Public Enemy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Public Enemy
Public Enemy performing in 2000
Background information
Origin	Long Island, New York, U.S.
Genres	Political hip hop East Coast hip hop hardcore hip hop progressive rap
Years active	1985–present
Labels	Def Jam Columbia PIAS
Associated acts	PE 2.0 The Bomb Squad Paris Beastie Boys Anthrax Young Black Teenagers Boogie Down Productions Prophets of Rage
Members	Chuck D Flavor Flav DJ Lord Sammy Sam
Past members	Professor Griff Terminator X

Public Enemy is an American hip hop group that started in 1985. It was formed by Chuck D and Flavor Flav in Long Island, New York. The group became famous for their powerful songs about important social issues. They often talked about racism and how the media influenced people.

Their first album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, came out in 1987 and was highly praised. Their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988), was a huge success. It was the first hip hop album to be named the best album of the year by The Village Voice critics. Public Enemy continued to release popular albums like Fear of a Black Planet (1990) and Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black (1991).

Over the years, the group's members have changed, but Chuck D and Flavor Flav have always been part of it. DJ Lord joined in 1998, taking over from the original DJ, Terminator X. Public Enemy has released many albums and even won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. They were also added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, showing their big impact on music.

The Story of Public Enemy

How Public Enemy Started (1985-1987)

Public Enemy's official logo

Public Enemy began in 1985. Chuck D (whose real name is Carlton Ridenhour) and Flavor Flav (William Drayton) met at Adelphi University in New York. Chuck D was already making music with a group called Spectrum City. He created a song called "Public Enemy #1" to promote his radio station and challenge other rappers. He felt like people were against him, so he used the name "Public Enemy."

Later, a record label executive named Bill Stephney heard Chuck D's song. He thought Chuck D's strong style and political messages would be perfect for a new hip hop group. Chuck D then brought in his production team, the Bomb Squad, which included Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee, and Eric "Vietnam" Sadler. Professor Griff joined as the group's "Minister of Information," sharing their messages. With Flavor Flav and Terminator X as the DJ, the group Public Enemy was officially formed.

The group's name, Public Enemy, was suggested by Hank Shocklee. It reflected their idea that Black people were often seen as "public enemies" in society. This idea came from real events like the Howard Beach racial incident. Public Enemy started by opening shows for the Beastie Boys. In 1987, they released their first album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show.

Rising to Fame (1987-1993)

Flavor Flav performing in Malmö in 1991.

Public Enemy's first album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, was very popular with critics. In 1988, they released their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. This album did even better on the music charts. It included famous songs like "Don't Believe the Hype" and "Bring The Noise". This album was a big deal because it was chosen as the best album of the year by many music critics.

In 1989, the group started working on their third album, Fear of a Black Planet. This album also had strong political messages. It was released in April 1990 and became their most successful album. In 2005, it was even chosen to be saved in the National Recording Registry because of its importance. The album featured hit songs like "Welcome to the Terrordome" and "911 Is a Joke". The song "911 Is a Joke" criticized how emergency services sometimes took longer to respond in Black communities.

One of their most famous songs, "Fight the Power", was also on this album. It is known as one of the most important hip hop songs ever. It was even the theme song for Spike Lee's movie Do the Right Thing.

Chuck D. performing in Malmö in 1991

Their fourth album, Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black, continued their powerful messages. Songs like "Can't Truss It" talked about the history of slavery and how people could fight against unfair treatment. The album also had a song and video called "By the Time I Get to Arizona". This video showed the frustration that some US states did not recognize Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday.

In 1992, Public Enemy was one of the first rap groups to perform at the famous Reading Festival in the UK. They were a main act at the festival.

Later Years and New Members (1994-2019)

In 1994, Terminator X, the group's original DJ, had a motorcycle accident. He decided to retire from the group in 1998 to focus on his farm. Public Enemy then searched for a new DJ. Professor Griff found DJ Lord at a DJ competition and asked him to join the group. DJ Lord became Public Enemy's official DJ in 1998 and has been with them ever since, performing on albums and world tours.

