Public Enemy - Rebirth of a Nation: Album Review

Public Enemy, Rebirth of a Nation (Guerilla Funk, 2005)
For this, their 10th or 15th album, Public Enemy teamed up with "multitalented" hip-hop artist Paris. You may remember him from the song "Bush Killer" from way back in the first of many Bush administrations. He produces all of the songs on here and probably rhymes on all of them, too. Or at least most of them.

RAW SHIT

It took me a while to get into this because it sounds nothing at all like Public Enemy, and - like literally everyone else that's ever lived - it's not like I would normally listen to Paris.

HARD RHYMIN'

I guess there was that one song he was on on Revolverlution - for the 8 people that bought that - but that was different because it sounded like PE and just happened to feature Paris. This would be sort of the opposite in that it sounds like Paris featuring PE.

RISE

How does Paris sound, then? Like a dude with a old ass Casio keyboard, basically. I remember his older shit being more sample-oriented, but maybe I shouldn't trust my memory as much. Rhyme-wise, I can hear the slightest bit of 2Pac in his delivery, but again who knows.

CAN'T HOLD US BACK

It'll be interesting to see the reaction this gets from the 8 people who end up picking this up. When I first heard it, I was like, "Huh?" but now it's my shit. As far as shit released in the past couple of years, I would compare it dead prez's RBG. It's not "good" in the classical sense of the term, but it's very angry and didactic, which is my thing.

HARD TRUTH SOLDIERS

Speaking of which, one or maybe both of the dudes from dead prez guests on this. Paris "guests" on pretty much every track on here, Cuban Linx-style. Flava Flav has his own track as usual, but otherwise he doesn't pop up as much as you'd like him to.

HANNIBAL LECTURE

He must have been too busy banging Sylvester Stallone's freakishly tall and old-looking ex-wife. Question: Was there a Public Enemy song called "Hannibal Lecture" before or am I just retarded?

REBIRTH OF A NATION

Also, who wants to guess how much Kanye West's greatest influence Professor Griff gets paid for these PE albums? I think he rhymes on this track, but again I could be mistaken.

PUMP THE MUSIC, PUMP THE SOUND

I should mention that the scratches on here are pretty solid throughout, though it's not always clear who's actually doing the scratching. I notice Chuck D shouting out DJ Lord, but then Flava Flav will all of a sudden say something about Terminator X, who I thought retired to grow chickens or some shit

MAKE IT HARDCORE

Maybe Flava Flav is just like one of those bums who's now only capable of saying a few different things like, "I have no legs!" or "Answer your telephone!"

THEY CALL ME FLAVOR

Speaking of Foofy Foo, or whatever it was Brigitte Nielsen was calling him, this would be his one requisite solo track. It's awesome just like all the rest of them, even if does lend credence to my above theory.

PLASTIC NATION

It's been quite some time since Chuck busted out with one of these "Women Are Worthless (Except for You Know)" tracks. This would be up there with "She Watch Channel Zero" if the beat was any good.

COINSEQUENCES

Get it? Coin-sequences. Not like a combination "coins" and "consequences," but "coincedent" and "consequences." OK, this wasn't a very good idea at all.

INVISIBLE MAN

I'm pretty sure this was on There's a Poison Going On, but with a better beat.

FIELD NIGGA BOOGIE (XLR8R REMIX)

This is the same bassline from that dumbass Neptunes "Lapdance" song. I can't get past that. Sorry.

COMMENTS: Like I said before, this is my shit, though I'm kind of hesitant to recommend it to anyone else. I just get the feeling people are going to listen to it and be like, "What the fuck is this bullshit?" which was actually my reaction upon first hearing it. This is a lot more of a Paris album than it is a PE album.

BEST TRACKS: Who knows. It all kinda sounds the same anyway.

Comments

[Spider]

Uno, fools.

[djxplicit.blogspot.com]

fuck this first shit

[djxplicit.blogspot.com]

oh, my mistake. i thought i was first, but then again, i actually read the review.

my bad i guess.

also how much did you like this?

[Bol]

>also how much did you like this?

I'd give it an 7/10

[Spider]

LOL, djxplicit. I'm sorry. I can't help myself.

[La Professora, formerly known as Foxy]

you know, Chuck D and Bol have something in common--they both like white girls

[La Professora, formerly known as Foxy]

i meant, they have a taste for the other white meat

[The Bored One Formerly Known as Speed da Young'un]

Sounds like an album I'd at least take a peek at. Sounds interesting.

