Public Enemy: Classic or Dud?

On my cassette it says "Executive Producers: The Bomb Squad" so they obviously had had a hand in it.

When will Bomb Squad-type production become retro? I wanna see a comeback of this sound. Broke out Apocalypse '91 recently and it's all coming back to me how good this group was.

Hahaha, at first I thought you meant you worked on telemarketing with MC Brains, who had that song that went, "Oochie coochie la la la/I am the Brains and I'm up to par".

btw, PE=Classic, obv. I even really like Yo! Bum Rush The Show - Suckers to the side/I know you hate/My 98/You're gonna get yours!

So was Slayer's "God Hates Us All"

its better than the sack of shit everyone thought it was in 1994, but its still pretty horrible.

God the jazzlike phrasing of Chuck... It's so true. He was every bit the equal of Miles and Wayne and Hank and people like that...

"Bang, here it is, in your face, god damn, this is a dope jam, but let's define the term named dope and you're thinking me funky now..."

haha, yeah, so great, and stew you forgot to include that "NOPE!" at the end of that quote

Thank you for your kind words Stormy.

In what possible way (aside from broadest generalities) is A Tribe Called Quest trying to do what PE does, for example?

There's ATCQ and there's the rest of rap. All the rest are pretenders.

Thank you.

That something = SONIC FURY. Did you ever hear Son of Bazerk?

dumb.

I love Public Enemy. Son of Bazerk is good too!

NWA had SONIC FURY...sometimes! Sonic fury isn't everything though....Special Ed didn't have Sonic Fury, but Youngest in Charge, whoo what a great album!

"Here we go again!"

[citation needed]

oh god i want ?uestlove's Sade tee

This made me look up this remix, a guy I went to college did it when he was also in school and it made their album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEhj4hbOskc

His electronic music was so sick, but now he only makes contemporary classical/experimental stuff and electro-country.

https://www.vulture.com/2020/09/chuck-d-interview-public-enemy-when-the-grid-goes-down.html

some semi-coherent quotes in this interview with Chuck but this one was simply to the point.

The fact that this guy, Donald Trump, who’s been philandering a half-assed celebrity joke for the last 45 to 50 years in New York City, the fact that he has that power is a disgrace to the planet Earth. He’s not equipped to govern millions of people or thousands of people. He’s not equipped to govern 100 people. Get the fuck up outta there. He shouldn’t even be there. The fact that he pulled a three-card-monte job on the United States of America isn’t just a reflection on him. It’s a reflection of the comfort zone a lot of Americans feel. They’re telling you your life don’t matter. Black lives don’t matter. Women don’t matter. You can go through a lot of the doctrine of the United States of America and see where it’s been shown and proven that certain people don’t matter. On top of that, you have authority that basically says they don’t care.

new album getting some good reviews but didn't do much for me

Chuck's taste in beats has really declined

The fact that this guy, Donald Trump

Why do people do this, idgi. “Ohh, THAT guy!”

All the living members of Beastie Boys and Run DMC appear on a lockdown-recorded new version of Public Enemy #1

It's not that special. Just another later period pe mixtape/album. But with lots of guests.

The PE#1 is alright but, yeah, nothing special.
I loved PE in their heyday but now it's like caring about a new rolling stones albums.

When did chuck d become such a wooly speaker?

He also sounds bored on the very first song of the new album. Just going through the motions. And every verse on fight the power 2020 seems to have been cut in a different studio.

It was done for the BET Awards so everyone was remote

Though even without the pandemic I think it's more the exception than the rule that guest verses are done in the same studio

Sure, but it really sounds like it!

I saw PE at a Bernie rally last year and Chuck was just over the map w/ his banter, more than I ever remember him being...maybe abt half (?) of it held together, that ^excerpt seems relatively coherent by comparison

Xpost - the most jarring was the Beastie Boys on the PE#1 remake - I swear they recorded that on their iPhone

If neither of them plan to record again, it makes sense that they don't have home vocal studios

though Adrock's partner might have a microphone around at least

yeah I mean a Blue Yeti would do

Xpost - the most jarring was the Beastie Boys on the PE#1 remake - I swear they recorded that on their iPhone

At the last minute, I found out Chuck D was going to be at Rough Trade Friday afternoon to sign his new solo album. I'm actually not that familiar with his work outside of Public Enemy, but I imagined it wasn't that different and I actually enjoy a lot of latter day Public Enemy. I've also never met him face-to-face and the guy's my favorite rapper of all-time so when I had an opening I bolted over there. Turns out, he didn't just sign his album (and anything else people brought), he actually sketched a portrait of everyone who attended. He did this at Rough Trade in London but IIRC that was for a pretty fancy book and I think he sketched those portraits on a blank page in the book as well, so it wasn't something I would have expected for a record signing.

And he was so nice to everyone, we talked about basketball and I brought up the time he was at Pitchfork to do It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (which got a funny reaction...he was like "YEAH...I remember that..." I didn't bring it up, but I remember he was kind of annoyed that Flavor Flav was nowhere to be found when they had to start their set, so maybe that came to mind). Just awesome, I've been walking on air all day.

So you have a portrait of yourself drawn by Chuck D??!?

x2, add more "!!!!!"

YES I DO!!!

Pic please!

I fell out with Chuck D when I saw him doing some excruciating media work with right-wing UK politicians whilst promoting his career. In this case, a few years ago, it was Michael fucking Gove. I don't have any heroes any more, they never meant shit to me!

free new album up for grabs for a couple of days :

https://publicenemy.bandcamp.com/album/black-sky-over-the-projects-apartment-2025

this is good!!

listening now..

2nd spin and yeah, i am enjoying it a lot more than i expected.
no concessions to modern hip hop production at all.
it's very much a PE album with some old school rock rap thrown in the mix.
the combination of Chuck D and Flavs vocals still sound as intense as ever.