In 1988, a highly influential hip hop ensemble from Long Island, New York moved hip hop music to a new level of excellence. Carlton Ridenhour (Chuck D), William Drayton (Flavor Flav), Norman Rogers (Terminator X), and Richard Griffin (Professor Griff) are Public Enemy.

Chuck D fired Griff for anti-Semitic remarks in a 1989 interview. Griff joined Public Enemy again in 1997.

The highest charted hit (top 10) on the R&B charts for the group was 1991's "Can't Truss It." Listen:

Some of their lyrics are called controversial. Even outside of Public Enemy, Chuck D, an accomplished writer, has several books communicating a strong world view.

I like 1997's Fight The Power: Rap, Race, and Reality written by Chuck with Yusef Jah featuring a forward by Spike Lee. The pages are full of his and Public Enemy's coming of age experiences seen through Chuck's eyes.

There's a nice history here. Black record executives, song writing, the concert scene, wisdom about the world, observations about malt liquor, and a commitment to the hip hop culture are confidently expressed. Chuck says in the Prelude To Public Enemy chapter that "by 1986 I was thoroughly convinced that Rap was big-time based on Run-DMC's success."

I've seen Public Enemy 3 times. At the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NYC, in Atlantic City, NJ at Boardwalk Hall, and in Washington, DC. This photo, one of many I took, is from their show at the Lisner Auditorium in DC.

Who doesn't like a polished what happened on this day in history book? Chuck D did his research for Chuck D Presents This Day In Rap and Hip-Hop History. The large 342 page hard cover book was published in 2017.

1973 - 1983 is reviewed across a dozen pages. Each year from 1984 to 2016 gets a separate chapter. There is an entry for every day of the calendar year. The colorful artist illustrations are terrific. News worthy items are summarized in a paragraph or two in each history note.

Here I am with Flavor Flav at Kelsey's Restaurant in Atlantic City, NJ before a Boardwalk Hall Legends of Hip Hop concert that included Public Enemy. The January, 2015 photo is included in my Powerhouse Radio: Rough Roads, Radiance and Rebirth Book you can discover (on my book website).

For some, when will the Fear of a Black Planet end? This 1989 / 1990 record includes "Fight The Power." It's a collection of musical messages imparting important themes for all people to think about.

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