PUBLIC ENEMY レコード& CD

Review: A mere 35 years old and still brutally relevant, Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back is as essential as late 80s hip-hop gets. It was the album that confirmed Chuck D, Flavor Flav and The Bomb Squad as a world-beating concern breaking beyond the boundaries of rap with a message that couldn't be ignored. When you listen back to it now, its influential status bursts out of every beat and bar, whether sampled, covered or para-phrased by the generations of MCs and producers who have come since. The nods and co-signs are all good, but sometimes you need to trackback to the source and realise how important Public Enemy were.

Review: Public Enemy are often unsung when it comes to the golden era of hip-hop, with the obvious names getting all of the press. Despite their huge success with 'It takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back', you don't hear Public Enemy acknowledged in the canon nearly as much as you should and it's a shame. The braggadocious bars, the heavy beats and the now-outdated concept of a hypeman all culminate in one of the greatest acts of the generation, who really were speaking to black youth in ways hip-hop wouldn't again until A Tribe Called Quest and Lauryn Hill came to town. 'Yo! Bum Rush the Show' was where it all started, an extreme talent in lyricism and delivery from Chuck D is elevated to the stratosphere with hype-man Flava Flav, undoubtedly the greatest to ever do it, and the Bomb Squad's wall of samples production. Tracks like 'Timebomb' and 'Sophisticated Bitch' are instant classics, and this indie-exclusive colour pressing is an amazing way to celebrate hip-hops 50th birthday.

Review: The history of hip-hop has always had some disagreements on who started what and in the creation and evolution of the genre. One piece of history that seems to get overlooked is the transition from radio to TV that helped the music move from a regional activity to a national and cultural phenomenon. While the big New York radio stations took the credit, Spectrum City was doing its own thing just down the road. Not only did it feature a show by Dre Dre and T-Money (which would later evolve it to MTV YO Raps!) but it showcased the birth of Public Enemy as well. Originally released in 2021 on promo, these tracks pay respect to Public Enemy's earlier days when the original group was just getting started at Spectrum City,and if you'reconfused by the name Enemy Radio, note that the legendary rap crew changed to it after the departure of Flavor Flav from the group.