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 | The Bomb Squad | |
- For The Isley Brothers song, see Fight the Power Pts. 1 & 2
"Fight the Power" is a 1989 song by the hip-hop group Public Enemy. First released on the Do the Right Thing soundtrack, an extended yet edited 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, voted #9 in the 100 Greatest Rap Songs.
The opening quotation, "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 Chicago attorney and civil rights activist, Thomas "TNT" Todd.[1] referencing Us Tareyton smokers would rather fight than switch!.
Another version is featured in the Chuck D Presents: Louder than a Bomb compilation, featuring a saxophone solo by Branford Marsalis.
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[edit] Music videos
Spike Lee produced and directed two music videos for this song. The first featured clips of various scenes from Do the Right Thing. In the second video, Lee used hundreds of extras to simulate a massive political rally in Brooklyn. Tawana Brawley made a cameo appearance. Brawley gained national notoriety in 1987 when, at the age of 15, she accused several police officers and public officials from Wappingers Falls, New York of raping her. The charge was later found to be entirely fabricated.
[edit] Honors
It is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll[2], #322 on The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, #40 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs[3], and #288 on Songs of the Century[4].
"Fight the Power" was voted "Best Single" by the "Pazz & Jop" critics poll of 1989.
[edit] Covers
"Fight the Power" was covered, tongue-in-cheek, 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.
[edit] In film and television
"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 era Doors 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.
Rosie Perez dances to the song during the opening credits to the Spike Lee film Do the Right Thing, and it is heard at numerous points throughout the movie as the character Radio Raheem plays it nonstop through Brooklyn, New York on his boombox.
On the British T.V. show Balls Of Steel this song is used as the theme for the segment Millitant Black Guy With Toritseju Okorodudu who uses it when he accuses the public of being racist
In the episode The Block Is Hot, of the television series The Boondocks, Huey carries a boombox playing "Fight the Power".
[edit] Controversy
A verse of "Fight the Power" accuses Elvis Presley and John Wayne of being racists. The remarks about Elvis aroused some controversy in the white communities.[citation needed]
