Public Enemy ‎– Fear Of A Black Planet - Def Jam Recordings / 466281 1

The third studio album from Public Enemy. Like their previous album, "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back", it is considered one of their most commercially successful albums as well as one of the most influential rap albums. Although the album was released in 1990, the first two singles, "Fight The Power" and "Welcome To The Terrordome", were released in 1989. Actually, Public Enemy had planned to release "Fear Of A Black Planet" in 1989.

"Fear Of A Black Planet" reached Number 10 in the Billboard Top 200 and produced five singles:
"Fight The Power"
"Welcome To The Terrordome"
"911 Is A Joke"
"Brothers Gonna Work It Out"
"Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man"

For the album, Public Enemy's Bomb Squad production team sought to expand on the dense, sample-layered sound of the group's 1988 record It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. Having fulfilled their initial creative ambitions with that album, Public Enemy aspired to create what lead rapper Chuck D called "a deep, complex album". Their songwriting was partly inspired by the controversy surrounding member Professor Griff and his dismissal from the group in 1989.

Fear of a Black Planet features elaborate sound collages that incorporate varying rhythms, numerous samples, media sound bites, and eccentric loops, reflecting the songs' confrontational tone. Recorded during the golden age of hip hop, its assemblage of reconfigured and recontextualized aural sources preceded the sample clearance system that later emerged in the music industry. Fear of a Black Planet explores themes of organization and empowerment within the black community, social issues affecting African Americans, and race relations at the time. The record's criticism of institutional racism, white supremacy, and the power elite was partly inspired by Dr. Frances Cress Welsing's views on color.

A commercial and critical hit, Fear of a Black Planet sold two million copies in the United States and received rave reviews from critics, many of whom named it one of the year's best albums. Its success contributed significantly to the popularity of Afrocentric and political subject matter in hip hop and the genre's mainstream resurgence at the time. Since then, it has been viewed as one of hip hop's greatest and most important records, as well as being musically and culturally significant. In 2003, Fear of a Black Planet was ranked number 300 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2005, the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry.

Recorded at Greene Street Recording, New York City by the Chairmen of the Boards.
Recorded and mixed at The Music Palace, West Hempstead, Long Island (Michael Bona Studios) on the Neve.
Additional Recording at Spectrum City Studios, Long Island.

Represented by the one and only Rush Productions.
Big Daddy Kane appears courtesy of Warner / Reprise / Cold Chillin' Records
Ice Cube appears courtesy of Priority Records / Gangster Boogie Music Inc.
Professor Griff and The Last Asiatic Disciples appear courtesy of Luke Skyywalker.

All songs © 1990 Def American Songs, Inc. (BMI) Except A5 © 1989 Nia Music and Def American Songs, Inc. (BMI); A9 © 1990 AZ Publishing Inc./Cold Chillin' Music (ASCAP)/Def American Songs, Inc. (BMI). All rights for Cold Chillin' Music administered by WB Music Corp. (ASCAP); And A10 © 1989 Def American Songs, Inc. (BMI.
All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

Published by (The Bomb Squad) Def American Songs, Inc./Your Mother's Music except A9 Ruthless Attack Muzik/AZ Publishing Inc./Cold Chillin' Music (admin. by WB Music Corp.)/Def American Songs.
B6 published by Def American Songs Inc.