Arts Public Enemy Not #1 Anymore
Not by a long shot, I’m sad to say. Back in the ’80s and early ’90s, my favorite hiphop group, Public Enemy, made some of the greatest albums of all time, regardless of genre. Their first four LPs are all essential components in any intelligent music fan’s collection. For lyrical sophistication and production innovations, they’re unbeatable.
However, Chuck D and Co. really should’ve called it quits in the ’90s. That way they could’ve avoided releasing legacy-tarnishing duds like the new Rebirth of a Nation (Guerrilla Funk). Joined by another great rapper gone weak in the vocabulary, Paris, PE lamely rehash old ideas that burned so much brighter when they were aired 15-20 years ago.
Right about now, Chuck D should go into politics; Flav should continue furthering his thespian aspirations; and everyone should buy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Fear of a Black Planet posthaste, if you haven’t done so already.
"Suckas to the side, you know you hate..."