Public Enemy: Revolution, Scandal, and a Message Louder than a Bomb

DISGRACELAND

Jake Brennan

True Crime, Music, Society & Culture

4.6 • 13.1K Ratings

🗓️ 23 April 2024

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Public Enemy were revolutionaries – both in their message and their music. In the 1980s and 1990s, they elevated hip-hop to an art form. They did this with Chuck D's booming voice, Flavor Flav's comic levity, and the auditory assault of the Bomb Squad's production. But with that revolution came scandal. Their hype man allegedly tried to shoot his neighbor while high on crack cocaine. Their so-called "Minister of Information" was so controversial that his words alone nearly derailed the group's success. They performed at a prison – after just releasing a song about a prison break. And in the summer of 1989, Public Enemy released a song that was so powerful, it put them in the middle of the cultural zeitgeist at the very moment that it seemed they were splintering apart. To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com. To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND: Instagram YouTube X (formerly Twitter) Facebook Fan Group TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Double Elvis.
0:05.0	Disgras.
0:08.0	Disgrasland is brought to you by Disgraseland All Access.
0:11.5	Disgraseland All Access membership is your chance to support the show
0:15.2	and get ad-free listening, an exclusive scripted episode every month and
0:19.4	exclusive bonus content every week. Plus access to an always-on-chat with me and your fellow
0:25.2	discos. Visit disgraceland pod.com slash membership and sign up today.
0:31.6	Disgraysland is a production of Double Elvis. Today. The stories about hip-hop legends, public enemy, are insane.
0:49.0	Their hype man allegedly tried to shoot his neighbor while high on crack cocaine.
0:55.4	Their so-called minister of information was so controversial that he nearly destroyed the group's
1:01.2	career. They played a show at Rikers Island immediately
1:05.1	after releasing a track about a prison break. Their music video depicting
1:10.0	the assassination of politicians was pulled after it aired on MTV just once.
1:17.0	Public enemy were revolutionary,
1:19.0	both in their message and their music.
1:22.0	In the 1980s and 90s, in their music.
1:23.2	In the 1980s and 90s, they helped elevate hip-hop to an art form.
1:28.2	They did this with Chuck D's booming voice, flavor-flaves, comic levity, and the auditory assault of the Bomb Squad's production.
1:37.0	Great music.
1:39.0	Unlike that clip I played for you at the top of the show. That wasn't great music.
1:44.0	That was a preset loop for my melotron, called Vogue-Smog M-K2.
1:50.0	I played you that clip, because I can't afford the rights to a clip from
	...

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