Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black

I’ve come to realize I like slower rap a lot more. It can be interesting to listen to rap like this that’s just a constant attack of words, but I prefer having space to breathe. Another album that I can appreciate it for what it’s doing more than I can personally enjoy it

Actually some of the lyrics on here aren't that bad. Ok so there’s a lot of whining, but I think that generally comes with the hiphop territory. ‘Letter to the New York Post’ was a particularly memorable whine. 



But where this let me down was the sonics. With a lot of hiphop I hate the lyrics but can dig the beats; the lyrics on here were ok, but the music was just monotonously repetitive. Pity.

Ultimately a fairly good rap record. No tracks that were nearly as good as anything off ITANOMTHUB except Shut 'Em Down (in particular the Pete Rock remix), which is top 5.

Ik word gelijk gelukkig als ik Public Enemy in mijn luisterlijst zie verschijnen. Ik heb hen al opgehemeld bij het album Fear of a black planet. Ik zou bij dit album hetzelfde kunnen schrijven. Het is ook rond dezelfde tijd gemaakt.

Bij uitzondering vind ik dat eens prima. Zeker na een flink aantal opnames van rap-schijven in de lijst die puberaal 'stoer' en/of geforceerd hard zijn, denk ik dat iedereen moet horen dat het ook met balans kan. Public Enemy heeft een boodschap, en laten hun boosheid, zowel met klank als met tekst duidelijk overkomen. Maar de stevige geluiden zijn creatief en de teksten zijn functioneel. En vele malen stoerder dan de kleuters die hun problemen compenseren met teksten over geweld en libido.

Om dat stoere te onderstrepen sluiten ze af met een hele fijne mix van Anthrax. Twee stevige muzikale werelden vallen prachtig samen. En ondanks dat ik dat ook bij andere albums heb geconstateerd, dat was zeker niet gebruikelijk.

Yeah - Very PE

Alright

Bought this album the day it came out and still listen to it regularly. Production is sparse compared to Fear Of A Black Planet (arguably the pinnacle of The Bomb Squad's work). I only learned recently that had more to do with lost digital recordings than it did a conscious choice. Whatever the reason, it works. Chuck's voice is on display here with no distractions, and it broadcasts a powerful and direct message. Even Flav's humor is laced with an obvious anger. I could go on for days about this album, but suffice to say it gets my vote for one of the '90s all around best.

I actually liked this one a lot more than the last Public Enemy album I had on the list (Fear the Black Planet). Apocalypse 91 felt a bit less chaotic and I didn’t find Flavor Flav nearly as annoying this time around. Also, the song with Anthrax at the end was just wild. I might actually have to go have another listen to Fear of the Black Planet now.

Different sounds from the previous Fear Of A Black Planet, harsher beats, and a killer crossover track with Anthrax in "Bring The Noize". This felt like the end of a 4 album hot run, as by the time their next album came out the game had changed...

I preferred this to It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. 3.5/5. Raising to a 4.

The Good: Well, we survived the apocalypse!
The Bad: If the enemy was public, then are the goods guys hidden?
The Ugly: What if the 91 means 2091???…

Here’s me being a skipping record stating the “I don’t like rap” line again.
However, as with the other offering from Public Enemy, there is always an exception to the rule.

I don’t know what it is that makes me sit back and actually listen and, dare I say, enjoy their music? Maybe it is due to the fact that I don’t like I am being preached to, instead I am being educated?

Anyway, this one is getting 3*, which means it is 5* yet losing 2* due to it being rap...

Chuck is the GOAT

I really should have listened to more Public Enemy in my youth. It's not for me (middle-class, white, male, UK) but I was way too quick to dismiss it as "angry black people just talking over beats".

Shame on me....... shame on me.

Other than the important social commentary, I'm not usually into old school hip hop. This album started strong but very much dragged in the middle with repetitive beats and samples. Bring the Noize was just what I needed to snap out of it, and rounded the album up a bit. 2.7/5 - > 3/5

Amazing, I've rarely heard such a pile of shit in three briefly played tracks. Hip-hop just isn't my thing. 1/5

Top tier 90's hip hop. Absolutely phenomenal.

Started listening to this album and was immediately reminded of Pineapple Express where Dale Denton and Red are gearing up to take on the Chinese and save Saul.

Favorite songs: Bring Tha Noize, By the Time I Get to Arizona, Lost at Birth, Nighttrain, How to Kill a Radio Consultant, Can't Truss It, I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga

Least favorite songs: More News at 11

5/5

3.75

Mind. Blown. I don't know what I expected, but it's fantastic. From the first second of the first song, the album smacks you in the mouth and dares you to do something about it. Considering this was released in the early 90s, the bravery it took to talk about slave ships, and racism, and putting the spotlight squarely on white people is astounding. The Bomb Squad beats are out of this world with an aggressive, almost punk rock feel.

I've always kind of wondered what the point of Flava Flav is, but his interjections on this album are nearly perfect. His solo offerings are probably some of the weaker points of the album, but overall, he adds to the vibe rather than takes away.

And then there's Bring the Noise, their collaboration with Anthrax. This song might be the #1 reason American suburban white boys started listening to rap, and there's a direct line that can be drawn between this song and the nu metal movement that dominated the rock airwaves.

Whenever I've gotten an album from this era, I always remark on how anachronistic it sounds. And, I could definitely say that about parts of this as well, but because this album was *so* different, it just didn't age the same way. The flow is definitely different, you can tell it's from a different era, but the beats are so unique that it's really tough to place it if you didn't know.

With half stars, this is 4.5. But because of the creativity, the bravery, and the influence, I'm very comfortable giving this a 5 star rating for this project.

Love the bare bones boom boom bap beats made of scratching and samples looped on repeat but they get a bit samey after a few tracks. Their song w Anthrax kicks the shit out of Aerosmith & RunDMC, even if they accidentally invented Nu Metal.

Old-school hip-hop.