It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

Artist	Public Enemy
Producer	Carl Ryder, Hank Shocklee
Label Name	Def Jam
Song List	1: Countdown to Armageddon (1:42) 2: Bring the Noise (3:45) 3: Don't Believe the Hype (5:19) 4: Cold Lampin' With Flavor (4:17) 5: Terminator X to the Edge of Panic (4:31) 6: Mind Terrorist (1:21) 7: Louder Than a Bomb (3:38) 8: Caught, Can We Get a Witness? (4:53) 9: Show 'Em Whatcha Got (1:56) 10: She Watch Channel Zero?! (3:49) 11: Night of the Living Baseheads (3:14) 12: Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (6:23) 13: Security of the First World (1:20) 14: Rebel Without a Pause (5:02) 15: Prophets of Rage (3:18) 16: Party for Your Right to Fight (3:24)
Format	CD
Run Time	57:51
Release Date	1988 04
Genre	Rap
Style.Categories	Golden Age, Political Rap, Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap, Hip-Hop

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Yo! Bum Rush the Show was an invigorating record, but it looks like child's play compared to its monumental sequel, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, a record that rewrote the rules of what hip-hop could do. That's not to say the album is without precedent, since what's particularly ingenious about the album is how it reconfigures things that came before into a startling, fresh, modern sound. Public Enemy used the template Run-D.M.C. created of a rap crew as a rock band, then brought in elements of free jazz, hard funk, even musique concrète, via their producing team, the Bomb Squad, creating a dense, ferocious sound unlike anything that came before. This coincided with a breakthrough in Chuck D's writing, both in his themes and lyrics. It's not that Chuck D was smarter or more ambitious than his contemporaries -- certainly, KRS-One tackled many similar sociopolitical tracts, while Rakim had a greater flow -- but he marshaled considerable revolutionary force, clear vision, and a boundless vocabulary to create galvanizing, logical arguments that were undeniable in their strength. They only gained strength from Flavor Flav's frenzied jokes, which provided a needed contrast. What's amazing is how the words and music become intertwined, gaining strength from each other. Though this music is certainly a representation of its time, it hasn't dated at all. It set a standard that few could touch then, and even fewer have attempted to meet since. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide