This Hip Hop Legend is still Public Enemy #1… The hardest, political, Black Power music group in the 80′s – ’90′s was, hands down, Public Enemy. Public Enemy, or “P.E.” for short, is composed of many people, but the main members are: Chuck D, Flavor-Flav, Professor Griff, Terminator X, Harry Allen, Hank Shocklee, and Bill Stephney. They met in the early ’80′s at Adelphi University and at local musical events around the Long Island, NY area. Chuck D, the main voice of the group, is credited with being the common link among the many members as he was quite known on campus as a talented artist studying graphic design as well as a DJ at WBAU.

Much of the success of the group revolves around the contrast of personalities/ images among the three most visible members: Chuck D, Flava-Flav, and Prof. Griff. Prof. Griff was the leader of a security team called, “The Unity Force” and would sometimes be hired by Chuck D to work at the local parties he was deejaying. Chuck D and Flav practiced their unique routines together while working part-time delivering furniture for Chuck D’s father’s store in Laurelton, Queens. The idea for Flav’s introduction segments were inspired by the James Brown/ Bobby Bird technique as well as famous Philly rappers Schooly D and Cold Money.

P.E.’s first album, “Yo! Bum Rush the Show” was released in 1987; but it wasn’t until their second album, “It takes a Nations of Millions to Hold Us Back”, that they achieved recognition and celebrity status. This album, a genuine classic, is still not outdated today. This album shocked and petrified the mainstream audience calling Minister Louis Farrakhan “a prophet”. This innovative mix of free jazz, hard funk, even musique concrète by their producing team, the Bomb Squad created a sound unlike anything that came before.