Album of the day (#985): It Takes a Nation of Millions to Ho - Music

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SilverWalrus wrote:

It just sounds so dated to me, and while stuff like Eric B. And Rakim sounds a bit dated to me but still works, I just can't get too into Public Enemy.

Interesting. I actually think Nation of Millions sounds less dated than some of its peers (Paid In Full, Criminal Minded, Critical Beatdown, Straight Out The Jungle), I think because there's more going on musically, but also partially because of the rapping. This album is still really loud and urgent, benefiting from a pretty unique "throw the kitchen sink at it" approach from Hank Shockley and The Bomb Squad that came from the same family as everyone else's James Brown breaks but was far more maximalist and full of jarring musical juxtapositions, added the fact that Chuck D was never a formulaic rapper in the mold of Run or LL - even if that was in part down to his own technical shortcomings - but rather relied heavily on his booming voice and militant message, mean that this album really doesn't sound like what I think 1988 sounds like. Because they weren't working from contemporary reference points, either in terms of beats or rhymes, this album sounds genuinely timeless to me, even if it might appear primitive when compared to something like Yeezus (which I think musically, and particularly in terms of vibe, is heavily indebted to P.E.). I don't know, there's a raft of reasons I could sympathise with for not enjoying this album (it's too militant in tone, it's a little all over the place, the beats could be construed as quite incessant), but I really don't see how it's "dated".

meccalecca
Voice of Reason

Gender: Male
Location: The Land of Enchantment

lethalnezzle wrote:

Interesting. I actually think Nation of Millions sounds less dated than some of its peers (Paid In Full, Criminal Minded, Critical Beatdown, Straight Out The Jungle), I think because there's more going on musically, but also partially because of the rapping. This album is still really loud and urgent, benefiting from a pretty unique "throw the kitchen sink at it" approach from Hank Shockley and The Bomb Squad that came from the same family as everyone else's James Brown breaks but was far more maximalist and full of jarring musical juxtapositions, added the fact that Chuck D was never a formulaic rapper in the mold of Run or LL - even if that was in part down to his own technical shortcomings - but rather relied heavily on his booming voice and militant message, mean that this album really doesn't sound like what I think 1988 sounds like. Because they weren't working from contemporary reference points, either in terms of beats or rhymes, this album sounds genuinely timeless to me, even if it might appear primitive when compared to something like Yeezus (which I think musically, and particularly in terms of vibe, is heavily indebted to P.E.). I don't know, there's a raft of reasons I could sympathise with for not enjoying this album (it's too militant in tone, it's a little all over the place, the beats could be construed as quite incessant), but I really don't see how it's "dated".

I can understand why some people are saying it sounds dated. In relation to something like Yeezus, it's far more raw, but I think that's also an important part of its aesthetic. The raw, jarring maximalism compliments the overall message. I think some producers lose sight of why cleanliness is not always the fitting aesthetic choice.

It's like when At The Drive In released Relationship of Command. That album was awesome, but the loud, clean production has actually hurt that album's timelessness.
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Silver

I don't think Chuck D's rapping has aged poorly at all, I still think that stands out as pretty unique and timeless, for me a lot of it lies in the instrumentation and sounds going on in the album. Like in Don't Believe the Hype, that sort of squeak sound and the riff that goes throughout the song, it's not bad but to me that sounds so rooted in the 80's. Then again, maybe it also has to do that I heard Public Enemy's song more when I was young in video games and growing up, where as Eric B. and Rakim I only got into when I started listening to hip-hop.

joedec

Gender: Male
Age: 41
Location: Port Arthur, Tx

One of my top 5 favorite hip hop albums of all time.

Kool Keith Sweat

Other than Run DMC, I find I like Public Enemy the least of the '80s hip hop canon. I occasionally get the urge to listen to Public Enemy, and I think they provide the perfect soundtrack to Do the Right Thing, but I simply don't like them as much as De la Soul, Beastie Boys, Ultramagnetic MCs, Eric B. & Rakim, The Jungle Brothers, Boogie Down Productions, Biz Markie, N.W.A., etc. I appreciate them for what they were more than I actually jam to them. That being said, I still consider it a plus whenever I see this album on a chart.