In my opinion, this is a classic album. It's almost as good as 'It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back', and I definately think it's one of the best albums of all time, and Chuck D would be in my top 5 rappers or so of all time.
(Produced by The Imperial Grand Ministers Of Funk)
(Executive Produced by The Bomb Sqauad)
1.Lost At Birth-4.5/5-Chuck D drops only 1 verse on this one, but its a great intro
2.Rebirth-4.5/5-Only 59 seconds, but Chuck drops another hot verse
3.Nighttrain-5/5-Definately one of the best tracks on the CD, great flow and energy from Chuck, and hot production (Samples Kool Moe Dee's 'How Ya Like Me Now')
4.Can't Truss It-5/5-Another stand out, one of the best tracks lyrically from Chuck, and more of some of the best production on an album of all time in my opinion (Samples Run-DMC's 'Dumb Girl')
5.I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo N****-4/5-Flava Flav is basically rambling on the whole track, but there's some stand out production
6.How To Kill A Radio Consultant-5/5-Chuck's flow is especially hot on this one
7.By The Time I Get To Arizona-5/5-One of the great things about Chuck is that he is a smart MC, and raps about social and political issues. Not something you'll find in the average rapper. Another one of my favorites on the CD (Single)(Featured in 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4')
8.Move!-5/5-Another great high energy track (Featured in 'Def Jam Fight For NY')
9.1 Million Bottle Bags-5/5-Great song adressing alchohol in America (over a hot beat, too)
10.More News At 11-5/5-Short song, but a hot flow from Flav
11.Shut Em Down-5/5-Another one of the best on the CD, great lyrically (Later sampled by DJ Premier/The Notorious B.I.G. in 'Ten Crack Commandments')
12.A Letter To The NY Post-5/5-Flav isnt the best lyricist, but he can have a great flow, hot song
13.Get The F*ck Out Of Dodge-5/5-Great song, and the end unfortunately describes many cops today
"Sergent Hawke and i'm down wit' the cop scene
I'm a rookie and i'm rollin' wit' a swat team
Packin' a nine can't wait to use it
Crooked cop yeah that's my music
Up against the wall don't gimme no lip son
A bank is robbed and you fit the description
And i ain't your mama and i ain't your pops
Keep your music down or you might get shot
This is a warning so watch your tail
Or i'm a have to put your a** in jail
I'm the police and i'm in charge
You don't like it get the f*** outta dodge"
14.Bring Tha Noize (Remix)Featuring Anthrax-5/5-A rock remix to my favorite Public Enemy song, with Anthrax doing the hook and 2 of Chuck's verses, actually a great song
Vastly underrated CD, highly reccomended
I just read my man Rich's review about this one and realized i had this one too in my Cd Collection. It's been a while i listened to it but it sure brings back some old memories, memories of the time when Rap was still good, and when it actually had a message and not just about ([women], Car's and Cash) or whatever the modern rappers are bragging about. This album is full of great songs with nice sample's and beats. "Lost at birth" is exelent so i "How to kill a radio consultant" and "By The Time I Get To Arizona" and "More News At 11". There's a song called "Don't wanna be called yo nigga" the word nigga got a completely other meaning among rapper nowadays. "A Letter To The New York Post" is good too when they share their view about the media. Most songs are good except, the terrible last one with rock group Anthrax called "Bring tha Noize" ironically a whole genre's with metal-rap popped up in the late 90's with Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park and Kid Rock. I give this one 5 not only cause im a major P.E fan, also that i think this is a classic peace of rap everyone should have listened too.
God, I love this album. I remember the day I bought it; it had just been released on a Tuesday. That day after school I raced to the record store and picked it up. Pressing play on my Alpine car stereo, the speakers shook with a rumbling and a growling voice : THE FUTURE HOLDS NOTHING ELSE BUT CONFRONTATION! One...two...BOOM! The album explodes into "LOST AT BIRTH", a frenzy of synthesized sirens, noise, scratches and slamming beats. "LOST" goes immediately into "REBIRTH". Barely two minutes, it's the set up to "NIGHTTRAIN", a turbo charged, slammin' track nearly bursting with adrenaline. "CAN'T TRUSS IT" slams with its trademark siren-like horns and lyrics filled with outrage over the slave trade. "BY THE TIME I GET TO ARIZONA" is a angry response to the state's infamous refusal to recognize MLK day. "ONE MILLION BOTTLE BAGS" contains some of the greatest lyrics written by Chuck and a positive message on the dangers of alcholism in the hood. "SHUT 'EM DOWN", with its sample of wrestler Hacksaw Jim Duggan's trademark HOOOOOOOO! is designed to be played at full volume. Forget all the criticism about Anthrax and PE re-doing "Bring the Noise". They do it justice. Yeah, APOCALYPSE isn't as dense or complete as FEAR and not groundbreaking like IT TAKES A NATION, but it's their most commercial (for lack of a better term). Intelligent, educated lyrics, slamming beats, dense production by The Bomb Squad Gary G-WIZ, and G Depper, and a strong message of unite or perish, this is my favorite PE album.
Turn it up.
For whatever reason, this album seems to get lost in the discussion of PE's best album. For me, it fits the bill. With their controversial "By the time I get to Arizona" to one of the earliest examples of Rock 'n Rap, "Bring the Noise w/Anthrax," this album deserves a bit better recognition than is usually found.
If you're looking for a place to start your Public Enemy library, this is it.
This is one of the best albums that came form Public Enemy!!! I actually got this album during my first week station in amberg west germany... This is an PE Classic!!!!
