10 Perfect Albums From The Golden Age Of Hip Hop
4. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back - Public Enemy (1988)
The second album from Public Enemy was a solid entry in the field of East Coast rap. You could tie this stuff in with the gangsta rap of the era; or link it to the anti-authority sentiment of N.W.A, but it was in its own league. N.W.A said a lot with F**k Tha Police; it was an impassioned and furious outcry of frustration, laced with threats of retaliation. Chuck D's anti-establishment sentiments, however, were far more thought out.
There was a political awareness to D's lyrics. He was a self-proclaimed activist. His lyrics made reference to the empowerment the black community, as much as they spoke about his distain for authority. This was an album of social and political commentary unlike any other of the time.
There was far less self-aggrandising than was typical of the genre. Sure, you had Flava Flav jumping about, being suitably ridiculous and entertaining, but he served to balance out the hard reality-facing lyrics of D. This album was just the start, however. The groups defining protest number, Fight The Power, would drop two years later, compounding the sentiments of social justice, established on this record.