Public Enemy "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" [1988]

To say Public Enemy's breakout album is artless as a street mugging would surely be taken as a compliment, in that it would purport the idea that anyone would be frightened by their "music" (and also prove that I'm a racist). In fact, "It Takes a Nation of Millions…" does indeed scare me, but only in regard to how far the quality level had fallen for hip-hop even as early as 1988. "Education" through intimidation, left-wing polemics dressed up in right-wing militia garb, with "important" topics like copyright infringement and not being able to watch the football game, Public Enemy is a study of drastic, contradictory extremes that directly cancel each other out. Demanded to be taken seriously by Chuck D's rhythmically challenged, ham-handed baritone one minute, in the next comes one Flava Flav, whose sub-human blather and crackhouse chuckling undermine everything established previously. Doused in a cacophony of street noise and bad jazz, "It Takes a Million to Hold Us Back" may be the most unlistenable album in the history of rap -- which is definitely saying something.