Public Enemy | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Public Enemy rewrote the rules of hip-hop, becoming the most influential and controversial rap group of the late 80s and, for many, the definitive rap group of all time. Building from Run-D.M.C.s street-oriented beats and Boogie Down Productions proto-gangsta rhyming, Public Enemy pioneered a variation of hardcore rap that was musically and politically revolutionary. With his powerful, authoritative baritone, lead rapper Chuck D rhymed about all kinds of social problems, particularly those plaguing the black community, often condoning revolutionary tactics and social activism. In the process, he directed hip-hop toward an explicitly self-aware, pro-black consciousness that became the cultures signature throughout the next decade. While Public Enemys early Def Jam albums, produced with the Bomb Squad, earned them a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they continued to release relevant material up to and beyond their 2013 induction. Musically, Public Enemy were just as revolutionary, as their production team, the Bomb Squad, created dense soundscapes that relied on avant-garde cut-and-paste techniques, unrecognizable samples, piercing sirens, relentless beats, and deep funk. It was chaotic and invigorating music, made all the more intoxicating by Chuck Ds forceful vocals and the absurdist raps of his comic foil, Flavor Flav. With his comic sunglasses and an oversized clock hanging from his neck, Flav became the groups visual focal point, but he never obscured the music. While rap and rock critics embraced the groups late-80s and early-90s records, Public Enemy frequently ran into controversy with their militant stance and lyrics, especially after their 1988 album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back made them into celebrities. After all the controversy settled in the early 90s, once the group entered a hiatus, it became clear that Public Enemy were the most influential and radical band of their time. Chuck D (born Carlton Ridenhour, August 1, 1960) formed Public Enemy in 1982, as he was studying graphic design at Adelphi University on Long Island. He had been DJing at the student radio station WBAU, where he met Hank Shocklee and Bill Stephney. All three shared a love of hip-hop and politics, which made them close friends. Shocklee had been assembling hip-hop demo tapes, and Ridenhour rapped over one song, "Public Enemy No. 1," around the same time he began appearing on Stephneys radio show under the Chuckie D pseudonym. Def Jam co-founder and producer Rick Rubin heard a tape of "Public Enemy No. 1" and immediately courted Ridenhour in hopes of signing him to his fledgling label. Chuck D initially was reluctant, but he eventually developed a concept for a literally revolutionary hip-hop group -- one that would be driven by sonically extreme productions and socially revolutionary politics. Enlisting Shocklee as his chief producer and Stephney as a publicist, Chuck D formed a crew with DJ Terminator X (born Norman Lee Rogers, August 25, 1966) and fellow Nation of Islam member Professor Griff (born Richard Griffin) as the choreographer of the groups backup dancers, the Security of the First World, who performed homages to old Stax and Motown dancers with their martial moves and fake Uzis. He also asked his old friend William Drayton (born March 16, 1959) to join as a fellow rapper. Drayton developed an alter ego called Flavor Flav, who functioned as a court jester to Chuck Ds booming voice and somber rhymes in Public Enemy. Public Enemys debut album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, was released on Def Jam Records in 1987. Its spare beats and powerful rhetoric were acclaimed by hip-hop critics and aficionados, but the record was ignored by the rock and R&B; mainstream. However, their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, was impossible to ignore. Under Shocklees direction, PEs production team, the Bomb Squad, developed a dense, chaotic mix that relied as much on found sounds and avant-garde noise as it did on old-school funk. Similarly, Chuck Ds rhetoric gained focus and Flavor Flavs raps were wilder and funnier. A Nation of Millions was hailed as revolutionary by both rap and rock critics, and it was -- hip-hop had suddenly become a force for social change. As Public Enemys profile was raised, they opened themselves up to controversy. In a notorious statement, Chuck D claimed that rap was "the black CNN," relating what was happening in the inner city in a way that mainstream media could not project. Public Enemys lyrics were naturally dissected in the wake of such a statement, and many critics were uncomfortable with the positive endorsement of black Muslim leader Louis Farrakhan on "Bring the Noise." "Fight the Power," Public Enemys theme for Spike Lees controversial 1989 film Do the Right Thing, also caused an uproar for its attacks on Elvis Presley and John Wayne, but that was considerably overshadowed by an interview Professor Griff gave The Washington Times that summer. Griff had previously said anti-Semitic remarks on-stage, but his quotation that Jews were responsible for "the majority of the wickedness that goes on across the globe" was greeted with shock and outrage, especially by white critics who previously embraced the group. Faced with a major crisis, Chuck D faltered. First he fired Griff, then brought him back, then broke up the group entirely. Griff gave one more interview where he attacked Chuck D and PE, which led to his permanent departure from the group. Public Enemy spent the remainder of 1989 preparing their third album, releasing "Welcome to the Terrordome" as its first single in early 1990. Again, the hit single caused controversy as its lyrics "still they got me like Jesus" were labeled anti-Semitic by some quarters. Despite all the controversy, Fear of a Black Planet was released to enthusiastic reviews in the spring of 1990, and it shot into the pop Top Ten as the singles "911 Is a Joke," "Brothers Gonna Work It Out," and "Cant Do Nuttin for Ya Man" became Top 40 R&B; hits. For their next album, 1991s Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black, the group re-recorded "Bring the Noise" with thrash metal band Anthrax, the first sign that the group was trying to consolidate its white audience. Apocalypse 91 was greeted with overwhelmingly positive reviews upon its fall release, and it debuted at number four on the pop charts, but Public Enemy began to lose momentum in 1992 as they toured with the second leg of U2s Zoo TV tour and Flavor Flav was repeatedly in trouble with the law. In the fall of 1992, they released the remix collection Greatest Misses as an attempt to keep their name viable, but it was greeted to nasty reviews. Public Enemy were on hiatus during 1993, as Flav attempted to wean himself off drugs, returning in the summer of 1994 with Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age. Prior to its release, it was subjected to exceedingly negative reviews in Rolling Stone and The Source, which affected the perception of the album considerably. Muse Sick debuted at number 14, but it quickly fell off the charts as it failed to generate any singles. Chuck D retired Public Enemy from touring in 1995 as he severed ties with Def Jam, developed his own record label and publishing company, and attempted to rethink Public Enemy. In 1996, he released his first debut album, The Autobiography of Mistachuck. As it was released in the fall, he announced that he planned to record a new Public Enemy album the following year. Before that record was made, Chuck D published an autobiography in the fall of 1997. During 1997, Chuck D reassembled the original Bomb Squad and began work on three albums. In the spring of 1998, Public Enemy kicked off their major comeback with their soundtrack to Spike Lees He Got Game, which was played more like a proper album than a soundtrack. Upon its April 1998 release, the record received the strongest reviews of any Public Enemy album since Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black. After Def Jam refused to help Chuck Ds attempts to bring PEs music straight to the masses via the Internet, he signed the group to the web-savvy independent Atomic Pop. Before the retail release of Public Enemys seventh LP, Theres a Poison Goin On..., the label made MP3 files of the album available on the Internet. It finally appeared in stores in July 1999. After a three-year break from recording and a switch to the In the Paint label, Public Enemy released Revolverlution, a mix of new tracks, remixes, and live cuts. The CD/DVD combo It Takes a Nation appeared in 2005. The multimedia package contained an hour-long video of the band live in London in 1987 and a CD with rare remixes. The studio album New Whirl Odor also appeared in 2005. The "special projects" album Rebirth of a Nation -- an album with all rhymes written by Bay Area rapper Paris -- was supposed to be released right along with it, but didnt appear until early the next year. The odds-and-ends collection Beats and Places appeared before the end of 2006. Featuring the single "Harder Than You Think," How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul??? arrived in the summer of 2007. Public Enemy then entered a relatively quiet phase, at least in terms of recording, releasing only the 2011 remix and rarities compilation Beats and Places in the next five years. Then, the group came back in a big way in 2012, releasing two new full-length albums: the summers Most of My Heroes Still Dont Appear on No Stamp and the falls Evil Empire of Everything. Public Enemy also toured extensively throughout 2012 and into 2013. Their second and third albums were reissued as deluxe editions the following year. In the summer of 2015, the group released its 13th studio album, Man Plans God Laughs; not long afterward, Def Jam released the concert set Live from Metropolis Studios. Chuck D joined a supergroup called Prophets of Rage (named after the PE song), debuting a live set in June 2016 with three-fourths of Rage Against the Machine and Cypress Hills B-Real. In 2017, PE celebrated the 30th anniversary of their debut album with Nothing Is Quick in the Desert, a free self-released full-length. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 33 Title: Yo! Bum Rush the Show Released: 1987-02-10 Tracks: 12 Duration: 46:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Youre Gonna Get Yours (04:04) 2 Sophisticated Bitch (04:30) 3 Miuzi Weighs a Ton (05:44) 4 Timebomb (02:54) 5 Too Much Posse (02:25) 6 Rightstarter (Message to a Black Man) (03:48) 7 Public Enemy No.1 (04:41) 8 M.P.E. (03:44) 9 Yo! Bum Rush the Show (04:25) 10 Raise the Roof (05:18) 11 Megablast (02:51) 12 Terminator X Speaks With His Hands (02:13) |
