Yo! Bum Rush the Show was an invigorating record, but it looks like child's play compared to its monumental sequel, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, a record that rewrote the rules of what hip-hop could do. That's not to say the album is without precedent, since what's particularly ingenious about the album is how it reconfigures things that came before into a startling, fresh, modern sound. Public Enemy used the template Run-D.M.C. created of a rap crew as a rock band, then brought in elements of free jazz, hard funk, even musique concrète, via their producing team, the Bomb Squad, creating a dense, ferocious sound unlike anything that came before. This coincided with a breakthrough in Chuck D's writing, both in his themes and lyrics. It's not that Chuck D was smarter or more ambitious than his contemporaries -- certainly, KRS-One tackled many similar sociopolitical tracts, while Rakim had a greater flow -- but he marshaled considerable revolutionary force, clear vision, and a boundless vocabulary to create galvanizing, logical arguments that were undeniable in their strength. They only gained strength from Flavor Flav's frenzied jokes, which provided a needed contrast. What's amazing is how the words and music become intertwined, gaining strength from each other. Though this music is certainly a representation of its time, it hasn't dated at all. It set a standard that few could touch then, and even fewer have attempted to meet since.
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
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It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Review
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Track Listing
| Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public Enemy | 01:40 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 2 | Public Enemy | 03:46 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 3 | Public Enemy | 05:19 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 4 | Public Enemy | 04:17 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 5 | Public Enemy | 04:31 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 6 | Public Enemy | 01:21 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 7 | Public Enemy | 03:38 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 8 | Public Enemy | 04:53 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 9 | Public Enemy | 01:56 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 10 | Public Enemy | 03:49 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 11 | Public Enemy | 03:15 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 12 | Public Enemy | 06:24 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 13 | Public Enemy | 01:20 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 14 | Public Enemy | 05:03 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 15 | Public Enemy | 03:19 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
| 16 | Public Enemy | 03:25 | SpotifyAmazon |
