Down Is The New Up

Released in 1988 was the seminal album from East Coast hip hip group Public Enemy. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back has been regarded by music writers and publications as one of the most significant albums of the 1980s, as well as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all-time. The work has been hailed for its production techniques as well as the socially and politically-charged lyricism of lead MC Chuck D.

Almost the rap antithesis of NWA, Public Enemy have eloquent raps not about violence & sexism, but empowerment, self-respect, and self-determination. Artists such as Run D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys, had shown that hip-hop could expand its sound and be more than a passing fad, Public Enemy showed that hip-hop could also be a voice for the black community and its social and political concerns. Intense, angry, militant, political, thoughtful and creative all apply to this album. I’m no proponent of black radicalism, however I definitely admire the intelligence and innovation that went into this recording. If NWA were like the Sex Pistols, then PE were The Clash and the Dead Kennedys. Powerful stuff.

Chuck D is lyrical master - the content is very thought-provoking, eloquent and has some downright quotable expressions of righteous indignation at the American prison system, pop culture “values,” the inner-city drug epidemic, the federal government, the media and the education system - among other things. A far cry from today’s common topics of “bling and bitches,” that’s for sure. Flavor Flav, a far cry from the caricature he now portrays on MTV reality shows, provides the perfect foil for Chuck. Hyper-active, abrasive and wild, he underscores all of Chuck D’s statements like an exclamation point with humorous rhymes thrown in between Chuck D.’s venom.

Aside from Chuck D and Flavor Flav, it was the Bomb Squad (Hank and Keith Shocklee, and Eric Sadler) who put PE on the map. The Bomb squad were the producers and along with the mayhem of Terminator X on the turntables, they created a furious mixture of whistles, whines, and noise over dense samples, scratches and beats - an unmistakable sound. Constantly self-referencing, the music here is dense and complex, adding to the epic feel of the album. They sample widely, the album includes spoken word from Malcolm X & Louis Farrakhan and music from luminaries such as James Brown, Kool and The Gang, Parliament, Funkadelic, Run DMC, The Jackson 5, Isaac Hayes, Bob Marley, Salt-n-Peppa, they even sample thrash metal icons Slayer and of course they sample themselves. As a whole, the group was way ahead of it’s time. Boldly putting out their political views and attacking the media, PE was also unfairly attacked in the press portrayed as anti-semetic and anti-white.

Bring The Noise, Don’t Believe The Hype (practically an anti-media anthem), Louder Than A Bomb, Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos (could be one of the best song titles ever!), Prophets Of Rage, Party For Your Right To Fight…all classic hip-hop. To all those who think Eminem & 50-cent are “thought-provoking” or “original” I’d advise you to pick this up and experience the real thing.

Multiple listens reveal more and more of what Public Enemy has embedded into this startling effort. Any fan of hip-hop who doesn’t own this album needs to, as does any fan of music who has dismissed hip-hop as anything less than a vibrant art form.

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These two albums changed hip hop, they changed music. You could argue that they were instrumental in bringing a sub culture to the surface.  Both albums are fearless, intelligent, thought provoking and overall an integral part of your collection.