Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black
Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released on October 1, 1991, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records.[1][4] The album received critical acclaim, ranking at No. 2 in The Village Voice's 1991 Pazz & Jop critics' poll.
| Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1, 1991[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1990-91 | |||
| Studio | The Music Palace in Long Island, New York | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 51:54 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Gary G-Wiz The Bomb Squad (exec.), The Imperial Grand Ministers of Funk | |||
| Public Enemy chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black | ||||
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Recording and production edit
Apocalypse 91 was recorded at The Mix Palace in Long Island, New York and produced by The Bomb Squad and The Imperial Grand Ministers of Funk, which consisted of producers Stuart Robertz (fictional), Cerwin "C-Dawg" Depper (fictional), Gary "G-Wiz" Rinaldo, and The JBL.[5] The album title is an allusion to the titles of the films Apocalypse Now and The Empire Strikes Back.
The group would take a new direction with their sound, partly out of necessity. According to Hank Shocklee, around this time, the disks for every track they had been working on for the past four to five years had been stolen. As a result, they had to rush to re-create their music and to put out their album in a timely manner. Shocklee admitted that it was impossible to completely recover what they had lost, saying "once you lose all your data, it's very difficult to get that data back...you may get some of it back, but you'll never get the complete set. You won't even know what the complete set is, because there's data in there you didn't really know you had." In retrospect, he believed the loss "stunted [Public Enemy's] growth. We never really recovered after that. We was on a roll—I was on a roll, and to lose that material set me back so hard." As a result, the sound was a little leaner than the dense production of their previous albums, and live musicians became a prominent element as well.[6]
The group recorded "1 Million Bottlebags" to protest the pervasiveness of malt liquor in the African-American community.[7] Public Enemy collaborated with the metal band Anthrax to record a thrash version of their earlier single "Bring the Noise".[8]
Release and promotion edit
The album was released on October 1, 1991, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records.[1][9] Apocalypse 91 produced four singles: "Can't Truss It", "Nighttrain", "Shut 'Em Down" and its B-side "By the Time I Get to Arizona". The latter featured a controversial music video where Public Enemy was depicted killing the 17th Governor of Arizona, Evan Mecham, who refused to recognize Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday.[10] "Can't Truss It" was Public Enemy's most successful single, peaking at No. 9 on the Hot Soul Singles chart and at No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[11] The song also peaked at No. 5 on the Dance chart, becoming their most successful release there.[12]
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [9] |
| Chicago Tribune | [13] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A+[14] |
| The Guardian | [15] |
| Los Angeles Times | [16] |
| NME | 7/10[17] |
| Q | [18] |
| Rolling Stone | [19] |
| The Source | 4/5[20] |
| The Village Voice | A[21] |
Upon release, Apocalypse 91 earned critical acclaim. Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone praised its production and lyrics, stating that Apocalypse 91 "attempts nothing short of setting a sociopolitical agenda for the black community."[19] Similarly, Ronin Ro of The Source highlighted Chuck D's powerful and focused lyrics as well as the uncompromising and raw nature of the album.[20] In Playboy, prominent critic Robert Christgau highlighted the first half of the album, calling it "Public Enemy's most exciting sustained sequence ever", while criticizing the second half for being less consistent, although altogether enduring in the same way as the Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed (1969).[22] NME's Ian McCann credited Apocalypse 91 for its "totally brutal and funky" music, but was disappointed that it rarely deviates from its forceful approach, despite the "sharp intelligence" of its lyrics.[17]
"Apocalypse '91 is great rather than classic because you can't make four classic albums in a row…" observed the hip-hop fanzine Louder Than A Bomb!. "PE are still the best band in America and they've once again made the best album of the year."[23]
Apocalypse 91 was ranked at No. 2 in The Village Voice's 1991 Pazz & Jop critics' poll, behind Nirvana's Nevermind,[24] while editors of Spin ranked it 7th in their list of 20 Best Albums of the Year.[25] Retrospectively, AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine cites the album as one of the great records of golden age hip hop.[9] The record was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[26]
Commercial performance edit
Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart and at number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[27] On November 26, 1991, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of one million copies in the United States.[28]
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Carlton Ridenhour, Stuart Robertz, Gary "G-Wiz" Rinaldo, and Cerwin "C-Dawg" Depper unless otherwise noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lost at Birth" | 3:49 | |
| 2. | "Rebirth" | Ridenhour, Robertz, Rinaldo, The JBL, and Depper | 0:59 |
| 3. | "Nighttrain" | 3:27 | |
| 4. | "Can't Truss It" | 5:21 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga" | William Drayton Jr., Rinaldo, and Robertz | 4:23 |
| 2. | "How to Kill a Radio Consultant" | 3:09 | |
| 3. | "By the Time I Get to Arizona" | Ridenhour, Robertz, Rinaldo, Depper, Mandrill, Neftali Santiago | 4:48 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Move!" (featuring Sister Souljah) | 4:59 | |
| 2. | "1 Million Bottlebags" | 4:06 | |
| 3. | "More News at 11" | Drayton Jr., Rinaldo, and Robertz | 2:39 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shut 'Em Down" | 5:04 | |
| 2. | "A Letter to the New York Post" | Drayton Jr., Rinaldo, Robertz | 2:45 |
| 3. | "Get the Fuck Outta Dodge" (featuring True Mathematics) | Kenny Houston, Ridenhour | 2:38 |
| 4. | "Bring tha Noize" (with Anthrax) | Ridenhour, Eric Sadler, Keith Shocklee, Joseph Bellardini, Scott Ian, Frank Bello, Charlie Benante, Dan Spitz | 3:34 |
| Total length: | 51:54 | ||
Personnel edit
Public Enemy
Additional personnel
- Anthrax – performer (track 14)
- Harry Allen – spoken word
- Frank Abel – keyboards
- Fred Wells – guitar
- Lorenzo "Tony" Wyche – horns
- Allen Givens – horns
- Ricky Gordon – percussion
- Tyrone Jefferson – horns
- Al MacDowell – bass guitar
- Steve Moss – percussion
- Michael Angelo – mixing
Charts edit
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[29] | 11 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[30] | 12 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[31] | 62 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[32] | 38 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[33] | 5 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[34] | 36 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[35] | 33 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[36] | 8 |
| US Billboard 200[37] | 4 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[38] | 1 |
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[39] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[40] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[41] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References edit
- ^ a b c Janine McAdams (September 14, 1991). "Public Enemy 'Strikes Black'; Group Returns With New Album". Billboard.