| Yo! Bum Rush the Show : Allmusic album Review : Sometimes, debut albums present an artist in full bloom, with an assured grasp on their sound and message. Sometimes, debut albums are nothing but promise, pointing toward what the artist could do. Public Enemys gripping first album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, manages to fill both categories: its an expert, fully realized record of extraordinary power, but it pales in comparison with what came merely a year later. This is very much a Rick Rubin-directed production, kicking heavy guitars toward the front, honing the loops, rhythms, and samples into a roar with as much in common with rock as rap. The Bomb Squad are apparent, but theyre in nascent stage -- certain sounds and ideas that would later become trademarks bubble underneath the surface. And the same thing could be said for Chuck D, whose searing, structured rhymes and revolutionary ideas are still being formed. This is still the sound of a group comfortable rocking the neighborhood, but not yet ready to enter the larger national stage. But, damn if they dont sound like theyve already conquered the world! Already, there is a tangible, physical excitement to the music, something that hits the gut with relentless force, as the mind races to keep up with Chucks relentless rhymes or Flavor Flavs spastic outbursts. And if there doesnt seem to be as many classics here -- "Youre Gonna Get Yours," "Miuzi Weighs a Ton," "Public Enemy No. 1" -- thats only in comparison to what came later, since by any other artist an album this furious, visceral, and exciting would unquestionably be heralded as a classic. From Public Enemy, this is simply a shade under classic status. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 33 Title: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Released: 1988 Tracks: 16 Duration: 57:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Countdown to Armageddon (01:40) 2 Bring the Noise (03:45) 3 Don’t Believe the Hype (05:19) 4 Cold Lampin With Flavor (04:17) 5 Terminator X to the Edge of Panic (04:31) 6 Mind Terrorist (01:20) 7 Louder Than a Bomb (03:38) 8 Caught, Can We Get a Witness (04:53) 9 Show Em Whatcha Got (01:56) 10 She Watch Channel Zero?! (03:49) 11 Night of the Living Baseheads (03:14) 12 Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (06:23) 13 Security of the First World (01:20) 14 Rebel Without a Pause (05:02) 15 Prophets of Rage (03:18) 16 Party for Your Right to Fight (03:25) |
| It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back : Allmusic album Review : Yo! Bum Rush the Show was an invigorating record, but it looks like childs play compared to its monumental sequel, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, a record that rewrote the rules of what hip-hop could do. Thats not to say the album is without precedent, since whats particularly ingenious about the album is how it reconfigures things that came before into a startling, fresh, modern sound. Public Enemy used the template Run-D.M.C. created of a rap crew as a rock band, then brought in elements of free jazz, hard funk, even musique concrète, via their producing team, the Bomb Squad, creating a dense, ferocious sound unlike anything that came before. This coincided with a breakthrough in Chuck Ds writing, both in his themes and lyrics. Its not that Chuck D was smarter or more ambitious than his contemporaries -- certainly, KRS-One tackled many similar sociopolitical tracts, while Rakim had a greater flow -- but he marshaled considerable revolutionary force, clear vision, and a boundless vocabulary to create galvanizing, logical arguments that were undeniable in their strength. They only gained strength from Flavor Flavs frenzied jokes, which provided a needed contrast. Whats amazing is how the words and music become intertwined, gaining strength from each other. Though this music is certainly a representation of its time, it hasnt dated at all. It set a standard that few could touch then, and even fewer have attempted to meet since. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 33 Title: Fear of a Black Planet Released: 1990-03-20 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:03:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Contract on the World Love Jam (01:44) 2 Brothers Gonna Work It Out (05:07) 3 911 Is a Joke (03:17) 4 Incident at 66.6 FM (01:37) 5 Welcome to the Terrordome (05:25) 6 Meet the G That Killed Me (00:44) 7 Pollywanacraka (04:13) 8 Anti‐Nigger Machine (02:39) 9 Burn Hollywood Burn (03:04) 10 Power to the People (03:48) 11 Who Stole the Soul? (03:52) 12 Fear of a Black Planet (03:42) 13 Revolutionary Generation (05:43) 14 Can’t Do Nuttin’ for Ya Man (02:46) 15 Reggie Jax (01:35) 16 Leave This Off Your Fuckin’ Charts (02:31) 17 B Side Wins Again (03:45) 18 War at 33⅓ (02:07) 19 Final Count of the Collision Between Us and the Damned (00:48) 20 Fight the Power (edited album version) (04:42) |
| Fear of a Black Planet : Allmusic album Review : At the time of its release in March 1990 -- just a mere two years after It Takes a Nation of Millions -- nearly all of the attention spent on Public Enemys third album, Fear of a Black Planet, was concentrated on the dying controversy over Professor Griffs anti-Semitic statements of 1989, and how leader Chuck D bungled the public relations regarding his dismissal. References to the controversy are scattered throughout the album -- and it fueled the incendiary lead single, "Welcome to the Terrordome" -- but years later, after the furor has died down, what remains is a remarkable piece of modern art, a record that ushered in the 90s in a hail of multiculturalism and kaleidoscopic confusion. It also easily stands as the Bomb Squads finest musical moment. Where Millions was all about aggression -- layered aggression, but aggression nonetheless -- Fear of a Black Planet encompasses everything, touching on seductive grooves, relentless beats, hard funk, and dub reggae without blinking an eye. All the more impressive is that this is one of the records made during the golden age of sampling, before legal limits were set on sampling, so this is a wild, endlessly layered record filled with familiar sounds you cant place; its nearly as heady as the Beastie Boys magnum opus, Pauls Boutique, in how it pulls from anonymous and familiar sources to create something totally original and modern. While the Bomb Squad were casting a wider net, Chuck Ds writing was tighter than ever, with each track tackling a specific topic (apart from the aforementioned "Welcome to the Terrordome," whose careening rhymes and paranoid confusion are all the more effective when surrounded by such detailed arguments), a sentiment that spills over to Flavor Flav, who delivers the pungent black humor of "911 Is a Joke," perhaps the best-known song here. Chuck gets himself into trouble here and there -- most notoriously on "Meet the G That Killed Me," where he skirts with homophobia -- but by and large, hes never been so eloquent, angry, or persuasive as he is here. This isnt as revolutionary or as potent as Millions, but it holds together better, and as a piece of music, this is the best hip-hop has ever had to offer. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 33 Title: Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black Released: 1991-10-01 Tracks: 14 Duration: 51:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lost at Birth (03:49) 2 Rebirth (00:59) 3 Nighttrain (03:27) 4 Can’t Truss It (05:21) 5 I Dont Wanna Be Called Yo Niga (04:23) 6 How to Kill a Radio Consultant (03:09) 7 By the Time I Get to Arizona (04:48) 8 Move! (04:59) 9 1 Million Bottlebags (04:06) 10 More News At 11 (02:39) 11 Shut Em Down (05:04) 12 A Letter to the New York Post (02:45) 13 Get the F--- Outta Dodge (02:37) 14 Bring tha Noize (03:47) |
| Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black : Allmusic album Review : Coming down after the twin high-water marks of It Takes a Nation of Millions and Fear of a Black Planet, Public Enemy shifted strategy a bit for their fourth album, Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black. By and large, they abandon the rich, dense musicality of Planet, shifting toward a sleek, relentless, aggressive attack -- Yo! Bum Rush the Show by way of the lessons learned from Millions. This is surely a partial reaction to their status as the Great Black Hope of rock & roll; they had been embraced by a white audience almost in greater numbers than black, leading toward rap-rock crossovers epitomized by this albums leaden, pointless remake of "Bring the Noise" as a duet with thrash metallurgists Anthrax. It also signals the biggest change here -- the transition of the Bomb Squad to executive-producer status, leaving a great majority of the production to their disciples, the Imperial Grand Ministers of Funk. This isnt a great change, since the Public Enemy sound has firmly been established, giving the new producers a template to work with, but it is a notable change, one that results in a record with a similar sound but a different feel: a harder, angrier, determined sound, one that takes its cues from the furious anger surging through Chuck Ds sociopolitical screeds. And this is surely PEs most political effort, surpassing Millions through the use of focused, targeted anger, a tactic evident on Planet. Yet it was buried there, due to the seductiveness of the music. Here, everything is on the surface, with the bluntness of the music hammering home the message. Arriving after two records where the words and music were equally labyrinthine, folding back on each other in dizzying, intoxicating ways, it is a bit of a letdown to have Apocalypse be so direct, but there is no denying that the end result is still thrilling and satisfying, and remains one of the great records of the golden age of hip-hop. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 33 Title: Greatest Misses Released: 1992 Tracks: 13 Duration: 55:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tie Goes to the Runner (04:17) 2 Hit da Road Jack (04:01) 3 Gett Off My Back (04:52) 4 Gotta Do What I Gotta Do (04:44) 5 Air Hoodlum (03:44) 6 Hazy Shade of Criminal (04:54) 7 Megablast (The Madd Skillz Bass Pipe Gett Off remixx) (03:00) 8 Louder Than a Bomb (JMJ Telephone Tap Groove) (03:36) 9 You’re Gonna Get Yours (Reanimated TX Getaway version) (04:10) 10 How to Kill a Radio Consultant (The DJ Chuck Chillout Mega Murder Boom) (04:03) 11 Who Stole the Soul? (Sir Jinx Stolen Souled Out Reparation mixx) (03:38) 12 Party for Your Right to Fight (Blak Wax Metromixx) (05:52) 13 Shut Em Down (live in the UK) (04:46) |
