Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

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

Name Credits Bill Stephney Production Supervisor Carl Ryder Producer, Producer Christopher Shaw Engineer Chuck D Vocals, ? Chuck Valle Engineer DJ Chuck Chillout Mixing Eric "Vietnam" Sadler Assistant Producer, Programming, ? Erica Johnson Vocals Fab 5 Freddy Vocals Flavor Flav Vocals, ? Glen E. Friedman Photography Greg Gordon Engineer Hank Shocklee Programming, Producer Harry Allen Vocals Jeff Jones Engineer Jim Sabella Engineer John Harrison Engineer Johnny Juice Rosado Scratching, Turntables Keith Boxley Mixing Matt Tritto Engineer Nick Sansano Engineer Norman Rogers Scratching Oris Josphe Vocals Professor Griff ?, Vocals Rick Rubin Executive Producer Rod Hui Mixing Steven Ett Mixing Terminator X Turntables, ?