>> Public Enemy
bio: Public Enemy rewrote the rules of hip-hop, becoming the most influential and controversial rap group last century and, for many, the definitive rap group of all time. Selling millions of records along the way, and 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 culture's signature throughout the early 90's.
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 D's 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 group's visual focal point, but he never obscured the music.
Public Enemy's 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. 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 D's rhetoric gained focus and Flavor Flav's 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.
Public Enemy spent the remainder of 1989 preparing their third album, releasing "Welcome to the Terrordome" as its first single in early 1990. Despite controversy surrounding certain lyrics, 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 "Can't Do Nuttin' for Ya Man" became Top 40 R&B hits.
For their next album, 1991's Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black, the group re-recorded "Bring the Noise" with thrash metal band Anthrax, a precursor to many rap-rock collaborations later to come. "Apocalypse 91" was greeted with overwhelmingly positive reviews upon its fall release, and it debuted at number four on the pop charts.
Public Enemy continued with it's string of successes independently with the subsequent albums Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age, He Got Game (the soundtrack to Spike Lee's movie of the same name), and There's a Poison Goin' On..., but it was their 2002 release Revolverlution which found the long overdue pairing of Public Enemy with industry-veteran and fellow revolutionary hip-hop artist Paris on the lead single. That effort set the tone for the collaboration between Public Enemy, Paris and Dead Prez on Paris� current album project, Sonic Jihad.
On March 7, 2006, Public Enemy and Paris are set to once again blow up the spot with their latest offering, the Paris-produced Rebirth Of A Nation. Available exclusively on Guerrilla Funk Recordings, Rebirth Of A Nation is an exercise in controlled chaos, as Paris pulls out all of the stops to present the finest work yet for what is arguably the most important hip-hop group ever.
)
