Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” was a single off of their 1989 album “Fear of a Black Planet”, and also featured prominently in Spike Lee’s 1989 film Do the Right Thing. It is the type of politically conscious and confrontational song that made Public Enemy one of the most influential and controversial hip hop groups of all time.

discussion

What are the main messages that Public Enemy is trying to get across with this production? How do they combine lyrics, music and visuals to achieve these goals?

Are there similar voices in hip hop music and culture today, pushing for the types of social and political goals that Public Enemy did in the late 1980s and 1990s? If so, who? If not, why not?