User:East718/PE
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THIS IS A SANDBOX, PLEASE DON'T TOUCH IT. THE WRITER OF THIS ARTICLE WORKS QUITE ERRATICALLY AND HAS A TERRIBLE TEMPER. IF YOU GO MESSING AROUND HERE, HE JUST MAY DELETE YOU. |
| It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back | |||||
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| Studio album by Public Enemy | |||||
| Released | June 28, 1988 | ||||
| Recorded | July–October 1987 | ||||
| Genre | Hip hop | ||||
| Length | 57:51 | ||||
| Label | Def Jam (FCT-44303) Columbia (CK-44303) |
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| Producer | The Bomb Squad, Terminator X, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
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| Public Enemy chronology | |||||
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| Singles from It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back | |||||
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| Back cover | |||||
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It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is the second studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released on June 28, 1988 on Def Jam Recordings. Widely regarded as a seminal work in hip hop and rock and as the group's magnum opus, the album is considered by critics as one of the greatest and most influential recordings of all time.[1][2][3][4] either listify or find a specific source In 2003, the album was ranked number 48 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and is the highest ranked hip hop album on the list.[5]
Uncharacteristically aggressive for its time, It Takes a Nation of Millions represented a radical shift in the hip hop zeitgeist towards black nationalism and as a result was hailed as revolutionary by rap and rock aficionados alike.[6][7] Under the direction of Hank Shocklee, Public Enemy's production team, The Bomb Squad, developed a dense, haphazard, sample-driven soundscape which created a blueprint for hardcore rap in the 1990s.[8] It Takes a Nation of Millions had surprising chart success, peaking at #42 on the Billboard 200 and being certified as platinum by the RIAA in 1989.[9]
Contents |
[edit] Music
[edit] Lyrical content
write something here
- focus on the struggles of black nationalism, particularly in "party for your right to fight" and "black steel in the hour of chaos"
- a section on misogynism - from "sophisticated bitch" to "she watch channel zero?!"
- flavor flav raps?
- something about the instrumental interludes
[edit] Production
After using Rick Rubin's rap-rock crossovers and coruscating guitars on Yo! Bum Rush the Show, Chuck D began experimenting with samples of musique concrète in his search for a new production style.[10] With the addition of hip hop's first notable production camp, The Bomb Squad, to his entourage of disc jockey Terminator X and dance choreographer Professor Griff, Chuck D stepped away from full-time production duties and instructed his production team to engineer a disturbing, disconcerting, and provocational soundscape that would become "music's worst nightmare."[11]
The Bomb Squad, who produced the album under the lead of Hank Shocklee, made a conscious decision to invest heavily in production and utilized diverse samples as the background to It Takes a Nation of Millions.[12] Eschewing their trademark contemporary R&B-influenced bass lines, melodies and chord structures in favor of stock sound fragments, old school funk and avant-garde noise,[7] they engineered what Chuck D referred to as a "sonic wall": a dense, chaotic mix of "organized noise".[13] The Bomb Squad's practice of not just replicating samples, but manipulating them to suit their needs and discarding them afterwards was praised especially for elevating the technique to an art form despite the controversy associated with it.[14] Public Enemy had little remorse for their production team's actions, bragging on "Caught, Can We Get a Witness?" that "you can't copyright no beats—what, are they crazy?"[15]
With the notable exceptions of 3 Feet High and Rising, The Chronic, and other albums using interpolation, the album would become both one of the first and last to be backed by this eclectic style as future endeavors by other artists ran into legal problems, namely copyright infringement.[16] It Takes a Nation of Millions was made before record labels sought permission for usage of samples, and by 1992 the dense productions of Public Enemy became too cost-prohibitive to secure rights for. With the movement of rap from a fringe genre to one with mainstream credibility, record labels began to invest less in upcoming artists, effectively stifling smaller-budgeted independent acts and preventing them from experimenting with samples in any ground-breaking fashion.[12] Like other parts of the movement which Public Enemy started, their musical style fell by the wayside and became a casualty of hip hop's increasing corporate demeanor.[13]
[edit] Singles
It Takes a Nation of Millions featured four singles and three music videos, including "Bring the Noise", which was previously included on the soundtrack for the 1987 film Less Than Zero and met with critical acclaim.[17]
- write on specific songs, as opposed to "lyrical content" which will deal with broader issues
[edit] title to come
put some human interest bullshit here to make the reader happy, nobody wants to digest something as heavy as this album's content without some relief... critical reception? significance to rap/rock? fluff about chuck d?
