Music Bloodline

Public Enemy

First nationally popular political rap group, led by the duo of Chuck D and Flavor Flav.

Biography

Pioneering a variation of hardcore rap that was musically and politically revolutionary, Public Enemy became the most influential and controversial rap group of the late '80s and, for many, the definitive rap group of all time. Lead rapper Chuck D rhymed about all kinds of social problems, particularly those plaguing the black community. Often condoning social activism, he directed hip-hop toward an explicitly self-aware, pro-black consciousness. Musically, their production team, the Bomb Squad, created dense soundscapes that were chaotic and invigorating, made all the more intoxicating by Chuck D's forceful vocals and the absurdist raps of his comic foil, Flavor Flav. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine