Fourth effort of Public Enemy, for many fans it's also the last to truly represent them. Chuck D maintains clear socio-conscious and political lyrics and messages, argues against institutions, racism, ignorance, institutional racism, and black on black crimes in ghettos.
He spitting bars with a strong, aggressive, angry and powerful style, intelligently direct themselves on the political hip-hop not broadcasted by radio ("How to Kill a Radio Consultant"), on the refusal to establish the national day for Martin Luther King in Arizona ("By the Time I Get to Arizona": female soul choir in background for the intro, harsh and raw beat, tense, slow and powerful delivery of Chuck D that annihilates the rhythm of this track, a political classic), in the newspapers that go on with gossip articles ("Letter to the New York Post") and on the uncontrolled proliferation of cheap alcohol shops in the poorest neighborhoods ("1 Million Bottlebags").
The album's production is credited to The Imperial Grand Ministers of Funk group, composed of Stuart Robertz, G-Wiz, The JBL and C-Dwag and led by Keith Shocklee, a member of the Bomb Squad: the production team that had contributed to make the lyrics of Chuck D and the group's albums extraordinary, step aside musically and take the role of executive producer. Following the revolution of the standards on samples, their stratified samples are replaced by live instrumentalists, who produce rhythms decent, good, but less powerful and harsh than those of previous Public Enemy efforts.
The album, released by Def Jam and Columbia, is a good commercial success, certified platinum by the RIAA thanks also to four singles: it's still relevant, pro-black and flowing, it's a good and intense political effort, with some flaws — the solo cuts of Flavor Flav this time sink the disc, with "A Letter to the New York Post" and "More News at 11" which are both the low points of the project; the trash metal remix of "Bring the Noise" with Anthrax is not necessary — and less aggressive than what you can expect from the group. For the first time since the beginning of their career, there are the risk to have no classics or bangers on this record, the piece that comes closest to them is "Can Truss It", where Chuck D releases metaphorical bars between the history of the slave trade and modern society.
Highlights: "Nighttrain", "Can't Truss It", "How to Kill a Radio Consultant", "By the Time I Get to Arizona", "1 Million Bottlebags", "Shut Em Down".
Rating: 8/10.
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