Record Label: Def Jam
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One of the most influential rap groups has another Greatest Hits album. The other one was a mediocre album from the 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection. But now the band finally has a Greatest Hits album worth talking about! If you don’t know who Public Enemy are, they are a politically charged rap group that hit it big in the late 80’s & early 90’s with classic albums like “It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back” and “Fear of a Black Planet”. From listening to this album, it makes me look back when I first got into the band. My older brother let me listen to PE albums and then I was hooked. I remember doing “the running man” at the school dances with the ladies. Just think about that, let it sink in, okay moving on…

The Greatest Hits album contains a lot of tracks I’d put on a compilation album, but there were some songs I think were looked over. The most notable song missing is the Anthrax/PE version of “Bring the Noise.” The original version is on here but I would have liked that song to end the album because I think it would have been a good way to go out. Instead the album ends on “He Got Game,” which is a cool song, but I would have liked to have seen the album go out on a heavier song. The album opens up with “You’re Gonna Get Yours” which appeared on the album “Yo Bum Rush The Show.” Then the songs go from album to album, picking out the best tracks from each.

The albums that are represented the most are “It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back” and “Fear of a Black Planet” and they should be! “Fear of a Black Planet” is probably my favorite album from PE. I also really like the album “Apocalypse 91: The Enemy Strikes Black” and the song “Can’t Truss It” being my favorite song from that album. “Can’t Truss It” is on the greatest hits album, as well as “By The Time I Get To Arizona” and ‘Shut Em Down.” I would have like to have seen “1 Million Bottlebags” on the album because that’s another one I like a lot. All in all, “Power to the People and the Beats” is one kick ass Greatest Hits album, and it’s really for the people who don’t already own any Public Enemy albums. Or if you are too lazy to make your own PE mix CD, then this album is something to get.

Bottom Line: If you don’t have any PE albums, this is a good album to start with.
Notable Tracks: Bring the Noise, Don’t Believe the Hype, Fight The Power, 911 is a Joke, Can’t Do Nuttin’ For Ya Man, Can’t Truss It, Give It Up
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