| Revision as of 01:40, 26 November 2004 editTimMony (talk | contribs)564 edits Added information about the origin of the name← Previous edit | Revision as of 18:58, 27 November 2004 edit undoTimMony (talk | contribs)564 edits Added logoNext edit → | ||
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| ==History== | ==History== | ||
| PE formed in ], ] in ]. They were signed on to the still developing ] ] after ] heard ] ] on a demo. It took the group roughly five years, before their debut, '']'' in ] to critical acclaim. They went to release the revolutionary '']'' in ], which performed better in the charts than their previous release. They also went on to release '']'' which was slightly less militant than their first two releases. | PE formed in ], ] in ]. They were signed on to the still developing ] ] after ] heard ] ] on a demo. It took the group roughly five years, before their debut, '']'' in ] to critical acclaim. They went to release the revolutionary '']'' in ], which performed better in the charts than their previous release. They also went on to release '']'' which was slightly less militant than their first two releases. | ||
Revision as of 18:58, 27 November 2004
- See The Public Enemy for the 1931 movie and Public Enemy (documentary) for the 1999 Black Panthers documentary film.
Public Enemy, also know as PE, are a seminal rap group known for their politically charged lyrics and their interest in the concerns of the African American community.
History
PE formed in Long Island, New York in 1982. They were signed on to the still developing Def Jam record label after Rick Rubin heard Chuck D freestyling on a demo. It took the group roughly five years, before their debut, Yo! Bum Rush The Show in 1987 to critical acclaim. They went to release the revolutionary It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back in 1988, which performed better in the charts than their previous release. They also went on to release Fear of a Black Planet which was slightly less militant than their first two releases.
It can be said that Public Enemy were controversial yet pioneering in many ways. For instance, Terminator X elevated DJing to a more refined art. Some of his most innovative scratching tricks can be heard on the song "Rebel Without A Pause". PE revolutionized the rap world with their political, social and cultural consciousness, which infused itself into skilled and poetic rhymes with jazzy backbeats. They also changed the Internet's music distribution capability by being the first group to release MP3 albums, a format virtually unknown at the time.
Origin of name
Chuck D had put out a tape to promote WBAU (the radio station he was working at the time) and to fend off a local rapper who wanted to battle him. He called the tape Public Enemy #1 because he felt like he was being persecuted by people in locale scene. This was the first reference to the notion of a "Public Enemy" in any of Chuck D's songs.
Controversy
PE were also infamous for their alignment with S1W (Security Of the First World), a militant black power movement. Also, Professor Griff, a member of the group, made many anti-Semitic remarks and as a result was ejected from the band, and the group was listed in an FBI report to Congress entitled "Rap Music and Its Effects on National Security".
Presently
They still continue to perform and write, though with some attrition. Terminator X took early retirement and was replaced by Atlanta native DJ Lord as the group's main DJ. Chuck D also heads a band named Confrontation Camp, a confrontational funk/rock band. In 2004, Flavor Flav appeared on the VH1 reality show The Surreal Life.
Members
- Chuck D - Real name: Carlton Ridenhour
- Flavor Flav - Real name: William Drayton
- Professor Griff - Real name: Richard Griffin
- Terminator X - Real name: Norman Rogers
- Hank Shocklee
- Bill Stephany
Books
- Chuck D with Yusuf Jah, Fight the Power, Delacorte Press, 1997 ISBN 0385318685
Samples
- Download sample of "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" from It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Discography
- Yo! Bum Rush The Show (1987)
- It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
- Fight the Power...Live! (1989)
- Fear of a Black Planet (1990)
- Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes Black (1991)
- Greatest Misses 1986-1992 (1992)
- Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age (1994)
- He Got Game (1998)
- BTN 2000 (online released mega-mix which initialized PE's leaving Def Jam records) (1999)
- There's A Poison Goin On (1999)
- Revolverlution (2002)
- There's A Poison Goin On (worldwide re-release via Slamjamz.com) (2004)
External links
- Public Enemy's official website
- Slam Jamz, Chuck D's online record label