Hip-hop pioneers Public Enemy are releasing a vinyl reissue of their seminal second album, ‘It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back’, to celebrate the 35-year anniversary of the record and the 50th anniversary of the genre. The release, set to arrive on November 10th, will be available as either a two-LP or four-LP set, the latter of which contains bonus tracks from the deluxe CD edition, such as instrumental and a cappella mixes, plus some liner notes from founding members Chuck D and Flavor Flav.
In a statement, Chuck D reflected on the release, noting how the hip-hop genre had been spurred on by the success of Run-DMC, LL Cool J, and Whodini, and how the group took inspiration from rock albums to approach their own record differently.
The tracklist for the ‘It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back’ 35th Anniversary Edition is as follows:
Side A – Countdown to Armageddon, Bring the Noise, Don’t Believe the Hype, Cold Lampin With Flavor
Side B – Terminator X to the Edge of Panic, Mind Terrorist, Louder Than a Bomb, Caught, Can We Get a Witness?
Side C – Show ‘Em Whatcha Got, She Watch Channel Zero?!, Night of the Living Baseheads, Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
Side D – Security of the First World, Rebel Without a Pause, Prophets of Rage, Party for Your Right to Fight
Side E – Bring the Noise (No Noise Version), Bring the Noise (No Noise Instrumental), Bring the Noise (No Noise A Cappella), Rebel Without a Pause (Instrumental)
Side F – Night of the Living Baseheads (Anti-High Blood Pressure Encounter Mix), Night of the Living Baseheads (Terminator X Meets DST And Chuck Chill Out Instrumental Mix), The Edge of Panic
Side G – Terminator X to the Edge of Panic (No Need To Panic Radio Version), The Rhythm, The Rebel (A Cappella), Prophets of Rage (Power Version)
Side H – Caught, Can We Get a Witness? (Pre Black Steel Ballistic Felony Dub), B-Side Wins Again (Original Version), Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (Instrumental)
To commemorate the achievements of the genre, Public Enemy frontman Chuck D has narrated a new audio docu-drama series about the history of hip-hop, called ‘Can You Dig It? A Hip-Hop Origin Story’. Spanning five 30-minute episodes, the series dives into the origins of hip-hop, using immersive reenactments, oral history, and expert discussion to weave the story of the genre’s birth in the Bronx, NY during the late 1960s and early ’70s.
Fans of Public Enemy and hip-hop music can pre-order the ‘It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back’ anniversary edition vinyl now.
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