Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black

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Untitled

Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black is an album by Public Enemy, released on October 1 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, Evan Mecham, 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 (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

  1. "Lost At Birth" — 3:49 (Ridenour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)
  2. "Rebirth" — 0:59 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)
  3. "Nighttrain" — 3:27 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/The JBL/Depper)
  4. "Can't Truss It" — 5:21 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)
  5. "I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga" — 4:23 (Drayton/Gary G/Wiz/Robertz)
  6. "How To Kill A Radio Consultant" — 3:09 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)
  7. "By The Time I Get To Arizona" — 4:48 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper/Mandrill/Santiago)
  8. "Move!" — 4:59 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)
  9. "1 Million Bottlebags" — 4:06 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)
  10. "More News At 11" — 2:39 (Drayton/Gary G/Wiz/Robertz)
  11. "Shut Em Down" — 5:04 (Ridenhour/Robertz/Gary G/Wiz/Depper)
  12. "A Letter To The New York Post" — 2:45 (Drayton/Gary G/Wiz/Robertz)
  13. "Get The F--- Outta Dodge" — 2:38 (Ridenhour/Houston)
  14. "Bring Tha Noize" (w/Anthrax) — 3:47 (Ridenhour/Shocklee/Sadler/Anthrax)

Personnel

Public Enemy

Anthrax

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)

Year Chart Position
1991 The Billboard 200 4
1991 Top R&B/hip-hop albums 1
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