[edit] dois to track down
- Rose, Tricia (Summer 1991). "'Fear of a Black Planet': Rap Music and Black Cultural Politics in the 1990s". The Journal of Negro Education 60 (3, Socialization Forces Affecting the Education of African American Youth in the 1990s): 276-290. Howard University Press. doi:.
- Decker, Jeffrey Louis (1993). "The State of Rap: Time and Place in Hip Hop Nationalism". Social Text (34): 53-84. Duke University Press. doi:.
- Walser, Robert (Spring–Summer 1995). "Rhythm, Rhyme, and Rhetoric in the Music of Public Enemy". Ethnomusicology 39 (2): 193-217. Society for Ethnomusicology, University of California, Los Angeles. doi:.
- Lott, Eric (Winter 1989). "Response to Trey Ellis's: 'The New Black Aesthetic'". Callaloo (38): 244-246. Johns Hopkins University Press. doi:.
- Quinn, Michael (Autumn 1996). "'Never Shoulda Been Let out the Penitentiary': Gangsta Rap and the Struggle over Racial Identity". Cultural Critique (34): 65-89. University of Minnesota Press. doi:.
- Koptiuch, Kristin (1991). "Third-Worlding at Home". Social Text (28): 87-99. Duke University Press. doi:.
- Rice, Jeff (February 2003). "The 1963 Hip-Hop Machine: Hip-Hop Pedagogy as Composition". College Composition and Communication 54 (3): 453-471. National Council of Teachers of English. doi:.
- Baker, Jr., Houston A. (Spring 1990). "Handling 'Crisis': Great Books, Rap Music, and the End of Western Homogeneity (Reflections on the Humanities in America)". Callaloo 13 (2): 173-194. Johns Hopkins University Press. doi:.
- Ellis, Trey (Winter 1989). "The New Black Aesthetic". Callaloo (38): 233-243. Johns Hopkins University Press. doi:.
- Henderson, Errol A. (January 1996). "Black Nationalism and Rap Music". Journal of Black Studies 26 (3): 308-339. SAGE Publications.
- Greg, Dimitriadis (May 1996). "Hip Hop: From Live Performance to Mediated Narrative". Popular Music 15 (2): 174-194. Cambridge University Press.
- Brennan, Tim (Summer 1994). "Off the Gangsta Tip: A Rap Appreciation, or Forgetting about Los Angeles". Critical Inquiry 20 (4, Symposium on "God"): 663-693. The University of Chicago Press.
- Gates, Jr., Henry Louis (Autumn 1997). "Harlem on Our Minds". Critical Inquiry 24 (1): 1-12. The University of Chicago Press.
- Shusterman, Richard (Autumn 1995). "Rap Remix: Pragmatism, Postmodernism, and Other Issues in the House". Critical Inquiry 22 (1): 150-158. The University of Chicago Press.
- ya Salaam, Mtume (Summer 1995). "The Aesthetics of Rap". African American Review 29 (2): 303-315. Saint Louis University.
- Pinn, Anthony B. (Spring 1999). "'How ya livin'?': Notes on rap music and social transformation.". Western Journal of Black Studies 23 (1): 10-21. Washington State University Press. ISSN 0197-4327.
- Wood, Brent (December 1999). "Understanding Rap as rhetorical folk-poetry". Mosaic 32 (4): 129-146. University of Manitoba Press. ISSN 0027-1276.
- Kopano, Baruti N. (Winter 2002). "Rap Music as an Extension of the Black Rhetorical Tradition: 'Keepin' it Real'". Western Journal of Black Studies 26 (4): 204-214. Washington State University Press. ISSN 0197-4327.
- Butler, Paul (April 2004). "Much Respect: Toward a Hip-Hop Theory of Punishment". Stanford Law Review 56 (5): 983-1016. Stanford University. ISSN 0038-9765.
[edit] some crap
http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/061024/A721.htm
- Christe, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. HarperCollins, 204. ISBN 0380811278.
