Fight the Power
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| "Fight the Power" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
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| Single by Public Enemy | ||
| from the album 'Do the Right Thing and Fear of a Black Planet' |
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| Format | Vinyl record (12") | |
| Genre | Hip-hop | |
| Length | 4:42 | |
| Label | Tamla T 54201 |
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| Writer(s) | Chuck D, Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee | |
| Producer(s) | The Bomb Squad | |
| Chart positions | ||
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1 (Hot Rap Singles), 20 (Hot R&B Singles) |
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- For The Isley Brothers song, see Fight the Power, Pt. 1 & 2
"Fight the Power" was a 1989 song by the hip-hop group Public Enemy. It is featured prominently in the opening credits of the Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing, and is heard at numerous points throughout the movie as the character Radio Raheem plays it nonstop through Brooklyn, New York on his boombox. First released on the Do the Right Thing soundtrack, an extended version was released in 1990 on Public Enemy's album Fear of a Black Planet. The song has largely served as the political statement of purpose for the group, and is the group's biggest single.
The opening quote "Yet our best trained, best educated, best equipped, best prepared troops refuse to fight! Matter of fact, it's safe to say that they would rather switch than fight!" is a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr..
Another version is featured in the Chuck D Presents: Louder than a Bomb compilation, featuring a saxophone solo by Branford Marsalis.
It is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, #322 on The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, #40 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs, and #288 on Songs of the Century.
"Fight the Power" was covered by Barenaked Ladies for the soundtrack for the 1993 movie Coneheads. It was also covered by Korn with Xzibit on the XXX: State of the Union soundtrack.
"Fight the Power" was voted "Best Single" by the "Pazz & Jop" critics poll of 1989.
"Fight the Power" can also be heard in the background as Marines celebrate the end of the Gulf War in the movie Jarhead, not long after the lead character complains about music from a passing helicopter being Vietnam music... "can't we get our own music?"
"Fight the Power" was featured in Sacha Baron Cohen character Ali G's feature length film Ali G Indahouse.
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