Public Enemy made its triumphant return earlier this month with a video for the DJ Premier-assisted “State Of The Union (STFU),” the groundbreaking Hip Hop group’s first new offering since 2017’s Nothing Is Quick In The Desert.
With the cry for racial equality seemingly louder than ever, BET enlisted Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Flavor Flav to reimagine their explosive anthem “Fight The Power” for the annual BET Awards on Sunday night (June 28), opening the ceremony.
But for this version, Public Enemy had some assistance from Nas, Black Thought, The Roots’ Questlove, Rapsody and Enemy Radio’s Jahi. Longtime Public Enemy brethren Professor Griff, DJ Lord and the SW1s were also on deck to contribute to the electric performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHQolYuO6Ew&feature=youtu.be
The visual begins with 12-year-old Keedron Bryant, the former Little Big Shots contestant who went viral singing about being a “young black man” in America shortly after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police. For roughly 49 seconds, Bryant sings his heart out about being “hunted as prey” and simply wanting to live.
From there, footage of the Los Angeles protests hit the screen before Chuck comes in with, “The year is 2020/The number, another summer,” a clear play on the original lyrics, “It’s 1989/The number, another summer.”
Nas then takes the spotlight and thanks Public Enemy for laying the foundation for the next generation. He hands the proverbial mic to Rapsody (rocking her Colin Kaepernick jacket) who proceeds to obliterate her verse until Black Thought takes over and passes it to Jahi. Finally, YG comes in and borrows a line from 2Pac’s “Changes.”
“They gave us guns and dope, they wanna stop a king,” he spits. “Try to erase our history, stop and think/History class ain’t tell us about Juneteenth/Cops don’t give a damn about a negro/Pull the the trigger, kill a negro, he’s a hero.”
The overarching theme of the politically-charged video creates a sense of urgency in the same way “State Of The Union” feels like a call-to-action. Speaking to HipHopDX’s Kyle Eustice, the Hip Hop luminary explained how DJ Premier got onboard — and it involves Tums (sort of).
“When we did the Gods of Rap tour last year, that’s where we found out we were 24-hour Hip Hop heads,” Chuck says. “For example, in the middle of the night, I found out about Tums. I didn’t know what Tums and Rolaids were. I ate late one night and I was like, ‘Ah, man, I don’t know if I’ll be able to go to sleep and get up for the gig tomorrow on time and all that because I got food in me.’ And then Premier introduced me to Tums. He said, ‘Take these man. They’re Tums.’ I’m like, ‘Tums? What the fuck is that?’
“So I knock on the door at midnight or 1 a.m. and his room looks like my room. My room is set up with computers and writing and stuff like that, and his room is set up with music. He’s cutting radio shows and I’m cutting radio shows, and I’m like, ‘This dude’s a lifer like I am.’ I always kind of knew, but this dude is doing his thing like I’m doing my thing. That was a beautiful revelation.”
Public Enemy Returns With Fists In The Air In Politically Charged 'State Of The Union' Video
Once they returned to the United States, the collaboration was inevitable. For those who were shocked by Flav’s return, it was only a matter of time. Their relationship has been a roller coaster for decades and despite any perceived fall-outs, they’re always going to be Public Enemy.
“I’m always cool with Flavor, but I’m never going to be cool with Flavor when he don’t do the work,” he says. “That’s what it’s all about. I’m the guy in charge and he’s got to work. Not only is he working, but he’s also putting together the next Public Enemy album after this one’s done.”
When asked what the magic trick was, he replies with a laugh, “Me yelling at him.”
He adds, “Listen, I gave up yelling at him at a certain time. But then I realized yelling at him is the only motivation to get him to understand that he has to do the work that he needs to do — even for himself. Your job is one of the best jobs in the world doing what you do. But it ain’t going to come with no work. You can’t just be in stardom — and that’s what reality TV is. You can just wake up and be a star and not really do no work.”
Public Enemy is expected to release the follow-up to Nothing Is Quick In The Desert later this year. Until then, revisit “State of The Union” below and fight the power.
Fireeeee
Fight the power? When we had a black President. Oprah, Hov, and Diddy are billionaires. DC and Atlanta mayors are black females. Basketball and football players are millionaires. Blacks in the inner cities need to look in the mirror, opportunities are everywhere.
It’s not about the 1% blacks that have the talent to be billionaires. It’s about the regular dudes, like me, who have been beaten up by cops, arrested, and fired from jobs for no reason other than being black. But you don’t understand that because you haven’t experienced it. Sometimes you have to consider the things you HAVEN’T been through. I’ve never experienced what a native Americans go through, but it only takes a minimal amount of empathy and intelligence to imagine it and have compassion for it. That’s all we’re asking for is the MINIMUM amount of compassion and willingness to understand and people like you still resist it. Smh. I’m not saying you personally are a bad guy, but your deluded way of thinking is a problem man. Peace.
don’t talk to me about fighting the power.
wow thank you God for Your grace and mercy You know I dont deserve it but im striving to live more in the Light thank You for giving me breath my senses and extremities thank You for being higher than our overvalued ways and understanding so that we may live with You in mind first leading us to abundance, in which our ways we couldn’t ever fathom, beyond worth of silver and gold and fine raiment, a relationship and Faith in the Most High and His Son….. Bless whoever reads this with godly wisdom, even if it’s ten minutes of wisdom, let it be known that the Most High will do works at any given time, ask and He will give it freely, He doesnt want you to suffer, but dont be timid take that one step and believe in the unseen..you believe in some rappers but not Yah? look around you and know you are not of this world, let the world go or youll be chasing trying to keep up forever, why settle for less, He didnt make you to be a carbon copy or anxious slave debt get with Him
Amen. Praise Jesus.
Wow, so right on time..thanks for posting.
That was the baddest thing I’ve seen & heard this year! This what hip hop is missing today, realism! Rapsody, true queen repping Kaepernick. That was dope!! The only MC missing was Cube, the old Cube. He woulda fitted in nicely! But respect still ✊?✊?
Ok will we will if this song actually leads to any change or is more about grandstanding acting like leaders when who actually owns the right to this song and BET?
and BLM for that “matter”. All Power To The People!