- ^ Grierson, Tim (2015). "Chapter Five". Public Enemy: Inside the Terrordome. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-1783233908.
- ^ Cader, Michael, ed. (2002). People: Almanac 2003. Time Home Entertainment. p. 175. ISBN 192904996X.
- ^ "𝟹0 𝚈𝙴𝙰𝚁𝚂 𝙰𝙶𝙾 𝚃𝙾𝙳𝙰𝚈! #Apocalypse91". Facebook. October 1, 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
- ^ Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black (CD booklet). Public Enemy. New York: Def Jam, Columbia. 1991. CK #47374.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Batey, Angus (December 13, 2011). "20 Years On: Public Enemy's Apocalypse 91 The Enemy Strikes Black Revisited". The Quietus. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
- ^ Coward, Kyle (April 21, 2015). "When Hip-Hop First Went Corporate". The Atlantic. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (1991-09-29). "Hip-Hop's Prophets of Rage Make Noise Again". The New York Times. from the original on 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
- ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black – Public Enemy". AllMusic. from the original on 2016-01-29. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
- ^ Serpick, Evan (2011-11-10). "Public Enemy Look Back at 20 Years of 'By the Time I Get to Arizona'". Spin. from the original on 2016-04-05. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 474.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974–2003. Record Research. p. 210.
- ^ Kot, Greg (1991-10-11). "Rockers Get Caught In The Crossroads". Chicago Tribune. from the original on 2021-02-24. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
- ^ White, Armond (1991-09-27). "Apocalypse '91: The Enemy Strikes Black". Entertainment Weekly. from the original on 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
- ^ Wazir, Burhan (1995-07-21). "Public Enemy: Yo! Bum Rush the Show / It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back / Fear of a Black Planet / Apocalypse 91.... The Enemy Strikes Black / Greatest Misses (Island/Def Jam)". The Guardian.
- ^ Hochman, Steve (1991-09-29). "Maturity Wins Out in Enemy's Latest Public Confrontation". Los Angeles Times. from the original on 2021-03-08. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
- ^ a b McCann, Ian (1991-10-05). "Yoda Boyee!!!". NME. p. 36.
- ^ Sandall, Robert (November 1991). "Public Enemy: Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black". Q. No. 62.
- ^ a b DeCurtis, Anthony (1991-10-03). . Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-01-14. Retrieved 2016-07-24.
- ^ a b Ro, Ronin (December 1991). "Public Enemy: Apocalypse 91: The Enemy Strikes Black". The Source. No. 27. p. 55.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1991-11-05). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-07-25.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (September 1991). "Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black". Playboy. from the original on 2015-03-11. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
- ^ Bainton, Martin (February 1992). "On 33". Louder Than A Bomb! #2. p. 5.
- ^ "The 1991 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. 1992-03-03. from the original on 2016-01-02. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
- ^ "20 Best Albums of the Year". Spin. Vol. 7, no. 9. December 1991. p. 68. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
- ^ Lindemann, Christoph (2006). "Public Enemy: Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Universe Publishing. p. 665. ISBN 978-0-7893-1371-3.
- ^ . AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2016-04-21. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
- ^ "American album certifications – Public Enemy". Recording Industry Association of America. from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Public Enemy – Apocalypse 91 %2E%2E%2E The Enemy Strikes Black". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- ^ "Public Enemy Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Public Enemy – Apocalypse 91 %2E%2E%2E The Enemy Strikes Black" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Public Enemy – Apocalypse 91 %2E%2E%2E The Enemy Strikes Black" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Public Enemy – Apocalypse 91 %2E%2E%2E The Enemy Strikes Black". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Public Enemy – Apocalypse 91 %2E%2E%2E The Enemy Strikes Black". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Public Enemy – Apocalypse 91 %2E%2E%2E The Enemy Strikes Black". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- ^ "Public Enemy Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- ^ "Public Enemy Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Public Enemy – Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black". Music Canada.
- ^ "British album certifications – Public Enemy – Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "American album certifications – Public Enemy – Apocalypse 91 ... The Enemy Strikes Black". Recording Industry Association of America.
External links edit
- Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black at Discogs (list of releases)