Public Enemy

Public Enemy rewrote the rules of {hip-hop}, becoming the most influential and controversial { ap} group of the late '80s and, for many, the definitive { ap} group of all time. Building from Run-d.m.c.'s street-oriented beats and Boogie Down Productions' proto-{gangsta} rhyming, Public Enemy pioneered a variation of {hardcore rap} that was musically and politically revolutionary. With his powerful, authoritative baritone, lead rapper Chuck D rhymed about all kinds of social problems, particularly those plaguing the black community, often condoning revolutionary tactics and social activism. In the process, he directed {hip-hop} toward an explicitly self-aware, pro-black consciousness that became the culture's signature throughout the next decade.

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