[djxplicit.blogspot.com]

yo bol, can i get a "copy" of this "CD"?

[La Professora, formerly known as Foxy]

that review was interesting--i am glad you liked it. when does it come out for real?

[Bol]

>you know, Chuck D and Bol have something in common--they both like white girls

Any man that claims he doesn't have a taste for "the other white meat" is a damn liar.

>yo bol, can i get a "copy" of this "CD"?

Yeah, in a little bit.

[Monty]

Can you hear Flavor Flav's illegitimate children running into the studio to get back-child support on any of the tracks? That episode MADE the Foofy Foo/Bridgette show.

[Bol]

I wish...

[djxplicit.blogspot.com]

> Yeah, in a little bit.

im currently "buying" it with one of those "legal" downloading programs. hopefully this shit will download right (they usually dont)

[Bol]

>im currently "buying" it with one of those "legal" downloading programs. hopefully this shit will download right (they usually dont)

If you give it another 30 min or so I can just send you this copy that I personally bought for you at Sam Goody.

[godzfavorite]

That album cover looks kind of fuzzy. Please tell me that that it's the image and not the album cover that is blurred. And are they in a parking lot of all places?

[sonnycheeba]

I think the covers dope. I dig those old school bboy/prison pose covers.

[Robb]

I'm not sure how much I'm feeling the joke names (ie Hannibal Lecture and Coinsequences). Seems a bit lame from here.

"FIELD NIGGA BOOGIE (XLR8R REMIX)"
I thoguht XLR8R was a music magazine? I am almost certain a bought a copy at some point.

[Big Walt]

Wow,Paris produced an album that wasn't totally gay? He must have totally stepped his game up,Cool and Dre style. Last I checked he was all about Atomic Dog loops. And did I hear something about cornfields on "Can't Hold Us Down" or am I losing my mind?

[level]

Maybe the scratcher was Mad Mike, Paris' old DJ.

[djxplicit.blogspot.com]

level - pretty sure it was terminator x.
bol - dont worry bout getting me my copy (nhjic), i "bought" mine at the local "sam goody" (no homo?)

[The Bored One Formerly Known as Speed da Young'un]

Yeah, that could be (no homo), I think.

[Billy Sunday]

I love the other-other white meat too.

[Lalayayo Formerlyknown as mealone]

Why are they doing this? How old are all of them?

[Dude]

Hey Bol, could you send me a copy too?

[dame]

Hi, I'm from the Registred Intrnets Advisor Assoc, anybody seen David Comisford around here?

He won a, uh, contest. Anybody have his info?

Dame,
RIAA

[dame]

Are they standing in front of Grand Cherokees?

[dame]

Wait, Bol's ghostwriting now?

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1093705,00.html

[Bol]

The thing is, I'm not down with the Dungeons & Dragons set at all. Lots of black folks listen to music outside of hip-hop, you guys probably just don't know any because you had unfortunate upbringings.

[ROX ONE]

"I'm not down with the Dungeons & Dragons set at all"

but Magic is your shit, no?

It's pretty funny, but I feel the writer stole the idea for that article from me and dames argument the last few days, even down to mentioning the bends...things that make you go hmmmm.

[dame]

I sent it to someone else, and mentioned how it was TOO ironic that which he was ref'ing.

Also, Rakim? That's like another site traditional subject.

I was wondering about all the folks who read b dot c, who don't comment. And like which journalists penned their secret hate for Krispex also.

LOL @ "unfortunate upbringings"

[Bol]

An upbringing without Fleetwood Mac is as unfortunate as they come.

[dame]

they had that main singer who's not bonnie rait (sp?), but who I like to think of as bonnie rait, because, uh, they all look the same to me.

[Bol]

No, Bonnie Rait(t) has that thing where she looks like a skunk.

[dame]

Bol= able to see Dobalinas on a deeper, metaphysical level.

Trippy man...

[snakeyes]

does flava still sport the clock?

[BushKillah]

This album is a 7.5/10 and is being released in january and we will have to rerate it then. They are adding more tracks and new cover art and the orignal August 23rd date didn't work out cuz PE had issues... I am new to your site but I appreciate the Kanye West hate cuz he is overrated closet queer with a cocky attitude and an obnoxious b*tch mother who praises everything he does. F**k Kanye West. Late Registration is pure garbage and has guests like Paul Wall, Gay-Z, Brandy, and Maroon 5. Its made for TRL and MTV fans. They will eat it up like Kanye's mommy and John Legend do his cocky small cock.