- Cheney, Charise L. (2005). Brothers Gonna Work It Out: Sexual Politics In The Golden Age Of Rap Nationalism. New York University Press, 2, 72-73, 156. ISBN 081471613X.
- McKeen, William (2000). Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay: An Anthology. W.W. Norton, 548. ISBN 0393047008.
- Wang, Oliver; Ross, Dante (2003). Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide. ECW Press, 137-138. ISBN 1550225618.
- Emery, Andrew (2004). The Book of Hip Hop Cover Art. Sterling Publishing, 74-75. ISBN 1840009195.
- Gardell, Mattias (1996). Countdown to Armageddon: Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. Hurst, 296. ISBN 1850652899.
- Creswell, Toby (2006). 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time and the Artists, Stories and Secrets Behind Them. Thunder's Mouth Press, 132. ISBN 1560259159.
- Strong, Martin C. (2006). The Essential Rock Disography. Open City Books, 869. ISBN 1841958603.
- Dyson, Michael Eric (2004). The Michael Eric Dyson Reader. Basic Civitas Books, 408. ISBN 0465017681.
- Kepel, Giles (1997). Allah in the West: Islamic Movements in America and Europe, trans. Milner, Susan, Stanford University Press, 55. ISBN 0804727538.
- Holland, Sharon Patricia (2000). Raising the Dead: Readings of Death and (Black) Subjectivity. Duke University Press, 18. ISBN 0822324997.
- Bonilla-Silva, Eduardo (2006). Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in the United States. Rowman & Littlefield, 235. ISBN 0742546861.
- Pinn, Anthony B. (2003). Noise and Spirit: The Religious and Spiritual Sensibilities of Rap Music. New York University Press, 51. ISBN 0814766994.
- Freidlander, Paul; Miller, Peter (2006). Rock and Roll: A Social History. Basic Books, 330. ISBN 0813343062.
- Vincent, Ricky (1996). Funk: The Music, the People, and the Rhythm of the One. Macmillan Publishers, 308. ISBN 0312134991.
- Dawson, Michael C. (2001). Black Visions: The Roots of Contemporary African-American Political Ideologies. University of Chicago Press, 77. ISBN 0226138607.
- Christgau, Robert (1989). The Shit Storm. LA Weekly. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
"it takes a nation of millions" - the offset is 30
[edit] more crap
integrate this somewhere
- The title of the track "Louder Than a Bomb" was influenced by the title of The Smiths' album Louder Than Bombs.[18]
- "Party for Your Right to Fight" is a rearrangement of the Beastie Boys' song, "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)" (frequently referred to as: "Fight For Your Right to Party").
- The Vans shoe company released Public Enemy shoes for their Vans Supreme line of premium shoes. On the soles of the shoes is written; "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back."
[edit] Track listing
| # | Title | Time | Producers | Samples cite! |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Countdown to Armageddon" | 1:40 | The Bomb Squad | |
| 2 | "Bring the Noise" | 3:46 | The Bomb Squad |
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| 3 | "Don't Believe the Hype" | 5:19 | The Bomb Squad, Flavor Flav |
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| 4 | "Cold Lampin' with Flavor" | 4:17 | The Bomb Squad, Flavor Flav |
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| 5 | "Terminator X to the Edge of Panic" | 4:31 | Chuck D, Terminator X, Flavor Flav |
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| 6 | "Mind Terrorist" | 1:21 | The Bomb Squad | |
| 7 | "Louder Than a Bomb" | 3:37 | The Bomb Squad |
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| 8 | "Caught, Can We Get a Witness?" | 4:53 | The Bomb Squad |
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| 9 | "Show Em Whatcha Got" | 1:56 | The Bomb Squad |
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| 10 | "She Watch Channel Zero?!" | 3:49 | The Bomb Squad, Professor Griff, Flavor Flav |
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| 11 | "Night of the Living Baseheads" | 3:14 | The Bomb Squad |
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| 12 | "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" | 6:23 | The Bomb Squad, Flavor Flav |
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| 13 | "Security of the First World" | 1:20 | The Bomb Squad | |
| 14 | "Rebel Without a Pause" | 5:02 | The Bomb Squad, Terminator X |
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| 15 | "Prophets of Rage" | 3:18 | The Bomb Squad, Flavor Flav |
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| 16 | "Party for Your Right to Fight" | 3:24 | The Bomb Squad |
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[edit] Chart positions
[edit] Album
Album chart positions are taken from Billboard magazine (North America).[9]
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 42 |
| U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 1 |
[edit] Singles
Singles chart positions are taken from Billboard magazine (North America).[20]
move these to the correct places
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"She Watch Channel Zero?!" This sample contains a portion of the intro and first verse. "Night of the Living Baseheads" This sample contains a portion of the hook. "Party for Your Right to Fight" This sample contains the intro and first verse. - Problems playing the files? See media help.
