Public Enemy
Identification African American rap group
Date First album released in 1987
Public Enemy specialized in crafting politically infused rap
lyrics, uttering controversial public statements on race rela-
tions and social conditions, and appealing to urban and
suburban audiences with a clever musical message of Afri-
can American nationalism and cultural militancy. By the
end of the decade, Public Enemy had redefined rap and hip-
hop music.
In 1982, Chuck D (Carlton Ridenhour) began rap-
ping with MC Flavor Flav (William Drayton) while
both were students at Adelphi University. Public En-
emy grew out of this collaboration and the desire of
fledgling record label Def Jam to sign Chuck D to a
contract. In 1986, the group was assembled and the
contract was signed. Instead of imitating rap pio-
neers Run-D.M.C., Chuck D sought to disseminate
political and social messages through music. Behind
his staccato delivery of complex rhythms, Public En-
emy featured the comical meanderings of oversized-
watch-toting jester Flavor Flav; steady beats and sam-
pling from DJ Terminator X (Norman Rogers); the
militant choreographic stylings of the group’s minis-
ter of information, Professor Griff (Richard Grif-
fin); and backup dancers known as the Security of
the First World, who sported fa-
tigues, fake Uzis, and martial arts
moves during performances.
Despite the group’s sometimes
amusing outward appearance, Pub-
lic Enemy was all business. Its de-
but albumYo! Bum Rush the Show
(1987) on the Def Jam label fea-
tured complex lyrics and digest-
ible beats, and it sounded like little
else at the time. The album was
largely ignored by mainstream lis-
teners. A year later, Public En-
emy’s sophomore release,It Takes
a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
(1988), broke new ground. The al-
bum touched on drug use, crime,
racism, religion, poverty, African
American role models, and inner-
city decay. The next year, Public En-
emy contributed the song “Fight
the Power” to the sound track of
Spike Lee’s controversial filmDo the Right Thing(1989).
At the end of the decade, Public Enemy’s music
hinted at greater possibilities for hip-hop and rap
music.
Public Enemy’s commercial success brought tre-
mendous press attention. While the group celebrated
the politics of Malcolm X and the tactics of the Black
Panther Party for Self-Defense, Chuck D’s endorse-
ment of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan led
to negative publicity. The public also reacted to lyrics
in “Fight the Power” that accused Elvis Presley and
John Wayne of being racists. The most severe media
attack came in the summer of 1989, following a
Washington Timesinterview with Professor Griff. In
the interview, Griff blamed Jews for “the majority
of the wickedness that goes on across the globe.”
Following the incident, the group temporarily dis-
banded, but it returned (without Professor Griff) a
year later with a new album.Impact During the 1980’s, Public Enemy blazed an
important path for political and intellectual rap,
demonstrating the power of the mainstream record-
ing industry to disseminate subversive and counter-
cultural messages. As their popularity increased,
controversy threatened to split the group apart. Sub-
sequent hip-hop, rap, heavy metal, and rock groups
drew inspiration from Public Enemy.The Eighties in America Public Enemy 783
Public Enemy.(Paul Natkin)