| Greatest Misses : Allmusic album Review : It would be unfair to say that 1992s Greatest Misses is where it all began to go wrong for Public Enemy, but it wouldnt be entirely inaccurate. Following Apocalypse 91 by a little less than a year, the album is a jumble of six new songs and six remixes, with a live cut added as a bonus track -- a sure sign that the group was either finding a way to buy time or didnt quite have the energy to finish a full album. The resulting record doesnt indicate which answer is better, which is part of the problem: It never quite comes into focus, which is a startling change in course from a crew who, prior to this, never took an unsure step with their recordings. That lack of direction is what really hurts the record, since it seeps into not just the superfluous remixes (many waterlogged with introductory hot-button talk-show samples), but also the new material. Here, the Bomb Squad and their legions of co-producers -- most prominently the Imperial Grand Ministers of Funk, but also Dr. Treble n Mr. Bass -- sound restrained as they try to move PE away from their signature sonic assault and into newer, soulful territory. To a certain extent, it works on "Hit da Road Jack," but when the Parliament allusions are hauled out on this albums obligatory Flavor Flav showcase, "Gett off My Back," for the first time Public Enemy sound like followers, not leaders. This trouble is compounded by the fact that the tracks where they sound the most comfortable -- "Tie Goes to the Runner," the basketball saga "Air Hoodlum," and the records best track, "Hazy Shade of Criminal" -- are the ones that sound closest to the bands classic sound, which, at that point, was beginning to sound outdated as hip-hop became ensconced in gangsta. In retrospect, it sounds better -- still not among their best material, but solid genre material nonetheless, with the aforementioned songs (apart from "Gett off My Back") all being satisfying within the sound that PE has developed, even if its not among their best work. So, Greatest Misses is not the outright disaster that it seemed at the time, but neither is it a lost treasure, since its just too damn diffuse to be something worthwhile for anyone outside of the dedicated. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 33 Title: Singles n’ Remixes 1987–1992 Released: 1992 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:10:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Public Enemy No. 1 (04:43) 2 You’re Gonna Get Yours (04:06) 3 Rebel Without a Pause (05:04) 4 Bring the Noise (No Noise version) (03:46) 5 Don’t Believe the Hype (05:19) 6 Night of the Living Baseheads (Anti‐High Blood Pressure Encounter mix) (05:01) 7 Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (06:05) 8 Fight the Power (04:42) 9 Welcome to the Terrordome (05:28) 10 911 Is a Joke (03:19) 11 Brother’s Gonna Work It Out (remix) (05:54) 12 Can’t Do Nuttin’ for Ya Man (U.K. 12″ Power mix) (04:06) 13 Bring tha Noize (03:49) 14 Can’t Truss It (Goree Island Conga radio mix) (03:54) 15 Shut Em Down (PE‐te Rock Mixx) (04:41) |
 | Album: 7 of 33 Title: Muse Sick‐N‐Hour Mess Age Released: 1994-08-23 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:10:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Whole Lotta Love Goin on in the Middle of Hell (03:14) 2 Theatrical Parts (00:29) 3 Give It Up (04:32) 4 What Side You On? (04:07) 5 Bedlam 13:13 (04:07) 6 Stop in the Name... (01:21) 7 What Kind of Power We Got? (05:30) 8 So Whatcha Gone Do Now? (04:41) 9 White Heaven / Black Hell (01:07) 10 Race Against Time (03:21) 11 They Used to Call It Dope (00:30) 12 Aintnuttin Buttersong (04:28) 13 Live and Undrugged, Pt. 1 & 2 (05:56) 14 Thin Line Between Law & Rape (04:42) 15 I Ain’t Mad at All (03:23) 16 I Stand Accused (04:25) 17 Godd Complexx (03:40) 18 Hitler Day (04:27) 19 Harry Allen’s Interactive Super Highway Phone Call to Chuck D (02:55) 20 Living in a Zoo A (remix) (03:39) |
| Muse Sick‐N‐Hour Mess Age : Allmusic album Review : If Greatest Misses was viewed as a temporary stumble upon its release in 1992, Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age was viewed as proof positive that Public Enemy was creatively bankrupt and washed up when it appeared in 1994. By and large, it was savaged in the press, most notably in a two-star pan by Touré in Rolling Stone, whose review still irked PE leader Chuck D years later. In retrospect, its hard not to agree with Chucks anger, since Muse Sick is hardly the disaster it was painted at the time. In fact, its a thoroughly enjoyable, powerful album, one that is certainly not as visionary as the groups first four records, but is as musically satisfying. Its greatest crime is that it arrived at a time when so few were interested in not just Public Enemy, but what the group represents -- namely, aggressive, uncompromising, noisy political rap thats unafraid, and places as much emphasis on soundscape as it does on groove. In 1994, hip-hop was immersed in gangsta murk (the Wu-Tang Clans visionary 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang, was only beginning to break the stranglehold of G-funk), and nobody cared to hear Public Enemys unapologetic music, particularly since it made no concessions to the fads and trends of the times. Based solely on the sound, Muse Sick, in fact, could have appeared in 1991 as the sequel to Fear of a Black Planet, and even if it doesnt have the glorious highs of Apocalypse 91, it is arguably a more cohesive listen, with a greater sense of purpose and more consistent material than that record. But, timing does count for something, and Apocalypse did arrive when the group was not just at the peak of their powers, but at the peak of their hold on the public imagination, two things that cannot be discounted when considering the impact of an album. This record, in contrast, stands outside of time, sounding better as the years have passed, because when its separated from fashion and trends, its revealed as a damn good Public Enemy record. True, it doesnt offer anything new, but it offers a uniformly satisfying listen and it has stood the test of time better than many records that elbowed it off the charts and out of public consciousness during that bleak summer of 1994. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 33 Title: He Got Game Released: 1998-04-28 Tracks: 13 Duration: 48:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Resurrection (04:20) 2 He Got Game (04:45) 3 Unstoppable (03:14) 4 Shake Your Booty (03:45) 5 Is Your God a Dog (05:08) 6 House of the Rising Son (03:16) 7 Revelation 33 1/3 Revolutions (04:11) 8 Game Face (03:17) 9 Politics of the Sneaker Pimps (03:16) 10 What You Need Is Jesus (03:29) 11 Super Agent (03:35) 12 Go Cat Go (03:48) 13 Sudden Death (Interlude) (02:04) |
| He Got Game : Allmusic album Review : Nominally a soundtrack to Spike Lees basketball drama, but in reality more of an individual album, He Got Game appeared in 1998, just the second Public Enemy album since 1991s Apocalypse 91. Even though Chuck D was pushing 40, the late 90s were friendlier to PEs noisy, claustrophobic hip-hop than the mid-90s, largely because hip-hop terrorists like the Wu-Tang Clan, Jeru the Damaja, and DJ Shadow were bringing the music back to its roots. PE followed in their path, stripping away the sonic blitzkrieg that was the Bomb Squads trademark and leaving behind skeletal rhythm tracks, simple loops, and basslines. Taking on the Wu at their own game -- and, if you think about it, Puff Daddy as well, since the simple, repetitive loop of Buffalo Springfields "For What Its Worth" on the title track was nothing more than a brazenly successful one-upmanship of Puffs shameless thievery -- didnt hurt the groups credibility, since they did it well. Listen to the circular, menacing synth lines of the opening "Resurrection" or the scratching strings on "Unstoppable" and its clear that Public Enemy could compete with the most innovative artists in the younger generation, while "Is Your God a Dog" and "Politics of the Sneaker Pimps" proved that they could draw their own rules. That said, He Got Game simply lacked the excitement and thrill of prime period PE -- Chuck D, Terminator X, and the Bomb Squad were seasoned, experienced craftsmen, and it showed, for better and worse. They could craft a solid comeback like He Got Game, but no matter how enjoyable and even thought-provoking the album was, that doesnt mean its where youll turn when you want to hear Public Enemy. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 33 Title: There’s a Poison Goin On… Released: 1999-07-19 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:12:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Dark Side of the Wall: 2000 (01:35) 2 Do You Wanna Go Our Way??? (03:54) 3 LSD (03:27) 4 Here I Go (03:03) 5 41:19 (04:18) 6 Crash (03:46) 7 Crayola (03:27) 8 First the Sheep Next the Shepherd? (03:15) 9 World Tour Sessions (04:25) 10 Last Mass of the Cabelleros (03:54) 11 I (04:28) 12 What What (05:00) 13 Kervorkian (02:35) 14 Swindlers Lust (05:13) 15 Do You Wanna Go Our Way??? (Nextmen UK mix) (04:18) 16 Here I Go (commissioned mix: DJ Johnny Juice Vacation in Vietnam Florida mix) (03:20) 17 World Tour Sessions (G Wiz Black Planet Tour mix) (03:35) 18 I (Eye for an Eye mix) (05:43) 19 Kill ’em Live (03:26) |
