesome tracks like bring the noise, louder than a bomb and night of the living baseheads. I’d 100% listen to it again, a timeless experience
YEAAAAAH BOYYYYIIIII! A lot of attitude in this album.
I can appreciate its a classic hip hop album. Every song does start soundng the same after a while like I liked the slayer sample an all
Never really given Pyblic Enemy a proper listen. Only the odd thing here and there Bet it was massive at the time. Attitude for days. Didnt expect Flash fucking Gordon. Decent. I wouldnt eat your poached on toast to it but for different reasons. They might get swiped.
I'm not big into hip hop, but I do appreciate the artistry. I like the beats in general, but many they reaaaalllly overused whatever that squeal is early in the album. It's so incredibly distracting and detracting from some otherwise really cool instrumentals. It also takes away from being able to hear the message. And every time is goes away the beat improves significantly. These tracks have a message and relevant commentary on the world that is well thought out and well performed and I respect that. The beats are funky and arranged well. Unlike most albums, the middle is actually the best part imo. I really enjoyed this album for a good run of 7 or 8 tracks in the middle. In the end, it's alright for someone of my tastes, I can't quite get all the way into it, but it's well made and I can get why people like it. Get rid of that squeal entirely and the album goes up a few points. 2.8/5
Not quite my cup of tea in terms of older rap.
Meh. I was just left with the feeling from the concert excerpts that I would have preferred to hear a full live album. As it is, it’s ok.
Lyrically and energy wise rock solid, musically I was over it by the end
We zijn nu op 85% van het boek en het begint in herhaling te vallen. Deze gasten hebben we al gehad. Deze muziekstijl hebben we al gehad. Alles wat in eerste instantie niet meer dan een drietje was, maar toch terugkomt, begint nu danig te vervelen. Het wordt steeds verleidelijker om oude recensies te kopiëren voor gevallen als dit.
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is arguably the pinnacle of Hip Hop in the 80s, both musically and influentially. The album sparked a surge of explicit and confrontational Hardcore Hip-Hop that would go on to define the decade after. From that time though, Hip Hop as a genre has evolved so much over the years. I don't think it's a reach to say that Nation of Millions showcases the flaws of 80s hip hop that have been long extinguished. For the period this came out in, it was revolutionary. The cultural impact it had in America was astounding, no doubt inspiring many of the most famous rappers from the 90s and beyond. Due in equal parts to their limitations in technology and the primitiveness of the genre, the album definitely sounds of its time. That's not always a bad thing, and if you're nostalgic for the 80s I'm sure you'd love this record. But with how expansive and boundary-pushing the genre is today, it can be underwhelming by comparison. Chuck D has some amazing bars throughout this record, his booming voice is so commanding and a great tone for this kind of rap. Flavor Flav on the other hand... has not aged well to say the least. He's definitely the reacher in this relationship, it's hard to take songs about serious topics seriously when he's going YEAAAAHH BOOIIIIIIII every few seconds. Yes, I know, iconic, it's memorable in the same way Urkel is memorable, which I don't think is what you want for your politically-charged Hardcore Hip Hop record. Nation of Millions is still definitely a good record, super catchy and iconic hooks and fun samplework, great rapping from Chuck D, and a very unique nostalgic vibe. I think it's just one step too far-removed from Hip Hop I can start to fully appreciate.
This didn't grab me like their other album did
I know this is considered groundbreaking and revolutionary, particularly for its confrontational social commentary directed at the white establishment, and I wanted to love it. Unfortunately, I didn’t, at least not musically. Too many tracks are dominated by an abrasive, high-pitched sound that, to me, resembles a boiling kettle and makes for an unpleasant listen. More broadly, I often struggle with late ’80s rap, which can feel like an awkward transitional phase; the shift from old-school to the more refined ’90s sound is underway, but the growing pains are hard to ignore. Overall, the messages here weren’t lost on me, but musically, it didn’t land. I’ll definitely return to this at a later date in the hope of enjoying it more, though.
I don’t know if this is my jam.
lo quiero revisitar con más tiempo
i want a juice box and a skateboard. i like this vibe however do not know what is being said.
War ok
Very good
Respect it slightly more than I love it, but still good!
Some good bits but I kind of zoned out
Noisy
Yeah BOOOOOIIIIII
This is the album released before 'Fear of a Black Planet' which I really liked. This album had more bangers but I like FoaBP. I think 'It takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back' is like 'License to Ill' and 'Fear of a Black Planet' like 'Paul's Boutique" and all those albums match up to around the same time. They even have "Party for your Right to Fight" as a nod to the Beastie Boys.
This is really cool to listen to and I like the way that it sets up the hip hop sample culture to follow, one year before Three Feet High and Rising
C’était bon. Classique du vieux rap. L’album est un peu long et répétitif.
chyba juz nie dla mnie
better!
Lyrics are great but the music/mix feel amateurish.
I didn’t listen to these guys when they first came out. What a shame. Didn’t understand or relate to it at all. Now it just sounds so good. My unbending mindset strikes again.
Послушал, но не слишком впечатлился.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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!
I feel bad for saying it but like.. not it. Revolutionary but sounding old as hell now
Hadn't heard this one. Still very good.
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
Yeeeeaaahhh boiiiii!!!!
Some popular hits, but it kind of ran together for me.
What does flava flav do even? I’m not complaining but really?
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.
Between 3 and 4 on this, but probably won’t come back to it, so rounded down.