When socially conscious rap group Public Enemy recorded their 1988 sophomore album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Chuck D stated his desire to create the Hip-Hop counterpart to Marvin Gaye’s protest masterpiece What’s Going On. Just like that album, Public Enemy succeeds in providing poignant social commentary on the challenges facing Black America.
The album was also influential in expanding the genre of rap. The album possessed a rebellious punk rock spirit and the bomb squad production was heavier and more aggressive than most rock bands. On “Bring The Noise” Chuck D calls out rock critics unwilling to accept rap music as “Rock with some pizzazz, it will last. Why you ask? Roll with the rock stars, still never get accepted as.”
In “Don’t Believe The Hype” Chuck D addresses not buying into “false media” narratives and he addresses the systemic racism that he faces (“The minute they see me, fear me. I’m the epitome, a public enemy”).
Another potent album highlight is “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos”. Concerning the motivation behind the tune Chack D stated: “Back when I was seven years old I saw my uncle come to my grandmother’s house to get his draft papers for Vietnam. Of course as a kid you’re trying to see what’s going on. I saw their faces drop. I thought about the whole draft policy – it just stuck with me. I was like, “If I have to go to jail for not fighting a war, then breaking out is righteous.”
The album also features “Prophets Of Rage,” later adopted as the name of the supergroup featuring members of Public Enemy, Rage Against The Machine, and Cypress Hill. The tune opens with the Richard Pryor-sampled line “You’re quite hostile. I got a right to be hostile, man, my people are being persecuted!” That ends up being the perfect summary for the entire album. The album effectively articulated the righteous indignation felt by the Black community. Sadly the album is even more relevant today.