| There’s a Poison Goin On… : Allmusic album Review : Opening with a sonic collage straight out of Fear of a Black Planet, Theres a Poison Goin On.... comes out of the gates sounding like classic Public Enemy, which is exactly what Public Enemy intended, since their slight sonic change-up on He Got Game didnt result in a hit. In a way, PEs feud with Def Jam over downloadable MP3 music was a good thing, since it brought them media attention, which is rare for a veteran hip-hop band. Such increased exposure also brought a minor controversy over "Swindlers Lust," which some perceived as anti-Semitic, but this outrage was isolated because Public Enemy was now at the margins of hip-hop. They were no longer considered cutting-edge, and younger kids never picked up their records, so the only place for this controversy to reside was among the rock critics and aging fans who remembered when It Takes a Nation of Millions changed the world ten years prior. Chuck D must have known that they would be the only ones paying attention to the album, since it consciously copies PEs past and never really breaks from that blueprint. In some respects, thats a disappointment, since He Got Game showed that PE could subtly incorporate modern hip-hop and do it better than some modern acts. But Theres a Poison Goin On.... is nevertheless a strong album, even if it is doggedly classicist. Its also dogmatic, with Chuck preaching to the converted about the evils of the record industry and conformity in hip-hop, which does become a little trying by the end of the record. But he delivers lyrically and PE delivers musically, in a manner thats entirely familiar to fans of Public Enemy, offering a solid continuation of Apocalypse 91. Ultimately, its their most satisfying record in several years -- which is a subtle difference that only the converted will notice. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 33 Title: Classic Public Enemy Released: 2001 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:05:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Welcome to the Terrordome (05:25) 2 911 Is a Joke (03:17) 3 Bring the Noise (03:45) 4 Don’t Believe the Hype (05:19) 5 Give It Up (04:31) 6 Shut Em Down (04:27) 7 Fight the Power (edited album version) (04:42) 8 By the Time I Get to Arizona (04:48) 9 Night of the Living Baseheads (03:14) 10 Nighttrain (03:27) 11 Louder Than a Bomb (03:38) 12 Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (06:23) 13 Prophets of Rage (03:18) 14 Rebel Without a Pause (05:02) 15 Bring tha Noize (03:47) |
 | Album: 11 of 33 Title: The Best Of: The Millennium Collection Released: 2001-06-19 Tracks: 11 Duration: 46:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Welcome to the Terrordome (05:25) 2 911 Is a Joke (03:17) 3 Bring the Noise (03:45) 4 Don’t Believe the Hype (05:19) 5 Give It Up (04:43) 6 Shut Em Down (album version) (04:25) 7 Fight the Power (edited album version) (04:42) 8 By the Time I Get to Arizona (04:48) 9 Night of the Living Baseheads (03:14) 10 Nighttrain (03:27) 11 Bring tha Noize (03:47) |
 | Album: 12 of 33 Title: 2 Original CDs: Yo! Bum Rush the Show / It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Released: 2001-09-03 Tracks: 12 Duration: 46:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Youre Gonna Get Yours (04:04) 2 Sophisticated Bitch (04:30) 3 Miuzi Weighs a Ton (05:44) 4 Timebomb (02:54) 5 Too Much Posse (02:25) 6 Rightstarter (Message to a Black Man) (03:48) 7 Public Enemy No.1 (04:41) 8 M.P.E. (03:44) 9 Yo! Bum Rush the Show (04:25) 10 Raise the Roof (05:18) 11 Megablast (02:51) 12 Terminator X Speaks With His Hands (02:13) |
 | Album: 13 of 33 Title: 3 Original CDs: Yo! Bum Rush the Show / It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back / Fear of a Black Planet Released: 2001-09-03 Tracks: 32 Duration: 1:49:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Youre Gonna Get Yours (04:04) 2 Sophisticated Bitch (04:30) 3 Miuzi Weighs a Ton (05:44) 4 Timebomb (02:54) 5 Too Much Posse (02:25) 6 Rightstarter (Message to a Black Man) (03:48) 7 Public Enemy No.1 (04:41) 8 M.P.E. (03:44) 9 Yo! Bum Rush the Show (04:25) 10 Raise the Roof (05:18) 11 Megablast (02:51) 12 Terminator X Speaks With His Hands (02:13) 1 Contract on the World Love Jam (01:44) 2 Brothers Gonna Work It Out (05:07) 3 911 Is a Joke (03:17) 4 Incident at 66.6 FM (01:37) 5 Welcome to the Terrordome (05:25) 6 Meet the G That Killed Me (00:44) 7 Pollywanacraka (03:52) 8 Anti‐Nigger Machine (03:17) 9 Burn Hollywood Burn (02:47) 10 Power to the People (03:48) 11 Who Stole the Soul? (03:52) 12 Fear of a Black Planet (03:42) 13 Revolutionary Generation (05:43) 14 Can’t Do Nuttin’ for Ya Man (02:46) 15 Reggie Jax (01:35) 16 Leave This Off Your Fuckin’ Charts (02:31) 17 B Side Wins Again (03:45) 18 War at 33⅓ (02:07) 19 Final Count of the Collision Between Us and the Damned (00:48) 20 Fight the Power (edited album version) (04:42) |
 | Album: 14 of 33 Title: Times Up! 20 Classic PE Jams from the Vaults.. Released: 2002 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:19:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Public Enemy no.1 (04:40) 2 Timebomb (02:54) 3 Miuzi Weighs a Ton (03:59) 4 Rebel Without a Pause (04:23) 5 Don’t Believe the Hype (05:19) 6 Bring the Noise (03:38) 7 Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (03:42) 8 Night of the Living Baseheads (03:01) 9 Cold Lamping With Flavor (04:09) 10 Welcome to the Terrordome (05:24) 11 911 Is a Joke (03:20) 12 Brothers Gonna Work It Out (05:07) 13 By the Time I Get to Arizona (03:59) 14 Fight the Power (03:37) 15 Anti Nigger Machine (01:57) 16 Can’t Truss It (04:13) 17 Shut Em Down (04:20) 18 Give It Up (04:40) 19 He Got Game (03:17) 20 Do You Wanna Go Our Way??? (03:54) |
 | Album: 15 of 33 Title: Revolverlution Released: 2002-07-23 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:14:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Gotta Give the Peeps What They Need (03:32) 2 Revolverlution (03:01) 3 Miuzi Weighs a Ton (live San Francisco 1999-10-21) (01:47) 4 Put It Up (03:11) 5 Can a Woman Make a Man Lose His Mind? (03:34) 6 PESA #1 (00:21) 7 Fight the Power (live Winterthur Switzerland 1992) (03:55) 8 By the Time I Get to Arizona (The Moleman Mixx) (03:57) 9 Post‐Concert Arizona Interview (U2 Zoo Tour) (01:03) 10 Son of a Bush (05:52) 11 54321… Boom (03:37) 12 Welcome to the Terrordome (live Winterthur Switzerland 1992) (03:38) 13 B Side Wins Again (Scattershot remix) (04:54) 14 Get Your Shit Together (04:47) 15 PESA #2 (00:30) 16 Shut Em Down (The Functionist version) (05:28) 17 Now Adaze (03:25) 18 Public Enemy No. 1 (Jeronimo Punx Redu) (04:48) 19 The Making of Burn Hollywood Burn (02:46) 20 Gotta Give the Peeps What They Need (DJ Johnny Juice - Paris Revolverlutionary mix) (03:30) 21 What Good Is a Bomb (06:17) |
| Revolverlution : Allmusic album Review : They may go in and out of fashion, fall out of critical favor, have comebacks and slumps, but even at their worst, the truly great artists have flashes where their brilliance shines through. Public Enemy is one of those bands. When they released Revolverlution in 2002, they had been out of favor for a full decade, and throughout that time in the wilderness, the band fluctuated between brilliance (He Got Game) and unfocused meandering (Muse Sick), but the one constant remained -- even when they were bad, it was a thrill to hear them, especially Chuck D, whose voice is one of those intangible, transcendent thrills in all of popular music; its as magical and undefinable as John Coltranes sheets of sound, Jeff Becks head-spinning guitar, Duke Ellingtons piano, Frank Sinatra or Hank Williams singing, Keith Richards open-G chords -- no matter the quality of the material at hand, its worth listening just to hear him rap. That was true when the Bomb Squad was producing PE, but, as subsequent recordings have proved, Chuck and PE could still sound shatteringly good without them. True, they built on that sound, but they did find ways to expand it, and, unlike their peers and many new artists, they were restless, not afraid of falling on their face by trying something new. Indeed, Chuck D made a point of trying something new, as he says in the liner notes for Revolverlution. Given the state of the industry and hip-hop, hes decided that theres no reason for Public Enemy to release a new album unless it covered uncharted territory. Unlike many veteran artists, hes acutely aware that new product directly competes with the bands classic albums, and that the new audience has changed, looking for individual tracks instead of full-fledged, cohesive albums -- and that might mean that they want killer new songs, live tracks, contemporary remixes, old remixes, whatever sounds good. So, Revolverlution is an attempt to craft a record along those lines. Cohesion has been thrown out the window in favor of new tunes, live tracks from 1992, new remixes by fans, remixes of songs debuted on this album, PSAs, and interviews -- the kind of album youd burn if you spent some time on a really good artists MP3 site. Theres a bunch of good stuff here, whether its new stuff ("Gotta Give the Peeps What They Need," the title track, the fiercely political "Son of a Bush," and "Get Your Sh*t Together"), remixes or archival material (great live versions of "Fight the Power" and "Welcome to the Terrordome"), along with collector-bait interview snippets that dont amount to much. But, theres a lot to be said for old-fashioned, cohesive albums -- they keep a consistent tone and message, delivering an album that felt unified, and thereby easier to listen to at length. This is deliberately the opposite of that kind of record, which is an admirable artistic move, but it does make the album feel like a bewildering hodge-podge, even after you understand the intent behind the entire thing. Even so, its a worthwhile listen because, no matter what, it is still a thrill to hear Public Enemy. They might not be hip, theyre not as innovative as they used to be, but they still make very good, even great music, and thats evident on Revolverlution. If only it were presented better. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 33 Title: Rebirth of a Nation Released: 2005 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:05:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Raw Shit (04:16) 2 Hard Rhymin’ (04:41) 3 Rise (04:08) 4 Can’t Hold Us Back (05:07) 5 Hard Truth Soldiers (04:18) 6 Hannibal Lecture (03:50) 7 Rebirth of a Nation (03:27) 8 Pump the Music, Pump the Sound (02:28) 9 Make It Hardcore (05:16) 10 They Call Me Flavor (03:09) 11 Plastic Nation (03:03) 12 Coinsequences (04:19) 13 Invisible Man (04:28) 14 Hell No (We Ain’t Alright) (Paris remix) (04:31) 15 Watch the Door (03:35) 16 Field Nigga Boogie (XLR8R remix) (05:10) |
