When Public Enemy's second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, was released in 1988, "it completely upended the way records are made. It challenged the concept of reinvention in recorded music," writes The Roots' Amir "Questlove" Thompson in the booklet that is included in the deluxe two-CD/DVD reissue of the album on Def Jam/Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), which will be released on November 25, 2014, along with its well-regarded follow-up, Fear of a Black Planet, which came out just two years later. In his liner notes, Wax Poetics magazine editor-in-chief Andre Torres calls that album "the brilliant bookend to a classic hip-hop trilogy... Though Millions is the more critically acclaimed and well-known, an argument could be made for Fear's triumph as the strongest album of the three."
The Deluxe Edition of It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back includes the original album, executive produced by Rick Rubin and Bill Stephney, and produced by Hank Shocklee, Keith Shocklee, Eric "Vietnam" Sadler and Carl Ryder (aka Chuck D), better known as the Bomb Squad. It features the classic tracks "Bring the Noise," "Don't Believe the Hype," "Louder Than a Bomb" and "Rebel Without a Pause." The second disc includes 13 rare bonus mixes, among them the original "No Noise" version of "Bring the Noise," instrumental versions of "Rebel Without a Pause," "Night of the Living Baseheads" and "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos," as well as the soundtrack version of "Fight the Power" from Spike Lee's groundbreaking Do the Right Thing movie. The third disc is a DVD of the 1989 VHS release Fight the Power... Live, directed by Hart Perry and long unavailable for sale. It includes the original videos for "Fight the Power," "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" and "Night of the Living Baseheads" along with several live performances. The platinum-selling album was named one of the top 100 of all time by Time magazine, and was ranked #48 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time."
The Deluxe Edition of Fear of a Black Planet includes the original album, also produced by the Bomb Squad and featuring the hit singles "Fight the Power," "Welcome to the Terrordome" and Flavor Flav's "911 Is a Joke." The second disc includes 18 rare bonus mixes, among them, the almost 10 minute-long "Enemy Assault Vehicle Mixx (Medley)," three separate remixes of "Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man!;" an uncensored and extended version of "Anti-Ni***r Machine;" instrumental takes on "911 Is a Joke," "Power to the People," "Revolutionary Generation" and "War at 33 1/3," plus three separate mixes of "Fight the Power," including the "Flavor Flav Meets Spike Lee" take, featuring Branford Marsalis on sax.
The original LP version of Fear of a Black Planet will also be released in a collector's vinyl edition for the first time in 15 years, with a special "fade to black" 3D cover that, when turned to the left or right, turns black, with just the band's iconic cross-hairs visible.
Fear of a Black Planet, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2015, finished #300 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and was added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry in 2005. The album is certified platinum by the RIAA for more than one million shipped, peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard 200. Writes Wax Poetics editor-in-chief Torres in the liner notes, "Though it sits in the shadow of It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back, Fear of a Black Planet is a formidable contender for one of the finest hip-hop albums ever recorded."
These Deluxe Editions are part of a yearlong, ongoing celebration marking the 30th Anniversary of the iconic record label founded in 1984 by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons. Its influence and impact on modern music, culture, and lifestyle is unparalleled.
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (2-CD/1-DVD)
DISC 1 (The Album)
1. Countdown To Armageddon
2. Bring The Noise
3. Don't Believe The Hype
4. Cold Lampin' With Flavor
5. Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic
6. Mind Terrorist
7. Louder Than A Bomb
8. Caught, Can We Get A Witness?
9. Show 'Em Whatcha Got
10. She Watch Channel Zero?!
11. Night Of The Living Baseheads
12. Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos
13. Security Of The First World
14. Rebel Without A Pause
15. Prophets Of Rage
16. Party For Your Right To Fight
DISC 2 (Bonus Tracks)
1. Bring The Noise (No Noise Version)
2. Bring The Noise (No Noise Instrumental)
3. Bring The Noise (No Noise A Cappella)
4. Rebel Without A Pause (Instrumental)
5. Night Of The Living Baseheads (Anti-High Blood Pressure Encounter Mix)
6. Night Of The Living Baseheads (Terminator X Meets DST And Chuck Chill Out Instrumental Mix)
7. Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic (No Need To Panic Radio Version)
8. The Edge Of Panic
9. The Rhythm, The Rebel (A Capella)
10. Prophets Of Rage (Power Version)
11. Caught, Can We Get A Witness? (Pre Black Steel Ballistic Felony Dub)
12. B-Side Wins Again (Original Version)
13. Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos (Instrumental)
14. Fight The Power (Soundtrack Version)
DISC 3 (Fight The Power Live DVD)
1. Countdown to Armageddon
2. Public Enemy Number One
3. Miuzi Weighs A Ton
4. Night Of The Living Baseheads (Live)
5. Fight The Power
6. Bring The Noise
7. Don't Believe The Hype
8. Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos
9. Rebel Without A Pause
10. Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic
11. Night Of The Living Baseheads (Video)
12. Prophets Of Rage
Fear of a Black Planet (2-CD)
DISC 1 (The Album)
1. Contract On The World Love Jam (Instrumental)
2. Brothers Gonna Work It Out
3. 911 Is A Joke
4. Incident At 66.6 FM (Instrumental)
5. Welcome To The Terrordome
6. Meet the G That Killed Me
7. Pollywanacraka
8. Anti-Ni***r Machine
9. Burn Hollywood Burn (featuring Ice Cube)
10. Power To The People
11. Who Stole The Soul?
12. Fear Of A Black Planet
13. Revolutionary Generation
14. Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man!
15. Reggie Jax
16. Leave This Off Your F**kin Charts (Instrumental)
17. B Side Wins Again
18. War At 33 1/3
19. Final Count Of The Collision Between Us And The Damned (Instrumental)
20. Fight The Power
DISC 2 (Bonus Tracks)
1. Brothers Gonna Work It Out (Remix)
2. Brothers Gonna Work It Out (Dub)
3. Flavor Flav
4. Terrorbeat
5. Welcome To The Terrordome (Terrormental)
6. Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man (Full Rub Mix)
7. Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man (U.K. 12" Powermix)
8. Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man (Dub Mixx)
9. Burn Hollywood Burn (Extended Censored Fried To The Radio Version)
10. Anti-Ni***r Machine (Uncensored Extended)
11. 911 Is A Joke (Instrumental)
12. Power To The People (Instrumental)
13. Revolutionary Generation (Instrumental)
14. War At 33 1/3 (Instrumental)
15. Fight The Power (Soundtrack Version)
16. Fight The Power (Powersax)
17. Fight The Power (Flavor Flav Meets Spike Lee)
18. The Enemy Assault Vehicle Mixx (Medley)
Videos