[christian]

public enemy always remind me of living colour. they were great.

[David Comisford]

>Hi, I'm from the Registred Intrnets Advisor Assoc, anybody seen David Comisford around here?

um... ?

[coinsequence]

"Coin-sequence"
If u listen to the song, you will understand that, what they are talking about is not a
COINSIDENCE but a Coinsequence,

consequence of capitalist(coin loving system)

ya understand the play in words... but then again, i forgot who you are...

[kgraw21]

I would give this at least 8-9 out 10, but im from the real hip hop era. This BS rap that is out now is garbage. Lyrically it is outdated for some but what r they supposed 2 do quit. If you are a real artist you would never quit. Someone is still going to listen to your music. Just somyoung ones think what they are listening to now vs what started this is supposed to be "classic", what a joke....

[Martino]

not bad at all... I have to say.. not the best however..
.. and I really really love white chicks with big a**!!! hehehe..

[Kingfish]

Here's my thing about Public Enemy. I grew up listening to everything from rap to rock to country to r&b and whatever. Pink Floyd, 2Pac, Barry White, Johnny Cash. I like to think of myself as a very tolerant person. I realize that Public Enemy did a lot to raise consciousness in the world of hip-hop. They had the nerve to get political in hip-hop and bring light to things that noone else would rap about. However, to me, their tudes have always seemed borderline on being just as racist as those white people they attack. Like the following line from their most commercially successful song:

"Farrakhan's a prophet and I think you ought to listen to
What he can say to you, what you ought to do"

This isn't about me being racist, either. Martin Luther King and latter-day pre-death Malcolm X were more along the lines of being true progressive individuals, in my eyes. Difference between them and Louis Farrakhan is that while King and latter-day X were integrationalists, Farrakhan's a a black Muslim extremist, racial separatist, and, in my opinion, all around racist. Not to mention the fact that Public Enemy collabed with Dead Prez (one of the other big "positive" groups notorious for this). "Racism" must be implemented through oppression, I hear a lot. "Black people can't be racist." I hear. Are hate crimes "racist?" My brother is a peaceful stoner type. A couple years back, he was robbed at gunpoint by two black guys heard using racial slurs. This happens on all sides in racial disputes. It's just that anti-white crimes aren't called hate crimes, usually out of fear and political correctness.

Fine, "racism", racial prejudice, whatever. I don't care about the definition of the word "racist". Debate it all you want, because it's beside the actual point. Cause and effect. It's the underlying attitude itself and hatred that needs to be attacked, from all sides. You don't treat the symptom. You treat the problem. And if you have arrogant attitudes that border on the same mentality as those you attack, it's kinda hard to help reach everybody with your message, which should be the goal. It alienates a certain segment of your audience.

There seems to be a "cushy support system" for anti-white racism among many minority communities. Being angry at the right "white people" is understood. But just being indiscriminate doesn't help at all. Many POOR white people like myself have held noone down, nor have had the ability to do so. Black entertainment way too often helps provide more cushion for this. Entertainers should realize that this does not help things. Especially "conscious" entertainers, who should be looking at the big picture to help everyone get along. Not just being so centralized around one side. Would you rather follow the integrationalists side with King or an arrogant black Supremacist like Louie? If you choose the latter, I just don't see how many white people you will "wake up" (which I thought the goal was to reach "white America, too.) Yes, many liberal whites will listen. Their philosophy is to bend over and take it up the ass from whoever. PC. Many others are gonna be turned away by this. I really don't like hearing lessons in tolerance from people who are less tolerant than me. It's annoying.

[Paul Wall]

So do you guys like it or what? This album is the best thing out so far this year to me

[Sayhitodamailman]

PE used to be hard, good political and Crazy different in terms of mad noise and original beast and angry attitude and meaning.

The new Paris album featuring PE is definitely an experiment and I am getting seriously bored hearing PE own samples from all previously available PE-Albums. The texts are almost like B.I.G's samples just difeerent beats and differently arranged.

Yeah Boy !

paid 22 Bucks,just to remember the good old times, KIND A SAD! YO!

However PE keep it up for the peeps YO!

[Reynold]

Good to listen to once in a while.Fav tracks are Coinsequences,Plastic Nation,Field Nigga Boogie,They call me flava,Invisible Man.PE are one the best rappers I have heard since the era of Tupac & BIG.