Public Enemy has gone through many lineup changes over the years, with Chuck D and Flavor Flav remaining the only constant members. Co-founder Professor Griff left in 1989 but rejoined in 1998, before parting ways again some years later. DJ Lord also joined Public Enemy in 1998 as the replacement of the group's original DJ Terminator X. In 2020, it was announced that Flavor Flav had been fired from the group. His firing was later revealed to be a publicity stunt that was called an April Fools' Day prank. Public Enemy, without Flavor Flav, would also tour and record music under the name of Public Enemy Radio which consists of the lineup of Chuck D, Jahi, DJ Lord and the S1Ws.
Public Enemy's first four albums during the late 1980s and early 1990s were all certified either gold or platinum and were, according to music critic Robert Hilburn in 1998, "the most acclaimed body of work ever by a hip hop act". Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine called them "the most influential and radical band of their time". They were inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. They were honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at the 62nd Grammy Awards.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Enemy
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 under the name Public Enemy Radio)
What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down? (2020)
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There are three other groups named Public Enemy:
2) The first Public Enemy, an Oi!/punk band formed in 1984 who released one LP album (England's Glory) and one 7 inch (Skinheads). This band was never white supremacist and has no connection to the "revived" Public Enemy:
3) White Power group from the UK, formed by Paul Burnley (of No Remorse). Released 3 CDs: βPaul Burnley Is The Real Public Enemyβ, "There is only one..." and βArchivesβ.
4) Public Enemy was a Hardcore/Punk group from Tuscon, Arizona.
Don't Believe the Hype
Public Enemy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Caught you lookin' for the same thing
It's a new thing, check out this I bring
Uh Oh the roll below the level
'Cause I'm livin' low next to the bass, c'mon
Turn up the radio
They claim that I'm a criminal
By now I wonder how
The enemy could be their friend, guardian
I'm not a hooligan
I rock the party and
Clear all the madness, I'm not a racist
Preach to teach to all
'Cause some they never had this
Number one, not born to run
About the gun
I wasn't licensed to have one
The minute they see me, fear me
I'm the epitome, a public enemy
Used, abused without clues
I refused to blow a fuse
They even had it on the news
Don't believe the hype
Yes
Was the start of my last jam
So here it is again, another def jam
But since I gave you all a little something
That we knew you lacked
They still consider me a new jack
All the critics you can hang 'em
I'll hold the rope
But they hope to the pope
And pray it ain't dope
The follower of Farrakhan
Don't tell me that you understand
Until you hear the man
The book of the new school rap game
Writers treat me like Coltrane, insane
Yes to them, but to me I'm a different kind
We're brothers of the same mind, unblind
Caught in the middle and
Not surrenderin'
I don't rhyme for the sake of of riddlin'
Some claim that I'm a smuggler
Some say I never heard of 'ya
A rap burglar, false media
We don't need it do we?
It's fake that's what it be to 'ya, dig me?
Don't believe the hype
Don't believe the hype, its a sequel
As an equal, can I get this through to you
My 98's boomin' with a trunk of funk
All the jealous punks can't stop the dunk
Comin' from the school of hard knocks
Some perpetrate, they drink Clorox
Attack the black, 'cause I know they lack exact
The cold facts, and still they try to Xerox
Leader of the new school, uncool
Never played the fool, just made the rules
Remember there's a need to get alarmed
Again I said I was a timebomb
In the daytime the radio's scared of me
'Cause I'm mad, plus I'm the enemy
They can't c'mon and play with me in primetime
'Cause I know the time, plus I'm gettin' mine
I get on the mix late in the night
They know I'm livin' right, so here go the mike, sike
Before I let it go, don't rush my show
You try to reach and grab and get elbowed
Word to herb, yo if you can't swing this
Just a little bit of the taste of the bass for you
As you get up and dance at the LQ
When some deny it, defy if I swing bolos
Then they clear the lane I go solo
The meaning of all of that
Some media is the whack
You believe it's true, it blows me through the roof
Suckers, liars get me a shovel
Some writers I know are damn devils
For them I say don't believe the hype
Yo Chuck, they must be on a pipe, right?
Their pens and pads I'll snatch
'Cause I've had it
I'm not an addict fiendin' for static
I'll see their tape recorder and grab it
No, you can't have it back silly rabbit
I'm going' to my media assassin
Harry Allen, I gotta ask him
Yo Harry, you're a writer, are we that type?
