With Public Enemy's Rebirth of a Nation, Chuck D and Flavor Flav are back with enough venom to make corporate America shake in its suits.
In their eleventh studio album, PE once again fuses rap with social and political commentary. They receive major help from rap artist and producer Paris of Guerrilla Funk Records. Of "The Devil Made Me Do It" and "Bush Killa" song fame, Paris writes most of the lyrics and produces the entire album for PE.
This move is a bold one for such well-known rap veterans -- but it works.
Rebirth of A Nation features fierce attacks on a multitude of today's issues with no apologies or restraints. Anything is worthy of comment to PE and Paris, and they don't hold back for a minute.
PE, in collaboration with Paris and MC Ren from the legendary N.W.A., makes this frankness clear on the first track, "Raw Sh*t," as they angrily attack the current president: "So now you're gonna tell me that the war is won / and what's done is done / and all good / son of a Bush / I've been there before / got a letter from the government / slid underneath my front door."
PE spends most of the album gearing up for a revolution. The group's first single "Can't Hold Us Back" calls for "Justice, equality and freedom now" while proclaiming "I ain't letting nothing hold me back / or block me / They're gonna have to pop me to stop me."
The revolutionary feeling is only accentuated by references to Malcolm X and audio clips from his speeches. On other tracks, Martin Luther King is featured.
The album, however, does have room for tracks with less political commentary. PE addresses a subject that, at first, seems unusual for them to worry about: plastic surgery. "Plastic Nation" features commentary on the popularity of plastic surgery for women, professing that inner beauty and loving what you were born with matters more than trying to live up to "perfect" body images. The point comes across clearly with the use of audio clips ripped straight out of makeover TV shows. PE's message of self-love paired with women repeating "I want to change my face" adds a chilling element to the song. They succeed in making plastic surgery seem stupid and repulsive.
In the midst of all the serious subjects, one song deviates from the formula -- and that song belongs to famous, clock-wearing hypeman, Flavor Flav.
Flavor Flav gets his own song "They Call Me Flavor" to prove that he's more than a star of VH1 reality TV shows. The track is obviously meant to just be fun, featuring a lighter, early '90s dance rhythm. The hook, though it hardly makes any sense, is undeniably infectious.
"They call me Flavor / playeristic, majestic flavor, don't you know that I'm the flavor that you gave her / I'm in the life that you live when you're... yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah," Flav repeatedly shouts.
Listeners will be yelling a Flavor-inspired "Yeaah, booooooooy!" in no time. The song is destined to delight Flavor Flav fans and keep the album from being too heavy for others.
In all, PE's latest album is what Chuck D declares in the liner notes: "A rebirth of an abandoned style, retro, throwback."
Despite Paris' heavy-hand in the production and writing of the album, Rebirth of a Nation maintains the legendary PE vibe. When paired with other hip-hop revolutionaries such as Dead Prez, Immortal Technique and The Conscious Daughters, Public Enemy delivers a solid album that's both bold and enjoyable.
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