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Coming down after the twin high-water marks of It Takes a Nation of Millions and Fear of a Black Planet, Public Enemy shifted strategy a bit for their fourth album, Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black. By and large, they abandon the rich, dense musicality of Planet, shifting toward a sleek, relentless, aggressive attack -- Yo! Bum Rush the Show by way of the lessons learned from Millions. This is surely a partial reaction to their status as the Great Black Hope of rock & roll; they had been embraced by a white audience almost in greater numbers than black, leading toward rap-rock crossovers epitomized by this album's leaden, pointless remake of "Bring the Noise" as a duet with thrash metallurgists Anthrax. It also signals the biggest change here -- the transition of the Bomb Squad to executive-producer status, leaving a great majority of the production to their disciples, the Imperial Grand Ministers of Funk. This isn't a great change, since the Public Enemy sound has firmly been established, giving the new producers a template to work with, but it is a notable change, one that results in a record with a similar sound but a different feel: a harder, angrier, determined sound, one that takes its cues from the furious anger surging through Chuck D's sociopolitical screeds. And this is surely PE's most political effort, surpassing Millions through the use of focused, targeted anger, a tactic evident on Planet. Yet it was buried there, due to the seductiveness of the music. Here, everything is on the surface, with the bluntness of the music hammering home the message. Arriving after two records where the words and music were equally labyrinthine, folding back on each other in dizzying, intoxicating ways, it is a bit of a letdown to have Apocalypse be so direct, but there is no denying that the end result is still thrilling and satisfying, and remains one of the great records of the golden age of hip-hop.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - ROBBIE ROBERTSON, Producer - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - James Henry Boxley III, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Cerwin Depper, Producer, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - Hank Shocklee, ComposerLyricist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Keith M Boxley, ComposerLyricist - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - Gary Rinaldo, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - James Henry Boxley III, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - Gary Rinaldo, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Public Enemy, MainArtist - Drayton, ComposerLyricist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Cerwin Depper, Producer - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Cerwin Depper, Producer, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - unknown sample writer, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Cerwin Depper, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Sister Souljah, FeaturedArtist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Cerwin Depper, Producer, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Public Enemy, MainArtist - Drayton, ComposerLyricist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Cerwin Depper, Producer - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - James Henry Boxley III, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - Gary Rinaldo, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Public Enemy, MainArtist - Drayton, ComposerLyricist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Cerwin Depper, Producer - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - Chris Shaw, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - True Mathematics, FeaturedArtist - Kenny Houston, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer - The Imperial Grand Ministers Of Funk, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Eric Sadler, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - MICHAEL BARBIERO, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Steve Thompson, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Chuck D., Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Hank Shocklee, ComposerLyricist - Mark Dodson, Producer - Charlie Benante, Mixer, Drum Programming, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Scott Ian, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Daniel Alan Spitz, ComposerLyricist - Joseph Bellardini, ComposerLyricist - Scott Ian Rosenfeld, ComposerLyricist - Frank Joseph Bello, ComposerLyricist - Anthrax, Producer, MainArtist - Flavor Flav, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Pete Rock, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Public Enemy, MainArtist - Hank Shocklee, ComposerLyricist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Keith M Boxley, ComposerLyricist - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - Gary Rinaldo, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1992 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Pete Rock, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Public Enemy, MainArtist - Hank Shocklee, ComposerLyricist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Keith M Boxley, ComposerLyricist - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - Gary Rinaldo, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1992 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Pete Rock, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Public Enemy, MainArtist - Hank Shocklee, ComposerLyricist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Keith M Boxley, ComposerLyricist - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - Gary Rinaldo, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1992 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Pete Rock, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Public Enemy, MainArtist - Hank Shocklee, ComposerLyricist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Keith M Boxley, ComposerLyricist - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - Gary Rinaldo, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1992 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - James Henry Boxley III, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - Gary Rinaldo, ComposerLyricist - MIKE BONA, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - James Henry Boxley III, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - Gary Rinaldo, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Neftali Santiago, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - Mandrill, ComposerLyricist - Gary J. Rinaldo, ComposerLyricist - The Bomb Squad, Producer, Executive Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - Stuart Robertz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Cerwin Depper, Producer, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Cerwin Depper, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Sister Souljah, FeaturedArtist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Public Enemy, MainArtist - Drayton, ComposerLyricist - The Bomb Squad, Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer, Remixer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Cerwin Depper, Producer - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Pete Rock, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Public Enemy, MainArtist - Jamey Staub, Remix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Bomb Squad, Producer, Executive Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - James Henry Boxley III, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - Gary Rinaldo, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Pete Rock, Remixer, StudioPersonnel - Public Enemy, MainArtist - Jamey Staub, Remix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - The Bomb Squad, Producer, Executive Producer - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - James Henry Boxley III, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - Gary Rinaldo, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - Gary G-Wiz, ComposerLyricist - Stuart Robertz, Producer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Carlton Ridenhour, ComposerLyricist - Public Enemy, MainArtist - Chris Shaw, Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Gary G-Wiz, Producer - Stuart Robertz, Producer - Cerwin Depper, Producer - True Mathematics, FeaturedArtist - Kenny Houston, ComposerLyricist - The JBL, Producer - The Imperial Grand Ministers Of Funk, Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1991 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Coming down after the twin high-water marks of It Takes a Nation of Millions and Fear of a Black Planet, Public Enemy shifted strategy a bit for their fourth album, Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black. By and large, they abandon the rich, dense musicality of Planet, shifting toward a sleek, relentless, aggressive attack -- Yo! Bum Rush the Show by way of the lessons learned from Millions. This is surely a partial reaction to their status as the Great Black Hope of rock & roll; they had been embraced by a white audience almost in greater numbers than black, leading toward rap-rock crossovers epitomized by this album's leaden, pointless remake of "Bring the Noise" as a duet with thrash metallurgists Anthrax. It also signals the biggest change here -- the transition of the Bomb Squad to executive-producer status, leaving a great majority of the production to their disciples, the Imperial Grand Ministers of Funk. This isn't a great change, since the Public Enemy sound has firmly been established, giving the new producers a template to work with, but it is a notable change, one that results in a record with a similar sound but a different feel: a harder, angrier, determined sound, one that takes its cues from the furious anger surging through Chuck D's sociopolitical screeds. And this is surely PE's most political effort, surpassing Millions through the use of focused, targeted anger, a tactic evident on Planet. Yet it was buried there, due to the seductiveness of the music. Here, everything is on the surface, with the bluntness of the music hammering home the message. Arriving after two records where the words and music were equally labyrinthine, folding back on each other in dizzying, intoxicating ways, it is a bit of a letdown to have Apocalypse be so direct, but there is no denying that the end result is still thrilling and satisfying, and remains one of the great records of the golden age of hip-hop.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 27 track(s)
- Total length: 01:47:43
- Main artists: Public Enemy
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Def Jam Recordings
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
© 2021 UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 2021 UMG Recordings, Inc.
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