Don't believe the hype
I got flavor and all those things you know
Yeah boy, part two bum rush and show
Yo Griff, get the green black red and
Gold down countdown to Armageddon
88 you wait the S1Ws will
Rock the hard jams, treat it like a seminar
Teach the bourgeois, and rock the boulevard
Some say I'm negative
But they're not positive
But what I got to give
The media says this
The lyrics to Public Enemy's song "Don't Believe the Hype" speak to the band's experience with media portrayals, racism, and law enforcement. Chuck D, the leader of Public Enemy, raps about being falsely accused of criminal activity and how the media perpetuates negative stereotypes about Black people. He also speaks about the hypocrisy of some individuals who claim to be friends but act like enemies. Chuck D calls on listeners to be critical of what they hear and to not believe everything they see and read in the media.
Throughout the song, Chuck D uses clever wordplay and metaphors to illustrate his points. The line "The enemy could be their friend, guardian / I'm not a hooligan" speaks to the idea that people often fear and demonize what they don't understand. Chuck D is saying that he's not a threat but rather someone who wants to create positive change. Similarly, the line "Some claim that I'm a smuggler / Some say I never heard of 'ya / A rap burglar, false media" speaks to the sensationalism and falsehoods that are often perpetuated by the media.
Overall, "Don't Believe the Hype" is a call to action for listeners to question the information that is presented to them and to challenge harmful stereotypes and media portrayals.
Line by Line Meaning
Back
Let's go back to the beginning
Caught you lookin' for the same thing
I see you searching for something familiar
It's a new thing, check out this I bring
But I have something fresh and different
Uh Oh the roll below the level
Below the surface, where things are real
'Cause I'm livin' low next to the bass, c'mon
Living in the raw, unfiltered truth
Turn up the radio
Listen closely, pay attention
They claim that I'm a criminal
They accuse me of wrongdoing
By now I wonder how
I'm amazed that some people still don't know
Some people never know
Some people remain oblivious
The enemy could be their friend, guardian
The ones they trust may actually harm them
I'm not a hooligan
I'm not a troublemaker
I rock the party and
I bring the energy and excitement
Clear all the madness, I'm not a racist
I eliminate the chaos and I'm not discriminatory
Preach to teach to all
I deliver a message to educate everyone
'Cause some they never had this
Because some people have never experienced this
Number one, not born to run
I'm the best, not meant to flee
About the gun
It's not about violence
I wasn't licensed to have one
I'm not authorized to possess one
The minute they see me, fear me
The moment they see me, they're afraid
I'm the epitome, a public enemy
I am the perfect example, a threat to society
Used, abused without clues
Taken advantage of, manipulated unknowingly
I refused to blow a fuse
I won't let myself lose control
They even had it on the news
They even reported it on the news
Don't believe the hype
Don't trust the exaggerated stories
Yes
That's right
Was the start of my last jam
It marked the beginning of my latest song
So here it is again, another def jam
Here it is once more, another powerful record
But since I gave you all a little something
But since I shared something meaningful with you
That we knew you lacked
That we knew you needed
They still consider me a new jack
They still view me as a newcomer
All the critics you can hang 'em
You can disregard all the critics
I'll hold the rope
I'll be in control
But they hope to the pope
But they hold onto false hope
And pray it ain't dope
And hope it's not great
The follower of Farrakhan
A supporter of Farrakhan's teachings
Don't tell me that you understand
Don't claim to comprehend
Until you hear the man
Until you listen to him speak
The book of the new school rap game
The guide to the modern rap industry
Writers treat me like Coltrane, insane
Writers compare me to Coltrane, calling me crazy
Yes to them, but to me I'm a different kind
That's their perception, but I see myself differently
We're brothers of the same mind, unblind
We think alike, with clear vision
Caught in the middle and
Stuck in between
Not surrenderin'
But I won't give up
I don't rhyme for the sake of of riddlin'
I don't rap just for the sake of rhyming
Some claim that I'm a smuggler
Some say I'm involved in illegal activities
Some say I never heard of 'ya
Some say they've never heard of me
A rap burglar, false media
Accused of stealing rap, but it's all lies from the media
We don't need it do we?
We don't need their lies, do we?
It's fake that's what it be to 'ya, dig me?
It's all false, can you understand?
Don't believe the hype
Don't trust the exaggerated stories
Don't believe the hype, its a sequel
Don't trust the false narrative, it continues
As an equal, can I get this through to you
As your equal, can I make you understand this?
