Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black

Infobox Album |
Name = Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black
Type = Album
Artist = Public Enemy


Released = October 1 1991
Recorded = 1990–1991 Music Palace, Long Island, New York
Genre = Political hip hop, East Coast hip hop, Hardcore hip hop
Length = 45:42
Label = Def Jam/Columbia Records
CK-47374
Producer = The Imperial Grand Ministers of Funk: Stuart Robertz, Cerwin (C-Dawg) Depper, Gary G-Wiz and "The JBL"
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dpfoxqu5ldhe~T1 link]
*Robert Christgau (A) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=public+enemy link]
*Rolling Stone Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/publicenemy/albums/album/103468/review/6067323/apocalypse_91_the_enemy_strikes_black link]
*Yahoo! Music (favorable) [http://music.yahoo.com/read/review/12034942 link]
Last album = "Fear of a Black Planet"
(1990)
This album = "Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black"
(1991)
Next album = "Greatest Misses"
(1992)

"Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black" is an album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released on October 1 1991. This album peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200, only being surpassed by Michael Jackson's third best-selling album, "Dangerous" in the week of October 19, 1991.

This album is notable for the controversial music video that accompanied the song "By the Time I Get to Arizona" (samples "Two Sisters of Mystery" by Mandrill), in which Public Enemy was depicted killing the Arizona governor, Fife Symington III, who refused to recognize Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday.

Reception

"Professional reviews":

*"Rolling Stone" (10/3/91) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...attempts nothing short of setting a sociopolitical agenda for the black community....Apocalypse '91 needs to be watched..."

*"Q" magazine (9/95, p.132) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...fine by any but their own Olympian standards...showed Public Enemy ploughing old furrows..."

*"New York Times" (9/29/91) - "...hip-hop's prophets of rage...with songs that mix political, personal and promotional statements in quick-cutting, often oblique language..."

*"NME" (7/15/95, p.47) - 7 (out of 10) - "...a more soulful, funkier stew than previously served but there were a couple of fillers....Good, but not as indispensable as its predecessors..."

*"Spin" - Ranked #7 in Spin's list of the 20 Best Albums of 1991.

*"Melody Maker" (12/91) - Ranked #21 in Melody Maker's list of the top 30 albums of 1991.

Track listing

#"Lost At Birth" — 3:49 (Ridenour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)
#"Rebirth" — 0:59 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)
#"Nighttrain" — 3:27 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/The JBL/Depper)
#"Can't Truss It" — 5:21 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)
#"I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga" — 4:23 (Drayton/Gary G/Wiz/Robertz)
#"How To Kill A Radio Consultant" — 3:09 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)
#"By The Time I Get To Arizona" — 4:48 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper/Mandrill/Santiago)
#"Move!" — 4:59 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)
#"1 Million Bottlebags" — 4:06 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)
#"More News At 11" — 2:39 (Drayton/Gary G/Wiz/Robertz)
#"Shut Em Down" — 5:04 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)
#"A Letter To The New York Post" — 2:45 (Drayton/Gary G/Wiz/Robertz)
#"Get The F--- Outta Dodge" — 2:38 (Ridenhour/Houston)
#"Bring The Noise" (w/Anthrax) — 3:47 (Ridenhour/Shocklee/Sadler/Anthrax)

Personnel

Public Enemy

*Chuck D
*Flavor Flav
*Terminator X

Anthrax

*Charlie Benante — drums
*Joey Belladonna — vocals
*Frank Bello — bass guitar
*Scott Ian — guitar
*Dan Spitz — guitar

Additional

*Frank Able — keyboards
*Allen Givens — horns
*Ricky Gordon — percussion
*Tyrone Jefferson — horns
*Al MacDowell — bass guitar
*Steve Moss — percussion
*Fred Wells — guitar
*Lorenzo "Tony" Wyche — horns
*Michael Angelo — mixing

Charts

"Billboard" (North America)