This post is from Out the Other's 2009 Bonnaroo Artist Previews, where I will be posting previews of all the musical acts playing the 2009 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Please check out and subscribe to the full site to learn more about all of this year's performers.
Editor's note: This is a guest preview from J. David Wicker - my friend, fellow music aficionado, and occasional Out the Other guest-blogger. Someday when he stops filling his plate with everything under the sun, I hope he starts a music blog of his own.
“Bass, how low can you go?”
In 1988 Public Enemy informed everyone that It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. Nation was an album that raised the level of the game and left the competition flatfooted. Twenty years later, court jester Flavor Flav, militant leadman Chuck D, and the indefinable Professor Griff are still a force to be reckoned with. Public Enemy’s overall message still booms as true today as it did during the first Bush Administration.
Public Enemy’s history leaves little room for debate as to their importance to the hip-hop world. They were the first hip-hop act to base its entire image around a political stance. Public Enemy was also the first hip-hop group to make extended world tours, which led to huge popularity and influence in hip-hop communities in Europe and Asia. As one of the first groups to release MP3-only albums when the format was virtually unknown, Public Enemy also changed the Internet’s music distribution capability.
In 2008, Public Enemy celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Nation by performing the classic album front to back at the Pitchfork Musical Festival. While there was genuine excitement to see them perform the album, just as many people were watching, if not praying, to see washed up reality-star Flavor Flav fail. Much to everyone’s surprise, he didn’t. No one can say he, and the rest of Public Enemy, didn’t give that performance their all. The set was rife with spectacle, political commentary, and showmanship. Over twenty years later, the Godfathers of hip-hop are still performing like it’s 1988.
"Bring the Noise"
"Fight the Power"
Public Enemy will play on Friday night/Saturday morning in the This Tent from 12:30 - 1:45 a.m. Check out the Full Bonnaroo schedule on the official Bonnaroo website.