| Rebirth of a Nation : Allmusic album Review : If the title of Rebirth of a Nation consciously recalls the title of Public Enemys 1988 masterwork, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, that shouldnt be taken as indication that the music on Rebirth is a revival of the dense sound of Nation as masterminded by the Bomb Squad. Nevertheless, Rebirth is certainly a throwback to the sound of the golden age, when hardcore rap was not defined solely by the sonics or subjects of gangsta rap, and thats a deliberate move on PEs part -- they want to re-create the sound of the time, but not the sound that was identified with them, and in order to do that theyve entered into a full-fledged collaboration with Paris, who produced and wrote all of Rebirth of a Nation. This is the first time that Chuck D did not have a hand in writing either the music or the words on a Public Enemy album (he did write some verses on four songs on the record), which is initially disarming, since hes always been the sound and vision of PE. But he explains the project clearly in his liner notes, comparing the album to Muddy Waters psychedelicized blues on Electric Mud -- Muddy may have been reluctant to work in a rock setting, but it was an artistic challenge, and Chuck wanted Public Enemy to take the same kind of risk. Even if all PE fans may not be pleased with the results, Rebirth of a Nation isnt nearly as divisive as Electric Mud -- Paris to Public Enemy isnt as big a stretch as Chicago blues to psychedelia, after all, and they have an audience more willing to go along with change, which this certainly is. But change is often welcome for artists, nowhere more so than for PE, whose last album, New Whirl Odor, was their first to feel truly tired, something that Rebirth can not be called. Not that its especially daring sonically -- Paris did construct this as a self-consciously old-school record, dropping in samples of old PE records and adhering to the sound of 1990 -- but the group, particularly Chuck D, sounds engaged by the project, which at the very least makes for a listen thats more gripping than its immediate predecessor. And if the sound of the record is a throwback, Paris subjects are nervy and politically charged, directly addressing the state of the world in a way few records do in 2006. All of this makes Rebirth of a Nation an admirable effort -- perhaps the music gets a little monochromatic, but thats merely a byproduct of its narrowly targeted goals, and as a whole, its an ambitious and successful artistic detour for PE. Besides, its hard not to be impressed by a record that sounds like a blast from the past while playing like a news bulletin from today -- not an easy trick to pull off, but Paris and Public Enemy manage it with Rebirth of a Nation. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 33 Title: It Takes a Nation: The First London Invasion Tour 1987 Released: 2005-05-24 Tracks: 19 Duration: 56:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Countdown to Armageddon (01:49) 2 Raise the Roof (00:22) 3 Too Much Posse (01:16) 4 Bring the Noise (03:23) 5 My Uzi Weighs a Ton (02:46) 6 Rightstarter (01:41) 7 Rebel Without a Pause (04:13) 8 You’re Gonna Get Yours (01:43) 9 Timebomb (01:39) 10 Public Enemy Number One (03:29) 11 MKLVFKWR (DJ Johnny Juice on the Loose remix) (02:55) 12 Public Enemy Number One (DJ Spooky Drums of Death remix) (04:30) 13 Bass in Your Face (05:29) 14 Miuzi Weighs a Ton (live with DJ Lord-San Francisco 1999) (01:50) 15 Public Enemy Number One (Geronimo Punks Redu) (04:52) 16 Do You Wanna Go Our Way (23 Skidoo UK remix) (04:57) 17 Do You Wanna Go Our Way (Nexttmen UK remix) (04:18) 18 Rebirthinstrumental (01:01) 19 Bring That Beat Back (bonus 2005 sneak peak) (04:18) |
| It Takes a Nation: The First London Invasion Tour 1987 : Allmusic album Review : Look at that date on the cover: 1987. If you could pick one year from which you could see a Public Enemy concert, wouldnt it be 1987? Its the year the group exploded onto the scene with a bona fide classic debut album and a manipulative attitude toward the media, the likes of which had never been seen before in hip-hop. As evidenced by the backstage cutaways sprinkled throughout the concert, journalists were extra anxious to shove their microphone in Public Enemys face. And the fans? With fists in the air and clocks around their necks, they were building into the "nation" Chuck D spoke of frequently. It was a fascinating, exciting, revolutionary time for rap. The CD/DVD combo It Takes a Nation: The First London Invasion Tour 1987 gives the curious and nostalgic a chance to relive it all, but one thing keeps it from being a "you are there!" affair. The video quality of the concert is just a shade above N.Y.C. street vendor standards, looking like a VHS recorded at the six-hour speed and then retrieved from the attic 18 years later. Its hardly unwatchable, but colors bleed and the sound often peaks the meters. But the performance is a fantastic in-your-face explosion. Watching Chuck D go from tentative -- it was his first show in front of a U.K. audience -- to dominating is riveting. Flavor Flav anxiously paces the stage and riles the crowd into a frenzy while DJ Terminator X comes off as a mad scientist, twiddling the knobs while theres a riot going on. Above it all is the massive difference between just listening to Public Enemy and seeing them. The infamous Professor Griff and the S-1Ws were just stern guys whose images appeared on album covers and flashed by in jittery videos, but in concert they were vital pieces of the puzzle, emphasizing Black Panther history and balancing the madness of Flavor Flav. The intense screaming of the audience probably covered it up nicely in the venue, but when you realize the "live" "Bring the Noise" relies mostly on a backing tape -- vocals included -- its one part "what the?" and one part "aw, come on!" The bonuses are plentiful and very necessary for the hardcore. Chuck Ds audio commentary is informative, enjoyable, and filled with trivia that fans will eat up. Rare photographs and a live 2003 clip from Australia are both desirable additions, but the bonus CD is killer, with remixes of classic PE tracks by the likes of DJ Spooky and 23 Skidoo. The video quality of the main concert and the occasional over-reliance on backing tapes makes this package hard to recommend to everyone, but those a shade above curious should put this time capsule -- warts and all -- near the top of their list. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 33 Title: Power to the People and the Beats: Public Enemy’s Greatest Hits Released: 2005-08-01 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:18:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Youre Gonna Get Yours (04:04) 2 Public Enemy No.1 (04:41) 3 Rebel Without a Pause (04:18) 4 Bring the Noise (03:45) 5 Don’t Believe the Hype (05:19) 6 Prophets of Rage (03:18) 7 Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (03:43) 8 Fight the Power (edited album version) (04:42) 9 Welcome to the Terrordome (05:25) 10 911 Is a Joke (03:17) 11 Brothers Gonna Work It Out (05:07) 12 Can’t Do Nuttin’ for Ya Man (02:46) 13 Can’t Truss It (04:52) 14 Shut ’em Down (04:19) 15 By the Time I Get to Arizona (04:00) 16 Hazy Shade of Criminal (04:50) 17 Give It Up (04:43) 18 He Got Game (04:45) |
| Power to the People and the Beats: Public Enemy’s Greatest Hits : Allmusic album Review : Apart from their 2001 installment in Universals ongoing 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection series, Public Enemy had not been given a career compilation prior to 2005s Power to the People and the Beats: Public Enemys Greatest Hits. The 2001 comp overlooked such major cuts as "Rebel Without a Pause" and "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos," plus it was sequenced in a non-chronological order. Power to the People rights those two wrongs by including all of PEs major songs from 1987-1998 -- which doesnt mean its all their best music, of course -- presented in a chronological fashion, beginning with "Youre Gonna Get Yours" and ending with "He Got Game." As such, it provides not only a useful summary of their groundbreaking work, its also a bracing, exciting listen in its own right. Of course, each individual Public Enemy release recorded during these ten years is worth hearing -- especially 1988s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and 1990s Fear of a Black Planet, which are two of the great works of art of the 20th century -- but for those who want a quick introduction to the greatest hip-hop group of all time, this fits the bill perfectly. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 33 Title: New Whirl Odor Released: 2005-11-01 Tracks: 15 Duration: 58:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 ...And No One Broadcasted Louder Than... (intro) (00:33) 2 New Whirl Odor (03:24) 3 Bring That Beat Back (04:17) 4 66.6 Strikes Again (01:45) 5 MKLVFKWR (03:24) 6 What a Fool Believes (03:07) 7 Makes You Blind (05:34) 8 Preachin to the Quiet (04:27) 9 Either We Together or We Aint (S1W Stepstrumental) (01:44) 10 Revolution (04:19) 11 Check What Youre Listening To (05:46) 12 As Long as the People Got Something to Say (03:23) 13 YAll Dont Know (04:01) 14 Either You Get It by Now or You Dont (01:15) 15 Supermans Black in the Building (11:50) |
