Monday, November 27, 2006

# 25 - Public Enemy - Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black

Though PE's "It Takes a Nation of Millions" or "Fear of a Black Planet" gets all the pub, "Apocalypse 91" brings rhymes that are still relevant today. "Can't Truss It" deals with the shadiness of 'da man' and has a great grimy video set in pre-Emancipation South...complete with slave girl giving birth to the slave master's white son. Classic PE imagery.

"Shut Em' Down" gives Chuck D yet another chance to talk about black empowerment in the hood. "By the Time I get to Arizona" was the closest thing I heard to a sermon on race throughout high school. Plus, "91" brings the noise with Anthrax, which is still a favorite headbanger.

Best time to listen? When you're an impressionable 8th grader!!!

Yeh boy!!!

2 comments:

Sean B said...

Good call -- but have you caught the subtle bit of product placement on the album?

"Here's a letter to the NY Post/
The worst piece of paper on the east coast... /
40 cents in New York City,/
50 cents elsewhere"

I heard there's an outtake where Flav shouts, "Yeaaah -- call now for 30% off the newstand price, silly rabbit!"

Big Cougar said...

One thing you have to think to yourself during your countdown is: "What Would Gail Think?," or, of course, as the wristbands out it: WWGT. I'll be interested to see if "Fear of a Black Planet" makes it later on as that is my fav PE record. But now I've got to really give Apocalypse 91 a listen.