It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

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It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back cover
Studio album by Public Enemy
Released April 19, 1988
Recorded July - October 1987 at Greene Street Recording and Chung King House of Metal in New York City; Sabella Recording in Roslyn and Spectrum City Studios in Hempstead
Genre Hip Hop
Length 57:51
Label Def Jam/Columbia Records
CK-44303
Producer(s) Hank Shocklee and Carl Ryder (The Bomb Squad)
Professional reviews
Public Enemy chronology
Yo! Bum Rush the Show
(1987)		 It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
(1988)		 Fight the Power...Live!
(1989)


It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is the sophomore full-length album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released on April 19, 1988 on Def Jam Recordings. Enormously influential, the album's mix of The Bomb Squad's dense, sample-heavy production and Chuck D's politically charged lyrics turned the album into a sensation. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.

The track "Rebel Without a Pause" appeared in the videogame Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, as well as the Playstation game, Thrasher: Skate and Destroy.

The track "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" was covered by Tricky on the album Maxinquaye.

Music videos were also made for several of the tracks, including "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos", "Don't Believe the Hype", and "Night of the Living Baseheads".

Contents

  1. "Countdown to Armageddon" (C. Ridenhour, E. Sadler, H. Shocklee) – 1:40
  2. "Bring the Noise" (C. Ridenhour, H. Shocklee) – 3:46
  3. "Don't Believe the Hype" (C. Ridenhour, E. Sadler, H. Shocklee) – 5:19
  4. "Cold Lampin' With Flavor" (E. Sadler, H. Shocklee, W. Drayton) – 4:17
  5. "Terminator X to the Edge of Panic" (C. Ridenhour, N. Rogers, W. Drayton) – 4:31
  6. "Mind Terrorist" (C. Ridenhour, E. Sadler, H. Shocklee) – 1:21
  7. "Louder Than a Bomb" (C. Ridenhour, E. Sadler, H. Shocklee) – 3:37
  8. "Caught, Can We Get a Witness?" (C. Ridenhour, E. Sadler, H. Shocklee) – 4:53
  9. "Show Em Whatcha Got" (C. Ridenhour, E. Sadler, H. Shocklee) – 1:56
  10. "She Watch Channel Zero?!" (C. Ridenhour, E. Sadler, H. Shocklee, R. Griffin , W. Drayton) – 3:49
  11. "Night of the Living Baseheads" (C. Ridenhour, E. Sadler, H. Shocklee) – 3:14
  12. "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" (C. Ridenhour, E. Sadler, H. Shocklee, W. Drayton) – 6:23
  13. "Security of the First World" (C. Ridenhour, E. Sadler, H. Shocklee) – 1:20
  14. "Rebel Without a Pause" (C. Ridenhour, H. Shocklee) – 5:02
  15. "Prophets of Rage" (C. Ridenhour, E. Sadler, H. Shocklee, W. Drayton) – 3:18
  16. "Party for Your Right to Fight" (C. Ridenhour, E. Sadler, H. Shocklee) – 3:24

Certain track titles refer to other titles from popular culture. These include:

  • Download sample of "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos", a prison break narrative that features a sample from Isaac Hayes' "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" (from the album "Hot Buttered Soul").
  • "Terminator X To The Edge of Panic" features a clip from the Queen song "Flash".

  • Professor Griff - Vocals
  • Chuck D. - Vocals
  • Steven Ett - Mixing
  • Fab 5 Freddy - Vocals
  • Flavor Flav - Vocals
  • Glen E. Friedman - Photography
  • John Harrison - Engineer
  • Rod Hui - Mixing
  • Jeff Jones - Engineer
  • Rick Rubin - Executive Producer
  • Carl Ryder - Producer
  • Nick Sansano - Engineer
  • Hank Shocklee - Programming, Producer
  • Terminator X - Turntables
  • Chuck Valle - Engineer
  • Eric "Vietnam" Sadler - Programming, Assistant Producer
  • Norman Rogers - Scratching
  • Bill Stephney - Production Supervisor
  • Erica Johnson - Vocals
  • Oris Josphe - Vocals
  • Johnny Juice Rosado - Scratching, Turntables
  • Greg Gordon - Engineer
  • Jim Sabella - Engineer
  • Keith Boxley - Mixing
  • Chuck Chillout - Mixing
  • Matt Tritto - Engineer
  • Harry Allen - Vocals
  • Christopher Shaw - Engineer

