Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Terminator X, Professor Griff & The S1Ws
1985–1987: Formation And Early Years
Public Enemy was formed in 1985 by Carlton Ridenhour (Chuck D) and William Drayton (Flavor Flav), who met at Long Island's Adelphi University in the mid-1980s. Developing his talents as an MC with Flav while delivering furniture for his father's business, Chuck D and Spectrum City, as the group was called, released the record "Check Out the Radio", backed by "Lies", a social commentary—both of which would influence RUSH Productions' Run–D.M.C. and Beastie Boys. Chuck D put out a tape to promote WBAU (the radio station where he was working at the time) and to fend off a local MC who wanted to battle him. He called the tape Public Enemy #1 because he felt like he was being persecuted by people in the local scene. This was the first reference to the notion of a public enemy in any of Chuck D's songs. The single was created by Chuck D with a contribution by Flavor Flav, though this was before the group Public Enemy was officially assembled. Around 1986, Bill Stephney, the former Program Director at WBAU, was approached by Ali Hafezi and offered a position with the label. Stephney accepted, and his first assignment was to help fledgling producer Rick Rubin sign Chuck D, whose song "Public Enemy Number One" Rubin had heard from Andre "Doctor Dre" Brown.
According to the book The History of Rap Music by Cookie Lommel, "Stephney thought it was time to mesh the hard-hitting style of Run DMC with politics that addressed black youth. Chuck recruited Spectrum City, which included Hank Shocklee, his brother Keith Shocklee, and Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, collectively known as the Bomb Squad, to be his production team and added another Spectrum City partner, Professor Griff, to become the group's Minister of Information. With the addition of Flavor Flav and another local mobile DJ named Terminator X, the group Public Enemy was born". According to Chuck, The S1W, which stands for Security of the First World, "represents that the black man can be just as intelligent as he is strong. It stands for the fact that we're not third-world people, we're first-world people; we're the original people". Hank Shocklee came up with the name Public Enemy based on "underdog love and their developing politics" and the idea from Def Jam staffer Bill Stephney following the Howard Beach racial incident, Bernhard Goetz, and the death of Michael Stewart: "The Black man is definitely the public enemy."
Public Enemy started out as opening act for The Beastie Boys during the latter's Licensed To Ill popularity, and in 1987 released their debut album Yo! Bum Rush the Show.
Public Enemy Full Album Playlists
1987: Yo! Bum Rush The Show
1988: It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kHCxwzYaoY Public Enemy: Behind The Scenes Rare Footage From 1988 Def II Tour @ Hamersmith Odeon London Featuring Betty Boo & She Rockers McDonalds Freestyle
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Public Enemy- Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos
Public Enemy- Fight The Power
Public Enemy- Can't Truss It
Public Enemy- Don't Believe The Hype
Public Enemy- Brothers Gonna Work It Out
Public Enemy- Shut 'Em Down
Public Enemy- Welcome To The Terrordome
Public Enemy Ft Ice Cube & Big Daddy Kane- Burn Hollywood Burn
Public Enemy Ft Anthrax- Bring Tha Noize
Public Enemy- Night Of The Living Baseheads (Dope Version)
Public Enemy- Louder Than A Bomb
Public Enemy- By The Time I Get To Arizona
Public Enemy- So Whatcha Gone Do Now?
Public Enemy- Give It Up
Public Enemy- 911 Is A Joke
Public Enemy- I Stand Accused
Public Enemy- Anti N***** Machine
Terminator X Ft Chuck D & Sister Souljah- Buck Whylin'
Public Enemy Ft DJ Premier- State Of The Union (STFU)
Public Enemy Ft Cypress Hill & George Clinton- GRID
Public Enemy Ft Mike D, Ad Rock, Run DMC- Number Won (Animated)
Public Enemy- Black Is Back
Public Enemy- The Long And Whining Road
Public Enemy Ft Professor Griff & Society- Revolution
Public Enemy- Say It Like It Really Is
Public Enemy- Harder Than You Think
Public Enemy- Superman's Black In The Building
Public Enemy- Electric Slave
Public Enemy- Who's Your Hero?
Public Enemy- I Woke Up In A Place I Forgot
Public Enemy- Everything
Public Enemy Ft Mavis Staples- Give We The Pride
Public Enemy- I Shall Not Be Moved
Public Enemy- YO!
Public Enemy Ft DMC- RLTK
Public Enemy Ft Brother Ali- Get Up Stand Up
Public Enemy- Water Protectors
Public Enemy- Mine Again
Public Enemy- Honky Talk Rules
Public Enemy- Me To We
Public Enemy- Hoover Music
Public Enemy Ft Nas, Rapsody, Black Thought, Jahi, YG & QuestLove- Fight The Power (2020 Remix)
Public Enemy- Bring The Noise (Original Video )
Public Enemy- Get The Fuck Outta Dodge
Public Enemy- Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya, Man!
Public Enemy- He Got Game
Public Enemy- Nighttrain
Public Enemy- Hazy Shade Of Criminal
Chuck D- No
Public Enemy- Do You Wanna Go Our Way???
Public Enemy - What Kind Of Power We Got?
Public Enemy- Man Plans God Laughs
Public Enemy- Gotta Give The Peeps What They Need
Public Enemy- No Sympathy From The Devil
Public Enemy- Free Big Willie
Public Enemy- People Get Ready
Public Enemy- Lost In Space
Public Enemy- Prophets Of Rage (Music Video)
Public Enemy- Prophets Of Rage (Full Documentary)
Public Enemy- 1992 Concert At The Apollo Theater
Public Enemy- 1988 Def II Tour @ Hamersmith Odeon London
Public Enemy: Behind The Scenes Rare Footage From 1988 Def II Tour @ Hamersmith Odeon London Featuring Betty Boo & She Rockers McDonalds Freestyle