| Song | B-side | Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Bring the Noise" | "Are You My Woman?" | U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 56 |
| "Don't Believe the Hype" | "Prophets of Rage" | U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 18 |
| U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play | 21 | ||
| U.S. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 17 | ||
| "Night of the Living Baseheads" | "Cold Lampin' with Flavor" | U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 62 |
| "Terminator X to the Edge of Panic" | |||
| Song | B-side | Chart (1989) | Peak position |
| "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" | "Caught, Can We Get a Witness?" (Pre Black Steel Ballistic Felony Dub) |
U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 86 |
| U.S. Hot Rap Singles | 11 |
[edit] References
i need locations
- ^ Ashby, LeRoy (2006). With Amusement for All: A History of American Popular Culture Since 1830. University Press of Kentucky, 516. ISBN 0813123976.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster, 661-662. ISBN 0743201698.
- ^ Hoye, Jacob (2003). VH1 100 Greatest Albums. Simon & Schuster, 54-55. ISBN 0743448766.
- ^ Tyrangiel, Josh (November 13, 2006). The All-TIME 100 Albums: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. TIME. Retrieved on 2008-02-16.
- ^ Levy, Joe; Van Zandt, Steven (2006). The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Wenner Books. ISBN 1932958614. OCLC 70672814.
- ^ Neal, Mark Anthony; Forman, Murray (2004). That's the Joint! the Hip-hop Studies Reader. Routledge, 307, 428. ISBN 0415969182.
- ^ a b Bogdanov, Vladimir (2003). All Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap and Hip-Hop. Backbeat Books, 391-394. ISBN 0879307595.
- ^ Ripani, Richard J. (2006). The New Blue Music: Changes in Rhythm & Blues, 1950-1999. University Press of Mississippi, 143. ISBN 1578068622.
- ^ a b It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back: Billboard Albums. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2008-02-16.
- ^ Friskics-Warren, Bill (2005). I'll Take You There: Pop Music And the Urge for Transcendence. Continuum International Publishing Group, 183-185. ISBN 0826417000.
- ^ Howard, David N. (2004). Sonic Alchemy: Visionary Music Producers and Their Maverick Recordings. Hal Leonard Corporation, 273-274. ISBN 0634055607.
- ^ a b Ross, Andrew; Rose, Tricia (1994). Microphone Fiends: Youth Music & Youth Culture. Routledge, 129-130. ISBN 0415909082.
- ^ a b Watkins, S. Craig (2006). Hip Hop Matters: Politics, Pop Culture, and the Struggle for the Soul of a Movement. Beacon Press, 117. ISBN 0807009865.
- ^ Harrington, C. Lee; Bielby, Denise D. (2000). Popular Culture: Production and Consumption. Blackwell Publishing, 247. ISBN 063121710X.
- ^ Harrington, Joe S. (2002). Sonic Cool: The Life & Death of Rock 'n' Roll. Hal Leonard Corporation, 440-441. ISBN 0634028618.
- ^ Perry, Imani (2004). Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop. Duke University Press, 115. ISBN 0822334461.
- ^ White, Armond (1995). The Resistance: Ten Years of Pop Culture That Shook the World. University of Michigan Press, 82-83. ISBN 0879515864.
- ^ Public Enemy - "Louder Than A Bomb" title influence. Retrieved on 1 April 2007.
- ^ Chang, Jeff; Kool DJ Herc (2005). Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-hop Generation. Macmillan Publishers, 263. ISBN 031230143X.
- ^ It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back: Billboard Singles. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2008-02-16.
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needs uncommenting
