No person or group left an early hip hop impression on me like the uncompromising Carlton Ridenhour (bka Chuck D) and the crew of Public Enemy. The first PE album I bought was the 1988 It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back around the time of its release. There was no turning back.
I must have listened to It Takes A Nation Of Millions … a sonnuvabitchin lot back because I can still hear it banging in my head. You know, back in the day, when we used tapes? And we listened to them so often the track listings and information would rub right off? And how you’d pop it into your Walkman and it’d be the wrong side and you’d have to pop it out again to get to Side A. Unless, of course, you had one of them fancier Walkmans that let you switch directions on the fly to listen to the other side.
Sweet.
As one of the most influential and historic hip hop albums of all time - and, more importantly, one of my favorites - the album features prominently on the soundtrack of my life.
Then rock these bells.
Public Enemy - Night Of The Living Baseheads
Public Enemy - Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos
Finally, close the circle by picking up your own copy of the album.
It’s worth it.
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