| New Whirl Odor : Allmusic album Review : The punning title of Public Enemys eighth album, New Whirl Odor, suggests that the groundbreaking rap group is stuck in the past -- about 1990, to be precise, halfway through the first Bush administration -- and the sound of the album doesnt dispel such a notion, either. Not that this 2005 album sounds like the second coming of the Bomb Squad, unfortunately -- the spare, simplistic, repetitive beats and loops that pass for production here are a far cry from the dense sonic collages that made PEs best albums such thrilling affairs. Instead, Chuck D and his colleagues pursue many of the same ideas and themes as on their best work, at times making explicit references to catch phrases, samples, and motifs from It Takes a Nation of Millions and Fear of a Black Planet. Instead of providing context for the music on New Whirl Odor, or perhaps functioning as a gateway to understanding where the group is coming from now, the interwoven past on this new album winds up highlighting the weakness of Public Enemys new music. Where the best Public Enemy thrives on a surplus of ideas, both in the words and music, everything on New Whirl Odor feels unnecessarily streamlined, with each track containing no more than one thought. Worse, the whole affair feels muted, as if theres a thick, murky haze hanging over the master tapes. Theres no visceral impact to the beats, no matter whos responsible for the production, and the productions function as little more than a backdrop for the rhymes, never pushing Chuck D or Flavor Flav or even Professor Griff toward greatness. It also doesnt help that Chuck D, usually a reliably invigorating rapper, sounds a little tame and distant here, hampered by the grey, monotonous production. And when Chuck D cant anchor a Public Enemy album, and when there are no sonic visionaries behind the productions, it perhaps shouldnt come as a surprise that the record drifts directionlessly, winding up as the first PE album thats an outright misfire. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 33 Title: Bring That Beat Back: The Remix Project Released: 2006-08-08 Tracks: 10 Duration: 44:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Bring That Beat Back (Back to the Breakbeats Mixx) (05:17) 2 Gotta Give the Peeps What They Need (Impossebull Soulpower Posse Mixx) (04:29) 3 Watch the Door (Warhammer on the Watch Mixx) (04:27) 4 Supermans Black in the Building (Mauly T remix) (04:09) 5 MKLVFKWR (DJ Johnny Juice on the Loose remix) (02:58) 6 Public Enemy No. 1 (Deelo 2G1 remix) (05:23) 7 Do You Wanna Go Our Way??? (23 Skidoo UK remix) (04:54) 8 World Tour Sessions (Rae & Christian remix) (04:25) 9 Put It Up (Molotov Cocktail Assault Mixx) (05:22) 10 Supermixx Is Back (03:31) |
 | Album: 21 of 33 Title: Beats and Places Released: 2006-11-28 Tracks: 15 Duration: 51:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Here We Go Again (PE Tour intro 2007) (01:34) 2 Air Conditioning (03:12) 3 Who’s Your Hero? (03:56) 4 The Flavor Flav Show (03:21) 5 Electric Shave (03:30) 6 Grand Theft Oil (03:17) 7 Hell No, We Ain’t Allright (05:23) 8 Vidiot (01:21) 9 Like It Is (05:48) 10 Shit (02:17) 11 PE, Break It to P.E. Aces (00:40) 12 All Aboard the New Nighttrain (03:01) 13 Do You Wanna Go Our Way??? (live) (03:55) 14 If I Gave You Soul (What Would You Do With It?) (05:43) 15 Air Conditioning (revisited) (04:23) |
| Beats and Places : Allmusic album Review : A collection of "the unleashed and the unreleased," Public Enemys Beats and Places gets back to the outrage, back to the immediacy of the early days, and turns out to be the most satisfying full-length this crew has released since the millennium turned. Unfortunately, its released at a time when the hip-hop community is PE-saturated with a remix album (Bring That Beat Back) and an album with lyrics written by Paris, not Chuck D (Rebirth of a Nation) both landing within the last 12 months. Beats and Places looks even less vital than the Paris album since its marked as a compilation of remixes and tracks looking for a proper home, but as the short liner notes infer, these lost tracks arent really leftovers. Instead theyre venom-filled, immediate cuts originally set free on the Internet in hopes of viral destruction. "Hell No, We Aint Allright" deals with "the son-of-a-Bush nation" and the Katrina aftermath while "Grand Theft Oil" manipulates said Bushs speeches into a doublespeak nightmare through the power of Johnny Juice Rosados turntables. Rosado worked on both Yo! Bum Rush the Show and It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and adds to the old-school flavor, as does "The Flavor Flav Show" which repeats everything great about Nations "Cold Lampin with Flavor"." Its unfortunate all the highlights are pushed upfront, but a bonus DVD of plenty of late-era videos and extras makes up for that, leaving only the lack of helpful track-by-track information to complain about. A great deal of the album doesnt seem to have been leaked or released in any shape or form before, but theres no telling why it was recorded or what for. This sure sounds like half to two-thirds of a proper, vital album with some exciting extras tacked on. Guessing what would have happened had they finished this possible album instead of the other projects is both interesting and frustrating, which has been par for the course with PE as of late. Beats and Places at least suggests the future could be much, much brighter. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 33 Title: Fight the Power! Greatest Hits Live! Released: 2007-02-06 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:02:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Brothers Gonna Work It Out (04:31) 2 Welcome to the Terrordome (02:40) 3 Bring the Noise (01:27) 4 Son of a Bush (05:57) 5 Shut em Down (04:38) 6 Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (03:53) 7 He Got Game (01:46) 8 Revolverlution (03:52) 9 911 Is a Joke (03:02) 10 Public Enemy No. 1 (01:03) 11 DJ Lord Solo (03:46) 12 Give It Up (04:37) 13 Dont Believe the Hype (02:08) 14 Rebel Without a Pause (04:44) 15 Arizona (Ball of Confusion) (02:35) 16 Fight the Power (Soul Power) (12:15) |
| Fight the Power! Greatest Hits Live! : Allmusic album Review : While longtime fans might hope that Fight the Power: Greatest Hits Live! is a reissue of the 1989 "golden age" VHS that shares its name, its actually a 2004 show from Australia. Terminator X is replaced by the worthy DJ Lord, while Professor Griff spits more lyrics than he used to and has traded his military garb for a jersey, plus a three-piece band -- the "ghetto metal" unit 7th Octave -- brings the noise in a more traditional way. The good news is that Chuck D and Flavor Flav have lost none of their energy or urgency, and deliver late-period cuts like "Son of a Bush" with enough venom to send fair-weather fans back to the racks in search of all those post-1990 albums they slept on. The guitar/bass/drums band often overpowers Lord, but when the DJ gets a solo spot, he shows and proves, manipulating some vintage PE samples and paying homage before adding some of his own over-the-top tricks like the freaky "Matrix scratch." The longer DVD outshines the CD, since this is such a visually stimulating show -- and captured very well with cameras just where they should be -- with the one stumble being a slovenly pair of S1Ws, the military security officers who used to be stoic and ominous as chaos surrounded them. Although Griff -- their boss -- seems more concerned with looking like Mystikal than whipping them into shape, this is a minor quibble, and the rest of the show is PE in proper attack mode, preaching like its 1987 even if the audience is smaller and already converted. A "behind the scenes" bonus is worth watching and the 5.1 Surround mix is very well done with shouts from audience members and reflections of Lords scratching jumping out of the back channels. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 33 Title: How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul??? Released: 2007-08-07 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:02:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul? (02:36) 2 Black Is Back (02:42) 3 Harder Than You Think (04:09) 4 Between Hard and a Rock Place (00:59) 5 Sex, Drugs & Violence (03:35) 6 Amerikan Gangster (04:03) 7 Can You Hear Me Now (03:58) 8 Head Wide Shut (01:31) 9 Flavor Man (03:44) 10 The Enemy Battle Hymn of the Public (03:23) 11 Escapism (04:53) 12 Frankenstar (03:23) 13 Col‐Leepin (03:58) 14 Radiation of a RADIOTVMOVIE Nation (01:10) 15 See Something, Say Something (03:46) 16 Long and Whining Road (04:24) 17 Bridge of Pain (03:07) 18 Eve of Destruction (04:15) 19 How You Sell Soul (Time Is God Refrain) (02:31) |