Public Enemy at Vegoose in 2007. From left: DJ Lord, Chuck D, and Flavor Flav.

In 2007, Public Enemy released the album How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul?. A song from this album, "Harder Than You Think", became very popular. In 2012, a remix of "Harder Than You Think" was used in an advertisement for the London 2012 Summer Paralympics. This made the song reach No. 4 on the UK music charts.

Public Enemy continued to release new music. In 2014, Chuck D started a new project called PE 2.0 with rapper Jahi. This group was meant to be a "next generation" of Public Enemy. PE 2.0 performs some of Public Enemy's old songs and also creates new music. Public Enemy released their thirteenth album, Man Plans God Laughs, in 2015, and their fourteenth album, Nothing Is Quick in the Desert, in 2017.

Public Enemy's Impact

Public Enemy was one of the first hip hop groups to become popular all over the world. They also changed how music was shared online. They were among the first groups to release albums only as MP3 files, which was a new idea at the time.

Public Enemy made big contributions to hip hop music. They experimented with new sounds and brought important political and cultural ideas into their songs. Because of Public Enemy's success, many other hip hop artists started to include themes about Black history and culture in their music.

The group's influence can be seen throughout hip hop and in society. They "rewrote the rules of hip hop" by changing its image, sound, and message. Their lyrics talked about racial equality and fighting against unfair treatment, especially police brutality. Before Public Enemy, some people saw hip hop as just entertainment. Public Enemy showed that hip hop could be a powerful voice for social change.

Group Members

Current Members

• Chuck D (Carlton D. Ridenhour) – The main rapper (MC)
• Flavor Flav (William J. Drayton, Jr.) – The hype man, plays many instruments
• Sammy Sam (Samuel Kim) – Rapper (MC), music producer
• Khari Wynn – Lead guitars, music director
• DJ Lord (Lord Aswod) – The DJ
• Davy DMX (David Franklin Reeves Jr.) – Bass guitar
• T-Bone Motta – Drums, percussion
• S1W (Security of the First World) – A performance and security team
  • Brother James (James Norman)
  • Brother Roger (Roger Chillous)
  • Brother Mike (Michael Williams)
  • James Bomb (James Allen)
  • The Interrogator (Shawn K. Carter)
  • Big Casper (Tracy D. Walker)
  • Pop Diesel (sometimes spelt Popp Diezel)

Former Members

• Terminator X (Norman Rogers) – DJ, producer
• Professor Griff (Richard Griffin) – Minister of Information
• DJ Johnny "Juice" Rosado – DJ, scratching, turntablist, producer
• Sister Souljah (Lisa Williamson) – Minister of Information
• Brian Hardgroove – Bass guitar, rhythm guitars
• Michael Faulkner – Drums, percussion
• S1W
  • Jacob "Big Jake" Shankle
• The Bomb Squad – The production team
  • Hank Shocklee (James Hank Boxley III) *original member
  • Keith Shocklee (Keith Boxley) *original member
  • Eric "Vietnam" Sadler *original member
  • Gary G-Wiz (Gary Rinaldo) (joined later)

Public Enemy Albums

Studio Albums

• Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987)
• It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
• Fear of a Black Planet (1990)
• Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black (1991)
• Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age (1994)
• There's a Poison Goin' On (1999)
• Revolverlution (2002)
• New Whirl Odor (2005)
• How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul??? (2007)
• Most of My Heroes Still Don't Appear on No Stamp (2012)
• The Evil Empire of Everything (2012)
• Man Plans God Laughs (2015)
• Nothing Is Quick in the Desert (2017)
• Loud Is Not Enough (2020) (released as Public Enemy Radio)
• What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down? (2020)

Collaboration Albums

• Rebirth of a Nation with Paris (2006)

Soundtrack Albums

• He Got Game (1998)

Awards and Nominations

Grammy Awards

American Music Awards

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Public Enemy was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.

See also

In Spanish: Public Enemy para niños