Album chart positions are taken from Billboard magazine (North America).[2]

Chart (1988) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard 200 42
U.S. Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 1

Singles chart positions are taken from Billboard magazine (North America).[3]

Song Chart (1988) Peak
position
"Bring the Noise" U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 56
"Don't Believe the Hype" U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 18
"Don't Believe the Hype" U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play 21
"Don't Believe the Hype" U.S. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 17
"Night of the Living Baseheads" U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 62
Song Chart (1989) Peak
position
"Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 86
"Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" U.S. Hot Rap Singles 11

The following lists some of the songs and sounds sampled on It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. In an interview years later, producer Hank Shocklee said that in the face of increased clearance costs for copyrighted material that replicating the number of samples used on the album wouldn't be impossible, but would be far more expensive than it was at the time [1].

Bring the Noise

Don't Believe the Hype

  • "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss
  • "Do the Funky Penguin" by Rufus Thomas
  • "I Got Ants in my Pants" & "Escape-ism" by James Brown

Cold Lampin' With Flavor

Terminator X to the Edge of Panic

Louder Than a Bomb

  • "Long Red" by Mountain
  • "It's Yours" by T La Rock
  • "AJ Scratch" by Kurtis Blow
  • "Here We Go" (Live) by Run-DMC
  • "One for the Treble" by Davy DMX
  • "Feel Like Making Love" by Bob James
  • "Who's Gonna Take the Weight?" by Kool & the Gang
  • "Fantastic Freaks at the Dixie" by DJ Grand Wizard Theodore
  • "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)" by The Beastie Boys

Caught, Can We Get a Witness?

  • "Blow Your Head" by The J.B.'s
  • "Son of Shaft" by The Bar-Kays
  • "Theme from Shaft" by Isaac Hayes
  • "Terminator X Speaks With His Hands" by Public Enemy
  • "Soul Power" (Live at the Apollo Theatre 1971) by James Brown
  • "Hot Pants. . . I'm Coming, I'm Coming, I'm Coming" by Bobby Byrd

Show 'Em Whatcha Got

  • "Darkest Light" by the Lafayette Afro Rock Band

She Watch Channel Zero?!

Night of the Living Baseheads

  • "UFO" by ESG
  • "Fame" by David Bowie
  • "The Grunt" by The J.B.'s
  • "Scorpio" by Dennis Coffey
  • "Son of Shaft" by The Bar-Kays
  • "Funky Man" by Kool & The Gang
  • "Bring the Noise" by Public Enemy
  • "Christmas Rappin'" by Kurtis Blow
  • "Do the Funky Penguin" by Rufus Thomas
  • "I Can't Get Next to You" by The Temptations
  • "Pick Up the Pieces" by Average White Band
  • "You Can Make It If You Try" by Sly & the Family Stone
  • "I Don't Know What This World Is Coming To" by Soul Children
  • "Here We Go" (Live), & "Sucker M.C.'s (Krush-Groove 1)" by Run-DMC
  • "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" & "Soul Power Pt. I" by James Brown
  • "Rappin' Ain't No Thang" by Boogie Boys featuring Kool Ski, Kid Delight & Disco Dave

Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos

  • "Bring the Noise" by Public Enemy
  • "Little Green Apples" by The Escorts
  • "Living for the City" by Stevie Wonder
  • "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" by Isaac Hayes

Rebel Without a Pause

  • "The Grunt" by The J.B.'s
  • "Funky Drummer" & "Get Up Offa That Thing" by James Brown
  • "I Don't Know What This World Is Coming To" by the Soul Children

Prophets of Rage

Party for Your Right to Fight

  • "Do That Stuff" by Parliament
  • "I Know You Got Soul" by Bobby Byrd
  • "Butt-to-Butt Resuscitation" by Funkadelic
  • "Get Up, Stand Up" by Bob Marley & the Wailers
  • "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & The Family Stone
  • "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" by James Brown
  • "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)" by The Beastie Boys

  1. ^ Public Enemy - "Louder Than A Bomb" title influence. Retrieved on 1 April 2007.
  2. ^ It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back: Billboard Albums. Retrieved on April 1, 2007.
  3. ^ It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back: Billboard Singles at All Music Guide. Retrieved on April 1, 2007.
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