| How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul??? : Allmusic album Review : Appropriately for the only hip-hop group thats been active for 20 years, cutting records and touring during that entire time, Public Enemy has a long memory. Long enough to be self-referential, as the title of their 2006 Paris collaboration Rebirth of a Nation suggested, but 2007s How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul??? bubbles over with references to their past: the title alone is an elliptical throwback to "Who Stole the Soul" on Fear of a Black Planet, but there are scores of musical nods to their past here, from the heavy metal shred on "Black Is Back" to how "Between Hard and Rock Place" plays like one of the bridges on Fear of a Black Planet, or the It Takes a Nation of Millions samples on "Can You Hear Me Now." Far from being recycled, these quotes and allusions provide a history that Public Enemy builds upon here, either in the beats or the words. The indictment of gangsta rap on "Sex, Drugs & Violence" or the materialism on "Can You Hear Me Now" carry a greater weight because their past is reflected within the music, offering a reminder of how things have changed in 20 years. Smartly, Public Enemy never tries to run from their middle age, but this isnt stilted like New Whirl Odor. They subtly yet sharply change the productions, expanding their signature dense soundscapes and sometimes departing from it as well, as in the hardcore gangsta of "Amerikan Gangster." Even if it hardly sounds like hip-hop that reaches the charts in 2007, this is ferocious and vital as music, while Chuck D remains one of the greatest lyricists in either rap or pop, as well as one of the more incisive political commentators. And in this context, Flavor Flav loses any of the cartoonish trappings his endless VH1 reality shows have given him, and remains a potent source of comic relief. In that sense, Public Enemy is the same as they ever were, but whats remarkable about How You Sell is how PE grows and matures without abandoning their core identity, proving that its possible to age as a rap group without turning into an embarrassment. And even if PE doesnt pack the same kind of commercial punch as it used to, its hard to call an album this spirited and alive irrelevant. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 33 Title: Remix of a Nation Released: 2007-11-06 Tracks: 11 Duration: 45:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Remix of a Nation (02:47) 2 Hell No, We Aint Alright - (Krush Groove remix) (04:12) 3 Rise - (Ascension mix) (06:45) 4 Hannibal Lecture - (Krush Groove remix) (02:18) 5 Hard Rhymin - (extended mix) (06:11) 6 Watch the Door - (alternate mix) (04:47) 7 Invisible Man - (alternate mix) (03:55) 8 Hard Truth Soldiers - (alternate mix) (02:40) 9 Cant Hold Us Back - (extended mix) (05:58) 10 Make It Hardcore - (LP version) (05:18) 11 Guerrillafunk.Com (00:21) |
 | Album: 25 of 33 Title: Most of My Heroes Still Don’t Appear on No Stamp Released: 2012-07-13 Tracks: 11 Duration: 47:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Run Till It’s Dark (03:16) 2 Get Up Stand Up / …Don’t Appear on No Stamp, Part I (05:03) 3 Most of My Heroes Still… (03:30) 4 I Shall Not Be Moved (05:21) 5 Get It In (03:09) 6 Hoovermusic / …Don’t Appear on No Stamp, Part II (03:58) 7 Catch the Thrown (04:24) 8 RLTK (04:34) 9 Truth Decay / …Don’t Appear on No Stamp, Part III (04:10) 10 Fassfood (04:03) 11 WTF?! / …Don’t Appear on No Stamp, Part IV (06:22) |
| Most of My Heroes Still Don’t Appear on No Stamp : Allmusic album Review : Its title hearkens back to a line in Public Enemys incendiary 1989 anthem "Fight the Power," recalling the bands glory days but cutting deeper, exposing an ugly truth: 20-plus years and a black president in the White House later, things still havent changed all that much in America. That lingering inequality nags at Chuck D throughout Most of My Heroes Still Dont Appear On No Stamp, PEs twelfth album and their first released after the election of Barack Obama, a development that would perhaps seem to the casual observer a vindication of everything Public Enemy represents -- famously, the Obamas first date was at a showing of Spike Lees Do The Right Thing where "Fight the Power" plays a crucial role -- but Public Enemy seems angrier than ever here. And deservedly so, as so much of what PE stands for -- sonically, politically, culturally -- is submerged in 2012, obscured by a marginalization of radicalization and imagination. Public Enemy fights against the dying light of Black Power and counterculture throughout Most of My Heroes Still Dont Appear On No Stamp, the phrase not only providing a title but a motif (it appears repeatedly throughout the records 11 songs), the band deliberately evoking their past by sampling earlier records and tossing off allusions to older lyrics, staying true to the template created by the Bomb Squad in the late 80s yet avoiding a meticulous re-creation of that sonic onslaught. The music here isnt as dense as It Takes a Nation of Millions or Fear of a Black Planet -- its nimble and spare, a steely reduction of the J.B.s relentless groove, augmented by cacophonic flourishes of guitar and white noise. Its all the better to push the spotlight onto Chuck D, who is in full-blown preacher/teacher mode here, intent on tying the past into the present and doing a pretty effective job, too. Chuck doesnt much care if he comes across as an indignant professor here, and thats part of the charm of not just this, but all latter-day Public Enemy: this is the sound of true believers who give not a damn about fashion, they remain true to the sounds and sensibilities they laid out back in the late 80s. And the music remains vital and vibrant, possibly because, despite some progress, things still havent changed all that much and, in some respects, have gotten worse...and as long as Public Enemys heroes remain consigned to the margins, theyll still make music as dynamic as this. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 33 Title: The Evil Empire of Everything Released: 2012-10-01 Tracks: 13 Duration: 50:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Evil Empire of… (01:52) 2 Don’t Give Up the Fight (03:47) 3 1 (PEace) (02:46) 4 2 (resPEct) / Spit Your Mind, Part I (03:09) 5 Beyond Trayvon (04:29) 6 … Everything (04:12) 7 31 Flavors / Spit Your Mind, Part II (03:09) 8 Riotstarted! (03:27) 9 Notice (Know This) (02:14) 10 Icebreaker (07:14) 11 Fame / Spit Your Mind, Part III (04:49) 12 Broke Diva (03:12) 13 Say It Like It Really Is / Spit Your Mind, Part IV (06:23) |
| The Evil Empire of Everything : Allmusic album Review : Arriving just a few months after Most of My Heroes Still Dont Appear on No Stamp, Public Enemys The Evil Empire of Everything is a decidedly different album than their other 2012 album. Its leaner and harder, stripped down to its hard, unbreakable basics, Public Enemy honing their politics and music so Evil Empire of Everything has a precise, steely glint. There is no hiding Chuck Ds anger at the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin, not when the album opens with 911 calls where black teenagers are held under suspicion for the color of their skin, and not when theres a centerpiece called "Beyond Trayvon," but for as hard as these songs hit, whats striking about Evil Empire of Everything is its music. Despite some prominent guests -- Ziggy Marley shows up on "Dont Give Up the Fight" and Tom Morello ladles guitar over "Riotstarted" -- Public Enemy make clear, conscious connections between their music and classic 60s soul, most notably on the slow-burning "Everything" (featuring vocals by Gerald Albright and Sheila Brody), where Chuck Ds testifying sounds straight from the roster of Stax, but also on the hard funk of "Notice" or the blaring horns of "Say It Like It Really Is." This is how a hip-hop group reaches middle age: by placing themselves as part of a tradition, never lingering in the past but never desperately riding trends. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 33 Title: 25th Anniversary Collection Released: 2013 Tracks: 92 Duration: 5:32:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Youre Gonna Get Yours (04:04) 2 Sophisticated Bitch (04:30) 3 Miuzi Weighs a Ton (05:44) 4 Timebomb (02:54) 5 Too Much Posse (02:25) 6 Rightstarter (Message to a Black Man) (03:48) 7 Public Enemy No.1 (04:41) 8 M.P.E. (03:44) 9 Yo! Bum Rush the Show (04:25) 10 Raise the Roof (05:18) 11 Megablast (02:51) 12 Terminator X Speaks With His Hands (02:13) 1 Countdown to Armageddon (01:40) 2 Bring the Noise (03:45) 3 Don’t Believe the Hype (05:19) 4 Cold Lampin With Flavor (04:17) 5 Terminator X to the Edge of Panic (04:31) 6 Mind Terrorist (01:20) 7 Louder Than a Bomb (03:38) 8 Caught, Can We Get a Witness (04:53) 9 Show Em Whatcha Got (01:56) 10 She Watch Channel Zero?! (03:49) 11 Night of the Living Baseheads (03:14) 12 Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (06:23) 13 Security of the First World (01:20) 14 Rebel Without a Pause (05:02) 15 Prophets of Rage (03:18) 16 Party for Your Right to Fight (03:25) 1 Contract on the World Love Jam (01:44) 2 Brothers Gonna Work It Out (05:07) 3 911 Is a Joke (03:17) 4 Incident at 66.6 FM (01:37) 5 Welcome to the Terrordome (05:25) 6 Meet the G That Killed Me (00:44) 7 Pollywanacraka (03:52) 8 Anti‐Nigger Machine (03:17) 9 Burn Hollywood Burn (02:47) 10 Power to the People (03:48) 11 Who Stole the Soul? (03:52) 12 Fear of a Black Planet (03:42) 13 Revolutionary Generation (05:43) 14 Can’t Do Nuttin’ for Ya Man (02:46) 15 Reggie Jax (01:35) 16 Leave This Off Your Fuckin’ Charts (02:31) 17 B Side Wins Again (03:45) 18 War at 33⅓ (02:07) 19 Final Count of the Collision Between Us and the Damned (00:48) 20 Fight the Power (04:42) 1 Lost at Birth (03:49) 2 Rebirth (00:59) 3 Nighttrain (03:27) 4 Can’t Truss It (05:21) 5 I Dont Wanna Be Called Yo Niga (04:23) 6 How to Kill a Radio Consultant (03:09) 7 By the Time I Get to Arizona (04:48) 1 Move! (04:59) 2 1 Million Bottlebags (04:06) 3 More News At 11 (02:39) 4 Shut Em Down (05:04) 5 A Letter to the New York Post (02:45) 6 Get the F--- Outta Dodge (02:37) 7 Bring tha Noize (03:47) 1 Whole Lotta Love Goin on in the Middle of Hell (03:12) 2 Give It Up (04:31) 3 What Side You On? (04:07) 4 Bedlam 13:13 (04:06) 5 Stop in the Name... (01:21) 6 What Kind of Power We Got? (05:30) 7 So Whatcha Gone Do Now? (04:41) 8 White Heaven/Black Hell (01:06) 9 Race Against Time (03:21) 1 Aintnuttin Buttersong (04:23) 2 Live and Undrugged, Parts 1 & 2 (05:54) 3 Thin Line Between Law & Rape (04:45) 4 I Aint Mad at All (03:24) 5 Death of a Carjacka (02:00) 6 I Stand Accused (03:56) 7 Godd Complexx (03:40) 8 Hitler Day (04:27) 1 Resurrection (04:20) 2 He Got Game (04:45) 3 Unstoppable (03:14) 4 Shake Your Booty (03:45) 5 Is Your God a Dog (05:08) 6 House of the Rising Son (03:16) 1 Revelation 33 1/3 Revolutions (04:11) 2 Game Face (03:17) 3 Politics of the Sneaker Pimps (03:16) 4 What You Need Is Jesus (03:29) 5 Super Agent (03:35) 6 Go Cat Go (03:48) 7 Sudden Death (Interlude) (02:04) |
