| It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back | |
|---|---|
 Studio album by Public Enemy | |
|
Released |
28 June 1988 |
|
Recorded |
1987 at Chung King Studios, Green St. Recording and Sabella Studios (New York City) |
|
Genre |
|
|
Length |
57:21 |
|
Label |
Def Jam Recordings/Columbia |
|
Producer |
The Bomb Squad, Rick Rubin (exec.) |
| Public Enemy chronology | |
|---|---|
|
Previous |
Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987) |
|
Next |
Fear of a Black Planet (1990) |
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is the second album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released in 1988 on Def Jam Recordings. Public Enemy set out to make the hip hop equivalent of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, an album noted for its strong social commentary. Recording sessions took place during 1987 at Chung King Studios, Greene St. Recording and Sabella Studios in New York City. The music, produced by Public Enemy's production squad The Bomb Squad, is at a faster tempo than their previous work for performance purposes. Chuck D performs politically charged lyrics, while Flavor Flav supports him with "hype man" vocals.
The album charted for 49 weeks on the US Billboard 200, peaking at number 42. It was certified platinum by the RIAA in August 1989 for shipments of one million copies. The album was well received by music critics upon release, who hailed it for its production techniques and the socially conscious and political lyrics of lead MC Chuck D.
Since its initial reception, the album has been regarded by music writers and publications as one of the greatest and most influential albums. In 1998, it was selected by The Source magazine as one of the 100 Best Albums. In 2003, the album was ranked number 48 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and was the highest ranked hip hop album on the list.
Track listing
All songs performed by Public Enemy. All songs produced by The Bomb Squad.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Countdown to Armageddon" | Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee | 1:40 |
| 2. | "Bring the Noise" | Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee | 3:46 |
| 3. | "Don't Believe the Hype" | Drayton, Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee | 5:19 |
| 4. | "Cold Lampin' with Flavor" | Drayton, Sadler, Shocklee | 4:17 |
| 5. | "Terminator X to the Edge of Panic" | Drayton, Ridenhour, Rogers | 4:31 |
| 6. | "Mind Terrorist" | Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee | 1:21 |
| 7. | "Louder Than a Bomb" | Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee | 3:37 |
| 8. | "Caught, Can We Get a Witness?" | Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee | 4:53 |
| 9. | "Show 'Em Whatcha Got" | Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee | 1:56 |
| 10. | "She Watch Channel Zero?!" | Drayton, Griffin, Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee | 3:49 |
| 11. | "Night of the Living Baseheads" | Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee | 3:14 |
| 12. | "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" | Drayton, Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee | 6:23 |
| 13. | "Security of the First World" | Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee | 1:20 |
| 14. | "Rebel Without a Pause" | Ridenhour, Rogers, Sadler, Shocklee | 5:02 |
| 15. | "Prophets of Rage" | Drayton, Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee | 3:18 |
| 16. | "Party for Your Right to Fight" | Ridenhour, Sadler, Shocklee | 3:24 |