Public Enemy

About

Public Enemy’s catalog stands as a powerful soundtrack to hip-hop’s evolution into urgent social and political commentary. Their debut, Yo! Bum Rush The Show , was hailed by NME as Album of the Year and praised by Rolling Stone and The New York Times as a groundbreaking moment for the genre. They cemented their legacy with 1988’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back , one of the most significant albums of the century, followed by Fear of a Black Planet , which introduced the anthem “Fight the Power” alongside “911 Is a Joke” and “Welcome to the Terrordome.” Apocalypse 91…The Enemy Strikes Black went platinum with its searing call for justice in “By the Time I Get to Arizona.” Decades later, their influence remained vital: “Harder Than You Think” became a U.K. chart-topping single in 2012, and in 2020 they opened the BET Awards with a remix of “Fight the Power,” leading into their acclaimed Def Jam release What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down , featuring collaborators from across hip-hop’s pantheon.