| 25th Anniversary Collection : Allmusic album Review : Public Enemy werent the most popular hip-hop act of the 80s and 90s, but they were arguably the most important. Rappers Chuck D and Flavor Flav filled their lyrics with streetwise political commentary about race, class, and economics in America, and their tracks all but exploded with densely layered beats, samples, and instrumental breaks, creating a distinctive sound that was wildly influential and set new standards for production in hip-hop. At their peak, Public Enemy were the most critically lauded group in rap music, and this special box set documents their most successful and acclaimed period. 25th Anniversary Collection includes six Public Enemy albums in full: their 1987 debut Yo! Bum Rush the Show, 1988s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (generally regarded as PEs best and most influential album), 1990s Fear of a Black Planet (featuring their epochal single "Fight the Power"), 1991s Apocalypse 91: The Enemy Strikes Black, 1994s Muse Sick-N-Hour Mess Age, and 1998s soundtrack to the Spike Lee film He Got Game. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 33 Title: Planet Earth: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Greatest Rap Hits Released: 2013-04-23 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:02:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Welcome to the Terrordome (05:20) 2 Can’t Truss It (04:32) 3 911 Is a Joke (03:01) 4 Shut Em Down (03:26) 5 Fight the Power (04:06) 6 Give It Up (04:36) 7 Harder Than You Think (04:19) 8 By the Time I Get to Arizona (04:12) 9 … Everything (04:12) 10 Louder Than a Bomb (02:48) 11 Lost at Birth (03:39) 12 Public Enemy No. 1 (04:42) 13 Shut Em Down (Pete Rock Mixx) (05:15) 14 I Shall Not Be Moved (05:25) 15 Harder Than You Think (London radio edit) (03:11) |
| Planet Earth: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Greatest Rap Hits : Allmusic album Review : Released as a tie-in to Public Enemys deserved 2013 induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the 2013 compilation Planet Earth is a little confusing and for more than one reason. First, it largely chronicles PE from 1990 on, with only "Louder Than a Bomb" dating from anything earlier than Fear of a Black Planet, and the cuts from that 1990 album and anything released after arent exactly pristine. Everything here is just slightly off: either the mastering is brickwalled or samples are excised, but if things are re-recorded -- and it often seems like they are -- theyre close enough to the originals to fool. Which is frustrating, as there are some songs that are indeed the originals ("Public Enemy No. 1") but others just feel not quite right, and the liner notes never bother to explain why things would sound so different here. Its all still pretty good -- the originals are great and PE still retain muscle years later -- but its hard to endorse an album that seems to purposely skate around its origins, plus, there are many big songs that shouldve been here ("Bring the Noise," "Dont Believe the Hype," "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos," "Night of the Living Baseheads," all selections from It Takes a Nation of Millions, are missing). So, Planet Earth winds up falling short of the celebration it intends to be but there are still enough masterworks to make it a serviceable sampler even if it never transcends that designation. | ||
 | Album: 29 of 33 Title: Icon 2 Released: 2014-03-11 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:39:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Public Enemy No. 1 (04:40) 2 You’re Gonna Get Yours (04:04) 3 Miuzi Weighs a Ton (05:44) 4 Sophisticated Bitch (04:30) 5 Bring the Noise (03:46) 6 Rebel Without a Pause (04:18) 7 Don’t Believe the Hype (05:19) 8 Night of the Living Baseheads (03:14) 9 Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (06:23) 10 911 Is a Joke (03:17) 11 Brothers Gonna Work It Out (05:08) 1 Welcome to the Terrordome (05:26) 2 Burn Hollywood Burn (02:48) 3 Fight the Power (04:37) 4 Buck Whylin’ (04:15) 5 Can’t Truss It (04:51) 6 By the Time I Get to Arizona (04:48) 7 Shut Em Down (04:18) 8 Bring tha Noize (03:46) 9 Hazy Shade of Criminal (04:49) 10 Give It Up (04:38) 11 He Got Game (04:46) |
| Icon 2 : Allmusic album Review : There havent been many Public Enemy compilations released over the years, and none of them have been very good -- not the 1992 oddities Greatest Misses or the even stranger 2006 Planet Earth, where classic PE seemed to be swapped for revisions. That left only 2001s 20th Century Masters as a disc that served up the hits, but 2014s Icon 2 -- also an entry in an ongoing series by Universal -- easily trumps that by offering 22 classic Def Jam tracks over the course of two discs. The big songs are here -- "Youre Gonna Get Yours," "Bring the Noise," "Rebel Without a Pause," "Dont Believe the Hype," "Night of the Living Baseheads," "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos," "911 Is a Joke," "Welcome to the Terrordome," "Fight the Power," "Shut Em Down" -- and it wraps up with the title track from "He Got Game," a song that functions as a coda to the golden age that is effectively showcased on this rather terrific collection. | ||
 | Album: 30 of 33 Title: Icon Released: 2014-03-11 Tracks: 11 Duration: 49:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bring the Noise (04:04) 2 Rebel Without a Pause (03:46) 3 Don’t Believe the Hype (04:18) 4 Welcome to the Terrordome (05:19) 5 911 Is a Joke (05:26) 6 You’re Gonna Get Yours (03:17) 7 Fight the Power (04:36) 8 Can’t Truss It (04:52) 9 Shut Em Down (04:18) 10 Hazy Shade of Criminal (04:49) 11 Give It Up (04:39) |
 | Album: 31 of 33 Title: Man Plans God Laughs Released: 2015-07-15 Tracks: 11 Duration: 27:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 No Sympathy From the Devil (02:50) 2 Me to We (02:15) 3 Man Plans God Laughs (02:03) 4 Give Peace a Damn (03:01) 5 Those Who Know, Know Who (02:11) 6 Honky Talk Rules (03:47) 7 Mine Again (02:12) 8 Lost in Space Music (02:25) 9 Corplantationopoly (02:27) 10 Earthizen (02:26) 11 Praise the Loud (02:13) |
| Man Plans God Laughs : Allmusic album Review : The first generation of rockers who grew up in public faced their share of ridicule, a fact that does not escape Chuck D. A keen observer of history who also possesses a sly sense of humor, he raps over a sample of the Rolling Stones "Honky Tonk Women" on Man Plans God Laughs, Public Enemys 13th album. Like the Stones, PE have been around so long and their influence has been so thoroughly absorbed into the culture that its easy to take them for granted, but where Mick & Keith played arenas, Public Enemy consciously shrugged off the majors and remained fierce insurrectionists, existing just under the radar. By the end of the 2000s, they may not have been regulars in mainstream music publications, but they still had underground hits, such as "Harder Than You Think," which surprisingly became the groups biggest-ever British hit in 2007. PE brings back that tracks producer, Gary "G-Wiz" Rinaldo, to produce the entirety of Man Plans God Laughs, and he helps Chuck D create a hard, furious flash of a record that deliberately leans on Public Enemys history while keeping a steely eye on the present. All the self-allusions -- samples from Nation of Millions, lyrical callbacks, horn stabs straight out of the Bomb Squad -- arent a way to revive the past but rather to provide a context: this isnt music that came from nowhere, it is tied to history as well as the future. This is the worldview of a group that feels the weight of its years yet is unashamed -- Chuck admits at the outset that hes 55 -- and this sensibility lends gravitas to an album thats just shy of a half-hour. At this length, Man Plans God Laughs speeds by, but it also leaves a heavy imprint, both as politics -- its a fierce, unflinching snapshot of the ravages of institutional racism, late capitalism, and cultural conformity in 2015 -- but also as music. Early Public Enemy was formatively innovative, but on this latter-day record PE explore and deepen that signature not unlike master jazzmen -- or the Stones, for that matter -- and thats not only worthy of an album, its groundbreaking in terms of hip-hop. | ||
 | Album: 32 of 33 Title: Live From Metropolis Studios Released: 2015-09-04 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:19:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Intro (00:49) 2 Lost at Birth (00:47) 3 Miuzi Weighs a Ton (03:06) 4 Get Up Stand Up (01:05) 5 Rebel Without a Pause (05:50) 6 911 Is a Joke (03:01) 7 Welcome to the Terrordome (05:23) 8 Hoovermusic (02:16) 9 Black Steel in the Hour (09:03) 10 Show Em Whatcha Got (01:27) 11 Bring the Noise (04:44) 1 Don’t Believe the Hype (05:54) 2 Can’t Truss It (02:01) 3 He Got Game (01:56) 4 Night of the Living Baseheads (04:04) 5 I Shall Not Be Moved (02:14) 6 Fight the Power (Soul Power – Who Stole This Soul) (07:33) 7 Cant Do Nuttin’ For Ya Man (01:24) 8 31 Flavors (02:25) 9 Shut Em Down (04:53) 10 Harder Than You Think (09:40) |
| Live From Metropolis Studios : Allmusic album Review : Recorded live in a studio in a suburb of London, Live from the Metropolis Studios appeared just a few months after Public Enemys muscular 2015 studio effort Man Plans, God Laughs, so theres nothing from that album here. That said, this double-disc live album -- which is accompanied by a longer home video release, including a documentary -- isnt fixated on the past. To be sure, PE thread in their big hits -- "911 Is a Joke" and "Welcome to the Terrordome" come early, "Night of the Living Baseheads" and "Fight the Power" show up later -- but there are sharp selections from deep in the catalog (including the title track to Spike Lees "He Got Game"), and the proceedings conclude with "Harder Than You Think," the 2007 single that became their biggest-ever hit in the U.K. What impresses is both the depth of the songbook plus the vigorous, sinewy attack. As they bear down on their 30th anniversary, Public Enemy may no longer sound like young men but theyre canny, muscled survivors, a group intent to preach thegospel until they die with their boots on. | ||
 | Album: 33 of 33 Title: Nothing Is Quick in the Desert Released: 2017-06-29 Tracks: 13 Duration: 40:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Nothing Is Quick in the Desert (01:20) 2 sPEak! (03:31) 3 Yesterday Man (04:20) 4 Exit Your Mind (00:51) 5 Beat Them All (02:55) 6 Smash the Crowd (03:32) 7 If You Can’t Join Em Beat Em (01:27) 8 So Be It (03:50) 9 SOC MED Digital Heroin (03:54) 10 Terrorwrist (01:57) 11 Toxic (03:11) 12 Sells Like Teens Hear It (02:57) 13 Rest in Beats, Part 1 & 2 (06:52) |