Artist:Public Enemy
Song:Fight the Power
Album:Power to the People and the Beats: Public Enemy's Greatest Hits
Public Enemy were an important rap group because of political and social commentary. They were a big success despite the lack of mainstream exposure. The 1989 single Fight the Power should have topped the charts. But radio stations refused to play it. Fortunately, it was the theme for Spike Lee's 1989 landmark film Do the Right Thing. That's why the song was a hit. Public Enemy was formed in 1985 at Adelphi University in Long Island, NY by Carlton "Chuck D" Ridenhour and William "Flavor Flav" Drayton. Other guys have gone through the group but they are the main guys. At first they were called Chuck D and Spectrum City. Ridenhour was working at local radio station WBAU. He thought he was being treated as Public Enemy #1 on the local rap scene so that's where he got the name from. Rick Rubin had just started DefJam Records. WBAU program director Bill Stephney thought it was time for a rap act similar to RUN-DMC but with political commentary. Rubin heard Public Enemy #1 so he was interested in Ridenhour. The other guys in Spectrum City were Hank Shocklee, his brother Keith Shocklee and Eric "Vietnam" Sadler. They handled production as The Bomb Squad. When Stephney went to work for DefJam, he brought Public Enemy with him. Their debut album was Yo! Bum Rush the Show in 1987. Things started to pick up when the 1988 single Don't Believe the Hype was a top 20 R&B hit. Fight the Power is from the 1990 album Fear of a Black Planet. The album was supposed to be released in 1989 but was delayed when Fight the Power became a hit and was added to the album. Spike Lee approached Public Enemy about recording a song for his film Do the Right Thing. He told them he wanted an angry song and he would make it the opening theme of the film. The song is obviously based on Fight the Power by The Isley Brothers but with political commentary. The music was made mostly with sampling and looping. The only live music is Branford Marsalis' sax solo. Fight the Power appeared on the soundtrack of Do the Right Thing. It topped the rap chart and reached #20 on the R&B Singles chart. Fear of a Black Planet was certified Platinum and so was the 1991 album Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Back. This budget comp covers Public Enemy's DefJam recordings. They faded after that and Public Enemy left DefJam in 1994. Since then they have mostly recorded for their own label and they still tour. They did return to DefJam in 2020 with an album featuring a remix of Fight the Power with updated lyrics. They got some attention a few years ago when Drayton was fired as a publicity stunt. Other than Ridenhour and Drayton, Public Enemy is a different group today. Here's the video of Fight the Power by Public Enemy.
I remember them. They were very controversial when they first came out. I saw them on MTV a few times. They were right up there with NWO as well.
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