My 98's boomin' with a trunk of funk
My music is powerful, filled with soul
All the jealous punks can't stop the dunk
No one can hinder my success
Comin' from the school of hard knocks
Coming from a tough upbringing
Some perpetrate, they drink Clorox
Some pretend to be tough, but they're weak
Attack the black, 'cause I know they lack exact
They criticize me because they lack accuracy
The cold facts, and still they try to Xerox
The undeniable truth, yet they still attempt to imitate
Leader of the new school, uncool
A pioneer of the modern era, not conforming to norms
Never played the fool, just made the rules
I never acted stupid, I set the standards
Remember there's a need to get alarmed
Don't forget to be concerned
Again I said I was a timebomb
Once again, I emphasized that I'm a ticking bomb
In the daytime the radio's scared of me
Radio stations are afraid to play my music in the day
'Cause I'm mad, plus I'm the enemy
Because I'm angry and seen as a threat
They can't c'mon and play with me in primetime
They can't compete with me during peak hours
'Cause I know the time, plus I'm gettin' mine
Because I'm aware of my worth and success
I get on the mix late in the night
I take over the airwaves late at night
They know I'm livin' right, so here go the mike, sike
They know I'm doing well, so here's the microphone, just kidding
Before I let it go, don't rush my show
Before I end, don't try to control me
You try to reach and grab and get elbowed
You try to interfere but get pushed away
Word to herb, yo if you can't swing this
Listen, if you can't understand this
Just a little bit of the taste of the bass for you
Just a small sample of the powerful music for you
As you get up and dance at the LQ
While you dance at the local club
When some deny it, defy if I swing bolos
When some deny and resist, I deliver powerful blows
Then they clear the lane I go solo
Then they make way for me, I perform alone
The meaning of all of that
The significance of all this
Some media is the whack
Some media outlets are unreliable
You believe it's true, it blows me through the roof
You believe their lies, it frustrates me
Suckers, liars get me a shovel
These fools and liars make me want to dig a hole
Some writers I know are damn devils
Some writers I know are truly evil
For them I say don't believe the hype
To those writers, I say don't trust their false narratives
Yo Chuck, they must be on a pipe, right?
Hey Chuck, they must be crazy, right?
Their pens and pads I'll snatch
I'll take away their tools
'Cause I've had it
Because I've reached my limit
I'm not an addict fiendin' for static
I'm not addicted, craving chaos
I'll see their tape recorder and grab it
I'll take their recording device from them
No, you can't have it back silly rabbit
No, you can't have it back, foolish person
I'm goin' to my media assassin
I'm going to my trusted journalist friend
Harry Allen, I gotta ask him
Harry Allen, I need to consult him
Yo Harry, you're a writer, are we that type?
Hey Harry, as a writer, do you categorize us like that?
Don't believe the hype
Don't trust the exaggerated stories
I got flavor and all those things you know
I have style and all the qualities you're aware of
Yeah boy, part two bum rush and show
Yes, it's the sequel with even more excitement
Yo Griff, get the green black red and
Hey Griff, get the green, black, and red colors of our movement
Gold down countdown to Armageddon
Prepare for the destruction of society
88 you wait the S1Ws will
In '88, the S1Ws will come
Rock the hard jams, treat it like a seminar
Play the powerful songs, as if it's an educational lecture
Teach the bourgeois, and rock the boulevard
Educate the upper class and energize the streets
Some say I'm negative
Some say I'm pessimistic
But they're not positive
But they don't have a positive outlook
But what I got to give
But what I have to offer
The media says this
The media portrays me as such
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Carlton Ridenhour, Eric Sadler, Hank Shocklee
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tessw9744
2024 and still relevant as it was in 1988. Good music never dies.
@rodneyr241
Chuck D Most underrated MC of All Time
@bryanporter2240
One of the greatest Hip Hop songs ever written
@Mookaron
I think so.
@CalridRobnor123srs
@@Mookaron True Dat.
@grahamdrummond2412
Can't argue
@CaropBec
Spitting straight facts
@hunnymccann9349
And people thought fake media was a new thing, these guys were calling out false media BS long before it became a thing. I miss this kind of hip hop, powerful , positive with a strong message β€οΈ
@prosurgicareservices1610
Donβt believe the hype
@feca2825
PE...Hip Hop's best rap group!!!